Karapetyan calls candidate withdrawals strategic move

PanARMENIAN.Net - Strong Armenia party leader Samvel Karapetyan commented on the withdrawal of 105 parliamentary candidates from the Strong Armenia alliance while speaking to reporters before a court hearing.

Asked how he explained the candidates' decision to withdraw, Karapetyan replied, "It is part of our secret plan," Panorama.am reported.

Responding to a question on whether the withdrawals reflected a lack of trust in some members of the team, he said: "They are all our teammates and remain our teammates. They have all withstood repression, so they cannot be considered unreliable. This is our political strategy."

According to Karapetyan, the decision was also intended to protect the candidates from possible pressure by the authorities.

Earlier, the Strong Armenia alliance said that party members included in the electoral list who did not receive electable positions would, by a decision reached through internal discussions, focus their efforts on party-building activities.

At its regular meeting on July 8, Armenia's Central Election Commission revoked the registration of 106 parliamentary candidates included in the electoral list of the Strong Armenia alliance, which participated in the June 7, 2026, parliamentary elections.

The Constitutional Court rejected the appeal filed by seven political forces. Under the final election results, the Civil Contract party received 64 seats in parliament, Strong Armenia secured 29 seats, and the Hayastan alliance won 12 seats.