More than 600 candidates are vying for 75 seats to be allocated in single-candidate constituencies. Some 1,000 more, representing 21 separate parties and blocs, will contend 56 seats to be allocated under the proportional system to those parties that poll a minimum of 5 percent of the vote. The election campaign has been the subject of intense discussion in the press, not least because Armenia's chances of being accepted into full membership of the Council of Europe depend largely on the voting being perceived as free and fair. That would be a contrast to the parliamentary elections of 1995 and the presidential polls of 1996 and 1998, which international monitors criticized as marred by vote-rigging. But much of the country's electorate is reportedly apathetic, leading some observers to predict a low turnout.
Commentators note the broad similarities between the various parties' election programs.
The lack of a clear choice between several alternative programs has substantiated the widespread impression that what is ultimately at stake is who will gain control over the process of political decision-making and the accompanying privileges. And many voters are convinced that the outcome of that distribution of power and privilege will have no positive impact on their daily struggle to make ends meet. Babayan explained his involvement in the election campaign by his strong disapproval of the economic policies of the present Armenian leadership. Some Armenian journalists have also suggested that Miasnutyun's strong representation on regional electoral commissions could facilitate vote-rigging. That argument discounts Vazgen Sargsian's statements that he will take all possible measures to ensure the fairness and transparency of the vote.