Armenian opposition demands vote recount

Armenia’s largest opposition party has called for a recount of last Sunday’s parliamentary election, which was decisively won by pro-Western Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, LRT reports.

The “Strong Armenia” party, which advocates closer ties with Russia and finished second in the vote, alleged widespread irregularities. “The Central Election Commission, considering the established circumstances and the scale of possible violations, must order a recount of the votes,” party representative Aramas Vardevanian told journalists after submitting an appeal.

Two other opposition parties, “Prosperous Armenia” and the “Armenian Alliance,” have also announced plans to contest the results.

“Strong Armenia” is led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian, who was placed under house arrest last year on charges he describes as politically motivated.

Pashinyan’s ruling “Civil Contract” party secured 49.8% of the vote, far ahead of “Strong Armenia” with 23.3%. Pashinyan, who came to power in a 2018 street revolution, has sought to distance Armenia from its former imperial ruler, Russia. His victory has drawn criticism from Moscow, which claims Western interference and pressure on the opposition marred the vote.

Analysts accuse Russia of spreading disinformation online, including hacking and promoting pro-Kremlin narratives that portray cooperation with the West as dangerous. Russia maintains a military base in the mountainous Caucasus nation and is one of Armenia’s key trade partners.

In 2024, Armenia froze its participation in the Russian-led security alliance but remained in Moscow’s economic bloc, as Pashinyan seeks to maintain pragmatic relations with Armenia’s larger neighbor. The Kremlin has warned that membership in both Western and Russian blocs is incompatible.

Weeks before the vote, Russia banned the import of several Armenian products.