Pre-election scandal in Armenia: CEC decision
In Armenia, one day before the parliamentary elections, the Central Election Commission refused to disqualify the opposition bloc “Strong Armenia” from the race, despite allegations against its candidates. The decision was made amid political tensions and high-profile criminal cases involving campaign participants.
On the eve of the parliamentary elections, Armenia’s Central Election Commission decided not to disqualify the opposition bloc “Strong Armenia,” around which political strife has sharply intensified in recent days and the number of public accusations has grown. The request for disqualification was filed by the pro-European “Republic” party, which cited possible instances of voter bribery by individual candidates from the bloc.
The basis for the appeal was allegations that began to be actively discussed following a pre-election debate featuring Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during which possible violations by “Strong Armenia” were mentioned. At the same time, Pashinyan himself stated that his political party would not demand the removal of opponents from the election to avoid accusations of political pressure or fear of the voting results.
Separately, on the day of the CEC’s decision, it became known that six parliamentary candidates from “Strong Armenia” had been arrested by court order in cases involving alleged money laundering and other criminal charges. In addition, a case had previously been opened against the party’s lead candidate, Narek Karapetyan, who was accused of concealing his Russian citizenship, further intensifying the political fallout surrounding the bloc.
Parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for Sunday, June 7, and are taking place against the backdrop of complex relations between Yerevan and Moscow, which have recently become noticeably strained.
Political analysts note that the current campaign has become one of the most tense in recent years, as the country is simultaneously experiencing internal political strife and a reevaluation of its foreign policy.
In Armenia, on the eve of the general elections, six candidates from an opposition party—which local authorities link to pro-Russian forces—were detained. This refers to the “Strong Armenia” political party, led by Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, who is currently under house arrest on charges of calling for the overthrow of the government.
