Prosperous Armenia Says Recounts Added 140 Votes, Boosting Chances of Entering Parliament

Armenia’s opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), led by businessman and former parliamentarian Gagik Tsarukyan, says recounts conducted over the past two days have added 140 votes to its election tally, a development the party argues strengthens its case for entering the country’s next parliament.

The announcement was made by BHK spokeswoman Iveta Tonoyan, who said the recount process remains ongoing in several polling stations and is being carried out in cooperation with representatives of Armenia’s Central Election Commission (CEC).

“This means that the voting rights of at least 140 citizens are being restored, and their votes will be fairly reflected in the final election results,” Tonoyan said. She added that the updated figures demonstrate there is “no practical or reasonable obstacle” preventing BHK from securing representation in the National Assembly.

The recounts were requested after preliminary results from Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary election showed Prosperous Armenia narrowly missing the 4% threshold required for parliamentary representation. According to the preliminary count, the party fell short by approximately 50 votes.

Following the publication of the results, BHK representatives raised concerns about discrepancies between vote totals recorded in polling-station protocols and figures published on the Central Election Commission’s website. The party subsequently appealed to the CEC and requested recounts in multiple polling stations, arguing that the narrow margin could ultimately determine whether it enters parliament.

The CEC confirmed that it had received the requests, and recounts began on June 9. CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan has described some of the discrepancies identified between polling-station records and online results as technical issues.

Preliminary election results showed the ruling Civil Contract party receiving 49.8% of the vote, followed by the Strong Armenia Alliance with 23.28% and the Armenia Alliance with 9.93%, making them the three political forces currently projected to enter parliament.

The outcome of the recounts carries significance beyond Prosperous Armenia itself. Under Armenia’s electoral system, votes cast for parties that fail to clear the parliamentary threshold are redistributed among parties that do qualify for representation. Political analysts estimate that if BHK ultimately enters parliament, the allocation of several seats in the National Assembly could change.

Recounts are continuing in a number of polling stations, and election authorities have not yet announced final certified results.

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