Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s party is leading the opposition in early parliamentary election results, according to initial counts.
Early results showed the ruling Civil Contract party leading billionaire Samvel Karapetyan's Strong Armenia alliance by 52.5 to 23.2 percent, with 23.5 percent of electoral precincts reporting, Armenia’s Central Election Commission said.
Two other opposition forces, ex-president Robert Kocharyan's "Armenia" alliance and the Prosperous Armenia party, also cleared the electoral threshold, winning 9.3 percent and 4.6 percent of the vote respectively.
Turnout was 59 percent, the commission said.
Pashinyan hailed his party's "historic victory that will ensure Armenia's eternity and development."
"Civil Contract has won and will form the government," he told a press conference.
The election comes after years of upheaval since Pashinyan came to power in 2018.
US President Donald Trump offered his "TOTAL Endorsement for Re-Election" to "great friend and Leader" Pashinyan.
“Choice made by people”
"We will accept any choice made by the people," Pashinyan told journalists at a polling station in Yerevan after casting his ballot.
Opposition parties accused the authorities of electoral violations and repression, particularly against their campaign staff.
Armenia's Investigative Committee said it had opened 59 criminal cases over alleged electoral violations, including multiple voting, and detained nine people.
Pashinyan's democratic record was also on the ballot paper.
Eight years after he swept to power, he faces increasing accusations of democratic backsliding.
Still, for many Armenians, the opposition remains associated with Russian influence and oligarchs.
