Former RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian strongly criticized the international perception of the last parliamentary elections, stating that the vote was not a geopolitical competition between the West and Russia, but a nationwide protest against the disintegration of Armenian statehood and new concessions.
In his statement published on social networks, the former foreign minister noted that foreign observers and the press superficially interpret the internal political crisis in the country, turning it into a simple struggle between the pro-Western government and the pro-Russian opposition. According to Oskanyan, such talk deeply misleads the international audience and distorts reality.
The former diplomat questioned the legitimacy of the elections, stressing that the official results do not reflect the true will of the citizens. He stated that the process was accompanied by administrative pressures, manipulations and an atmosphere of intimidation, as a result of which Nikol Pashinyan did not receive the vote of confidence of the Armenian people. Oskanyan emphasized that the pro-Western rhetoric of the authorities cannot be an excuse for electoral fraud and pressure on political opponents.
Referring to the external challenges, Vardan Oskanyan noticed that the Armenian society is aware of the dangers hidden under the process of “regulating” relations. According to him, the voters categorically reject the demands of Azerbaijan, the compulsion to change the Constitution of Armenia, further territorial concessions and the prospect of renouncing Artsakh’s heritage.
Summarizing his speech, the former minister noted that the real choice of the citizens was not the search for external sponsors, but the protection of sovereignty, constitutional order and national dignity under the conditions of the threat of forced capitulation.
According to the final data of the CEC, the “Civil Agreement” party, as well as the opposition “Hzor Armenia” and “Hazor Armenia” alliances, are entering the Armenian parliament based on the results of the June 7 elections.
According to these data, the “Civil Agreement” party collected 49.7% of the votes, the “Mighty Armenia” alliance – 23.27%, and the “Armenia” alliance (former president Robert Kocharyan – ed.) – 9.9%. The opposition “Prosperous Armenia” party received 3.989% of the votes and did not enter the parliament.
—