Parliamentary elections kicked off in Armenia on June 7. Because of them, the countryʼs relations with Russia have already deteriorated.
This is reported by the Armenian service of Radio Liberty.
Polling stations across the country, totaling more than 2 000, opened at 08:00 local time. Voting will continue until 20:00, with preliminary results expected after midnight. 2.5 million citizens are eligible to vote.
18 political forces are competing for a seat in parliament: 16 parties and two electoral blocs. For the former, the threshold is 4%, for the latter — 8%. In total, there must be at least 101 deputies and three political parties in parliament.
Why is this important?
The elections are taking place against a backdrop of political tensions between Armenia and Russia. Polls predict a victory for incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whom Russia accuses of being pro-European. Because of this, Russia has already threatened the country with a rise in gas prices and has recently begun to impose restrictions on imports from the country.
Shortly before the elections, Russia and its allies demanded that Armenia hold a referendum on whether to join the European Union or the Eurasian Union. The countryʼs authorities refused, saying there were "no grounds" for this.
Reuters reported that the Russian authorities plan to bring nearly 100 000 Armenians living in Russia to Armenia to vote for Pashinyanʼs rivals.
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