Armenia's ruling party accused of violations in Gyumri election campaign

The Hayakve observation mission on Friday reported significant violations by Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party while campaigning for the upcoming snap municipal elections in Gyumri.

According to Gohar Meloyan, CEO of the International Center on Development of Parliamentarism, Civil Contract candidate Sarik Minasyan, who also serves as the acting head of the community, misused state resources during the campaign, violating the law on public service and the Electoral Code. Minasyan shared a state-funded road construction announcement on social media, adding a campaign message, "Gyumri will have no unpaved roads."

On March 25, about ten ruling party MPs made statements in the parliament, openly calling on voters to support their party and defaming opposition candidates.

The documented violations included:

• Vardan Ghukasyan (Communist Party) and his bodyguard were brutally detained by the Criminal Police.
• Ruben Mkhitaryan (My Strong Community party) was summoned to the Investigative Committee and forced to suspend his campaign.
• Ara Voskanyan (Mother Armenia bloc) had his office and home raided; staff were detained, and his lawyer was denied access.
• Martun Grigoryan’s (Our City bloc) father and son were arrested following a search of their campaign offices.
• Opposition supporters have reportedly been summoned to police stations.

Meloyan also noted that Minasyan’s brother, head of the National Security Service in Shirak, coordinated pressure on opposition candidates.

Hayakve warned that such actions undermine free and fair elections, violating people's electoral rights.