Armenian opposition lawyer says ruling party gains tied to polling irregularities

An opposition lawyer argued on Monday that nearly all polling stations flagged for irregularities in Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections reported victories for the ruling Civil Contract party, raising doubts about the integrity of the vote.

Aram Orbelyan, representing the Prosperous Armenia Party, told the Constitutional Court that “in 99 percent of precincts with violations, Civil Contract emerged as the winner.” He noted that in stations without discrepancies, the party’s share of ballots typically ranged between 40 and 50 percent, suggesting a more competitive outcome.

Orbelyan said the data had been analyzed using Six Sigma quality-control methodology, concluding that the scale of violations was sufficient to call the entire electoral process into question. “Absolute figures would not pose a problem if not for the 4 percent threshold,” he added, referring to the minimum vote share required for parliamentary representation.

The Constitutional Court is reviewing petitions from seven opposition groups seeking to annul or amend the official results.