Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan speaks to journalists after voting at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)
A pro-Russian opposition alliance in Armenia on June 12 appealed to the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) to overturn the results of the June 7 parliamentary elections, which were won by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party.
The request was filed by the Strong Armenia party, a member of the alliance, with party representative Aram Vardevanyan stating in Yerevan that the opposition was contesting the outcome over alleged electoral violations.
Pashinyan claimed victory shortly after the vote, saying Civil Contract received a mandate from voters to continue governing.
“Thank you to all my party colleagues. We worked tirelessly, and this is a victory of history. It is a victory for the Armenian people,” he said.
Preliminary results released by CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan and reported by state-run Armenpress showed Civil Contract winning 49.82 percent of the vote after ballots from all 2,005 polling stations were counted.
The CEC is expected to announce the final results on June 14.
On June 11, the commission annulled voting results from two polling stations after reports that military personnel had gathered at the sites following the close of polls, Armenian media reported.
The move reportedly lowered the vote share of the opposition Prosperous Armenia party, pushing it below the 4 percent threshold required to secure seats in parliament, according to the party’s leader.
Pashinyan was looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course that includes distancing Armenia from Moscow and deepening cooperation with the West. “The European Union is our main partner in democratic reform implementation, and we will continue that path,” Pashinyan said as he cast his vote on June 7.
European election observers said the election was divisive but “well-run,” while noting concerns that Russia had sought to sway the outcome with economic pressure and suggesting that Pashinyan’s incumbent government had sought to stifle the largely pro-Russian opposition.
