YEREVAN (Sputnik) — Armenia's ruling Republican Party led by the country's President Serzh Sargsyan succeeded to win the Sunday's parliamentary election gathering support with 49.12 percent of the votes, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The Sunday's election was the first one held under the proportional vote. Apart from the national-level lists, regional lists were also presented in 13 constituencies.

A total of five political parties and four electoral blocs participated in the election trying to pass the threshold and to enter the parliament.

According to the preliminary figures of the CEC, the voter turnout was 60.93 percent and the new parliament would comprise of representatives from four political powers. Apart from the Republican Party, the Tsarukyan Alliance bloc with 27.32 percent, the "Elq" (Way Out) opposition alliance with 7.77 percent and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnakcutyun party would be represented in the next convocation of the parliament.

Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Sergei Lebedev told Sputnik that the vote was held in accordance with democratic norms and without violations.

"The April 2 elections to the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia were held in accordance with the constitution, the electoral code and universally recognized democratic norms of holding elections," Lebedev said.

According to the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE), during the election main freedoms have been respected, however there were attempts to interfere in the counting process.

"As regards counting of the votes, we noticed an interference of the representatives of parties in the counting process," coordinator of the OSCE monitoring mission Ignacio Sanchez Amor told Sputnik.

Jan Petersen, the head of the election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said that the situation with the vote secrecy had increased in Armenia.

At the same time, the ODIHR official expressed concerns over the alleged attempts to bribe voters and over the ballot stations' overcrowdedness.

Local police had also registered 506 messages about alleged violations. According to Armenia's police, the majority of the messages included the reports about attempts of second vote or bribery during the voting process.</s>President Serzh Sarksyan’s ruling Republican Party won elections in Armenia on Sunday, official results showed, laying the foundation for a new parliamentary system of government.

The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) had 49.12 percent of the votes while the opposition Tsarukyan Alliance led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukyan gathered 27.32 percent.

The government-loyal Dashnaktsutyun Party had 6.57 percent and the opposition bloc Yelk (“Way Out”) 7.77 percent, enough for both to enter parliament.

Central Election Commission chairman Tigran Mukuchyan said the figures were based on results from all 2,009 polling stations.

He said nothing about violations of election rules. The prosecutor’s office said it had been reviewing media reports of violations during the voting and count process.

Opposition parties said they had also filed complaints on irregularities to the prosecutor’s office, but gave no further details.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, observing the conduct of the election, said on Monday there had been some abuses.

It said in a statement the poll was “well administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected”, but added:

“There was credible information of vote-buying, of pressure on public servants including in schools and hospitals, and of intimidation of voters to vote for certain parties.”

“This contributed to an overall lack of public confidence in the electoral process.”

The Republicans and Dashnaktsutyun, partners in the current parliament, could create a coalition again, getting the right to name the future prime minister, who is expected to be the incumbent Karen Karapetyan.

The election was Armenia’s first under a new constitution, approved in a December 2015 referendum. Parliament, rather than voters, will elect the president for the first time in 2018.

Sarksyan, 62, leader of the RPA and president since 2008, has repeatedly denied the constitutional changes were engineered to allow him to retain influence in the former Soviet republic after his final presidential term ends next year.

The new system reduces the presidency to a ceremonial post and increases the powers of the prime minister. Critics say Sarksyan could keep wielding executive power by becoming prime minister in 2018.

Many Armenians accuse the government of corruption and of mishandling the troubled economy.

Armenia depends heavily for aid and investment on Russia, which has been hard hit in the past three years by an economic downturn. Armenia has felt the impact, with growth falling to 0.2 percent last year from 3.0 percent in 2015.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App now</s>YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - Early results in the Armenian parliamentary election shows the country's ruling party has won just under half of the vote.

Sunday's election was the first since the ex-Soviet nation modified its constitution to expand the powers of parliament and the prime minister.

The Central Election Commission said on Monday that 94 percent of the ballots counted show the Republican Party of Armenia's president, Serzh Sargsyan, winning 49 percent of the vote. The bloc led by businessman Gagik Tsarukian trails with 28 percent. Two more parties also look set to clear the 5-percent barrier necessary to get seats in parliament.

Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan arrives at a polling station during a parliamentary election in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, April 2, 2017. Armenians voted Sunday in the country's first parliamentary election since the ex-Soviet nation modified its constitution to expand the powers of parliament and the prime minister. (PAN Photo, Davit Hakobyan/Photo via AP)

Critics see the constitutional amendments as part of Sargsyan's efforts to retain control of the country after he steps down in 2018 due to term limits.

A woman uses the light of her cell phone to search for her name to vote, at a polling station during a parliamentary election in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, April 2, 2017. Armenians voted Sunday in the country's first parliamentary election since the ex-Soviet nation modified its constitution to expand the powers of parliament and the prime minister. (PAN Photo, Vahan Stepanyan/Photo via AP)

Armenians line up to vote at a polling station during a parliamentary election in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, April 2, 2017. Armenians voted Sunday in the country's first parliamentary election since the ex-Soviet nation modified its constitution to expand the powers of parliament and the prime minister. (PAN Photo, Karo Sahakyan/Photo via AP)</s>Projection has Republican Party backed by President Sarkisian at 46 percent, with closest follower at 25 percent.

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia is leading the country's parliamentary elections, according to an exit poll.

The vote on Sunday is the first since the adoption of constitutional reforms transforming the ex-Soviet country into a parliamentary republic. It pits the Republican Party of Armenia, backed by President Serzh Sarkisian, against an alliance led by businessman and former world champion arm wrestler Gagik Tsarukyan.

The exit poll by Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization, reported by Armenian television, put the Republicans on 46 percent of votes cast. The Prosperous Armenia trailed at 25 percent.

The elections is a key democratic test for the small landlocked nation of 2.9 million, which has no history of transfers of power to an opposition through the ballot box.

But the campaign has already been marred by opposition claims that the government is preparing mass electoral fraud.

Ahead of the vote, the European Union delegation to Armenia and the US embassy said in a joint statement that they were "concerned by allegations of voter intimidation, attempts to buy votes, and the systemic use of administrative resources to aid certain competing parties".

There are also fears of violence after 10 people were killed in 2008 clashes between police and opposition supporters following the election of pro-Moscow President Sarkisian.

This time, the country aims to hold an exemplary vote to elect "a parliament trusted by society," the president told AFP news agency in an interview in March.

He said his government "has made enormous efforts so that (Sunday's) milestone vote is flawless".

The vote comes after constitutional amendments initiated by Sarkisian in 2015 that his opponents say were designed to keep the ruling Republican Party in power.

The changes were passed after a referendum, but they also prompted thousands to rally in protest.

The amendments will shift the country away from strong presidency to a parliamentary form of government after Sarkisian's second and final term ends in 2018.

The opposition alleges that the changes were made to allow Sarkisian, 62, to maintain his grip on power by remaining party leader after he steps down as president.

Sarkisian has denied the allegations and defended the changes as "part of Armenia's democratisation process," saying they would empower the opposition.

Voting, which ended at 16:00 GMT, will be monitored by international observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.</s>YEREVAN -- Official results indicate that President Serzh Sarkisian's ruling Republican Party of Armenia has won about half the votes cast in parliamentary elections that international observers said were "tainted" by reports of vote-buying and pressure on voters.

The Central Election Commission said on April 3 said that with ballots counted from almost all precincts in the April 2 vote, the Republican Party had won 49.15 percent and the center-right Tsarukian alliance, led by Russia-friendly tycoon Gagik Tsarukian, had 27.37 percent.

Republican Party (HHK) spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov told a news conference that the results meant the party "has every chance of forming the new government" in the South Caucasus state, which is set to shift to a parliamentary system of rule next year.

Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other groups said the vote was "tainted by credible information about vote-buying" and pressure on voters, according to a statement posted on the OSCE website.

It said the interference "contributed to an overall lack of public confidence and trust in the elections."

The pro-Western opposition alliance Yelk (Way Out) got 7.78 percent of the vote, enough to secure entry into parliament, the election commission said.

It said the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (HHD-Dashnaktsutiun), a nationalist party that is currently in a ruling coalition with the Republicans, was also on track to win seats, with 6.58 percent.

