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PARLIAMENT STARTS DISCUSSING PACKAGE OF AMENDMENTS TO ELECTORAL CODE
Noyan Tapan
Dec 21 2006
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Discussion of the package of
amendments to RA Electoral Code started at the December 20 sitting
of RA NA special session. In the words of the main reporter, RPA
faction representative Samvel Nikoyan, among many other additions,
in particular, on the basis of Constitutional Court's November 7
decision, the order of formation of electoral commissions is envisaged:
it is planned to replace each judge included in the commission by
one judicial servant. The terms of formation of commissions are
also reduced, the issue of quorum of the electoral commission is
reconsidered.
According to the current Code, commission's sitting is considered
to be competent and voting valid and decision made if more than the
half of the total number of commission members are present at the
sitting and voted in favor of the decision. According to the bill,
it is proposed doing exception for "regular sessions in the period
from the day of fixing state elections until making a decision on
summing up the election results." Regular sessions are competent
in this period irrespective of the number of members present at
the sitting if all possibilities for ensuring participation of
sufficient number of commission members for convening a session are
exhausted and a decision is considered made if the number of votes
"in favor" is more than votes "opposed." In Nikoyan's words, with
the above mentioned reforms the authors wish to exclude the cases
when the electoral commission is unable to make a decision due to
boycott or non-participation of its members. In the MP's words, this
this necessary for ensuring the possibility of appealing against the
commission decision at CC in case of disagreement with the results. The
draft's main opponents were opposition MPs. In particular, in the
words of Grigor Haroutiunian, Secretary of the Ardarutiun (Justice)
faction, they form an impression that in the sense of content the
bill has been considerably changed after the first reading to the
detriment of improvement and is aimed at creation of loop-holes.
Noyan Tapan
Dec 21 2006
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Discussion of the package of
amendments to RA Electoral Code started at the December 20 sitting
of RA NA special session. In the words of the main reporter, RPA
faction representative Samvel Nikoyan, among many other additions,
in particular, on the basis of Constitutional Court's November 7
decision, the order of formation of electoral commissions is envisaged:
it is planned to replace each judge included in the commission by
one judicial servant. The terms of formation of commissions are
also reduced, the issue of quorum of the electoral commission is
reconsidered.
According to the current Code, commission's sitting is considered
to be competent and voting valid and decision made if more than the
half of the total number of commission members are present at the
sitting and voted in favor of the decision. According to the bill,
it is proposed doing exception for "regular sessions in the period
from the day of fixing state elections until making a decision on
summing up the election results." Regular sessions are competent
in this period irrespective of the number of members present at
the sitting if all possibilities for ensuring participation of
sufficient number of commission members for convening a session are
exhausted and a decision is considered made if the number of votes
"in favor" is more than votes "opposed." In Nikoyan's words, with
the above mentioned reforms the authors wish to exclude the cases
when the electoral commission is unable to make a decision due to
boycott or non-participation of its members. In the MP's words, this
this necessary for ensuring the possibility of appealing against the
commission decision at CC in case of disagreement with the results. The
draft's main opponents were opposition MPs. In particular, in the
words of Grigor Haroutiunian, Secretary of the Ardarutiun (Justice)
faction, they form an impression that in the sense of content the
bill has been considerably changed after the first reading to the
detriment of improvement and is aimed at creation of loop-holes.