Armenians vote on country's future between East and West

Armenians are voting on Sunday in parliamentary elections that are expected to be a test of support for the country's prime minister, following a controversial peace deal with neighboring Azerbaijan and his efforts to bring the small South Caucasus country closer to the West after decades of dependence on Russia.

The Interior Ministry announced that 2.49 million people are registered to vote for 18 political entities in 2,005 polling stations in the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party, Civic Contract, led in pre-election polls against several pro-Russian parties.

Voting centers opened at 08:00 and are expected to close at 20:00.

About 400 international observers have been authorized to monitor the process. The Central Election Commission said preliminary results will be published within 24 hours after the close of voting, with final results to be announced on June 14.

Yerevan's relations with Moscow were the main electoral issue, especially after Russia's decision to impose restrictions on Armenian exports in recent weeks in response to Armenia's further rapprochement with the West.

Polls suggest that the Civic Contract enjoys the support of 24–32 percent of the electorate, while the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party has around 6–11 percent support, ranking in second place.

On the eve of the elections, Armenian authorities arrested six Strong Armenia candidates, state media reported, without giving reasons for the arrests.

Strong Armenia has stated that it aims to preserve Yerevan's economic and political ties with Russia and has accused Pashinyan of dangerous hostility towards Moscow.

The party is led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who is under house arrest on charges of calling for the overthrow of the government. He has described the charges as politically motivated.

The United States and the European Union have shown support for Pashinyan, who took power in 2018 after a largely peaceful popular uprising - known as the Velvet Revolution - against the previous Moscow-friendly government.

Pashinyan has launched the EU accession process - although it is expected to take many years - and has advanced the peace process with neighboring Azerbaijan. This controversial policy has strengthened the opposition and angered even some of his former supporters.

Pashinyan gained significant support from the US after agreeing to participate in US President Donald Trump’s “Triple A Path to International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) initiative. The bilateral signing process was completed after Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the document, which was pre-signed during a visit to Yerevan last month.

The US State Department told Radio Free Europe that it sees this initiative as "a crucial and long-term part of bringing peace and prosperity to Armenia and the South Caucasus."

The prime minister has also attempted to normalize relations with its historical rival and neighbor, Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan.

His government has suspended participation in the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)./REL