Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharyan expressed confidence that the country’s current authorities will try to replicate Moldova’s recent election practices, using what he described as anti-democratic methods. He made the remarks during a meeting with reporters, Sputnik Armenia reports.
The question referred to Moldova’s elections, where opposition parties were reportedly barred from participation both during the campaign and on election day.
Asked if a similar situation could occur during Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, Kocharyan replied: “I have no doubt that the Armenian authorities will try to apply Moldova’s example here as well. When geopolitical interests are at stake, everyone forgets about democracy, that’s a fact. In Moldova, the opposition won the votes of those living in the country, while the government secured victory thanks to Moldovans temporarily residing in Europe. We don’t have an external voting system, otherwise the picture would be completely different.”
Kocharyan stressed the need to be prepared for such actions, suggesting that the authorities might attempt to use similar electoral mechanisms. “I think they’ll try something. However, I don’t yet know how far they will go. The ruling Civil Contract party must understand that such actions will lead to a revolution. If the threat of revolution hangs over the country, no one will dare to commit violations. Stealing votes will cause an uprising, and the authorities must understand this. There must be such an intense struggle that the risk of upheaval forces them to limit their use of administrative resources,” Kocharyan concluded.
Parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for June 2026.
