Analyst: Aliyev withholds congratulations as Pashinyan's party falls short of majority

Political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan says Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is unlikely to congratulate Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party following its victory in the June 7 parliamentary elections, citing the party’s failure to secure a constitutional majority.

“Many are waiting for Aliyev’s congratulations, but he remains silent – and will for now. Why should he offer congratulations when his expectations haven’t been met? Civil Contract has not secured a constitutional majority,” he wrote on social media on Saturday.

He said Pashinyan has two possible options to secure a constitutional majority: convincing opposition lawmakers to cross the aisle or agreeing to a second round of elections. “In either case, the irony is that the opposition ends up being the one thanked later,” he said, framing the situation as a stark political showdown.