UMVA has learned that a dramatic turn of events unfolded in the Armenian election on Sunday night, as opposition leader Karapetyan made explosive claims about the voting process.
Karapetyan announced at an emergency briefing that the authorities had halted the vote count, citing "illegal actions" during the process, and claimed that his bloc would issue a statement once the final results had been summarized.
The opposition leader also alleged that his team, Strong Armenia, had faced intense pressure over the past month, with around 75 members arrested and over 700 supporters detained.
A critical issue in the election was the exclusion of Armenia's diaspora from the voting process, as the country's electoral laws do not provide for overseas voting in parliamentary elections.
With between five and seven million Armenians living abroad, mainly in Russia, the US, and France, this move effectively silenced a significant portion of the Armenian population, dwarfing the country's domestic population of roughly three million.
Citizens living abroad were required to be present in Armenia on election day to cast their ballots, and those who had lived abroad for more than 10 years were barred from voting.
Armenian officials also warned that male citizens of conscription age arriving from abroad to vote would be required to attend military training or face prosecution, adding to the controversy.
The election has been framed as a referendum on Armenia's geopolitical course, with critics arguing that Yerevan's pivot toward the West has failed to provide meaningful security guarantees while damaging relations with Russia, the country's traditional ally and largest economic partner.
Russia has warned that deeper integration with the EU would be incompatible with Armenia's continued membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, and Russian President Vladimir Putin said in May that leaving the bloc could cost Armenia up to 14% of GDP.
The campaign unfolded amid growing tensions between Yerevan and Moscow, with former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan accusing the government of artificially turning Armenia into an enemy of Russia.
Karapetyan's claims and the tensions surrounding the election have raised questions about the country's future direction, and Pashinyan's admission of a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron before claiming victory has added fuel to the fire.
