A new political scandal erupted just days before the parliamentary elections in Armenia. Authorities warned that citizens coming from Russia to participate in voting for money may be sent to military training.
Armenian authorities issued a stern warning to citizens of the country residing in Russia and planning to come for the parliamentary elections. This concerns individuals who, according to official Yerevan, may be organized to be brought in for voting in the interests of political opponents of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Taron Chakhoyan, Deputy Head of the Prime Minister's Office, stated that citizens participating in such schemes for monetary rewards will be sent to 25-day military training. According to him, refusal to undergo training may result in criminal liability.
A similar statement was made by Gevorg Papoyan, Deputy Chairman of the ruling party "Civil Contract" and Minister of Economy.
Against this backdrop, Armenian media reported that military police at Yerevan airport were checking arriving men and serving summonses to certain citizens. The military police confirmed their participation in activities to account for conscripts and engage reservists for training.
The situation is developing against the backdrop of reports of possible Russian interference in the upcoming elections. In late May, Reuters, citing sources, reported that Russian officials were discussing organizing trips for Armenian citizens residing in Russia to participate in voting against the current government.
According to Armenian officials, some citizens were allegedly offered monetary rewards for supporting the "Strong Armenia" party, associated with businessman Samvel Karapetyan.
What is important to understand: at this moment, there is no public evidence that arriving citizens from Russia are indeed participating in such schemes on a large scale. However, the topic itself has already become part of the electoral struggle and one of the most discussed issues in the country.
According to Reuters, by mid-May, quotas for the number of Armenian citizens to be sent for voting had allegedly been determined in Russia. Russian authorities have not officially confirmed such information.
Amid the cooling of relations between Moscow and Yerevan, Armenian leadership has repeatedly stated about external pressure due to the course towards closer cooperation with Western countries. In recent months, disputes have arisen between the two states on both political issues and regarding trade and supplies of Armenian products.
As the voting day approaches, the topic of possible foreign influence on the elections is becoming one of the central issues of the Armenian political campaign.
