The West-Russia Confrontation in the Armenian Elections: A Country Between the Euro and the Ruble

Elections held in Armenia have long ceased to be a process in which the people determine their own future and have turned into an arena of geopolitical rivalry between the West and Russia.

This was stated in a comment to BAKU.WS by Doctor of Philosophy in Political Sciences, political analyst Shabnam Hasanova.

According to the political analyst, various unpleasant phenomena were observed during the election campaign:

"In the Armenian elections, we encountered buffoonery, denial of history, self-renunciation, unfounded statements and claims. Most notably, the election campaign, which should have been built around the country's internal problems and the future of the people, instead brought Azerbaijan to the center of the processes. Apparently, they considered campaigning in any other format insufficiently productive."

Sh. Hasanova noted that such an approach indicates Armenia's inability to form an independent political vision:

"This nation still cannot independently look to the future. Their attention either gets stuck in the past or turns to the developing Azerbaijan."

The political analyst also drew attention to violations of the law recorded on election day. According to her, information about vote buying with money, detentions in the regions, and arrests of election commission members was confirmed by Armenia's own official structures:

"This is not us saying it. Armenia's Ministry of Internal Affairs itself announced received reports of violations during the elections. By noon on voting day alone, six people had been detained. In addition, two chairpersons of election commissions and one secretary were arrested."

In Sh. Hasanova's opinion, despite these processes, Europe does not provide an adequate response to the occurring violations:

"The silence of those parties that instantly issue statements on any matter regarding Azerbaijan, when laws are violated in Armenia, no longer comes as a surprise. Europe talks about democracy and transparency only when it serves its own interests."

The political analyst believes that the violations recorded during the electoral process in Armenia must be objectively investigated, and the observation mission sent by Europe is obligated to approach these issues transparently.

She also emphasized the importance of a serious investigation into allegations of financial influence by pro-Russian forces on the electoral process.