Armenia vote 2021: First results put Pashinyan in the lead

PanARMENIAN.Net - First results of the Armenian parliamentary elections have arrived to reveal a lead for the Civil Contract party, which is headed by caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The Central Electoral Commission published results from 129 polling stations from across the country, according to which Civil Contract has 61.63% of the followed by Hayastan (Armenia) bloc with 17.87% and Prosperous Armenia party with 5.05%.

A total of 25 parties and blocs were running for seats in the National Assembly. After electoral system amendments approved in April 2021, members of parliament are elected only through closed party lists by party list proportional representation method. Parties and alliances (blocs) need to pass the 5% and 7% threshold, respectively, to make it to the parliament.

Preliminary results show that the "I Have Honor" bloc has secured 5.88% of the ballots, Republic Party has 1.94%, while Bright Armenia has 1.28%. The rest have less than 1% each.

Pashinyan announced on March 18 that Armenia will hold snap parliamentary elections on June 20. The PM came under fire after signing a statement with the Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents to end the war in Nagorno-Karabakh almost 45 days after the start of the military hostilities. Under the deal, the Armenian side was forced to return all the seven regions surrounding Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.