Armenia’s Highest Court Turned Down Opposition Lawsuit

Armenia’s highest court turned down on Monday the appeal of the main opposition alliance Artarutiun (Justice) to invalidate May 25 parliamentary election of 75 party seats. The Constitutional court has ruled to keep unchanged May 30 decision by the Central election commission, according to which only 14 percent of the registered voters cast their ballots for the main opposition alliance Artarutiun (Justice).

According to CEC final results, the Republican Party received 23 percent of the vote. The other two pro-presidential parties Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) and Dashnaksutiun (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) received 10 percent respectively of the 75 party seats.

As in its last ruling on disputed presidential elections in April, the constitutional court endorsed the allegations of the opposition that the parliamentary elections were rigged. “The Constitutional Court believes that the concerns expressed by the parliamentary candidates, who disputed the election results in the constitutional court were justified,” the court ruling said.

The ruling read out by the court chairman Gagik Harutiunian, supported the allegations of Armenia’s main opposition group about the widespread irregularities during the election process, lack of transparency in the election campaign financing and major shortcomings in the electoral system.

However, the court refused to accept the allegations by the opposition as circumstantial evidence that could invalidate election results. The court said that the arguments presented by the opposition did not constitute provable evidence, which would have given sufficient legal bases to invalidate the election results.

Armenia’s main opposition alliance, which won 14 percent of party seats, refused to recognize the official results claiming that it won the May 25 parliamentary elections. The alliance also refused to attend he first session of the newly elected parliament. But the leader of Armenia’s main opposition Stepan Demirchian told RFE/RL on Monday that the alliance would start working when the parliament returns from its summer recess in September.