Armenian Prime Minister Paschinjan Claims Victory in Parliamentary Election

Prime Minister Nikol Paschinjan announced that his pro‑European Civil Contract party had won Armenia's parliamentary election with roughly 54 % of the vote, according to early counts covering about one‑fifth of precincts. The main rival, the pro‑Russian Strong Armenia alliance, secured about 22 % and other parties trailed with single‑digit shares. Voter turnout was reported at 59 %, higher than the previous poll.

The election, the first since the 2023 hand‑over of Nagorno‑Karabakh to Azerbaijan, is seen as a referendum on Armenia's foreign orientation. Paschinjan pledged to deepen ties with the European Union and continue democratic reforms, while warning against Russian pressure. Russian authorities have threatened trade bans and higher gas prices ahead of the vote. Law‑enforcement agencies arrested more than 40 people on suspicion of vote‑buying and conducted raids on opposition offices, prompting accusations of political persecution from pro‑Russian parties.

Election officials said final results would be published later on Monday.