Al Arabiya English

Armenians vote with peace efforts and Russia in focus

Armenians head to the polls on Sunday in a parliamentary election seen as a test of the government’s efforts to forge a peace deal after a crushing military defeat by Azerbaijan three years ago.Polls show Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party leading, backed by up to 32 percent of voters, with the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party trailing in second place with up to 11 percent.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Since coming to power in 2018 Pashinyan has moved Armenia closer to the West and away from traditional patron Russia, which has provoked Moscow’s ire in the lead-up to the vote.GDP per capita has doubled under Pashinyan, a journalist and opposition activist turned politician. “I really like how Armenia has been growing right before my eyes,” 39-year-old voter Karine Darbinyan said at a rally for Pashinyan in Yerevan’s central square on Friday.‘Balanced foreign policy’Pashinyan has faced a wave of criticism