YEREVAN, 2 June 2026 – Some 100 OSCE PA parliamentarians and staff from over 30 countries are deploying to Armenia for the 7 June parliamentary elections. This marks the twelfth time the OSCE PA has observed elections in the country since 1995.
Farah Karimi (MP, Netherlands), Special Co-ordinator and leader of the OSCE short-term election observation mission, and Jevrosima Pejović (MP, Montenegro), Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation of observersMember of the Dutch Senate Farah Karimi, appointed as Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, and Jevrosima Pejović, member of the Parliament of Montenegro and appointed by the OSCE PA President as Head of the PA’s delegation of observers, will open the joint parliamentary briefing programme on Friday in Yerevan.
Ahead of their deployment, Karimi and Pejović published a joint pre-election commentary piece, titled "Armenia votes at geopolitical and democratic crossroads," which highlights the historic shifts, legal reforms, and domestic polarization shaping the current electoral environment.
The OSCE PA team will work closely with the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, headed by Janez Lenarčič (Slovenia), alongside partner delegations from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), led by Mr. Damien Cottier (Switzerland), and the European Parliament (EP), led by Ms. Nathalie Loiseau (France).
Ahead of election day, observers will be thoroughly briefed by representatives of the Central Election Commission, political parties and alliances, civil society, media, and independent experts. Following two days of in-depth discussions, OSCE parliamentarians will deploy across Armenia to assess the election process. Their findings will be compiled and analyzed for inclusion in the preliminary conclusions of the international election observation mission, to be presented at a joint press conference.
“Armenia is heading into these elections with a substantially revised electoral framework, targeting crucial issues like vote-buying, voter pressure, and the misuse of administrative resources,” said Special Co-ordinator Karimi. “Our role now is to closely monitor how these new laws operate in practice, especially within a highly polarized environment marked by harsh and divisive rhetoric between the contestants.”
During a pre-election visit to Yerevan in late May, Head of the OSCE PA Delegation Pejović engaged extensively with state authorities, political contestants, civil society, media and the OSCE/ODIHR team already on the ground. These discussions provided valuable firsthand insights into the political climate and technical preparations ahead of election day.
“Our strong cooperation with our partners from OSCE/ODIHR, PACE, and the European Parliament brings a vital and broad range of parliamentary expertise to this mission,” highlighted Pejović. “Working closely together alongside more than 300 international observers, our large presence here is a clear show of solidarity with the people of Armenia as they exercise their democratic rights.”
On election day, OSCE PA observers will visit polling stations across a broad geographic area to assess voting procedures, counting, and the overall conduct of the process. The elections will be assessed against democratic commitments contained in the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document.
The preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a joint press conference in Yerevan on 8 June, the day after the election.
For more pictures of the pre-visit please visit our Flickr page.
For information on previous election observation missions to Armenia, please click here.
