The final results of the June 7 elections in Armenia are eagerly awaited.
Modern.az reports that according to the information of the Central Election Commission as of 09:00 today, data from 1963 out of a total of 2005 polling stations have been officially counted:
"Civil Contract" Party – 49.83%
"Strong Armenia" bloc – 23.35%
"Armenia" bloc – 9.93%
"Prosperous Armenia" Party – 3.98%"
Political experts say that the "Civil Contract" Party led by Nikol Pashinyan will most likely be able to secure a parliamentary majority with the votes obtained from the remaining polling stations.
As a result, the ruling party, which can collect 50+1 votes, will get enough mandates to form a government alone in the parliament.
The Armenian parliament is elected for a 5-year term by proportional representation. The parliament must consist of at least 101 members.
The main rules for parliamentary elections are:
To enter parliament
- A party must collect at least 4% of the votes;
- A bloc consisting of 2-3 parties must collect at least 8%;
- For a bloc consisting of 4 or more parties, the threshold is 10%;
To form a government alone, more than 50% (50+1%) of parliamentary mandates are needed. The prime minister is elected by a parliamentary majority.
- Armenia has a "stable majority" mechanism. If the winning force gains the right to form a government, but the share of mandates is less than 54%, the law allows for the provision of additional mandates to ensure a "stable majority." That is, the party that wins 50+1% of seats is given additional mandates, bringing its share to 54%. This is intended to ensure a more stable functioning of the government.
- If no party or coalition can form a majority, the parties begin coalition negotiations. If no coalition is formed within 6 days after the election, the law allows for a second round of elections between the two political forces that received the most votes.
According to the results of the second round, the winning side is given the additional mandates needed to form a government.
Thus, if Nikol Pashinyan's "Civil Contract" Party obtains 50+1% of the mandates in parliament, it can form the government alone.
If the ruling "Civil Contract" does not gain a majority in parliament, and in return the opposition together gains more mandates and forms a coalition, the latter can also form the government.
The main forces currently entering parliament are the "Civil Contract" Party, and the "Strong Armenia" and "Armenia" blocs. "Prosperous Armenia" has not yet been able to cross the 4% barrier.
A.Gorkhmaz