Turnout was 60.86 percent, the election commission said.

The Tsarukian alliance and the HHD are potential coalition partners for Sarkisian's HHK if it does not win enough votes to form a government on its own.

Nine parties and alliances were seeking seats in parliament in a campaign that focused mostly on economic difficulties in the country of 3 million.

Gross domestic product (GDP) growth dropped from 3 percent in 2015 to 0.2 percent last year in the former Soviet republic, whose economy is heavily dependent on Russia.

Under constitutional changes approved in a 2015 referendum, the Armenian prime minister's office will become more powerful while the presidency is to become a largely ceremonial post elected by parliament.

WATCH: Armenians Vote As Nation Shifts Toward Parliamentary Governance

Those changes are due to take place when Sarkisian's second and final term ends in 2018. Critics charge that they were designed to allow him to stay in power beyond the presidency's two-term limit.

Sarkisian denies that. But if the ruling party wins enough votes to control a parliamentary majority, either alone or in a coalition, he could continue to exercise executive power as prime minister.

He also could maintain clout by staying on as leader of his party, or he could exert influence through a handpicked successor.

Coalition Puzzle

It was not clear ahead of the election whether Tsarukian would be willing to form a coalition again with Sarkisian's party if his alliance did not receive enough votes to govern on its own.

"Everything now depends on our people," Tsakurian said after casting his ballot in his native village of Arinj north of Yerevan. "They are the ones who decide," he added.

Before breaking away and branding itself as an opposition force, Tsarukian's bloc had been a coalition partner of the Republican Party.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, a smaller party currently in the ruling coalition with the Republicans, could help Sarkisian's party form a majority coalition if Tsarukian is unwilling to do so.

To win parliamentary seats, a party needed at least 5 percent of the vote and alliances needed at least 7 percent.

Days ahead of the vote, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan issued a joint statement with the European Union, Germany, and the United Kingdom expressing concerns about allegations of irregularities since the campaign formally began on March 5.

The March 29 statement said diplomats were "aware of and concerned by" what it said were allegations of "voter intimidation, attempts to buy votes, and the systemic use of administrative resources to aid certain competing parties."

On election day, a reporter with RFE/RL's Armenian Service was attacked in Yerevan’s Kond neighborhood after investigating allegations of vote-buying at a local campaign office of the ruling HHK.

Another female reporter was also attacked outside the HHK office in Kond when she started filming people visiting it.

The Prosecutor-General's Office said more than 220 criminal allegations of voter fraud were under investigation and that it had reports of significant problems with new voter identity devices that failed to recognize hundreds of voters, including the president.



Political analysts say that’s because public anger over Armenia's economic problems is even stronger now than in 2015, when thousands of demonstrators blocked a central boulevard in Yerevan to protest planned electricity-price hikes.

WATCH: In Armenia, Several Reporters Attacked While Covering Elections

For many, low wages, high inflation, joblessness, and corruption have eclipsed the question of whether Armenia should remain within the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union or seek closer integration with Europe.



Russian weapons deliveries to Baku had been the topic of heated debate after an escalation of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh last year.



But in the parliamentary campaign, most political forces steered clear of those issues and the question of whether Armenia is more secure with Russia as its ally.

With reporting by Ron Synovitz in Prague, Suren Musayelyan in Yerevan, AP, Reuters, and AFP</s>FILE In this file photo taken on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, Armenian President Serge Sarkisian speaks after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Armenians are set to cast ballots Sunday in the first parliamentary elections since the ex-Soviet nation modified its constitution to expand powers of parliament and prime minister. (Sergei Chirikov/Pool Photo via AP, file)

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenians voted Sunday in the country's first parliamentary election since the ex-Soviet nation modified its constitution to expand the powers of parliament and the prime minister.

An exit poll released after voting stations closed showed the Republican Party of Armenia's president, Serzh Sargsyan, getting 46 percent of the vote, trailed by the bloc led by businessman Gagik Tsarukian with 29 percent.

The polls showed two other parties clearing the 5 percent barrier to be apportioned seats in parliament.

