Parliamentary elections were held in Armenia on 6 May 2012. President Serzh Sargsyan's ruling Republican Party gained more majority of the parliament seats. Armenia's wealthiest man Gagik Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia came second with about one fourth of the seats, while ANC, ARF, Rule of Law and Heritage won less than 10 percent each.
Background In 2011, Armenia faced unprecedented opposition protests over the disputed 2008 presidential election, amongst other issues. Since then changes welcomed by the EU have been made, who stated that "the next parliamentary and presidential elections will be an important benchmark in Armenia reform's path."
Electoral system and controversy over it Out of a total of 131 seats in the National Assembly, 90 are distributed between parties using a proportional system, while the other 41 are elected from constituencies by a majoritarian voting system. The election threshold is 5% for parties and 7% for alliances, in this case the only alliance was the Armenian National Congress.
Months before the election, there was a movement for the elimination of constituency seats and going to a full party-list proportional system. Most parties, including 3 of 5 parliamentary parties (ARF, PAP and Heritage), supported this initiative bringing up the issue of "district authorities" which were traditionally backed up by the Republican Party. Մեծամասնական-համամասնական վեճը The opposition bloc Armenian National Congress also supported it.
On February 28, Heritage and ANC joined the ARF protests in front of the National Assembly building, ՀՅԴ, ՀԱԿ, «Ժառանգությունը» միացան but on February 28, the National Assembly voted 30-54 against the proposal. Հարյուր տոկոսանոց համամասնական ընտրակարգի առաջարկը մերժվեց
Parties A total of 9 parties have been registered to participate in the election: Prosperous Armenia - Gagik Tsarukyan Heritage - Raffi Hovannisian Armenian National Congress - Levon Ter-Petrosyan Armenian Revolutionary Federation - Vahan Hovhannisyan Democratic Party of Armenia - Aram Sargsyan Armenian Communist Party - Ruben Tovmasyan Republican Party of Armenia - Serzh Sargsyan Unified Armenians Party - Ruben Avagyan Rule of Law - Artur Baghdasaryan
Constituency candidates There a total of 41 electoral districts in Armenia, 13 in capital Yerevan and 28 in provinces each varying around 50,000 voters. 139 candidates have been registered in 41 districts to run for constituency seats. 54 were non-partisans candidates 41 մեծամասնական մանդատի համար կպայքարեն 139 թեկնածուներ and the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress has the most 38 candidates. Պատրաստ էին միայն 38-ը. ՀԱԿ-ը ներկայացրել է մեծամասնականով թեկնածուների ցուցակները
Biggest interest was given to the 7th district which includes Malatia-Sebastia district of Yerevan, where the opposition alliance Armenian National Congress candidate Nikol Pashinyan is going to challenge RPA-backed oligarch Samvel Aleksanyan.Aleksanyan - $9.9 Million in Cash; Pashinyan - $49.75 Other notable candidates are Ruben Hayrapetyan, the president of the Football Federation of Armenia in 1st district of Avan and one the wealthiest Armenian businessman Gagik Tsarukyan (PAP leader) in 28th district which includes Abovyan city and surrounding villages.
The full list of constituency candidates in Armenian is available here.
Edmon Marukyan was the only non-partisan candidate who was elected to the National Assembly. In 2015 he created Bright Armenia party.
Campaign
On 19 March the Heritage party introduced its proportional list, which also included some members of the Free Democrats party as of their agreement to participate together in this election.
The official election campaign began on 8 April, but the first campaigns were on 10 April due to Easter. None of the participating parties held campaign rallies on 24 April, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. ARF, ANC Heritage, Republican Party, Prosperous Armenia and the Communist Party attended a memorial at Tsitsernakaberd.
