Election commission rejects bid to remove Strong Armenia from ballot

By Siranush Adamyan

Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) early on Saturday unanimously rejected a request to remove the Strong Armenia alliance from Sunday’s parliamentary election, ruling that the application lacked sufficient legal grounds.

The decision was adopted shortly after midnight following nearly two hours of deliberations, capping a political dispute that erupted during a televised election debate the previous day.

The complaint was filed by the Republic Party, whose leader Aram Sargsyan sought to have Strong Armenia’s registration declared invalid or revoked over allegations of vote-buying and other campaign violations.

Also read: Aram Sargsyan to seek ban on Karapetyan alliance ahead of vote

Announcing the decision, CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan said there were no grounds to invalidate the alliance’s registration, while the request to revoke it was based on assumptions rather than established facts.

The challenge followed remarks by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during Thursday’s debate among party leaders. Referring to allegations of vote-buying that have circulated during the campaign, Pashinyan suggested that opposition parties could seek Strong Armenia’s disqualification. He said his ruling Civil Contract party had refrained from taking such a step itself to avoid accusations that it feared electoral defeat.

Sargsyan subsequently submitted the application to the election commission.

In its complaint, the Republic Party alleged that Strong Armenia and individuals associated with it had engaged in “numerous actions” aimed at influencing voters through vote-buying or other concealed forms of material inducement. Strong Armenia has repeatedly denied the accusations.

During the hearing, representatives of the alliance dismissed the complaint as legally baseless. Aram Vardevanyan, a lawyer and parliamentary candidate for Strong Armenia, argued that Armenia’s Electoral Code clearly defines the circumstances under which a party can be removed from the ballot.

“The Electoral Code speaks about continuous violations, yet not a single violation has been substantiated,” Vardevanyan told the commission. He also rejected references to media reports concerning businessman Narek Karapetyan, saying he has not been charged in any criminal case.

The Republic Party also requested that the commission obtain information from the Anti-Corruption Committee, Prosecutor General’s Office and National Security Service regarding individuals under scrutiny in vote-buying investigations. The commission rejected the request.

Under Armenia’s Electoral Code, the CEC may invalidate a party’s registration if evidence emerges that documents submitted during registration were falsified. Election officials noted during the hearing that no such evidence had been presented.

The code also allows for a party’s registration to be revoked in cases involving serious campaign violations. However, election officials stressed that such allegations must be established through legal procedures and, in most cases, require a court ruling before a party can be removed from the ballot.

The applicants left the session before the commission announced its decision.

The ruling means Strong Armenia will remain on the ballot when Armenians vote in parliamentary elections on June 7.

Also read: Can Strong Armenia be forced out of the election race? The legal process explained