MOSCOW: Parliamentary elections in Armenia largely complied with international standards, marking the first positive assessment of an election in the former Soviet state since it gained independence in 1991, Western election observers said Sunday.

A coalition of pro-government parties took a strong majority in the 131-seat National Assembly, according to preliminary election results, giving a victory to Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, who is regarded as the principal contender in the presidential race next year.

Elections in much of the former Soviet space have routinely been rigged since the collapse of communism. The results announced Sunday in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, came after intense diplomatic pressure against Armenia to avoid another flawed poll. The United States had threatened to withhold foreign aid if serious irregularities were repeated, while the European Union had said it would scale back its relations.

Opposition parties held public rallies during the campaign without police harassment and were allowed free air time on public television - signs of an open campaign that have often been suppressed in other former Soviet states.

"We saw the way in which serious efforts by the authorities to address problems that marred previous elections can result in a healthier election campaign," said Boris Frlec, the head of the long-term observer mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Sargsyan hailed the results and the observers' assessment.

"I am happy that the international observers have acknowledged that these were the best elections ever held in Armenia in its 15 years of independence," he said in an e-mail message.

While the observers commended an improvement from past elections, they noted that shortfalls remain and that there were isolated reports of fraud and double voting. Opposition parties said that many votes had been bought.

A small protest began in the capital as opposition parties claimed to have evidence of irregularities. There were no immediate reports of arrests or violence, and the protest quickly fizzled in the rain.