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The Society Should Actively Monitor The Elections Process

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  • The Society Should Actively Monitor The Elections Process

    THE SOCIETY SHOULD ACTIVELY MONITOR THE ELECTIONS PROCESS

    Yerkir, Armenia
    Oct 20 2006

    Q: What should be done to ensure fair elections in Armenia? What can
    ARF do in this direction?

    A: Necessary environment on the legislative, executive, political and
    public levels should be ensured to have fair elections. These levels
    are all interconnected. In order to have fair elections we first
    of all need clearcut legal mechanisms. The law should minimize the
    possibility for election fraud and set strict punishment for any such
    incidents. It was due to ARF's efforts that an amendment was made to
    the Electoral Code to increase the number of proportional seats. ARF
    proposed to have 100% proportional elections; however, a consensus
    was reached to have a proportional/majoritarian ratio of 70/30.

    This is a positive change taking into consideration that election
    fraud usually occurs in majoritarian precincts. National Assembly
    deputies elected under the majoritarian vote form the quantity rather
    than quality in the National Assembly. Once the number of deputies
    elected on party lists is increased the elections and their results
    will become political.

    Political parties should be the ones to implement the political
    processes and not individuals who strive for the deputy's mandate
    for some personal interests.

    Legislative regulation is necessary but not adequate for ensuring
    fair elections. Good laws can be applied in very bad ways by different
    authorities, the society or the same political forces.

    The majority of political parties participating in the elections
    initially support free, fair and transparent elections and pledge
    to take joint efforts against election fraud. However, the political
    forces are not honest and make these public statements for populist
    reasons.

    ARF supports such reform of the Electoral Code that would on the one
    hand eliminate the possibility for election fraud while on the other
    hand contributing to the oversight of enforcement of the law.

    The punishments stipulated in the Electoral code for election fraud
    should be made stricter first of all for any instances of attempts to
    influence the election processes on the part of public officials. The
    authorities are formed by the people's vote, and people should be
    interested in ensuring that their vote is note rigged.

    The society should actively monitor the elections processes and
    cooperate with forces that are also interested in having fair
    elections. It is ARF's and other parties' mission to instill in the
    society the political culture of elections.
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