On 5 May, the day before the election is "Day of Silence", when most kinds of campaigning are prohibited by law.Day of Silence in Armenia before parliament elections
Balloon explosion incident On 4 May the last official day of the campaign, during the Republican Party concert and rally in Republic Square of Yerevan, dozens of balloons filled with hydrogen exploded, resulting in the injury of at least 144 people according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations.Scores Injured As Balloon Blasts Spark Chaos At Armenian Election Rally A few hours later it was reported that out of total 154 people hospitalized, 98 were still in hospitals and 28 were in intensive-care units. Հոսպիտալացված 154 քաղաքացիներից 98-ը դեռևս հիվանդանոցներում են, որոնցից 28-ը՝ վերակենդանացման բաժանմունքներում. ԱԻՆ (տեսանյութ)
Oversight Joint headquarters of PAP, ANC and ARF On 6 April four parties (Prosperous Armenia, Heritage, ARF and ANC) created joint headquarters with a view to holding free and fair elections. Although, Prosperous Armenia is in a coalition with RPA and RoL, they also agreed to join the opposition manifest. On 19 April Heritage withdrew from this agreement announcing that it was not formed to control the election, but rather as a pre-election campaign headquarters for the ex-president Robert Kocharyan's comeback into Armenia's political life and probable participation in the 2013 presidential election.
On 28 April the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (9 MPs) and Prosperous Armenia (21 MPs) appealed to the Constitutional Court to rule unconstitutional articles that prohibits the publication of the lists of voters that actually took part in the election. ԱԺ նախագահը ՍԴ կուղարկի ՀՅԴ-ի, ՀԱԿ-ի եւ ԲՀԿ-ի հայցադիմումը Although, Heritage deputies didn't sign the appeal, party leader Raffi Hovhannisyan said that they also support that initiative. Հովհաննիսյանը հուսով է, որ ՍԴ-ն «ճշգրիտ որոշում կկայացնի» Vahe Grigoryan, the lawyer that represents the appeal, said that the Constitutional Court is "going to make a choice between rationality and dictation [from the authorities]". Միասնական շտաբի անդամ ուժերի ներկայացուցիչները ուշի ուշով կհետեւեն ընտրությունների ընթացքին Levon Zurabyan, the ANC speaker, said that each party will have up to 5-6 representatives at each polling station. Also, the parties have agreed to create joint 'mobile' groups that will respond to all reports about election fraud by traveling to the given precinct to study and eliminate the vote rigging.Public oversight headquarters to count voters
The Constitutional Court heard the case on 5 May, the day before the election and refused the appeal.Armenian Constitutional court refuses appeal of 28 MPs Սահմանադրական դատարանը մերժեց ԲՀԿ-ի եւ ՀՅԴ-ի պատգամավորների հայցադիմումը
Local 31,451 observers from local non-governmental organizations were registered to oversight the election. The List of Local Organizations Observing the Parliamentary Elections on May 6, 2012 The largest ones were the "Panarmenian Youth Association" (Համահայկական երիտասարդական ասոցիացիա) with 5,555 observers, "The Choice is Yours" (Ընտրությունը քոնն է) with 4,000 observers, "Free Society Institute" (Ազատ հասարակության ինստիտուտ) with 2,512 observers and "The Fist" (Բռունցք) with 2,136 observers. Other organizations had less than 2,000 observers.
