Armenian News... A Topalian... (2 editorials)

CivilNet, Armenia

10 Dec 2018

Armenians Elect a New Parliament

In a historic post-"Velvet Revolution" election, Armenians elected a new parliament on December 9. One alliance and two parties passed the 5% threshold to enter parliament.

Nikol Pashinyan's My Step Alliance won a landslide victory with 70.43% of votes.

Gagik Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia Party took second place with 8.27% of votes.

Bright Armenia Party, headed by Edmon Marukyan, came in third with 6.37% of the votes.

The Republican Party of Armenia and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation did not receive enough votes to enter parliament. 

32 foreign and 70 local media covered the elections.

22 local and 8 foreign observation missions monitored the process. 

While noting minor election violations, observers from Armenia and abroad applauded the smooth and transparent nature of the elections. 

BBC News

10 Dec 2018

Armenia election: PM Nikol Pashinyan wins by landslide

Armenia's acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has won a convincing victory in Sunday's snap parliamentary election, consolidating his authority.

His bloc won more than 70% of the vote, the country's election commission said. 

A journalist turned politician, Mr Pashinyan spearheaded a peaceful revolution in April.

He now has a parliamentary majority to push through his programme of tackling corruption and reforming the economy. Poll turnout was low, at about 49%.

Historically, Armenia's elections have been marred by fraud and vote-buying.

However, international observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said the elections had respected fundamental freedoms and were characterised by genuine competition.

What is the result?

Final official results show that the centrist My Step Alliance, which includes Mr Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party, won 70.4% of the vote.

Its nearest rival, the moderate Prosperous Armenia party won just over 8%. Led by tycoon and arm-wrestling champion Gagik Tsarukyan, it was part of the ruling coalition in the outgoing parliament. 

Oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia party will be part of the new parliament

Bright Armenia, a liberal pro-Western party, won about 6% of the vote, the commission said. 

Each party needed at least 5% of the vote to enter the 101-seat National Assembly. 

Armenia's constitution states that 30% of seats in parliament must go to opposition parties.

What will it mean for Armenia?

At a polling station in the capital, Yerevan, voters said they hoped Mr Pashinyan would be able to deliver the ambitious changes he had promised.

One woman, who gave her name as Narine Harutyunyan, said she felt "very optimistic," adding, "I hope that my vote is going to play a role so that there will always be a smile in the eyes of Armenians."