According to Associated Press
Prime Minister Nikol Paszynian announced a triumph in the general election seen as a test on Monday Russia's influence in the State of South Caucasus, as preliminary results showed that his ruling civilian Contract organization won first place with 49.81% of the vote.
Paszynian and the ruling civilian Contract organization sought a strong mandate for a fresh geopolitical direction for Armenia, including the distancing of the erstwhile russian Republic from Moscow, the pursuit of accession to the European Union and the deepening of cooperation with the West.
Speaking on Sunday, Paszynian said that the country would proceed to strengthen its independence, statehood, democracy and the regulation of law.
"The European Union is our main partner in implementing democratic reforms and we will proceed this path," he said.
Passzyńan's main opponent, Samvel Karapetyan, is simply a billionaire who made fortunes in Russia and is under home arrest for allegedly supporting the overthrow of the government. Karapetyan, whose block of Strong Armenia was a runner-up with 23.29% of the vote, rejected the charge as politically motivated.
Richard Giragasian, head of the independent think tank Regional Studies Center in the capital city of Armenia, Yerevan, described the vote as "breaking election" which "presents a referendum on the future of the country."
"These elections give a fresh mandate to keep the affirmative momentum of diplomatic engagement, normalization of relations with neighbours and further diversification of Armenia's safety partners," said Giragasian on Monday of AP agency.
Russian officials have put a number of restrictions on Armenia's exports in fresh weeks. president Vladimir Putin and another Russian officials made thinly veiled threats, comparing Armenia's way to 1 already passed by Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia.
Meanwhile, Armenian investigators reported that the day before the election they issued six warrants for arresting Strong's Armenia Karapetjana organization members, accusing them of buying votes. The Central Election Committee confirmed on Saturday that the organization may run after a associate of another opposition party, Republic, has called for a ban on the activities of Strong Armenia due to corruption charges.
Karapetyan was escorted to the polling station on Sunday and spoke briefly to the media before returning home.
"The Armenian nation will make the right decision and Armenia will yet have a legitimate government," he said.
The Strong's Armenia Karapiejana organization seeks to establish close business ties with Russia and accused Paszynian of attempting to start a war with the Kremlin.
According to the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia, 4 parties gained more than 4% of the electoral threshold and will enter parliament after the Sunday elections, including any loudly pro-Russian.
Two another parties, Armenia and Blooming Armenia, were besides in parliament with 7.94% and 4% of the vote respectively. According to the election committee, attendance was 59.97%.
Prior to the announcement of the results, Paszynian spoke with journalists at his headquarters, claiming that his organization had won the election with a evidence score and would make the government itself.
The preliminary results of the election commission confirm this, suggesting that the ruling organization won 61 seats at the 105-member National Assembly of Armenia — 58.1% of all mandates.
"It is adequate to form a government without coalition partners, to elect a Prime Minister, to adopt a government programme and state budget, and besides to adopt the majority of parliamentary laws and decisions independently," said the analyst Giragasian. At the same time, he added that the consequence would not give Paszynian the parliamentary majority needed to get constitutional amendments without a referendum.
EU top officials congratulated Paszynian after fierce competition, seen in Europe as a test of Russian influence.
"The spirit of the velvet revolution you led in 2018 is inactive alive and well," said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Monday on social media, referring to the mass protests caused by the activism of Paszynian, who overturned erstwhile Armenian Prime Minister Serż Sargsian.
"We profoundly appreciate our partnership with democratic Armenia, which is increasingly approaching Europe. Armenia can number on us," added von der Leyen.
The president of the European Council, António Costa, besides congratulated Paszynian. In the entry on the X Costa, he talked about the EU's greater function in Armenia and the wider South Caucasus region, which combines hungry European energy markets with Central Asia gas fields.
"Together, the EU and Armenia build stronger ties between people and make fresh opportunities in the fields of energy, trade and digitalisation. Our strong partnership is an investment in a more peaceful and prosperous future for the full region," he said.
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://stateofthenation.info/