Critics see the amendments as part of Sargsyan's efforts to retain control of the country after he steps down in 2018 due to term limits. If his party controls parliament, he could be appointed prime minister after leaving the presidency.

But the 62-year-old Sargsyan, who has led Armenia since 2008, has rejected the allegations, describing the constitutional changes approved in a 2015 referendum as steps to strengthen democracy.

"We have set a task to make resolute step toward developing a European-style democracy and strengthening democratic institutions," Sargsyan said.

The constitutional changes, set to take force after Sargsyan's term ends, envisage largely symbolic powers for the nation's president, who will be elected by parliament instead of by popular vote.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetian has spearheaded the Republican Party's campaign, promising to encourage foreign investment in the economically struggling nation. Tsarukian also has pledged to attract up to $15 billion in foreign investment from Persian Gulf countries and elsewhere.

Sergei Minasian, an independent political expert based in Yerevan, said the ruling party had a "significant advantage" in the campaign, thanks to its use of administrative resources.

The European Union mission in Yerevan has expressed concern about "allegations of voter intimidation, attempts to buy votes, and the systemic use of administrative resources to aid certain competing parties." It didn't name any parties.

The vote was monitored by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. A private observer mission of Western ethnic Armenians, including film director Atom Egoyan and Serj Tankian, vocalist for the heavy metal band System of a Down, also monitored the election.

Landlocked Armenia, one of the poorest of the ex-Soviet nations, borders Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. It has suffered from a crippling economic blockade imposed by Turkey, which supports its ally Azerbaijan in the conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia is also a member of Moscow-dominated economic and security alliances and hosts a Russian military base.

The country has seen some unrest in recent years. In 2015, thousands demonstrated in Yerevan for weeks protesting electricity price hikes.

In July, several dozen armed men captured a police compound in the capital, demanding freedom for an opposition activist and the government's ouster. They held several police officers and medics hostage before eventually releasing them.

The two-week siege left two people dead and several wounded and triggered rallies in support of the gunmen.

Last month, several hundred protesters rallied in Yerevan after an activist who fed the siege perpetrators died in prison while on a hunger strike.

Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to the report.</s>YEREVAN, April 3 (Reuters) - President Serzh Sarksyan's ruling Republican Party led in elections in Armenia on Sunday, official preliminary results showed, laying the foundation for a new parliamentary system of government.

The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) had 53.20 percent of the votes, while the opposition Tsarukyan's Alliance led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukyan got 26.56 percent.

The government-loyal Dashnaktsutyun Party had 8.07 percent, enough for the party to enter parliament.

Partial results were posted on the Central Election Commission's website and based on results from 18 percent of the polling stations.

Under constitutional changes critics say were designed to prolong Sarksyan's political life after his final presidential term ends next year, the presidency will become largely ceremonial. Power passes to the prime minister.

Sarksyan, the 62-year-old leader of RPA, has repeatedly denied that the changes, approved in a December 2015 referendum, were made to allow him to retain power in the former Soviet republic.

An exit poll by Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization, reported by Armenian television shortly after polls closed, put RPA at 46 percent of votes cast, with Tsarukyan's Alliance at 25 percent and Dashnaktsutyun at 5 percent.

Republicans and Dashnaktsutyun, coalition partners in the current parliament, are likely to create a coalition again, getting the right to name the future prime minister, who is expected to be incumbent Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan.

Sarksyan has been president since 2008. Under the new system, critics say, he could keep wielding executive power by becoming prime minister in 2018, stay active by remaining leader of the RPA or quit politics but keep exercising influence through a handpicked successor.

Many Armenians accuse the government of corruption and of mishandling the troubled economy.

Armenia depends heavily for aid and investment on Russia, which has been hard hit in the past three years by an economic downturn. Armenia has felt the impact, with growth falling to 0.2 percent last year from 3.0 percent in 2015.

International observers will present their conclusions on the election on Monday. (Writing by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney)</s>YEREVAN, April 3. /TASS/. Armenia’s ruling Republican Party led by President Serzh Sargsyan has taken a clear lead in Sunday’s parliamentary polls with 49.7% of the vote, according to data processed from 64% of the polling stations, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said.

