Armenians voted in a parliamentary election on Sunday that served as a test of the country's geopolitical future. The vote pitted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his governing Civil Contract party against a pro-Russian opposition. The election was seen as a referendum on whether Armenia would cement a shift toward Europe and the United States and away from its traditional alliance with Russia.
The election occurred against the backdrop of a clash between Russia and the West. While the EU and US supported Pashinyan's cautious pro-Western drive, Russia applied economic and political pressure to keep the former Soviet state in its orbit. Additionally, the vote focused on peace efforts with Azerbaijan following a crushing military defeat. Two political blocs and 17 parties participated in the election after a campaign shaped by security and identity issues.
Among the opposition candidates, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was forced to campaign from house arrest at his mansion outside Yerevan. Early Monday, Prime Minister Pashinyan declared victory after results from just over one-fifth of polling sites showed his party with about 54 per cent of the vote. Pashinyan stated that the country would continue strengthening its independence, statehood, democracy, and rule of law.