Strong Armenia Draws Massive Crowd to Republic Square as Narek Karapetyan Says June 7 Vote Will Decide Whether Armenia Keeps Its Last Armenian Land

Thousands of supporters of the opposition Strong Armenia Alliance filled Yerevan’s Republic Square on Tuesday evening for one of the largest rallies of Armenia’s parliamentary election campaign, as opposition leaders portrayed the June 7 vote as a defining moment for the country’s future, security, and sovereignty.

The rally was preceded by a march through the Armenian capital, with members and supporters of the alliance walking from the Barekamutyun metro station to Republic Square. The procession, which lasted about an hour and a half, was led by Narek Karapetyan, the alliance’s lead candidate, along with other senior figures in the political bloc.

Participants carried Armenian flags, chanted slogans, and voiced criticism of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract party. Among the chants heard during the march was “Samvel for Prime Minister,” referring to businessman and Strong Armenia founder Samvel Karapetyan.

Throughout the march and later during the rally, alliance representatives repeated claims that a new term for Pashinyan’s government could lead to the resettlement of 300,000 Azerbaijanis in Armenia. Strong Armenia leaders urged voters to reject what they described as policies aligned with the interests of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and to participate in the election to determine Armenia’s future course.

Addressing supporters in Republic Square, Narek Karapetyan described the election as a choice between continued weakness and national renewal.

“In four days, there will be a referendum on two choices: do we continue to remain weak, continue allowing our neighbors to use us, or do we stand up, strengthen our backbone, and begin to develop?” Karapetyan said.

He sharply criticized the government’s approach toward relations with Azerbaijan and ongoing peace negotiations.

“Anyone who wants to live together with Azerbaijanis can vote for Civil Contract. Anyone who wants to keep the last Armenian land — 10% of our homeland — Armenian, should vote for Strong Armenia,” he said.

Karapetyan also discussed what he described as Azerbaijani plans regarding the return of Azerbaijani refugees and warned of potential consequences for Armenia.

“We say that Armenia will have a leader who will never allow that. Aliyev’s and Pashinyan’s plan will collapse,” he declared.

The rally reflected the increasingly polarized atmosphere surrounding Armenia’s election campaign, with opposition leaders accusing the government of endangering Armenia’s national interests following the 2020 war and the 2023 displacement of Armenians from Artsakh.

Aram Vardevanyan, a senior member of the alliance, told supporters that the election represented a historic choice for the country.

“Let us acknowledge that these are not ordinary elections. This is a fateful choice and the beginning of our great victory. Today, one clear message is coming from this square: change is coming, and together we will make it a reality,” Vardevanyan said.

He argued that Armenia had not received the future that was promised following the 2018 political changes and called for what he described as a stronger and more dignified peace.

“Today we face a fateful choice: either we protect our identity, our statehood, and our values, or we lose what generations have preserved,” he said. “We say that we will have real, strong, long-lasting, and dignified peace while making the well-being of our society a priority.”

Vardevanyan also criticized what he described as growing political pressure against opposition figures and called for the restoration of the rule of law and democratic norms.

Producer and public figure Ruben Mkhitaryan also addressed the crowd, delivering one of the evening’s strongest attacks on Prime Minister Pashinyan and calling on him to resign.

“Nikol, since during these eight years you have never asked the Armenian people for their opinion, people have once again started filling the squares and attending rallies these days to say: enough, you have to go,” Mkhitaryan said.

He accused the prime minister of abandoning commitments made during the 2018 movement and argued that Armenia needed a change in leadership.

The alliance’s founder, Samvel Karapetyan, who addressed supporters via a live video link, urged Armenians to participate in the vote and described June 7 as a pivotal moment in the country’s history.

“No more humiliation by Pashinyan and his small group. The Armenian people will make one of the most important decisions of the last decade,” Karapetyan said.

“History will remember June 7 as the day when the Armenian people chose to live in a strong and free Armenia,” he added.

Karapetyan also argued that Armenia’s future security should not depend on Azerbaijan and called on supporters to unite behind the opposition alliance.

The rally took place amid heightened political tensions during the final days of the campaign. Several members and supporters of Strong Armenia were detained during the election period. Alliance representatives have described the detentions as politically motivated and part of a broader campaign of pressure against the opposition.

The ruling Civil Contract party has rejected those accusations. Government representatives have instead pointed to statements and reports released by law enforcement agencies during the campaign, including investigations into alleged vote-buying schemes and attempted vote-buying operations.

Armenia’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for June 7, with official campaigning ending on June 5. The vote is widely viewed as one of the most consequential elections since the country’s 2018 Velvet Revolution, taking place amid deep political polarization, continuing debates over Armenia’s security and foreign policy orientation, and ongoing negotiations with Azerbaijan following years of conflict.

Nineteen political forces initially registered to compete in the election, including parties and alliances. One party was later removed from the ballot after its registration was invalidated by Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission, leaving 18 political forces participating in the race.

The election is being closely monitored by domestic observers and the international community amid concerns over increasingly heated political rhetoric, allegations of pressure tactics, and several incidents of campaign-related violence reported during the race.

—

Support independent reporting from the region by subscribing to The Armenian Report. Our team is funded solely by readers like you.