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ARFD: SINGLE-MANDATE SYSTEM AIMS TO OUST OPPOSITION FROM ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT
arminfo
Wednesday, February 15, 15:29
The single-mandate system of parliamentary elections in Armenia leads
to creation of an inherently apolitical structure, Ruben Hakobyan,
Vice Chairman of Heritage Party, said during the parliamentary
hearings on transition to the100% proportional electoral system,
Wednesday. He said that such technical issue on the threshold of
elections is an obstacle to effective organization of the ideological
election campaign. Hakobyan is sure that the single-mandate electoral
system affects the efficiency of the National Assembly. He highlighted
that 29 out of 41 single-mandate parliamentarians has not approached
the parliamentary tribune for the last 5 years.
For his part, parliamentarian, representative of the ARFD Supreme
Body Armen Rustamyan said that the experience of formation of
the National Assembly of all the 4 convocations showed that the
single-mandate system aims to oust the opposition from the parliament
and reproduce the incumbent authorities. "The previous elections
proved the fact that the single-mandate system is anti-people and
anti-democratic. We remember that in the parliament of the 3rd
convocation the parliamentary opposition represented by the Justice
Bloc, National Unity and United Labor parties failed to advance
single-mandate candidates. Afterwards, the opposition's results were
reduced from 39% to 22%. In the parliament of the 4th convocation ARFD
and Heritage opposition parties received 26% of the seats, but thanks
to the single- mandate candidates, that figure was reduced to 18%,"
Rustamyan said. He stressed that there have been no free and fair
parliamentary elections in Armenia within the entire period of the
country's independence.
For his part, David Haroutiunyan, a member of the ruling Republican
Party faction, Head of the Parliamentary Commission for State and
Legal Affairs, said transition to the 100% proportional electoral
system will lead to the party dictatorship and torpedo establishment
and development of parties in the country.
To recall, on Jan 12 Heritage and ARFD factions in the parliament
made a joint legislative initiative putting into circulation in the
parliament a package of amendments to the Laws on Election Code,
Regulations of the National Assembly, the Law On the Constitutional
Court. The amendments imply transfer to the 100% proportional
electoral system. According to the current electoral system,
41 of the 131 parliamentary seats are single-mandate, while 90 -
proportional. The opposition says that lots of "neighborhood leaders"
get into the parliament due to this system.
arminfo
Wednesday, February 15, 15:29
The single-mandate system of parliamentary elections in Armenia leads
to creation of an inherently apolitical structure, Ruben Hakobyan,
Vice Chairman of Heritage Party, said during the parliamentary
hearings on transition to the100% proportional electoral system,
Wednesday. He said that such technical issue on the threshold of
elections is an obstacle to effective organization of the ideological
election campaign. Hakobyan is sure that the single-mandate electoral
system affects the efficiency of the National Assembly. He highlighted
that 29 out of 41 single-mandate parliamentarians has not approached
the parliamentary tribune for the last 5 years.
For his part, parliamentarian, representative of the ARFD Supreme
Body Armen Rustamyan said that the experience of formation of
the National Assembly of all the 4 convocations showed that the
single-mandate system aims to oust the opposition from the parliament
and reproduce the incumbent authorities. "The previous elections
proved the fact that the single-mandate system is anti-people and
anti-democratic. We remember that in the parliament of the 3rd
convocation the parliamentary opposition represented by the Justice
Bloc, National Unity and United Labor parties failed to advance
single-mandate candidates. Afterwards, the opposition's results were
reduced from 39% to 22%. In the parliament of the 4th convocation ARFD
and Heritage opposition parties received 26% of the seats, but thanks
to the single- mandate candidates, that figure was reduced to 18%,"
Rustamyan said. He stressed that there have been no free and fair
parliamentary elections in Armenia within the entire period of the
country's independence.
For his part, David Haroutiunyan, a member of the ruling Republican
Party faction, Head of the Parliamentary Commission for State and
Legal Affairs, said transition to the 100% proportional electoral
system will lead to the party dictatorship and torpedo establishment
and development of parties in the country.
To recall, on Jan 12 Heritage and ARFD factions in the parliament
made a joint legislative initiative putting into circulation in the
parliament a package of amendments to the Laws on Election Code,
Regulations of the National Assembly, the Law On the Constitutional
Court. The amendments imply transfer to the 100% proportional
electoral system. According to the current electoral system,
41 of the 131 parliamentary seats are single-mandate, while 90 -
proportional. The opposition says that lots of "neighborhood leaders"
get into the parliament due to this system.