VENICE COMMISSION EXPERTS HOLD CLOSED DISCUSSIONS WITH ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS
By Marietta Khachatrian

AZG Armenian Daily
28/09/2006

Yesterday, behind-door discussions on electoral code were held at the
gilded hall of the National Assembly between the Venice Commission
of the Council of Europe and Armenian parliamentarians. To remind,
due to exclusion of some principal clauses from the code Justice
Party reclaimed its signature and National Unity as well as Rule of
Law Party promised to do the same. In Shavarsh Kocharian’s words,
there is agreement over a few clauses but Armenian deputies do not
want to agree to Venetian experts ideas in 6 other clauses. Kocharian
said that the issue of majority vote or party-list elections as well
as different approaches of Armenian deputies on formation of electoral
committee were not put on the agenda.

Venetian experts keep saying that there is obvious progress though
there are still issues to be settled.

Those issues are connected to the regulation of complaints during the
elections, creation of a mechanism of recalling committee members,
election of CEC president and adoption of the system of electorate’s
finger inking.

No document enclosing the discussions is expected to be adopted.