YEREVAN - Armenians voted on Sunday in a parliamentary election widely regarded as a test of the government's efforts to forge a peace deal following a decisive military defeat by Azerbaijan three years ago. The landlocked South Caucasus nation's relationship with Russia is also under scrutiny, as Moscow has intensified economic pressure on Yerevan ahead of the vote by imposing restrictions on Armenian exports and threatening to cut off cheap oil and gas supplies.
Key Political Contest
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling Civil Contract party, which has shifted Armenia closer to the West since taking power in 2018, faces three main pro-Russian opposition candidates. Pre-election polls indicate that Civil Contract leads with up to 32% voter support, while the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party trails in second place with up to 11%.
A strong showing for Pashinyan would grant him a mandate to conclude peace negotiations with Azerbaijan, with which Armenia has been intermittently at war since the late 1980s, and to normalize relations with Turkey, a key ally of Baku. “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 expressed a desire for Armenia to move closer to Europe while maintaining “the right balance” with its neighbors.
International Implications
The election is being closely monitored in Europe, which seeks to gather allies in the region after Georgia, Armenia's northern neighbor, made a sharp U-turn away from its Western path in recent years. Pashinyan would need a two-thirds majority in parliament to call a referendum to amend the constitution, a key demand of Azerbaijan before it will sign a peace deal. If Civil Contract falls short of the necessary seats, it could hinder Pashinyan's ability to finalize the agreement, potentially stalling peace efforts.
