Armenia's PM Pashinyan Claims Election Victory

(MENAFN) Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared victory in the country's parliamentary elections in the early hours of Monday, even as ballot counting continued across the nation's 2,005 polling stations.

Addressing reporters directly, Pashinyan confirmed that his Civil Contract party had prevailed in the vote, striking a triumphant tone before a final official count was completed.

"I extend my gratitude to all my colleagues in the party. We worked day and night, and this is a victory of history. This victory belongs to the Armenian people," he said.

With ballots tallied from 110 of the country's 2,005 polling stations, Civil Contract had captured 57.14% of the vote, according to a state news agency, citing the Central Election Commission (CEC). Strong Armenia, led by billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, occupied second place with 21.4%, while former President Robert Kocharyan's Armenia Alliance trailed in third with 8.2%.

Pashinyan outlined his government's foreign policy course, signaling a continued balancing act between European integration and sustained ties with Moscow.

"We will also continue our membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. We will continue to develop our relations with Russia," he added.

Armenia's Central Election Commission registered a total electorate of 2,485,232 voters, with 18 candidate lists vying for seats in the country's at-least-101-seat parliament.

Pre-election polling had consistently projected Civil Contract to lead the field. However, critical questions loom over whether Pashinyan will emerge with a parliamentary majority large enough to govern independently — and crucially, to advance possible constitutional amendments required to seal a long-awaited peace agreement with Azerbaijan.

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