PARLIAMENT MEMBER UNDERSCORES POLITICAL WILL OF AUTHORITIES AND VOTER HIGH TURNOUT FOR FREE ELECTIONS

Armenpress
Oct 31 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS: An opposition parliament member
revealed today that in order to hold just and free elections Armenian
authorities and the opposition should display sufficient political
will, while the ordinary citizens should be active and realize the
key importance of elections.

Shavarsh Kocharian, who is also chairman of a minor National Democratic
Party, told a round table discussion of the revised election code
that no matter how good an election code is it cannot ensure free
and fair elections without political will and voter activity.

Kocharian echoed a range of pro-government and opposition parties
which argue that elimination of single-mandate election system and
transition to 100 percent proportional system when all members of
the National Assembly are elected by party lists is one of the key
mechanisms that can help ensure free polls.

He cited the example of former communist countries of Central
Europe which he said have all passed to proportional election
system, while authoritarian regimes have chosen single-mandate or
majoritarian system. Another key factor to ensure free elections,
according to Kocharian is that all-level election commissions must
have representatives of the opposition wing.

"The whole election process- from ballot printing, ballot casting to
ballot calculation must be made as transparent as possible and the
rights of proxies must be specified, he said.