ARMENIAN PM SAYS NEW ELECTORAL CODE BROADENS OPPOSITION'S POWERS
/ ARKA /
May 24, 2011
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, May 24. / ARKA /. Chairman of an Armenian parliament committee
on legal issues said today the new Electoral Code has been designed
to broaden the powers of the opposition during elections.
Speaking to reporters, David Harutyunyan said the amended law allows
representatives of parliamentary opposition to join members of
electoral commission to check passports and register voters.
'Thus, the opposition will be able to control that voters' lists and
the number of voters coincide, he said.
He spoke to reporters after the National Assembly passed today a set
of amendments to the election law in the second reading. Harutyunyan
said the Armenian Revolutionary Federation/ Dashnaktsutyun did not
endorse these changes.
"It's rather a political position. We accepted a number of proposals
of the parliamentary opposition, and rejected some others for one
reason or another, or offered alternatives," he said.
Armen Rustamian, an ARF lawmaker and head of a parliament committee
on foreign relations, said yesterday in parliament that the new
Electoral Code will not create opportunities for regime change and
formation of a normal country with a tradition of change of power
through elections. In his view, the main objective of reforms was
to restore public confidence in the electoral process, but "you can
make hundreds of changes that do not change the core, whereas ten
amendments can solve all problems."
Next parliamentary elections will be held in 2012.
/ ARKA /
May 24, 2011
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, May 24. / ARKA /. Chairman of an Armenian parliament committee
on legal issues said today the new Electoral Code has been designed
to broaden the powers of the opposition during elections.
Speaking to reporters, David Harutyunyan said the amended law allows
representatives of parliamentary opposition to join members of
electoral commission to check passports and register voters.
'Thus, the opposition will be able to control that voters' lists and
the number of voters coincide, he said.
He spoke to reporters after the National Assembly passed today a set
of amendments to the election law in the second reading. Harutyunyan
said the Armenian Revolutionary Federation/ Dashnaktsutyun did not
endorse these changes.
"It's rather a political position. We accepted a number of proposals
of the parliamentary opposition, and rejected some others for one
reason or another, or offered alternatives," he said.
Armen Rustamian, an ARF lawmaker and head of a parliament committee
on foreign relations, said yesterday in parliament that the new
Electoral Code will not create opportunities for regime change and
formation of a normal country with a tradition of change of power
through elections. In his view, the main objective of reforms was
to restore public confidence in the electoral process, but "you can
make hundreds of changes that do not change the core, whereas ten
amendments can solve all problems."
Next parliamentary elections will be held in 2012.