The upcoming 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections are seeing a significant challenge as former President Robert kocharyan announces his candidacy for prime minister, backed by the Armenia Alliance. This bloc, comprised of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and Araj (Forward) party, is campaigning under the slogan ‘Together we can’. Kocharyan, previously Armenia’s second president, previously ran as the bloc’s prime ministerial candidate in 2021, securing 21% of the vote following the snap elections after the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, a period marked by heightened political tensions.
The Armenia Alliance, led by kocharyan, aims to defeat what they perceive as the ‘evil’ of the current government, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and hold accountable those responsible for casualties and the loss of Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh]. Kocharyan, originally from Nagorno-Karabakh and a veteran of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, served as president from 1998-2008, a tenure concluding with a deadly crackdown on a post-election protest in 2008. Despite previous legal challenges and acquittals related to the 2008 crackdown, kocharyan was recently re-charged with abuse of power, prompting his renewed declaration of intent to win the elections.
He emphasized the need for a “capable army, strong leadership, and powerful allies” to address Armenia’s security challenges and a foreign policy focused on predictable stability and rejecting external exploitation. Competing for votes, the ruling Civil Contract party’s main opponent is expected to be Samvel Karapetyan’s newly formed Strong Armenia party, despite Karapetyan’s current house arrest. Additionally, Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia party, has vowed to build a political “Noah’s Ark.” The former ruling Republican Party, led by Serzh Sargsyan, remains undecided on its participation.
The Civil Contract party is aiming for a constitutional majority, anticipating an opposition coalition following the election. Kocharyan’s continued bid highlights ongoing political divisions within Armenia.
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