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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Sunday he hopes for the normalization of relations with Türkiye and the establishment of diplomatic ties, as voters cast ballots to elect the country's 101-seat National Assembly for the next five years.
Polling stations opened across Armenia at 8 a.m. local time, according to state news agency Armenpress. About 2.5 million citizens are eligible to vote, according to the Migration and Citizenship Service.
A total of 2,005 polling stations were established across the country and will remain open until 8 p.m. local time, after which vote counting will begin.
The election is being held under a proportional representation system with closed party lists. Sixteen political parties and two political alliances registered to take part, including Civil Contract, led by Pashinyan.
Speaking to the press after casting his ballot, Pashinyan said democracy is an important tool for regional peace.
"Right now, there is peace with Azerbaijan. We have very deep, brotherly relations with Georgia. And of course, I hope for the normalization of relations with Türkiye and the establishment of diplomatic relations," Pashinyan said.
Pashinyan said he expects the border with Türkiye, as well as railway and road links, to open in the near future.
He also described the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP, which would connect Azerbaijan's mainland to Nakhchivan, as "innovative."
"(TRIPP) will be beneficial for all countries in our region because we will have communication not only between east and west, but also between north and south. This will be very beneficial for Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Iran. This is very important," he said.
Pashinyan said Armenia would continue democratic reforms after the election and continue its alignment process with the European Union. Asked about balancing relations between the EU and Russia, he said Armenia follows a balanced foreign policy and will continue to do so.
Civil Contract has held 69 seats in parliament since a snap parliamentary vote in 2018.
Key challengers in Sunday's election include the Armenia Alliance, a political alliance led by former President Robert Kocharyan, and Strong Armenia, a newly founded party led by billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who is under house arrest on charges of inciting a coup.
Parties must secure at least 4% of the vote to enter parliament, while alliances face a 10% threshold.
Armenian law also includes a mechanism intended to ensure a stable governing majority, allowing the winning party to receive additional seats if needed to reach 52% of parliament.
The vote marks Armenia's first regularly scheduled parliamentary election since 2017. Snap elections were held in 2018 and 2021.
Armenia has a population of about 3 million.
The day before voting, six parliamentary candidates from the Strong Armenia bloc were detained, according to state media. Authorities did not provide a reason for the detentions.
At a briefing, Armenian Central Electoral Commission Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan said three election officials, two precinct commission chairs and a secretary, were arrested as part of an ongoing criminal investigation and did not report for duty on election day.
"However, I should note that the Electoral Code allows the process to continue even if any member of the election commission is absent," Hovakimyan said, without specifying the reasons for the arrests.
Separately, Armenian authorities announced arrests Sunday in an alleged vote-buying scheme involving the Strong Armenia bloc.
The Anti-Corruption Committee said a parliamentary candidate bribed residents in Lori Province in exchange for votes. The agency did not specify how many suspects had been detained.
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