Armenian Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan said he is convinced that the June 7 parliamentary elections were conducted in a free, transparent, and fair manner.

Speaking at a press conference on July 21, Hovakimyan argued that the shortcomings during the vote were comparatively minor. He acknowledged that the issue of whether the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) would enter parliament had been particularly sensitive and had generated strong emotions.

“These were the best elections from every point of view. However, there was significant emotional tension, possibly driven by expectations,” Hovakimyan said.

He described questions about vote counting as offensive, noting that he himself had previously worked as a journalist. At one point, the press conference turned into a heated exchange, with Hovakimyan accusing members of the media of attempting to insult him.

Asked whether the CEC bore responsibility for the situation at two polling stations where the results were declared invalid—ultimately preventing Prosperous Armenia from entering parliament—Hovakimyan reiterated the commission’s position that the invalidated results did not affect the overall outcome and that the CEC had been legally obliged to annul them.

Despite repeated attempts by journalists to get a direct answer, the CEC chairman continued to restate the commission’s established position.

“What was I supposed to do—falsify the election so that Prosperous Armenia would get into parliament?” Hovakimyan said.

Commenting on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement that only voters who were paid supported the opposition, Hovakimyan said he viewed the remark as a political statement directed at other political forces and stressed that the CEC should not interfere in political disputes.