Narek Karapetian, who coordinates the Strong Armenia party’s day-to-day activities, insisted that it is aiming for an outright victory in the parliamentary elections slated for June 7.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s Civil Contract party has exposed in recent days its fears regarding the emergence of three opposition election contenders led by Samvel Karapetian, another wealthy businessman, Gagik Tsarukian, and former President Robert Kocharian. It has vowed to prevent them from collectively winning a majority in the new Armenian parliament and then forming a coalition government.
Narek Karapetian, who is the Russian-Armenian tycoon’s nephew and right-hand man, refused to be drawn on this scenario when he spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
“I think the priority issue for Armenia is changing the current leader of this country because he is unable to effectively carry this burden, this responsibility,” he said. “But our steps are entirely aimed at having the support of our society.”
“According to all polls, the leading opposition force is Samvel Karapetian's force, and we are confident that we will bring about changes in this way,” he added.
Armenia - Businessman Samvel Karapetian is greeted by supporters as he is moved back to house arrest, Yerevan, January 19, 2026.
Strong Armenia is an offshoot of the Mer Dzevov (In Our Way) movement which Karapetian launched in late August two months after being arrested and prosecuted following his strong criticism of Pashinian’s efforts to depose the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Garegin II. The movement claims to have attracted 30,000 members since then. The new party spawned by it is expected to be one of Pashinian’s main election challengers.
Under the Armenian constitution, Karapetian cannot become prime minister because of his dual Russian citizenship. His party made clear earlier this month that it will try to remove this constitutional hurdle if it wins the elections.
Narek Karapetian dismissed Civil Contract claims that Strong Armenia is in fact bent on installing Kocharian as prime minister.
“I have never met with Robert Kocharian,” he said. “I have not even physically seen Robert Kocharian.”
Meanwhile, Ruben Rubinian, a deputy parliament speaker allied to Pashinian, again stated that the Armenian authorities must prevent the 71-year-old president and the two “oligarchs” from coming to power.
“How should the implementation of this scenario be prevented? People must give zero votes to Kocharian and the two oligarchs,” Rubinian told reporters, adding that they should be “driven out of the political scene.”
Pashinian likewise declared on February 13 that there will be no former presidents and “oligarchs” in the Armenian political arena after the June vote. His statement as well as Rubinian’s ensuing remarks stoked opposition fears that the three opposition groups or at least some of them will be barred from running in the upcoming elections.