Armenia Heads to the Polls with Russia in Focus

Armenians go to the polls on Sunday in parliamentary elections seen as a test of the government's efforts to reach a peace deal following a crushing military defeat to Azerbaijan three years ago.

Polls show Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling Civic Contract party leading with up to 32% of the vote, with the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party in second place on up to 11%.

Pashinyan has steered Armenia closer to the West and away from its traditional patron Russia since coming to power in 2018, drawing Moscow's ire in the run-up to the vote. GDP per capita has also doubled under his leadership. A former journalist and opposition activist, he has faced criticism from opponents who accuse him of capitulating to Azerbaijan, particularly since the 2023 war, and from human rights groups who allege a pattern of authoritarianism following the jailing of several political opponents in recent years.

Armenia has around 2.48 million registered voters among a total population of three million.

(reuters, su)