commonspace.eu political editor says that the elections come at a defining moment in Armenia’s modern political history. The defeat in the war with Azerbaijan in the autumn accentuated divisions in Armenian society. The elections were called as a way of coming out of the political impasse following the defeat, and the subsequent calls from various political forces for the prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, to resign. Pashinyan on his part has blamed the defeat on past mistakes committed by his political enemies in the two decades that they ran the country.

The political atmosphere in Armenia has been tense and highly polarised, but apart from some serious but isolated incidents, largely non-violent. But many Armenian political observers have raised the spectre of inconclusive results which may further increase tensions and instability. For this reason, the next few hours are going to be crucial. Much depends on voter turnout. A low voter turnout may question the legitimacy of the elections, but a high voter turnout can also result in a more polarised parliament.