Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated that individuals who give or accept election bribes should remain in prison until the next election cycle.

Speaking during a meeting with members of the government, Pashinyan said that every person involved in offering or accepting vote-buying payments during elections must face strict accountability, Aysor.am reported.

According to the prime minister, combating election bribery is one of the key issues in ensuring the security of the country and its democratic system.

“The era of sympathy and indulgence is over,” he said.

According to preliminary election results, the vote distribution was as follows: Civil Contract – 49.825%, Strong Armenia – 23.281%, Hayastan Alliance – 9.934%, Prosperous Armenia – 3.996%. Under the updated figures, Prosperous Armenia has not cleared the 4% threshold required for political parties, although the party has requested recounts at a number of polling stations.