Armenians vote with peace efforts and Russia in focus
Parliamentary Elections: Peace, Foreign Policy, and Political Tensions
By Lucy Papachristou
Background: Armenia’s Political Landscape
YEREVAN, June 7 (Reuters) - Armenians voted on Sunday in a parliamentary election seen as a test of the government's efforts to forge a peace deal after a crushing military defeat by Azerbaijan three years ago.
The landlocked South Caucasus country's ties with Russia are also in focus, as Moscow has stepped up economic pressure on Yerevan ahead of the vote by slapping restrictions on Armenians exports and threatening to cut off its cheap oil and gas.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling Civil Contract party, which has brought Armenia closer to the West since taking power in 2018, is squaring off against three main pro-Russian opposition candidates.
Polls conducted before the vote show Civil Contract party leading, backed by up to 32% of voters, with the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party trailing in second place with up to 11%.
Pashinyan’s Mandate and Peace Negotiations
A strong showing for Pashinyan would give him a mandate to conclude peace negotiations with Azerbaijan, with whom Armenia has been at intermittent war since the late 1980s, as well as to normalise relations with Turkey, a key ally of Baku's.
"For me, it is very important that the country preserves its sovereignty, first of all, and that we have the right to choose for ourselves whom we want to be friends with and whom we want to cooperate with," said Astghik Sargesyan, who voted at a polling station in Yerevan.
She said she wanted Armenia to get closer to Europe but also maintain "the right balance" with its neighbours.
'Balanced Foreign Policy'
The election is also being closely watched in Europe, which is keen to gather allies in the region after Georgia, Armenia's neighbour to the north, made an abrupt U-turn on its Western path in recent years.
Constitutional Reform and Peace Deal Challenges
Pashinyan would need a two-thirds majority in parliament to call a referendum to change the country's constitution - a key demand of Azerbaijan's before it will sign a peace deal.
If Civil Contract falls short of the necessary seats, it could be difficult for Pashinyan to conclude the deal, and peace efforts could stall.
Opposition Criticism and Public Sentiment
Pashinyan has faced a wave of criticism from the opposition and some sections of the public, who have accused him of capitulating to Azerbaijan, particularly since the 2023 war.
He has countered by placing his peace efforts centre stage in his campaign. Asked by reporters outside a polling station in Yerevan after he voted on Sunday how he would manage relations with both Russia and the EU, Pashinyan said his government would provide a "balanced foreign policy" if re-elected.
Pro-Russian Opposition and Foreign Relations
Armenia's opposition is dominated by pro-Russian groups including Strong Armenia, formed last year by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who wants to keep Armenia close to Russia, a key supplier of energy and buyer of exports.
Karapetyan, who was able to vote in person in Yerevan on Sunday despite being under house arrest for allegedly calling for the government to be overthrown - accusations he rejects as politically motivated - said he would also have Armenia strike a balanced foreign policy.
"We cannot say that we will have only good relations with Russia or only good relations with the United States," he told reporters in comments broadcast by Armenian media.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Factor
Several voters from Nagorno-Karabakh - the breakaway territory retaken by Azerbaijan in the 2023 war - said they felt betrayed by Pashinyan. The region's entire 100,000-strong ethnic Armenian population fled to Armenia after the chaotic one-day lightning offensive.
"We are fighting so that this scoundrel finally leaves," said one former Karabakh resident, who gave his name as Arman, after voting in Yerevan.
"For us, even a small piece, just a piece of land, is very important. Where else can we go?"
Combative Campaign and Election Day
COMBATIVE CAMPAIGN
Campaign Tactics and Accusations
Pashinyan has clashed publicly with voters, including a refugee from Nagorno-Karabakh whom Pashinyan accused, in an exchange that later went viral, of having "run away" from the region instead of staying to fight.
Karapetyan has wooed the electorate with AI-generated videos, among them one showing happy Azerbaijani families moving en masse to Armenian villages and displacing distraught locals.
Authoritarianism Claims and Arrests
The election is unfolding against the backdrop of accusations of authoritarianism against Pashinyan by domestic critics and international rights groups. The government has broadly defended the actions of law enforcement agencies against individuals who it says are trying to foment coups.
A spate of arrests in the lead-up to the vote has targeted the opposition, including parliamentary candidates for the Strong Armenia party.
Voter Turnout and Election Logistics
Polls opened at 8 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 8 p.m. Some 2.48 million people are registered to vote out of Armenia's population of roughly 3 million. Turnout stood at roughly 33% as of 2 p.m.
(Reporting by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Andrew Heavens, David Holmes, William Maclean)
