Armenia's four largest ethnic minorities eligible for inclusion in party lists, CEC says

Representatives of Armenia’s four largest ethnic minority communities – Yezidis, Russians, Assyrians and Kurds – may be included in a special second section of political parties’ electoral lists for the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said on Thursday, clarifying provisions of the country’s Electoral Code.

According to data from the 2022 national census, the four largest ethnic minorities permanently residing in Armenia are Yezidis, numbering 31,079; Russians, 14,076; Assyrians, 2,755; and Kurds, 1,663.

Under Armenia’s constitutional law on the Electoral Code, a political party or alliance may include a second part in its electoral list reserved for representatives of the four largest ethnic minorities identified in the most recent census.

The CEC said the second part of the electoral list consists of four sections, each corresponding to one of the four communities. Up to four candidates from each respective minority group may be included in each section. If a party or alliance chooses not to nominate a representative from a particular minority, that section remains unfilled.

The commission also clarified that a candidate representing an ethnic minority included in the second part of the list may simultaneously be included in the main, or first, part of the electoral list.