9 minute read
Members of Armenia’s Civil Contract Party held a major rally in Republic Square in Yerevan, bringing to a close their campaign ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7 in the Republic of Armenia.
The rally was moderated by National Assembly Vice Speaker Ruben Rubinyan.
Addressing supporters, Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan said an atmosphere of calm and internal peace had taken shape both in the capital and across the country.
“That peace stems first and foremost from the peace that has been established along our borders and within our republic. Alongside that peace, however, we still have a certain concern, because this peace is more valuable to us than ever before. That concern tells us that those who serve the instructions of foreign intelligence services have come to take that peace away from us. But those people will not return; it will not happen,” Avinyan said, expressing confidence that the Armenian people would resolve that issue through the election results.
National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan also addressed the rally, noting that members of the Civil Contract Party had visited all regions of Armenia during the campaign and received a positive response from citizens.
“There is only one thing left for us to do now: we must stand for peace and pass it on to our children,” Simonyan told rally participants.
Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, who also serves as head of the party’s election headquarters, said the Civil Contract team had met with more than 1.8 million citizens during the 28-day campaign.
“We spoke with you about our achievements and our mistakes. We told you that we love you. We listened to criticism, agreed or disagreed, and refined our policies. The formula behind Civil Contract’s success is its harmony with society. We are honest about both our successes and our mistakes. Citizens see and understand this because our driving force is not personal interest; our driving force is Armenia,” Harutyunyan said.
He stressed that Armenia seeks to become a full-fledged and understandable partner of the wider world, where citizens of different countries visiting Armenia would feel at home.
“We want not only those citizens who left the country over decades to return to their state and remain here, but also for our country to become an attractive destination for citizens of other states to visit, invest in and conduct business,” Harutyunyan said, adding that both the campaign and opinion polls indicate that a majority of voters intend to support the Peace Agenda, as they did in the 2021 elections.
Member of Parliament Vahagn Aleksanyan also spoke at the rally, expressing confidence that the owner of the Republic of Armenia is its citizen and that citizens will never relinquish that right.
Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan presented Armenia’s economic indicators for 2026 compared with 2018, emphasizing that the figures reflected growth and development.
Defence Minister Suren Papikyan spoke about reforms and achievements in the defence sector, outlining investments made in recent years and highlighting the acquisition of modern weaponry by Armenia.
Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan also addressed the gathering, speaking about the introduction of universal health insurance.
“Eight years after 2018, we are here once again to stand for our peace, to defend our right to live with dignity and happiness under peaceful conditions, and to protect the opportunities for development that peace brings,” Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said, providing a detailed overview of developments in the peace process with Azerbaijan.
The final rally in Republic Square also featured an address by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is currently on leave and serves as chairman of the Civil Contract Party. He began his speech by quoting Psalm 20.
Pashinyan said citizens had sent him messages during the campaign that he wished to share with participants.
“The people are the owners of the state, and the people must guide the state. The first of those messages is that the ‘three-headed party of war’ must not enter parliament as a result of the June 7, 2026 elections. Those espionage networks that believe they can buy the Armenian people and slander the people must be brought to their knees through the election results. The people have clearly formulated their message: immediately after the elections, within a short period of time, Robert Kocharyan must be arrested and brought to justice for the March 1 crime,” Pashinyan said.
He stressed that Armenia’s judicial system should return what had been stolen from the people as soon as possible.
“I consider the existence of an independent judiciary important, but it is obvious that, unfortunately, Armenia has not yet succeeded in making justice visible and understandable to the people. Why has this issue not been resolved until now? I say clearly that one of the key reasons is the constitution that has not been accepted by the people of Armenia, which protects ordinary civil and judicial mafias in every possible way,” Pashinyan said, adding that he had spent the past eight years fighting those groups.
He also argued that the issue could not be resolved without constitutional changes and said this was one of the reasons he places particular importance on adopting a new constitution after the elections.
Pashinyan expressed confidence that Armenia’s former leaders would face punishment after June 7.
“I expect and demand from the law enforcement system that all election fraudsters and all those distributing vote-buying bribes be placed behind bars without exception within hours. From this moment onward, I demand that the law enforcement system operate more effectively,” he said, while also urging rally participants to assess the actions already taken by law enforcement agencies.
Pashinyan called on all citizens to stand for the Republic of Armenia, its independence and freedom.
He and other Civil Contract representatives urged voters to take part in the elections and vote for No. 16, the Civil Contract Party.
The rally concluded with a drone show and a performance by Varchaband, a musical group founded by Pashinyan.
Armenia’s parliamentary election campaign officially began on May 8 and is scheduled to run until June 5. A total of 19 political forces — including two alliances and 17 parties — have registered to participate in the elections.
The Civil Contract Party is contesting the election under ballot number 16 with the slogan “Stand for Peace.” The party has submitted to the Central Electoral Commission an electoral list comprising 283 candidates, as well as a separate list of 10 candidates representing national minorities.