Sargsyan backs away from call to ban Kocharyan and Karapetyan blocs, says issue goes beyond CEC (updated)

By Siranush Adamyan

Republic Party leader Aram Sargsyan said he will formally ask Armenia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) to bar the participation of the Armenia Alliance led by former President Robert Kocharyan and the Strong Armenia Alliance led by businessman Samvel Karapetyan in the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Speaking during a televised debate on Thursday evening among the leading candidates from parties and alliances contesting the vote, Sargsyan said he would submit a written request to the CEC, following a suggestion from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

UPDATE: Later in the debate, Sargsyan appeared to suggest that the issue required action beyond the election commission. “Armenia’s independence and peace are under threat, and this is not a matter of my appealing to the CEC, Mr. Prime Minister,” he said, responding to Pashinyan’s suggestion that he submit a formal complaint to the election authorities.

During the debate, Pashinyan repeated a campaign theme in which he has described a “three-headed monster” participating in the election. He was referring to the Strong Armenia Alliance, the Armenia Alliance, and the Prosperous Armenia Party led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan. All three are widely regarded as pro-Russian political forces.

“It is not three-headed, it is many-headed,” Sargsyan said, arguing that at least two of those parties were using foreign policy narratives that pose risks to Armenia’s national security.

“We have repeatedly warned the prime minister that these parties should not be allowed to participate in the elections,” he said.

Gurgen Simonyan, leader of Armenia’s Meritocratic Party, also raised the issue during the debate.

“You are acknowledging that there are collaborators of foreign states here,” Simonyan said. “Why are they participating in elections at all? Why has it been permitted for collaborators of foreign states, for whom state bodies allegedly possess evidence, to take part in nationwide elections?”

Sargsyan said he had previously approached the CEC on the issue but was told that Armenia’s election commission does not have the same powers as Moldova's. Last year, Moldova’s election authorities barred a pro-Russian political force from participating in an election shortly before voting day.

Pashinyan said he did not intend to appeal to the CEC himself and asked whether Sargsyan had already done so. Sargsyan replied that he had only raised the issue verbally. The prime minister then advised him to submit a formal written request. Sargsyan responded that he would do so on Friday.

Eighteen political parties and alliances are competing in Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary election.

Sargsyan is the only political leader in the race who has publicly declared his readiness to form a post-election coalition with Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party. He has also repeatedly said that his main political opponent is Kocharyan.

According to polling conducted in May by the International Republican Institute and the Caucasus Research Resource Centers, Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia Alliance and Kocharyan’s Armenia Alliance rank second and third, respectively, behind Civil Contract.