The Tsarukyan Bloc of Armenia’s richest businessman Gagik Tsarukyan comes second, scoring 27.84% of the vote. The opposition’s Elk (Exit) Bloc is securing 7.02%, and the Dashnaktsutyun party is winning 6.68% of the vote.

Other political forces have failed to overcome the election threshold. Under the Armenian laws, to win parliamentary seats, a party needs to overcome a 5% threshold, while an election bloc needs to score more than 7% of vote.

Sunday’s election is the first after the 2015 constitutional reform when Armenia became a parliamentary republic. The new parliament will be formed on the multi-party proportional basis, with no voting in one-seat constituencies. Authorities believe the measure will enhance Armenia’s political system and increase the role of political parties. Five political parties and four election blocs took part in the election.</s>European observers also report 'pressure on civil servants' in elections won by President Serzh Sarksyan.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has criticised Armenia's weekend election, saying it had been tainted by instances of vote-buying and interference.

President Serzh Sarksyan's ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) won Sunday's elections, official results showed, laying the foundation for a new parliamentary system of government.

The OSCE said in a statement the elections were well-administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected.

But, it added, they had been marked by organisational problems and undue interference in the process, mostly by party representatives. It also noted some pressure on civil servants as well as private sector employees.

"The elections were tainted by credible information about vote-buying, and pressure on civil servants and employees of private companies," OSCE said in the statement.

With 100 percent of the vote already counted, official results show the Republican Party has won with 49.12 percent votes. The opposition Tsarukyan Alliance, led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, gathered 27.32 percent.

Central Election Commission chairman Tigran Mukuchyan said the figures were based on results from all 2,009 polling stations.

He said nothing about violations of election rules. The prosecutor's office said it had been reviewing media reports of violations during the voting and count process.

Opposition parties said they had also filed complaints on irregularities to the prosecutor's office, but gave no further details.

The election was Armenia's first under a new constitution, approved in a December 2015 referendum. Parliament, rather than voters, will elect the president for the first time in 2018.

The new system reduces the presidency to a ceremonial post and increases the powers of the prime minister.</s>YEREVAN: President Serzh Sarksyan's ruling Republican Party led in elections in Armenia on Sunday, official preliminary results showed, laying the foundation for a new parliamentary system of government.

The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) had 53.20 percent of the votes, while the opposition Tsarukyan's Alliance led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukyan got 26.56 percent.

The government-loyal Dashnaktsutyun Party had 8.07 percent, enough for the party to enter parliament.

Partial results were posted on the Central Election Commission's website and based on results from 18 percent of the polling stations.

Under constitutional changes critics say were designed to prolong Sarksyan's political life after his final presidential term ends next year, the presidency will become largely ceremonial. Power passes to the prime minister.

Sarksyan, the 62-year-old leader of RPA, has repeatedly denied that the changes, approved in a December 2015 referendum, were made to allow him to retain power in the former Soviet republic.

An exit poll by Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization, reported by Armenian television shortly after polls closed, put RPA at 46 percent of votes cast, with Tsarukyan's Alliance at 25 percent and Dashnaktsutyun at 5 percent.

Republicans and Dashnaktsutyun, coalition partners in the current parliament, are likely to create a coalition again, getting the right to name the future prime minister, who is expected to be incumbent Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan.

Sarksyan has been president since 2008. Under the new system, critics say, he could keep wielding executive power by becoming prime minister in 2018, stay active by remaining leader of the RPA or quit politics but keep exercising influence through a handpicked successor.

Many Armenians accuse the government of corruption and of mishandling the troubled economy.

Armenia depends heavily for aid and investment on Russia, which has been hard hit in the past three years by an economic downturn. Armenia has felt the impact, with growth falling to 0.2 percent last year from 3.0 percent in 2015.

International observers will present their conclusions on the election on Monday.
Voters in Armenia go to the polls for an election, the first since constitutional changes were approved in a referendum in 2015, which changed the country's governance from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary republic. Opinion polls predict a tight race between the nationalist Republican Party, led by President Serzh Sargsyan, and the centre-right Prosperous Armenia, led by Gagik Tsarukyan. With votes from 64% of the polling stations counted, the Republican Party leads with 49.7% of votes.