The Central Election Commission of Armenia has completed accepting documents for participation in the elections.

Nineteen political forces, including 17 parties and two blocs, have submitted a full package of documents to participate in the April 7 parliamentary elections, the Central Election Commission of Armenia reported.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, on April 17, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in parliament that the Strong Armenia party and the Armenia bloc should not overcome the electoral threshold for the parliamentary elections. By April 21, the Central Election Commission of Armenia had received documents from more than 20 political parties and alliances expressing their desire to participate in the June 7 parliamentary elections. The Republican Party of Armenia's third president, Serzh Sargsyan, withdrew from participating in the parliamentary elections.

At 6:00 PM on April 23, the Central Election Commission of Armenia completed accepting documents from parties and blocs that expressed a desire to participate in the parliamentary elections.

“All the necessary documents, along with proportional lists of candidates for deputies, were submitted by 19 political forces, 17 parties, and two blocs. The registration process will last until May 3. The pre-election campaigning period is from May 8 to June 5,” the press service of the Central Election Commission of Armenia reported.

The ruling Civil Contract party, Prosperous Armenia, Shnorhapetakan (Meritocratic Party of Armenia), Against All, Democratic Consolidation, Wings of Unity, Enlightened Armenia, National Democratic Pole, Christian Democratic Party, Armenian National Congress, New Force, Democracy, Law, and Discipline, Progressive Centrist Alliance Party, Reformist Party, Republic, Awakening, and In the Name of Republics."

The "Strong Armenia" political bloc, along with the party of the same name, was formed by "New Era," "United Armenians," and "Country for Life." The "Armenia" bloc includes the Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) and the "Revival Armenia" party.

The Republican Party of Armenia will not participate in the elections "for the first time in the party's 36 years of existence," noted RPA executive body member Artak Zakaryan. Unlike Sargsyan, who explained this decision by his desire to give "other opposition forces" a chance to prove themselves, Zakaryan stated that "the current government has destroyed national ideas and political pillars."

List Leaders and Prime Minister Candidates

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is first on the list of the ruling Civil Contract party, and he has also been nominated for the post of prime minister. The Strong Armenia bloc's candidate for prime minister is Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the party of the same name. Karapetyan only announced on April 15 that he had begun the process of renouncing his Russian and Cypriot citizenships. The party also announced that it would submit constitutional amendments to parliament that would allow Karapetyan to be a candidate for prime minister. Businessman Gagik Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia party has not officially nominated a candidate for prime minister, but Gagik Tsarukyan himself is number one on its election list.

Artsvik Minasyan, secretary of the Armenia bloc's parliamentary faction, announced at a briefing on April 23 that 213 names have been included on the bloc's proportional list of candidates, with second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan topping the list.

According to Minasyan, the Armenia bloc is cooperating with the Strong Armenia and Prosperous Armenia blocs. "Any prime ministerial candidate from the opposition force that emerges as the leader following the elections will receive our support. We expect the same approach from other forces," he stated, adding that "the opposition is strong and has every chance of preventing the replication of the current government."

The Wings of Unity party, which has also declared its main goal to "prevent the replication of the current government," has nominated its leader, former Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan, as its candidate for prime minister.

The leader of the Wings of Unity accused Baku of attempting to influence the elections in Armenia

On April 22, Tatoyan appealed to the EU Mission to Armenia and the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Vasilis Maragos, calling on them to respond to Azerbaijan's attempts to "influence the outcome of the Armenian elections through intimidation."

He specifically pointed to a public statement by a member of Azerbaijan's ruling party that an opposition victory in Armenia could prompt Azerbaijan to formally make territorial claims against the neighboring country. A newspaper controlled by the Azerbaijani presidential administration noted that a "revanchist" government in Armenia "will have nothing to govern," while a website controlled by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense called it "particularly important" that power in Armenia remain "in the hands of forces that support Azerbaijan's strategic goals," the politician noted.

"The European Union, which has declared its readiness to counter Russian influence in the elections in Armenia, must respond similarly to threats from Azerbaijan," Tatoyan stated in a video posted on his Facebook page*.