Armenia Votes in Parliamentary Elections Amid Tensions with Russia

YEREVAN: Armenians are voting Sunday in parliamentary elections as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, seeks to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course. The opposition they face includes some parties that are vocally pro-Russian. Casting his vote on Sunday, Pashinyan said that Armenia would continue strengthening its independence, statehood, democracy and rule of law. "The European Union is our main partner in democratic reform implementation and we will continue that path," he said. He also stressed that there were no tensions between Armenia and Moscow, saying, "our relations with Russia are institutional and based on mutual respect," the Armenpress news agency reported. Russian officials have hit Armenian exports with a barrage of restrictions in recent weeks, while high-ranking officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have made thinly veiled threats comparing Armenia's path to that already taken by Ukraine. Meanwhile, Armenian investigators said they issued six arrest warrants for members of the opposition Strong Armenia party the day before the election, accusing them of buying votes. The nation's Central Election Committee confirmed Saturday that the party could run after a member of another opposition party, Republic, appealed for Strong Armenia to be barred over corruption allegations. Commenting on the arrests Sunday, the head of the Strong Armenia party, Russian Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, said that they "would not change the minds of Armenian voters." Karapetyan is under house arrest for allegedly advocating for the government's overthrow, a charge that the billionaire has rejected as politically motivated. He was escorted to a polling station where he spoke briefly to the media before returning home. "The Armenian people will make the right choice and Armenia will finally have a legitimate government," he said.