( RIA Novosti ) - Four political parties in Armenia have contested the results of the recent parliamentary elections in the Constitutional Court, calling them falsified and undemocratic, a court official said Tuesday.
More than two million Armenians voted May 12 in Armenia's fourth elections since the South Caucasus country gained independence in 1991, with 22 parties and one election bloc running for 131 seats in the parliament.
"The lawsuits have been filed by the New Times, the Republic, the Orinats Yerkir parties and the Impeachment bloc," said Ovannes Papikyan, a spokesman for the court.
The spokesman said the Constitutional Court would hold its first hearings on the matter June 1.
According to election results, the Republican Party, led by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan, won 32.8% of the vote, the pro-presidential Prosperous Armenia 14.7%, the Dashnatsutyun party 12.7%, and the opposition parties Orinats Yerkir and Heritage received 6.8% and 5.8% of the vote, respectively.
The opposition questioned the results, citing "numerous violations of electoral procedures" during the May 12 elections. Three opposition members in the Central Election Committee refused to sign a protocol affirming the legitimacy of the election.
However, Western observers said for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union that the election held by the former Soviet republic was fair, despite a few violations.
On May 14, the EU's foreign policy and security chief, Javier Solana, praised the parliamentary elections in Armenia, saying they were held in line with international norms and regulations.