Armenia

National Assembly

Political system
Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament
Unicameral
IPU membership
Yes
»

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)
20 Jun 2021
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
02 Aug 2021
Timing of election
Early elections
Expected date of next elections
30 Jun 2026
Number of seats at stake
107
Scope of elections
Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election
25

Notes: 21 parties and 4 blocs

Voter turnout

Registered voters
2,595,512
Voters
1,281,997
Voter turnout
49.4%

Results

About 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
3
Percentage of parties winning seats
12.0%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition
66.4%
Alternation of power after elections
No
Number of parties in government
1
Names of parties in government
Civil Contract Party

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
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
33.6%
Women Directly Elected
35
Women in other categories
1
Sources

New legislature

Total number of men after the election
71
Total number of women after the election
36
Percentage of women after the election
33.6%
First-term parliamentarians
No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
No information available
Date of the first session
02 Aug 2021

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
Alen Simonyan (Male)
Date of birth: 05 Jan 1980
Political party
Civil Contract Party
Date of election
02 Aug 2021

Historical data for IPU membership

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Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No