AMENDMENTS TO ELECTORAL CODE OF ARMENIA ONLY AMENDMENTS, AND NOT
DEMOCRATIC REFORMS, NATIVE EXPERTS THINK

YEREVAN, MAY 24. ARMINFO. The amendments to the Electoral Code of
Armenia are merely amendments and not democratic reforms.
Representative of the nongovernmental organization “Democracy” and
international initiative “Partnership for open society” Vardan
Poghosian stated during the news conference.

As an example he mentioned the point of the amendments concerning the
principle of formation of Central and regional electoral committees.
According to the amendments, the President of the Republic of Armenia
receives the right to appoint one representative to electoral
committees, and not three as the acting Electoral Code stipulates, and
the Cassation Court and the faction “People’s deputy” appoint the
remaining two ones. At first sight all seems more than democratic.
But taking into account the fact that the judiciary is far from being
impartial, it becomes obvious that the matter concerns no
democratization, Vardan Poghosian said. In this connection he
expressed bewilderment with the conclusion of the experts of the CE
Venice Commission and Bureau of Democratic Institutes and OSCE human
rights regarding this point of amendments, calling this amendment
“obvious evidence of aspiration of Armenian authorities for political
pluralism”. Evidently, the international experts read the amendments
inattentively and showed simply a mechanical point of view – if the
number of the representatives of the president is reduced, it means,
we are having democracy, Poghosian said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress