The Vagharshapat elections 2025 administrative resources became the central topic after the Central Election Commission published results from all 47 precincts. Three political forces entered the new council: “Civil Contract”, the “Victory” alliance, and the “Mother Armenia” party. Despite expectations, the ruling party secured enough mandates to appoint the mayor without forming a coalition.
Community Merger as a Political Tool
Political technologist Tigran Kocharyan says the results were predictable due to pre-election administrative engineering.
Before the vote, the government merged:
- Vagharshapat city + Voskehat village
with - the Khoi community, which includes 17 villages traditionally loyal to the authorities.
This merger significantly shifted the electoral balance and provided the result the government expected.
The City Voted Differently
According to Kocharyan, results inside the city itself tell another story:
“In 2021 the ruling party received about 54% in Vagharshapat and Voskehat. This time — around 40%. Candidate Sevak Khachatryan, without any administrative leverage, collected nearly as many urban votes as Argishti Mehakyan, who had the full state apparatus behind him.”
Unprecedented Use of Administrative Resources
The election does not indicate restored public trust. Instead, it highlights heavy administrative involvement.
Key concerns include:
- multiple registered violations,
- recurring power outages before 20:00,
- strategic voter registration practices.
A New Method: Registering Dozens of Voters at One Address
Kocharyan recalls a notable case:
“A resident of Vagharshapat, Artyom Khachikyan, discovered 20 unknown people registered at his apartment. Authorities framed it as ‘administrative necessity’. In reality, it’s a method: ‘needed’ voters are temporarily registered, vote, and are then deregistered after the elections.”
Why These Results Do Not Reflect Genuine Public Support
Kocharyan concludes that administrative interference played a decisive role:
“These elections do not show real political sentiment. They only show how effectively the government can control the process.”