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Torosian: Political Field More Important than Electoral Code Reform

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  • Torosian: Political Field More Important than Electoral Code Reform

    TIGRAN TOROSIAN: ESTABLISHMENT OF POLITICAL FIELD IS MORE IMPORTANT
    FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS THAN ELECTORAL CODE REFORMS


    YEREVAN, October 20 (Noyan Tapan). A a result of reforms of the
    Electoral Code the number of proportional places will increase in the
    parliament. Tigran Torosian, RA NA Vice-Speaker, said during his
    October 20 interview to journalists that the issue of correlation of
    the number of places by proportional and majoritarian systems was
    discussed during the sitting of the coalition council, in which RA
    President also participated. Not specifying the envisaged number of
    places by the proportional system, Torosian said that the reform
    should be consonant with the previous change made in the Electoral
    Code. He expressed anxiety that abrupt steps in this direction may
    have unpredictable consequences.

    According to NA Vice-Speaker, in case of 100% proportional system the
    businessmen who display willingness to become an MP and at present
    spend large sums for being elected by the majoritarian system will
    have no alternative and will strive for appearing on party lists and
    we have already had such a precedent.

    In Tigran Torosian's opinion, the Electoral Code has faults and no one
    doubts that they should be eliminated. Some of these faults contribute
    to electoral violations, in particular, problems connected with
    electoral rolls and empowered persons. But as the speaker emphasized,
    reforms of the Electoral Code aren't enough for holding elections
    corresponding to international criteria. In Torosian's affirmation,
    it's necessary that all political forces participating in the
    elections should be able to show political will. According to NA
    Vice-Speaker, all political forces committed violations during the
    previous elections and the number of violations committed by the
    Republican Party doesn't exceed the number of those committed by other
    parties. About 300 application-complaints submitted by the
    Prosecutor's Office equally concern all political forces.

    Answering Noyan Tapan's question about assuming political
    responsibility for electoral violations Torosian mentioned that the
    political forces don't make decisions about committing falsifications
    and they are committed by certain groups of people. At the same time
    he agreed that the violations and punishments envisaged for them are
    disproportionate. According to Tigran Torosian, the next state
    elections will have an exceptional importance for Armenia as the fact
    if the country will take the way of European development or will
    appear among the backward countries depends on free and fair
    elections. According to him, establishment of the political field of
    Armenia is much more important for free and fair elections than
    adoption of 100% majoritarian system.
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