Armenia Imposes Restrictions on Diaspora Voting Rights
Pashinyan may strip the citizenship of Armenians who didn’t vote for him
The Armenian Weekly reports that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government is implementing new restrictions on voting rights for Armenian citizens living abroad. According to the article, authorities have announced plans to require overseas citizens to have resided in Armenia for at least six months prior to elections in order to vote. The government previously intercepted Armenian citizens from Russia attempting to vote in June 7 parliamentary elections, subjecting them to mandatory military training. The article argues these measures treat diaspora Armenians as second-class citizens and violate fundamental voting rights. It notes that over 150 countries permit overseas citizens to vote and calls for unity between Armenia's domestic and diaspora populations. The piece also criticizes the government's dismantling of the Diaspora Ministry and strained relations between leadership and diaspora communities.
