Pashinyan Claims Victory With Less Than One-Third of Ballots Counted

Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party appeared headed toward a decisive victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declaring victory and announcing that his party would form the country’s next government even as vote counting was still underway.

More than 1.4 million Armenians cast ballots in what was widely seen as one of the most consequential elections since the country’s 2020 war with Azerbaijan and the subsequent loss of Nagorno-Karabakh. The vote was closely watched both domestically and internationally during ongoing regional security challenges, peace negotiations with Azerbaijan, and Armenia’s efforts to deepen ties with Western partners.

Speaking at a press conference shortly after midnight on June 8, Pashinyan said Civil Contract had secured enough support to govern alone.

“The Civil Contract party has won the elections and will form the government on its own,” Pashinyan told supporters and journalists.

“I want to emphasize that compared to 2021, the Civil Contract party has received the votes and the confidence of a greater number of citizens of the Republic of Armenia,” he said.

Calling the result a “historic victory,” Pashinyan argued it would ensure Armenia’s continued development and provide the foundation for what he described as “lasting and institutional peace.”

The declaration came before the final official count had been completed. When asked whether it was premature to claim victory, Pashinyan said his party had representatives at every polling station and was conducting its own parallel tabulation.

According to preliminary results released by Armenia’s Central Election Commission from 760 polling stations, Civil Contract was leading with 51.3% of the vote, or 199,294 ballots, well ahead of its competitors. The Armenia Alliance, led by former President Robert Kocharyan, was in second place with 22.9%, followed by the Strong Armenia Alliance with 9.9% and the Prosperous Armenia Party with 3.9%.

The preliminary figures were based on 393,080 counted ballots, representing only part of the nationwide vote, while counting continued across the country.

Pashinyan used his victory speech to reiterate his pledge to pursue legal action against what he described as Armenia’s former political and economic elite, saying the “dispossession of the criminal oligarchy” should proceed rapidly.

He also revealed that he had already held informal phone conversations with the leaders of France and neighboring Georgia following the election.

The prime minister dismissed the possibility of post-election unrest, arguing that political turmoil typically follows disputed or falsified elections and insisting that the electoral process reflected the will of voters.

The Central Election Commission is expected to continue publishing updated results throughout the night before announcing the final nationwide tally. While Civil Contract’s lead appeared substantial in the preliminary count, official results had not yet been finalized at the time of Pashinyan’s declaration.

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