A NUMBER OF NON-PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES OF ARMENIA ARE FOR REDUCTION OF THE 5% BARRIER TO THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
October 5, 2006 Thursday

Leaders of a number of non-parliamentary parties of Armenia are for
reduction of the 5% barrier to the Armenian National Assembly.

Speaking at the Discussion Club "Pastark" Thursday, Leader of the
Liberal United Communist Party Vazgen Safaryan said his party is for
reduction of the barrier to 3% and for a 100% proportional system of
elections. In his turn, Leader of Democracy and Labor party Spartak
Melikyan also came out for the proportional system, as "deputies
elected through a majority system do not represent broad sections of
the population." All the political forces running for the parliament
must be represented in election commissions and the barrier must
be reduced to 3%, he said. Both the politicians believe that Venice
Commission experts who participated in the parliamentary discussions
on amendments to the Election Code "fulfill the order of the incumbent
authorities to secure their re-election."

In his turn, Leader of Marxist Party David Hakopyan known by his
eccentric statements said the acting Election Code of Armenia "was
invented in 1999 by the junta of the Union of volunteers "Yerkrapah"
Albert Bazeyan, Smbat Ayvazyan and Victor Dallakyan. It serves the
interest of the ‘bourgeois absolute’ and does not meet the public
interests. The so-called "parliamentary opposition" does not care of
this." That is why elections have turned into business. D. Hakobyan
proposed reducing the barrier to 1% and introducing compulsory
examinations for candidates on world history, Armenian history, law
and oratorical skill. The deposit must be differentiated i.e. 10% of
a deputy’s income. He also proposes fining voters for non-attendance
and limiting their political rights for 5 years. In addition, he
demands a 90/40 ratio of proportional and majority seats.

V. Safaryan and S. Melikyan said their parties may join other
ideologically close ones before the elections. While. D. Hakobyan
said his party will run for the parliament independently.