The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) of President of the Republic Serzh Sargsyan came out ahead in the general elections that took place on 6th May in Armenia with 44.08% of the vote. He took the lead over Prosperous Armenia (BHK), the centrist liberal member of the outgoing government led by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan (HHK) and businessman Gagik Tsarukian, which won 30.30% of the vote i.e. double its result in the last general elections on 12th May 2007. The National Armenian Congress (HAK) came third taking 7.07% of the vote. Heritage (Zharangutiun, Z), a centrist liberal party led by Raffi Hovannisian, which stood in a coalition with the Free Democrats of Khachatur Kokobelian, won 5.75%; the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutiun, HHD), a socialist opposition party led by Vahan Hovhannisian, lost ground with 5.69% of the vote and Rule of Law (OEK), a centrist liberal member of the outgoing government led by Artur Artur Baghdasarian, won 5.48%. The other three parties running ie the Communist Party (HKK), the Democratic Party and the United Armenians each won under 1% of the vote.

Turn out totalled 62.26% i.e. a higher rate than that recorded in the last general elections on May 12th 2007 (+ 2.91 points).

The general election on 6th May was a test for Armenia after the last presidential election on 19th February 2008. After Serzh Sargsyan's victory many Armenians spoke of electoral fraud. Demonstrations by the opposition led to riots and ten deaths.

"The election took place in a calm atmosphere – we did not see any serious infringements" said the head of the observation committee from the International Centre for the Expertise of Electoral Systems (ICES), Alexandre Tsinker as the elections came to an end. "We believe that this election was a major step towards the enhancement of democratic values in the Republic of Armenia," stressed the head of the surveillance mission of the Community of Independent States (CIS) and Vice-President of the Community's Executive, Vladimir Garkoun, who qualified the general elections as "free, transparent and competitive."

"I want everything to be calm, peaceful and in line with the law. This is the guarantee for progress," declared President Sargsyan after placing his voting slip in the box on 6th May.

9 000 members of the police force had been called in to maintain order in the event of turbulence but the streets of Armenia remained calm after the election.

The general elections on 6th May brought little change to the composition of the National Assembly, the only Chamber in Parliament. It augurs well for Head of State, Serzh Sargsyan who will be running in an election in February 2013 in a country that has succeeded in respecting international democratic standards. "If we have the best possible general elections, that are totally free and honest – it will be a major precedent," declared Richard Giragossian of the Regional Research Centre before the election. "But it will not be enough because the oligarchs are still powerful, parliament will still be submissive and the law will still be the preserve of the ruler," he added however.

Source : Armenian Central Electoral Commission http://www.elections.am/proportional/election-24104/