The parliamentary elections held in Armenia on June 7 will remain in our modern history as elections conducted under unprecedented conditions of state terror.

Throughout the electoral process, the ruling regime acted without restraint, employing every means at its disposal. It made extensive use of administrative resources by mobilizing state and municipal institutions. The full arsenal of propaganda and administrative pressure was deployed to limit political competition and influence the free expression of voters’ will. The government’s use of hate speech and its actions further deepened divisions and polarization within Armenian society.

As a result, for the first time, administrative interference deprived citizens of the Republic of Armenia of their right to vote, while denying a political force its rightful representation in parliament.

The scale and systematic nature of the electoral violations demonstrate the regime’s determination to reduce elections to nothing more than a mechanism for preserving its grip on power.

Moreover, the failure to remedy electoral violations and the decision to leave them inconsequential for political expediency raise serious doubts about the viability of state institutions and the preservation of constitutional order.

It is now beyond dispute that the current parliamentary majority was formed not through democratic elections, but solely as a result of a biased ruling by the Constitutional Court and the allocation of parliamentary mandates through administrative manipulation.

Another significant factor in these elections was the overt interference and influence of external centers of power and various foreign actors, dealing a serious blow to Armenia’s sovereignty and agency.

Nevertheless, despite the above circumstances, obstacles, restrictions, and pressures, the united opposition secured a substantial share of the vote, thereby demonstrating the current regime’s loss of legitimacy. Although the “official” results provide the authorities with the practical means to reproduce themselves in power, it is evident that the ruling regime is in decline and has lost its legitimacy. The renewed wave of post-election political persecution and repression further evidences this.

Rather than resolving the country’s political crisis, the elections have deepened it. The actions of the ruling regime have intensified the crisis, giving it dangerous domestic and geopolitical dimensions. The authorities’ obsession with retaining power at any cost has undermined national unity, democratic values, stability, and the very viability of the Armenian state.

The current regime continues to target the Declaration of Independence, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the Artsakh Movement, and the very foundations of Armenian identity, everything that has served as the cornerstone of pan-Armenian unity.

Under these circumstances, and in light of the new realities, it is imperative to continue the political struggle with a renewed strategy, greater determination, and increased intensity.

The primary objective is to prevent the ruling regime’s destructive and disastrous policies aimed at the Turkification of Armenia. In this regard, coordinated action among all healthy national forces and broad public unity are of critical importance.

Persistent and unwavering struggle on every front is the only path to success.

Preserving Armenian identity and the imperative of maintaining a national and dignified state must become the foremost priority on the pan-Armenian agenda.

ARF Bureau

9 July 2026