BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
YEREVAN—Armenia’s Central Election Commission on Monday released the official results of Sunday’s Parliamentary Elections, which drew 60.8 percent of Armenia’s eligible voters to the polls in the first election since a new constitution was adopted in 2015.
Based on preliminary results, four political parties and alliances, out of the nine vying for seats, garnered the needed percentages to enter the parliament and form the new 101-member legislature, a change from the previous 131-person body.
The ruling Republican Party of Armenia received 770,718 (49.15 percent) of the votes. The “Tsarukian” Alliance, led by businessman and former parliament member Gagik Tsarukian garnered 428,892 (27.35 percent) votes, while the “Yelk” Alliance led by parliament member Nigol Pashinyan walked away with 121,997 (7.78 percent) of the votes. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation will remain in parliament. The party received 103,148 (6.58 percent) of the votes.
Political parties needed five percent or more of the votes to enter parliament, while opposition forces and alliances were required to have received seven percent to secure seats in the parliament. In order for a party or a bloc to form a government 54 percent of votes are required.
The other five political alliances did not garner the needed votes to secure seats in the parliament, thus the aforementioned four forces will rule the legislative branch, which in 2018 will elect a prime minister who will govern the country and complete Armenia’s shift to a parliamentary form of government.
The Armenian Renaissance Party received 58,274 (3.72 percent) votes, while the “ORO” Alliance that brought together former foreign ministers Vartan Oskanian and Raffi Hovannisian with former defense minister Seyran Ohanian received 32,487 (2.07 percent) votes. The “Congress-Armenian Democratic Party” Alliance, led by former president Levon Ter-Petrossian received 25,973 (1.66 percent) votes. Trailing these forces were the “Free Democrats” Alliance, which received 14,740 (.94 percent) votes and the Communist Party of Armenia, which came in last with 11,742 (.75 percent) votes.
Now the parties and the CEC will work together to determine the additional seats each party will receive from the proportional lists of candidates. This will increase the number of members for each party thus elevating their percentages.
The final results are expected to be announced later this week.
Tashnags will always be vilified and accused of bidding the devil’s work for generations to come. The old and new USSR indoctrination will never be cleansed.
The notion of “Now the parties and the CEC will work together to determine the additional seats each party will receive from the proportional lists of candidates” is not correct. The proportional list or so called “ratting list” does not add to the number of seats each party gets, all it does, it shows how half of the votes received by each party has to be distributed among ratting candidates and then candidates with the highest votes get into the parliament.
However,9% of the total votes received by the parties that did not get into the parliament, will be distributed among the four wining candidates. This distribution will result in the following percentages – HHK 54.08%, Tzarougyan 30.12%, Yelk 8.56%, and ARF 7.24%. A party needs 54% of votes to be able to form the government and now HHK can form government and they do not “need” any partners.