Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan believes he’s the front-runner to  head the Hayastan (Armenia) alliance in the country’s June parliamentary election that will determine who will be the next prime minister.

Kocharyan, in a press conference yesterday, said the final selection will be made based on pre-election opinion polls but that media reports, citing polls to date, show he’s the front-runner.

Kocharyan, who founded the opposition alliance, said the ARF, which participated in the 2021 snap parliamentary elections as part of the Hayastan alliance, has announced its intention to maintain its participation in it. The ARF, on January 13, announced it will stay in the alliance and plans to launch discussions with other political forces to expand the current alliance in a bid to oust pro-Pashinyan forces from power in the legislature and the government․

The Hayastan alliance finished second in the last election held in 2021, garnering 21% of the vote.

A record four electoral blocs and twenty-one parties participated in the 2021 election. Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won 53.9% of the vote.

Kocharyan told reporters that the number of parties and alliances this year will probably drop to seven or eight.

“I have information that they are negotiating with each other. In some places, it is successful, in some places it is not, but my impression is that the picture will be much more favorable for the opposition during these elections,” Kocharyan said.