Armenia’s Civil Contract party, which plans to nominate Nikol Pashinyan for prime minister, is likely to win a snap parliamentary election scheduled for June 20, Valdai International Discussion Club expert Stanislav Pritchin said, TASS reports.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier announced his resignation but will continue to serve as prime minister until the election.
“If nothing extraordinary happens, Pashinyan is likely to win, though his victory won’t be as resounding as before,” the expert pointed out.
According to polls, Pashinyan still enjoys high popular support, Pritchin noted, and he retains some political power. “In fact, he leaves his post only technically and formally, so he controls the executive and legislatives authorities. Despite the results of the Karabakh war, the low approval rating of his predecessors works for Pashinyan. And there is no third power, so in many ways, there is no alternative leader,” the expert noted.
However, in Pritchin’s words, some unexpected developments concerning the domestic situation in Armenia and relations with Azerbaijan could affect the election’s outcome. “The situation is quite tense. Baku also makes sharp statements. We cannot say here that the situation is stable,” he concluded.
