On 21 June, the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Armenia published the results of the parliamentary elections which were held on 20 June with a voter turnout of 1,281,911 people (49,4%).

According to the results, the ruling Civil Contract party led by the country’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan won 53.92% (687,251 people) of the votes, followed by the “Armenia” bloc led by Robert Kocharyan with 21,04% (268,165 votes), the “I have the honour bloc” led by Artur Vanetsyan with 5.23% (66,633) of the votes. The Prosperous Armenia party led by Gagik Tsarukyan was fourth with 3.96% (50,416) of the votes, followed by the Hanrapetutyun Party led by Aram Sargsyan with 3.04% (38,713) of the votes. According to the election results only the Civil Contract (71 seats), “Armenia” (29) and “I have honour” (7) blocs would enter the parliament alongside the 4 seats reserved for the representatives of the largest national minorities in Armenia.  

The total turnout of the voters in Yerevan was at 51,55%. In the regions, the highest turnout was registered in Syunik, with a total of 60,38% attending. The situation in other regions was the following: Aragatsotn – 50%, Ararat – 50,87%, Armavir – 44,47%, Gegharkunik – 45,47%, Lori – 46,73%, Kotayk – 50,08%, Shirak – 41,24%, Vayots Dzor – 56,05%, Tavush – 53,48% of voters.

In a video address to Facebook, Pashinyan said that the people had given him and his party the mandate to lead the country. “Let us fix that the people of Armenia expressed their decision, and it is clear that it was formed even during the pre-election campaign. Victory in the parliamentary election will restore social and national consolidation. The people of Armenia have carried out a second revolution in three years,” he said. Pashinyan expressed his gratitude to a number of countries and organisations that he said stood behind Armenia, including Russia, France, the US, the EU, Iran and Georgia. He also pledged to deepen ties with the members of regional blocks, such as Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The “Armenia” bloc questioned the results of the elections. “These results are in extreme conflict with the various manifestations of public life that we have witnessed over the past months, with all the results of public opinion polls, including international, and ultimately—with simple common sense. The very crowded rallies of the opposition forces during the [election] campaign and the obviously few-people events of the authorities, the crisis of confidence existing in the country, were indicating the existence of a completely different public mood. The most serious grounds for the lack of trust are the hundreds of reports coming from various polling stations on the actual day of the election, which testify to the systematic and pre-planned falsification of the election results. Taking into account the above, the ‘Armenia’ bloc sets a task of an in-depth and substantiated study of the registered and assumed violations, which we undertake immediately. As long as all the problematic issues have not received comprehensive explanations and the doubts have not been dispelled, the ‘Armenia’ bloc will not accept the election results," read the statement of the bloc. 

The “I have honour” representatives spoke on detentions of their members. The bloc member Sos Hakobyan said that in the past 48 hours the acting authorities have been engaged in dishonourable work of pressuring the leading political forces and particularly the “I have honour” bloc. “Illegal search and arrests have been carried out, the majority of which have been annulled by courts. The directions are particularly obvious in case of servicemen. They are being fixed, but it is clear that these are not usual and technical violations. These are violations that may have clear influence on the outcome of the elections,” he said.

The OSCE observation mission to Armenia released an interim report, saying that the elections in Armenia were competitive and generally well-managed within a short timeframe. However the mission emphasized that the elections were characterized by intense polarization and marred by increasingly inflammatory rhetoric among key contestants. The legal framework is generally comprehensive, but the fact that amendments were adopted so close to the elections caused some legal uncertainty. The media environment was described as diverse, though many broadcasters had strong political affiliations. The election day was perceived by the OSCE mission as generally peaceful. However, the observers reported some incidents of party or alliance proxies interfering in the process, frequent overcrowding, as well as a general disregard for Covid-19 protection measures. The majority of polling stations were not accessible for persons with physical disabilities. The observers also reported some cases of tension or unrest, as well as isolated indications of vote buying and pressure on voters.

The election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) said that they did not find any irregularities during the elections. “The observers did not register any considerable irregularities that could have affected the election results. The voting was held at a highly organised level. The conclusion is that the snap elections were held in accordance with Armenia’s Constitution and Electoral Code. The elections were held on a multi-party basis, they were transparent,” said the chief of the mission Ilhom Nematov.

The spokesperson of Russia’s President Dmitry Peskov also commented on the results of the elections. “We [closely follow] the information from Yerevan. We hail the information of Armenia's Central Election Commission that these elections took place. And of course, we see that the landslide victory belongs to Pashinyan's party," he stated. “Armenia is our closest ally, partner, and of course, we hope that this choice of the Armenian people help it overcome the difficulties the country is facing now and enter the sustainable development trajectory including by the realisation of the trilateral arrangements reached and signed with the direct participation of Russia’s President [Vladimir Putin],” he added.

The chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration, and Relations with Compatriots Leonid Kalashnikov also commented on the election results, saying that it would entail the least changes in relations between Yerevan and Moscow, because they were already been tested and enshrined in the 9 November trilateral agreement. Kalashnikov added that if Kocharyan's bloc had won the majority in parliament, it would have created additional turbulence in the relations between Russia and Armenia.

The President of the EU Council Charles Michel also congratulated Pashinyan on his victory. “Warm congratulations to Nikol Pashinyan on elections victory. The EU stands by Armenia in support of deepening reforms. We are also ready to further support regional stabilization and comprehensive conflict settlement,” he tweeted.