ARF of Armenia to Take Part in 2026 Elections, Prefers to be Part of a Bloc

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation held an extraordinary Supreme Assembly in Armenia, where it was decided that the party would run in the upcoming June parliamentary elections and would prefer to do so as a member of a political bloc.

The Supreme Assembly issued a statement on Tuesday emphasizing that “the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian nation as a whole are facing profound geopolitical transformations and serious security threats.”

“The anti-national and anti-state policies of the current ruling regime have placed the future of Armenia’s statehood and the country’s territorial integrity in jeopardy,” the statement continued. “To turn that corner and neutralize existing threats, and establish a better state, the removal of the current ruling regime from power has become imperative.”

“To this end, the upcoming 2026 parliamentary elections must become an instrument for preventing the reproduction of the current ruling regime,” the statement emphasized.

The ARF Supreme Assembly of Armenia decided that the party will participate in the 2026 National Assembly elections, preferring to do so as part of a bloc.

The Assembly also authorized “the ARF Supreme Body of Armenia to conduct active pre-electoral negotiations regarding the formulation of a possible bloc, ensuring a significant role for the ARF and securing the reflection of its positions on key issues.”

During a press conference later on Tuesday, ARF Supreme Council of Armenia chair Ishkhan Saghatelyan, who is a lawmaker from the opposition Hayastan faction, signaled his support for continuing the party’s participation in the same bloc, which is headed by Armenia’s former president Robert Kocharian.

“Our approach is as follows: we have the desire, the opportunity, the aspiration to preserve the [Hayastan] alliance, expand it and make it a more influential entity,” Saghatelyan told reporters.

He emphasized that the ARF is ready to join other political forces to remove Nikol Pashinyan and his government.

“If a situation arises where the removal of this government is conditioned by our cooperation with another force, we will cooperate with the real opposition forces to prevent this government from being reelected,” Saghatelyan said.

“Who will join whom? What will be the situation? the election results will show,” he said.

“Let no one make demands on who will participate in the elections. No one has the moral or political right to say: do not participate in the elections,” Saghatelyan said. He made the remark when he was asked to comment on recent statements by newly-formed opposition forces that have declared that the participation of former presidents in the elections gives Pashinyan a chance to be re-elected.

In Saghatelyan’s opinion, there should be several large alliances in the 2026 elections that will present their programs to the people.

“The citizens of Armenia can then choose from among the opposition forces whose program can bring the country out of this situation,” Saghatelyan added.

“The government of the Republic of Armenia should be formed with and through the participation of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, there is no other avenue for the formation of government,” he said, declaring that the ARF is opposed to external influences in the upcoming vote.

More recently, the ARF criticized the European Union for pledging financial assistance to the Armenian government to combat was it viewed as threats of Russian interference in the elections.

“If the next government of the Republic of Armenia is formed by any political center, you should know that our problems will deepen,” Saghatelyan warned.