Armenian opposition declares parliamentary elections illegitimate, signs joint statement vowing to challenge CEC decision in Constitutional Court and take to the streets

Parliamentary elections in the Republic of Armenia were held under conditions that cast serious doubt on the free, fair, and competitive nature of the electoral process.

We, the undersigned political forces, place on record that throughout the entire electoral process, including the pre-election period and election day, systematic and organised violations took place. These had a substantial impact on the free expression of voters’ will, the ensuring of equal political competition, and public trust in electoral institutions. The incumbent authorities displayed evident breaches of the principles of electoral law.

In particular:

Widespread use of administrative resources and pressure

Across the country, state and municipal officials, as well as the resources of these bodies, educational and medical institutions, and law enforcement agencies, were actively drawn into the political process, disrupting the level playing field. Pressure on public sector employees, threats of dismissal and persecution created an atmosphere of dependency incompatible with the constitutional principle of free elections.

Political persecution and arrests

The election campaign was accompanied by a wave of persecution of opposition figures, activists, and supporters. The authorities employed the practice of unwarranted detentions and arrests in order to isolate trusted public leaders and disrupt the organisational work of the opposition. These actions were systematic in nature and aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear.

Deliberate obstruction of opposition campaign offices

On the eve of and on election day, law enforcement agencies paralysed the operations of opposition campaign offices. Through searches, unwarranted legal actions, and the arrest of organisers, the authorities sought to neutralise election oversight mechanisms.

Abuse of media

State and pro-government media were used throughout the campaign to discredit the opposition, undermine the presumption of innocence, divide society, and spread hate speech. Pressure on alternative voices violated all constitutional norms of equal competition.

Manipulation of vote counts and invalidation of results at individual polling stations

Instances of arbitrary alteration of voting results and the use of unlawful methods at individual polling stations were recorded, affecting the distribution of votes among political forces. This was accompanied by direct interference by the ruling authorities in the process prior to the official announcement of results.

We declare:

The official figures do not reflect the genuine will of the people or the true election results. Under such conditions, the recorded outcomes cannot serve as a basis for forming a legitimate government that enjoys the trust of the majority of citizens.

Full responsibility for any further escalation of the situation in the country lies entirely with Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling team.

We will act exclusively within the framework of the Constitution, the law, and democratic principles, defending citizens’ right to free expression of will and the fundamental values of statehood and democracy of the Republic of Armenia.

Our future decisions and actions will proceed exclusively from these realities.

Signed:
“Strong Armenia” bloc
“Armenia” bloc
“Prosperous Armenia” party
“Bright Armenia” party
Armenian National Congress
National Democratic Pole