There is a political decision in Europe to give Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan a “carte blanche” because he agrees to serve European interests, said Armen Ashotyan, vice chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).
According to Ashotyan, the EU does not seek free and independent elections in Armenia but rather Pashinyan’s political reproduction and is “turning a blind eye to his repressions,” Sputnik Armenia reports.
“At the leadership level in the European Union, there is a clear political decision to ignore all of Nikol Pashinyan’s repressions inside Armenia — the pressure on political competitors and opponents, and the process of falsifying elections several months before they are held,” Ashotyan said.
He noted that it is noteworthy that many high-ranking EU officials have removed the phrase “free and independent elections” from their vocabulary, as they understand that under such conditions Pashinyan would not be re-elected.
Ashotyan expressed opinion that the authorities have already launched a process of electoral fraud, citing as an example the promise to raise pensions by 10,000 drams.
“It is absurd. The National Assembly has already approved the government’s budget, and there was no mention of any of this. It is obvious that this is populism. This is state-level vote-buying,” Ashotyan added.
In his assessment, other manifestations of election rigging include amending the Electoral Code months before the vote, restricting the activities of observer missions, and keeping political rivals under arrest.
“You cannot consider a competition fair when, before it begins, you put laxatives in the lunch of the strongest players on the opposing team and remove them from the game,” he said.
The next parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for June 7, 2026.
Former President Robert Kocharyan, former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan with his Wings of Unity initiative, former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan with the New Force party, the Armenian National Congress with Levon Zurabyan as its prime ministerial candidate, and the Republic Party led by Aram Sargsyan have announced their intention to participate in the 2026 elections.
Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia party, Gagik Tsarukyan, who presented his Proposal to Armenia program as an “ark” for opposition forces, as well as the Armenian Vote party, have also officially declared their participation.
