Armenia: Pashinyan claims victory in snap polls, Kocharyan comes in 2nd

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia's caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won 53.92% of the vote, as all the ballots were counted in all the 2008 polling stations across the country.

Hayastan bloc headed by second President Robert Kocharyan, meanwhile, has 21.04% of the vote, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC), followed by "I Have Honor" bloc with 5.23%.

Prosperous Armenia has secured 3.96% of the ballots, Hanrapetutyun party has 3.04%. while the Armenian National Congress led by first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan has only 1.54% of the vote.

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.

According to preliminary results, Civil Contract, Hayastan and "I have Honor" blocs will have seats in the National Assembly, although the latter has not passed the 7% threshold. According to Armenian law, however, if only two forces have secured enough votes, mandates are also given to the third force with the most votes.