Armenian election leads to victory for Prime Minister Pashinyan

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 21 Jun 2021 by Alex Teddy
Armenia held a parliamentary election on June 20, 2021. The acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's My Step Alliance won 545 of the vote. This exceeded expectations. The opposition, led by Robert Kocharyan, said the results were due to cheating. His party won only 21%.Pashinyan is an English-speaking former liberal journalist who was not part of the pro-Russian establishment. The challenger was the former president Robert Kocharyan. Kocharyan is part of the establishment and is a friend of Putin as well as being a vindicator of ultra pro-Russianism. Pashinyan has been in office since 2018. Mass protests toppled his predecessor. From Moscow's perspective his background was unpromising. However, he has persuaded the Kremlin that he is dependable. Armenia's defeat at the hands of Azerbaijan in 2020 has served to underscore how vital the relationship with Moscow is. Was it Pashinyan's failure to be zealously pro-Russian that brought defeat? Or was it Moscow's fault for being a fair-weather friend?Moscow does not seem to be taking sides in the election. That will disappoint Kocharyan, He has been very candid in seeking to garner Russia's imprimatur. He frequently grants interviews to Russian TV. Like his opponent he speaks flawless Russian. Kocharyan is a fervent supporter of Russia's position on Crimea. Some think that, paradoxically, Moscow prefers Pashinyan. He is undeniably a democrat. Unlike all other pro- Moscow leaders in the former USSR he was elected fair and square. He proves that you can be pro-Russian while also having decent relations with the West.Pashinyan appointed some NGO activists to high office. Authoriarian post-Soviet states are deeply suspicious of NG...

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