Expert says Pashinyan's party retained power 'by force' in elections

Armenia’s parliamentary elections on Sunday produced a decisive lead for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, but political strategist Armen Badalyan says the vote revealed deeper geopolitical tensions and the use of forceful tactics to retain power.

Preliminary results released by the Central Electoral Commission showed Civil Contract ahead with 49.81% of the vote. The Strong Armenia alliance followed with 23.29%, while the Hayastan bloc secured 9.94%. The Prosperous Armenia Party narrowly missed the 4% threshold, winning 58,378 votes, or 3.996%.

In an interview with Panorama.am on Monday, Badalyan argued that despite high voter turnout, weak local oversight and reports of voter influence and administrative pressure undermined the process. He described the election as a contest between geopolitical centers — the collective West, Russia, and Iran — with one side ultimately holding power through force.

“When you detain hundreds of people, disrupt the activity of their headquarters and announce victory at 2 a.m., that means you are keeping power by force,” Badalyan said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean unconstitutional measures, but it does mean declaring: I will not give up power.”

He added that the key question now is whether rival geopolitical actors will accept the outcome. “If they reconcile with it, they leave Armenia. If they don’t, the election results may change,” he said, noting that developments remain possible as results are not yet certified.