2026 Armenian elections: Pashinyan’s party wins with over 50% of the vote
Anadolu reports this, citing the state news agency Armenpress and Armenia’s Central Election Commission. Reuters reports that, with results from approximately 21% of polling stations counted, Pashinyan’s party had secured around 54.5% of the vote.
Vote counting is ongoing in Armenia following the 2026 parliamentary elections.
According to preliminary data from the CEC, after counting ballots from 110 of 2,005 polling stations, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s “Civic Contract” party had received 57.14% of the vote.
In second place was the pro-Russian “Strong Armenia” bloc led by businessman Samvel Karapetyan, with 21.4%.
Third place was taken by the “Armenia” bloc led by former President Robert Kocharyan, with 8.2%.
Pashinyan has already claimed victory
On the night after the vote, Nikol Pashinyan declared that his party had won the election.
He called the result a “historic victory” and thanked his team and the voters. Reuters notes that Pashinyan made his victory claim before the vote count was complete, when the Central Election Commission had processed data from around a fifth of polling stations.
According to Reuters, with results from around 21% of polling stations processed, “Civic Contract” had 54.5%, “Strong Armenia” – 21.9%, the “Armenia” bloc – 8.7%, and “Prosperous Armenia” – around 5%.
Voter turnout, according to preliminary data, stood at almost 59%.
Why these elections are important
The 2026 parliamentary elections were the first general elections in Armenia following the defeat in the war with Azerbaijan in 2023 and the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Reuters reports that the vote was seen as a test of Pashinyan’s policy of rapprochement with the West, a peace deal with Azerbaijan and the normalisation of relations with Turkey.
The AP notes that the ruling government went into the election under pressure from Russia, whilst opposition forces advocated closer ties with Moscow.
Who is Samvel Karapetyan
Pashinyan’s main rival in these elections was billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who heads the “Strong Armenia” bloc.
Reuters describes him as a businessman who has championed a pro-Russian course and promised to maintain Armenia’s close ties with Moscow.
AP reports that Karapetyan is under house arrest on charges of inciting the overthrow of the government. The businessman himself rejects these charges and considers them politically motivated.
A scandal also erupted around “Strong Armenia” in the run-up to the elections. According to the AP, Armenian investigators issued six arrest warrants for party members on suspicion of voter bribery. At the same time, Armenia’s Central Election Commission allowed the bloc to participate in the elections after another opposition party attempted to have it removed from the race.
What happens next
The Armenian CEC is due to announce the official preliminary results once the vote count is complete.
The National Assembly of Armenia consists of at least 101 members, who are elected for a five-year term. According to the AP, parties need to secure at least 4% of the vote to enter parliament, while blocs need 8%.
If the “Civic Contract” maintains its lead, Pashinyan will receive a new mandate to continue his foreign policy course – rapprochement with the West, negotiations with Azerbaijan and attempts to reduce Armenia’s dependence on Russia.
Updated
According to updated preliminary data from the Armenian Central Election Commission following the counting of votes at 533 polling stations, Nikol Pashinyan’s “Civic Contract” party is winning the election with 51.13%. Samvel Karapetyan’s pro-Russian “Strong Armenia” bloc has secured 23.34% and is in second place. Pashinyan had previously declared victory for his political force, though the official vote count is still ongoing.
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