International 647 international observers were registered by the Central Electoral Commission. The List of International Organizations Observing the Parliamentary Elections on May 6, 2012 Largest missions were: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights - 258 observersInternational election observers in Armenia to hold press conference on Monday CIS Mission of Observers - 151 observers Штаб Миссии наблюдателей от СНГ на выборах депутатов Национального Собрания Республики Армения OSCE Parliamentary Assembly - 69 observers
Opinion polls
SourceDate of PollingRPPARoLARFHeritageANCOthersOther answers (, , ) Hetq Online as of 5 May 2012 10 11 2 25 11 9 4 European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA) Poll: Last Assessment of Pre-Electoral Armenia –22, 2012 26 3.4 3.2 4.0 2.9 2.9 24.3 Gallup International Association «Gallap international association»-ը հրապարակեց 17.04-23.04 ժամանակահատվածում անցկացված սոցիոլոգիական հարցումների արդյունքները –23, 2012 20.9 4.2 3.7 4.4 8.5 0.7 30 VTsIOM –13, 2012 27 5 4 4 3 2 23 Gallup International Association34% of Armenia’s citizens ready to vote for ruling party - Gallup OrganizationRPA and “Prosperous Armenia” lead, Gallup poll says –10, 2012 28 4.5 4.6 3.5 6.7 - 18.7 "My Opinion" Civil Initiative Հերթական հարցման արդյունքներով (“Իմ կարծիքը”) ԲՀԿ-ն ունի 39 տոկոս, իսկ ՀՀԿ-ն` 8 տոկոս վարկանիշ 8 - 13 4 26 - 10 Sociometer Ահարոն Ադիբեկյանը չի հավատում «Հայաստանի եվրոպացի բարեկամներ»–ի սոցհարցմանը 35 5-6 6-7 5-6 8-9 - - European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA) Poll: A Snapshot of Pre-Electoral Armenia – Mar 5, 2012 24.5 3.0 3.3 2.6 3.2 2.6 32.1 "500 Voices" Social Research Group «500 Ձայն»–ի նոր ուսումնասիրությունները 9 - 12 5 27 - 11 Research Center of Political Developments «Հայոց աշխարհ». ՀՀԿ-ն առաջատարն է ըստ հարցումների 21 2 3 7 13 - 20
Exit poll The Gallup International Association held an exit poll among 22,410 people in 131 polling stations. 46.35% refused to answer, while 56.65% answered as follows: 43.3% Republican Party of Armenia, 29.3% Prosperous Armenia, 6.4% Armenian National Congress, 6.5% Heritage, 6.2% Rule of Law, 5.2% Armenian Revolutionary Federation, 2.2% Armenian Communist Party, 0.6% Democratic Party of Armenia, 0.4% Unified Armenians Party. ՀՀԿ՝ 43.3%, ԲՀԿ՝ 29,3%, Ժառանգություն՝ 6,5%. «Էքզիթ փոլլ» ՀՀԿ՝ 43.3%, ԲՀԿ՝ 29,3%, Ժառանգություն՝ 6,5%. «Էքզիթ փոլի» վերջնական արդյունքները Exit poll` վերջնական արդյունքներ. ՀՀԿ 43,3%, ԲՀԿ 29,3% (ՏԵՍԱՆՅՈՒԹ)
Results
Reactions Parties Republican Party of Armenia - RPA speaker Eduard Sharmazanov announced that this election was the best one held in Armenia in the 21st century. Later, he added that the society is "satisfied with its results". Շարմազանով. «Հայաստանի 21-րդ դարի պատմության ընթացքում այս ընտրությունները լավագույնն են»Sarkisian’s Party Hails ‘Unprecedented’ Vote Prosperous Armenia - PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan thanked everyone for supporting them and stated that popular support is the most important thing for him. Ծառուկյանը «աննախադեպ մեծ» է համարում ԲՀԿ-ին ձայն տվողների թիվը Ինձ համար չկա ավելի թանկ բան, քան ժողովրդի վստահությունը. Գագիկ Ծառուկյանը վերահաստատում է իր ուղերձները Armenian National Congress - The ANC did not recognize the legitimacy of the election. Լեւոն Տեր-Պետրոսյանը հրաժարվում է իր պատգամավորական մանդատից Armenian Revolutionary Federation - on 8 May ARF released a statement which said that the election did not "record the will of people". ՀՅԴ-ն դժգոհ է ընտրությունների արդյունքներից Ընտրությունները չարձանագրեցին ժողովրդի կամքը և քաղաքական ուժերի իրական հարաբերակցությունը. ՀՅԴ Heritage - On 8 May the party announced that they do not recognize the legitimacy of the election and that mass violations dramatically changed the results. «Ժառանգություն»-ը գոհ չէ ընտրությունների արդյունքներից Rule of Law - RoL leader, Artur Baghdasaryan stated that this election was the first time done without ballot stuffing and brawling. Also, the calculation of the votes was under complete control of parties. Արթուր Բաղդասարյանի հետընտրական հայտարարությունը. ՕԵԿ-ում խստացնելու են անդամագրման կարգը
International : Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton's statement about the election said that the EU welcomes the efforts of the Armenian authorities to hold "more transparent and competitive elections", however a number of issues kept the election away from internationally recognized democratic standards.Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Štefan Füle on the Parliamentary elections in Armenia on 6 May 2012