March 1 is the deadline for putting the New Draft Electoral Code of the RA into circulation. Advocate Heriknaz Tigranyan said this in the interview with Iravaban.net. “But in essence it will be submitted to the National Assembly directly,”-mentioned our interlocutor.
She added that the primary problem of the Electoral Code should be increasing the trust of citizens.” If people have doubts and mistrust towards the elections and referendum and see the solution in publishing the electors’ signed lists, thus the elaborators of the draft should think of fixing the provisions in the code.”
Hrayr Tovmasyan, one of the members of the working group for elaboration of the draft spoke about the mechanisms of electronic elections on different occasions. My personal opinions is that we do not have problems with mechanisms of conducting elections or referendum because our population has get used to paper elections and other systems. The introduction of the new electoral mechanism will cause more complications. We have only one problem, if the list of the participants is published the method of paper election will satisfy us, said the lawyer.
Today, the public discussion of the New Draft Electoral Code of the RA took place in Yerevan. Members of the civil society and delegates were present at the meeting. The state authorities and representatives of the working group were absent.
MP Levon Zurabyan noted that the draft had been sent to the Venice Commission, which is unacceptable. “The working group first should have negotiated with own people and with the opposition. Why do they do just the opposite? Why do they want to ensure their negotiations positions and secure their rear. They try to receive some support, and after that they would not consider that they have to yield much to the opposition and the society.”
MP Hovhannes Margaryan is also surprised with the process of drafting the Electoral Code. “I cannot understand what this secrecy is intended for, and whether or not the draft had been sent to the Venice Commission, etc. We support the open discussion, which will provide opportunity to submit recommendations and proposals,” the delegate said.
