Armenia

National Assembly

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections

Background

Election date(s) The date when elections started and ended for directly or indirectly elected parliaments/chambers. The date of appointments for appointed parliaments/chambers.
20.06.2021
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature Date at which the previous legislature (elected at the previous elections) was dissolved.
02.08.2021
Timing of election Timing of election: Upon normal expiry; Early elections; Delayed elections
Early election
Expected date of next elections The expected date at which the next elections should take place, based on law or practice.
30.06.2026
Number of seats at stake Number of seats contested at the elections. Where the parliament/chamber is fully renewed, this number is usually identical to the statutory number of members. Where the parliament/chamber is partially renewed or appointed, the number of seats at stake is usually less than the total number of members.
107
Scope of elections Scope of elections: Full renewal; Partial renewal.
Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election This field may include either the number of parties contesting the election, or the number of coalitions/electoral alliance.
25
Notes
21 parties and 4 blocs

Voter turnout

Registration Number of people registered to vote
2,595,512
Votes Number of people who actually voted
1,281,997
Voter turnout The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of people who actually voted by the number of people registered to vote
49.39%

Results

About the election Short description of the context and results of the election.
Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party won the early elections, taking 71 seats in the 107-member National Assembly (see note 1). Four opposition alliances (see note 2), contested the election results, alleging irregularities which they said had affected the voting results. They subsequently filed separate cases before a court. The Election Commission, the Government and the Civic Contract Party dismissed the allegations. On 17 July, the Constitutional Court upheld the election results, thereby confirming the victory of the Civil Contract Party. The percentage of women increased from 18.37% in 2018 to 33.64% in 2021 (see note 3). On 1 August, President Armen Sarkissian appointed Mr. Pashinyan to the post of prime minister. His appointment was confirmed the following day by the newly elected National Assembly at its first session. 

The early elections in June 2021 were triggered by months of anti-government protests. They followed the signing of a ceasefire statement with Azerbaijan in November 2020 which ended a 44-day war in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. On 18 March 2021, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced early parliamentary elections. He resigned as the Prime Minister on 25 April. On 10 May, President Sarkissian called elections for 20 June. During election campaigning, the major parties focused on national security, the economic downturn aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war. The closed list proportional representation system was applied to the 2021 elections (see note 4).

Note 1:
Article 89.1 of the 2015 Constitution stipulates that the National Assembly shall consist of at least 101 members. Article 95.9 of the 2016 Electoral Code stipulates that, in addition to the 101 members, up to four national minority representatives may be elected. Article 96.2 of the Code requires that additional seats be allotted to the National Assembly in case any party wins more than two thirds of seats (67 seats) so as to ensure that one third of the seats is held by other parties. In accordance with that article, since the Civil Contract Party won 71 seats, 2 additional seats were allotted in 2021. As a result, the new National Assembly comprises a total of 107 members, including 4 minority representatives. The outgoing legislature, elected in December 2018, comprised 132 members including 27 additional seats and 4 minorities representatives. 

Note 2:
Among them were the Armenia Alliance (led by former President Robert Kocharyan), which took 29 seats, and the I Have the Honour Alliance (which includes former President Serzh Sargsyan’s Republican Party of Armenia, HHK) which took 7 seats.

Note 3:
In 2018, 32 women were elected to 132-member National Assembly. The new 107-member National Assembly comprises 36 women. The increase in the percentage of women follows the new women’s quota, foreseen in the 2016 Electoral Code. The transitional provisions in the Electoral Code stipulated an increase of the de fact quota for women from 25 to 30 per cent after 1 January 2021. As was the case previously, the 30 per cent quota applies to candidates in the first part of the national list (excluding the section reserved for minorities), with a requirement that both sexes are represented in each group of three consecutive candidates on the list. All lists fully complied with the 30 per cent gender requirement in 2021.

Note 4:
Following the 2018 snap parliamentary election, a parliamentary working group was established to amend the Electoral Code and the final bill to that effect was promulgated on 26 April 2021. The closed list proportional representation system (instead of “open list”) was used in 2021. New thresholds to win parliamentary representation – stipulated in the 2021 amendments – will be applied to elections to be held after 1 January 2022. Parties will require 4 per cent of votes (down from 5 per cent) while alliances will need 8 per cent (up from 7 per cent).

Separate amendments to the Electoral Code, adopted on 7 May 2021 (signed into law on 27 May) modified the provisions on a stable majority and a possible second round of voting as follows:
- The party or alliance that has received the majority but less than 52% of the seats will be given additional seats so as to secure at least 52% of the seats in the National Assembly. 
- If none of the parties/alliances obtains the majority of seats, the one which has received the highest number of seats will be given an opportunity to form a coalition government within nine days with the parties that have surpassed the threshold to win parliamentary representation. 
- In the event that this party/alliance fails to form a coalition within nine days, other parties/alliances that have surpassed the threshold will be given an opportunity to form a coalition on condition that (1) they jointly hold at least 52% of the seats in the National Assembly, and (2) that they have a joint candidate for prime minister. They have five days to form a government.
- In the event that this party/alliance fails to form a government, then a second round general election will be organized 35 days after the first round, contested by the two parties or alliances that have received the highest number of votes cast. The party or alliance that receives the majority but less than 52% of the seats in that election will be given additional seats so as to secure at least 52% of the seats in the National Assembly.

The previous law stipulated that, if none of the parties were to reach a majority, not more than three parties would have six days to form a coalition accounting for 54 per cent of the seats. If they failed to do so, then a run-off would be held 28 days after the first round between the two parties or alliances that had won most of the votes. The party or alliance receiving over 50 per cent of the votes would automatically receive the parliamentary majority (54 per cent of the total seats in the National Assembly, which must comprise a minimum of 101 members).
Number of parties winning seats The number of parties which won parliamentary representation in the given election.
3
Percentage of parties winning seats The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of parties which won parliamentary representation by the number of parties contesting the election.
12%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of seats won by the largest party by the number of seats at stake in the election.
66.36%
Alternation of power after elections The results of the elections caused a change in the government. "Not applicable" to countries using the presidential system when parliamentary and presidential elections are held separately, to countries in political transition or where there is no party system.
No
Note on the alternation of power
The same Prime Minister returned to power after the 2021 elections although he had led a different alliance/party: My Step Alliance in 2018 and the Civil Contract Party in 2021.
Number of parties in government The government may be formed by one or more political parties
1
Names of parties in government The government may be formed by one or more political parties
Civil Contract Party
Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political groups winning seats breakdown
Political group Total
Civil Contract Party 71
Armenia Alliance 29
I Have the Honour Alliance 7
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
71
Number of women elected
36
Percentage of women elected The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women elected in the election and the number of seats at stake at the election.
33.64%
Women Directly Elected
35
Women Other
1

New legislature

Total number of men after the election The total number of male parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
71
Total number of women after the election The total number of female parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
36
Date of the first session The date when the newly elected parliament/chamber was convened for the first time. It may be different from the date when members were sworn in.
02.08.2021
First Speaker of the new legislature
First Speaker of the new legislature First name of the Speaker of the new legislature following the election or renewal.
Alen Simonyan (Male)
Political party
Civil Contract Party
Date of election
02.08.2021