Armenian ruling party wins parliamentary elections

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s ruling Republican Party has won Sunday’s crucial general election,  the Armneian CEC head Tigran Mukuchyan said.

According to unofficial results from Armenia’s Central Elections Commission, the Republican Party of Armenia secured 49.12% of the vote (771247 votes).

The Tsarukyan bloc - led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan - was the next largest group on 27.32% (428965 votes). The opposition Yelk bloc secured 7.77% (122049 votes)and the government-loyal Dashnaktsutyun Party got 6.57% (103173 votes).

In order to enter the parliament, Armenian parties need to get 5% of votes while parties alliances – 7% of votes.

The leading expert of the North-South Political Science Center, Alexander Karavaev, speaking to the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the new, parliamentary Republic of Armenia will continue the line of the former, presidential republic. "Judging from the results of the election, we can expect fewer conflicts between the ruling Republican Party and the opposition. For example, on a new agreement with the EU on strategic partnership instead of the Association Agreement. The representatives of unexpected moves in foreign policy, first of all, ​​Levon Ter-Petrosian's Armenian National Congress, have lost influence. Due to which, the policy on the Karabakh conflict will not change. From the 'Tsarukyan' block one can expect economic reforms which can indirectly affect foreign policy initiatives," he said.

The economic development issue will become one of the main challenges for the new parliament. "There are no new tools for the stimulation of the economy from the transition to a parliamentary system. The main task in the development of Armenia's economy is to increase the number of small businesses, which can produce products for export," Aleksandr Karavaev stressed.

According to the analyst, the change of the system will have the least effect on the relations with Russia. "We must bear in mind that the Russian-Armenian inter-parliamentary ties need to be strengthened, regardless of whether the Parliament is a real instrument of foreign policy-making or not. The constitutional reform gives a president a major foreign policy, so Armenia's cooperation with Russia and other countries will be less affected by it," the leading expert of the North-South Political Science Center concluded.