YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan early Monday claimed victory in the country’s general election, as preliminary results showed his governing Civil Contract party came first with 49.81% of the vote.
Pashinyan and the governing Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course for Armenia, including distancing the country from Moscow and seeking to join the European Union.
His main opponent, Samvel Karapetyan, is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and is under house arrest for allegedly advocating for the government’s overthrow. Karapetyan, whose Strong Armenia bloc was the runner-up with 23.29% of the vote, has rejected the charge as politically motivated.
According to Armenia’s Central Election Commission, four parties polled above the 4% electoral threshold and will enter parliament following Sunday’s election, including some that are vocally pro-Russia.
Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia party seeks to develop business ties with Russia and has accused Pashinyan of attempting to start a war with the Kremlin.
Two other parties, Armenia and Blossoming Armenia, also made it into parliament with 9.94% and 4% of votes, respectively. According to the election commission, turnout stood at 59.97%.
Before the results came in, Pashinyan spoke to journalists at his headquarters, claiming his party won the elections with a record result and would form the government on its own
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Correction: An earlier version of this story wrongly stated that turnout in Armenia’s general election on Sunday stood at 97%. The correct figure is 59.97%.