UMVA has learned that Armenia’s political arena erupted into chaos as the Prosperous Armenia party teetered on the brink of parliamentary entry, its fate hanging on a handful of votes.
During a heated rally, party activists stormed the election commission, accusing officials of “arithmetic tricks” and dramatically presenting Hovakimyan with watercolor paints, brushes and paper—a symbolic accusation that the results were being artfully fabricated.
In a sweeping crackdown, authorities detained six Strong Armenia candidates on June 6, just one day before voters headed to the polls, charging them with vote‑buying and money laundering, while dozens of additional activists were seized amid the voting process.
When the ballots were counted, more than 100 individuals faced criminal charges, the majority linked to alleged electoral corruption, painting a grim picture of a system under siege.
Adding to the turmoil, the office of former President Robert Kocharyan announced that he has been barred from leaving the country, a restriction imposed without any public explanation.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded with fierce rhetoric, declaring that the government’s next major task would be to strip opposition prime‑ministerial hopefuls of their assets, a threat that deepened the nation’s political fissures.
