Early parliamentary elections: Polarized Armenia chooses its future
Members of the Election Commission prepare a polling station in Yerevan on June 19, 2021. The early legislative elections, called by interim Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, weakened by his military defeat against Azerbaijan in the autumn, are being held Sunday 20 June.
AFP - KAREN MINASYAN
Text by: Anastasia Becchio
5 mins
The Armenians elect their Parliament this Sunday, June 20.
These early legislative elections were called by Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian, weakened by his military defeat against Azerbaijan in the fall.
Brought to power by a peaceful revolution in 2018 thanks to his promise to drive out corrupt elites, his popularity has been undermined by this lost war and broken promises.
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From our special correspondent in Yerevan
With 25 parties or electoral blocs, three former presidents, Levon Ter-Petrossian,
Robert Kotcharian
and Serge Sarkissian, candidates or invested in the campaign, Armenian voters seem to be spoiled for choice. In fact, in a country in crisis, divided, marked by defeat in
the Nagorno-Karabakh war
last fall, many are preparing to vote, half-heartedly, for what they consider to be the lesser evil.
At the end of the campaign, two lists stood out strongly in the polls. The "Civil Contract" of interim Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian, given favorite, has seen its price drop in recent days, especially since the escalation of border tensions with Azerbaijan. Conversely, the “Alliance Armenia”, led by former President Robert Kotcharian seemed to gain points.
Embodying the old corrupt system, Robert Kotcharian remains crowned with victory in the 1991-1994 war, as Prime Minister, then president of the enclave at the time.
For some voters, he is a “savior”, facing outgoing Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian, symbolizing Armenia humiliated after the defeat against Azerbaijan.
Many do not forgive him for having signed the
ceasefire of November 9, 2020
devoting significant territorial losses, nor the heavy human toll.
After the velvet revolution, the disappointment of some voters
Three years after the Velvet Revolution, some of the voters who voted for Nikol Pachinian's party, assuring him an absolute majority of over 70%, turned away from it. This is the case with Lussiné Pétrossian: “
He is a good talker, he made a lot of promises, but it was all just a
blast
. And today, we find ourselves at the mercy of Azerbaijan and Turkey,
”laments the 54-year-old doctor, who is about to vote for Robert Kotcharian's“ Alliance Armenia ”.
Painter, Karen Doloukhanyan had actively supported the velvet revolution in 2018. Disappointed by the turn of events, he did not go so far as to vote for the former president, a symbol, in his eyes, of "the
power of criminals and bandits who sold the country
”.
But he is also angry with the outgoing head of government, who has failed to reform the judicial system.
Former President Robert Kocharian sued for corruption
Indicted and
imprisoned three times
since Nikol Pachinian came to power, Robert Kotcharian, prosecuted for corruption and violation of the constitutional order, was acquitted in early April.
It did not take more for his supporters to cry "
falsification
", like Victor Soghomonyan, the head of the office of the second Armenian president: "
They could not provide evidence of the guilt of Robert Kotcharian
”.
The government "
has failed to carry out reforms of the bodies responsible for law enforcement and the judicial system,
" notes Sona Ayvazyan, executive director of the "Transparency International Anticorruption Center" in Yerevan.
“
They were confident, they thought they were there for a decade and that they had time to carry out the reforms, but they were wrong,”
says Sona Ayvazyan.
With powerful relays in the business world as well as within the administrations, Robert Kotcharian, withdrawn from the political scene in recent years, hopes to take his revenge on his rival.
A friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, he presents himself as a strong and experienced man, the only one able to guarantee the security of the country.
The outcome of the ballot remains uncertain
This election is "
a test for democracy,
" said Daniel Ioannisyan, executive director of the NGO "Union of informed citizens", which noted an escalation of lies, manipulation and fake news during the campaign.
Invective, insults and personal attacks have multiplied. Nikol Pachinian was not outdone, wielding a hammer during his election rallies, supposed to symbolize a popular "steel mandate" he says he needs to continue ruling Armenia with a firmer hand and calling the mayors of towns and villages that challenge him with "
rusty nails
" that will be removed by his hammer after the elections.
In this tense context, observers fear post-election violence.
The games seem very open, given the large number of undecided (between 40 and 50% according to the surveys).
“
This is the first time that there has been such a tense confrontation and that there is not a very clear favorite.
We cannot predict the outcome of this election,
”underlines Hrant Mikaelian, of the Caucasus Institute.
If no party or coalition obtains a majority at the end of Sunday's ballot, a second round will take place on July 18 between the two parties having obtained the best score.
Nikol Pachinian's team has already taken care to reserve the Place de la République for Monday morning, when the results should be known.
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To read: Elections in Armenia: Nikol Pachinian, incumbent candidate under fire from critics
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