Armenia’s parliament approved a new law on Friday that sets stricter requirements for citizens who live outside the country and want to return home to vote in elections.
The move follows reports that Moscow had been working behind the scenes to use Armenians living in Russia to tip the scales in last month’s national election.
Armenia is a landlocked nation and former Soviet republic with a population of around 3 million people. It also has a large number of citizens living abroad, including in Russia, which claims more than 2 million Armenians reside and work there.
The Civil Contract party, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, won the June 7 election with 49.8% of the vote. Shortly after that victory, lawmakers from the party introduced the new legislation, arguing that only Armenians who actually live in the country and understand its day-to-day realities should be eligible to vote.
Reuters had reported in May that Russia was stepping up covert operations aimed at undermining Pashinyan’s chances of winning re-election. Officials in Moscow were said to be concerned that he was steering the South Caucasus nation closer to Western nations and away from Russia, which has long served as Armenia’s traditional ally and patron.
According to interviews with five Western intelligence officials and documents reviewed by Reuters, the Russian scheme included plans to transport tens of thousands of Armenians from Russia back to Armenia to influence the outcome of the vote. Pashinyan ultimately defeated a largely pro-Russian opposition.
Russia dismissed the interference allegations as “spymania” and claimed there were irregularities in how the election was conducted.
Under the terms of the newly passed law, Armenian citizens living abroad may only participate in a regular election if they have resided in Armenia for at least half of the two years leading up to the vote — with that residency requirement measured starting 48 days before election day. For snap elections, the window is calculated from 28 days before the vote.
A coalition of Armenian civil society organizations condemned the new law, calling it unconstitutional. In an open letter, the groups wrote that the legislation “endangers democratic principles and violates the political rights of citizens.”
