Armenia election: Pashinyan declares victory for Civil Contract party

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared victory for his Civil Contract party in the nation's parliamentary elections, asserting that the party will form the government independently. The announcement came during a press conference in Yerevan, even as the Central Election Commission reported that less than 20 percent of the ballots had been counted.

According to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission, after processing votes from 506 polling stations, the Civil Contract party garnered 51.8 percent of the vote. The Strong Armenia alliance, led by businessman Samvel Karapetyan, secured second place with 21.43 percent. The Armenia alliance, headed by former president Robert Kocharyan, followed in third position.

Representatives for Robert Kocharyan's electoral bloc have contested Pashinyan's early claims of victory, characterizing them as an attempt to usurp power. The elections were held against a backdrop of strained relations between Armenia and Russia, a situation exacerbated by Yerevan's stated intention to deepen ties with the European Union.

A total of 18 political entities, comprising 16 parties and two alliances, participated in the parliamentary elections. Nikol Pashinyan has held the position of Prime Minister since 2018.

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According to the election results, the Civil Contract party has won. It will form the government independently.