POLITICIANS DISCUSS ELECTORAL CODE AMENDMENTS
By Ruzanna Khachatrian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 8 2006
The issue of forming electoral commissions featured prominently during
Wednesday’s discussions of amendments to the Electoral Code organized
by Armenia’s largest independent election-monitoring organization
called "The Choice is Yours".
The Constitutional Court on Tuesday found the Electoral Code
provision allowing the presence of judges in electoral commissions
unconstitutional and ordered all judges currently involved in
commissions as members to stop their activities and lawmakers to make
appropriate amendments in the Code.
Senior Republican Party member Samvel Nikoyan thinks this is a matter
to discuss and reach an agreement. The ruling party’s representative,
however, stopped short of expressing either his party’s or his personal
view on who should replace judges in electoral commissions.
Gegham Manukian, of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, thinks
it is yet early to speak about concrete proposals. "But I am sure
that the issue will be specified before the second reading of the
Electoral Code," he said.
Orinats Yerkir’s Hovannes Markarian thinks it will only be fair if the
political forces represented in parliament get an equal representation
in electoral commissions. "We have six political forces in parliament
— three opposition and three pro-government. So let’s enable these
political forces to be represented by two members each and we will get
12 commission members. This will be a fair approach," he underlined.
"If we have five or six pro-government political parties winning in
next elections, what will happen in the commissions, will they not form
the commission by saying there is no opposition?" Felix Khachatrian,
a representative of the opposition Artarutyun faction in the Central
Election Commission, queried. "Three years ago we said judges have
no right to be present in commissions both by the constitution and
moral principles."
And opposition "Hanrapetutyun" (Republic) Party senior member
Artak Zeynalian urged Armenia’s lawmakers to be more responsible
in adopting laws. "Every lawmaker at the National Assembly should
bear responsibility and make sure that no norm contradicting the
constitution and the rule-of-law principle is adopted."