Armenian opposition MP accuses Pashinyan of dictatorial tactics

Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan on Monday denounced Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s handling of Armenia’s parliamentary elections, accusing him of acting like a dictator by declaring victory before most ballots had been counted.

Writing on social media, Abrahamyan, a member of the Pativ Unem faction, said Pashinyan’s late-night press briefing came while vote counting was still underway in the majority of precincts. “It’s obvious why the dictator held a briefing at night when 80% of polling stations had not finished counting, isnt it?” Abrahamyan said. He stressed the authorities were intent on proclaiming victory “at any cost,” regardless of the legality of the process.

Official results show Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party secured 49.81% of the vote in Sunday’s elections. The Strong Armenia alliance finished second with 23.29%, followed by the Hayastan bloc with 9.94%. The Prosperous Armenia Party received 4%.