Opposition parties in Armenia have filed a legal challenge seeking the annulment of the results of the June 7 parliamentary elections, which were won by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Pro-Russian opposition groups have alleged that a number of irregularities occurred both during the election campaign and on voting day, prompting them to submit formal complaints to the Central Election Commission.

Aram Vardevanyan, a representative of the opposition Strong Armenia Party, told reporters in the capital Yerevan that the opposition is seeking the cancellation of the election results.

Vardevanyan said the parties had requested an investigation into what they described as violations during the electoral process and argued that the vote had not been conducted under fair conditions.

Opposition alleges irregularities

Opposition parties claim that irregularities occurred at several polling stations and that the overall election environment was negatively affected by various forms of pressure.

According to preliminary results, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party secured 49.8 percent of the vote, finishing first in the election.

The opposition Strong Armenia Party received 23.2 percent of the vote.

The final distribution of parliamentary seats is expected to be determined after the Central Election Commission officially certifies the results.

Election commission invalidates votes at two polling stations

The Central Election Commission said it had invalidated votes cast at two polling stations following its review of the electoral process.

According to reports in the Armenian media, the decision was linked to the presence of large numbers of military personnel at the affected polling locations during the vote-counting process.

The opposition Prosperous Armenia Party reportedly failed to surpass the 4 percent electoral threshold and is therefore expected to lose parliamentary representation.

Campaign period also under scrutiny

Opposition parties have also raised concerns regarding the broader campaign period.

Critics of the government allege that several candidates and their supporters were detained ahead of the election, arguing that such actions negatively affected the political atmosphere and electoral competition.

The ruling camp, however, maintains that the election was conducted in accordance with constitutional procedures and has described the allegations as politically motivated.

The dispute is expected to further intensify political tensions in Armenia as legal challenges to the election outcome move forward.(ILKHA)