First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan today met with the Republican Party of Armenia in parliament. The Electoral Code was discussed during the meeting.
In a conversation with journalists following the meeting, former RA Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan stated that the discussion is late, formal and imperfect since the issues related to the elections of the National Assembly are a topic for discussion in the political field and, in particular, in a republic in which the model of governance is parliamentary governance, the elections of the National Assembly are first and foremost a topic for discussion with parliamentary forces.
“I regret to state that the governmental commission that had been created to develop the Electoral Code, failed to work intensively with the task force created by the four factions in parliament. Moreover, the proposals of that task force which included the consensus recommendations drafted by the four factions, were not taken into consideration in the draft Electoral Code. The discussion on this Electoral Code is a step back from the previous discussion on the Electoral Code, which led to the emergence of the 4+4+4 format which, in its turn, led to a consensus vote in parliament and to great confidence and support of the international community in and to the electoral process in Armenia. This is also missing,” V. Sargsyan mentioned.
He also noted that the draft was just recently sent to the Venice Commission and that even the sent document was not the final version.
In this regard, during the meeting, RA First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that he was certain that the government wouldn’t manage to receive the response of the Venice Commission on time and that it is likely that someone will express an opinion in the form of an interview.
According to Vigen Sargsyan, all this is a sign of disrespect toward the Venice Commission, and it would be better, if the government didn’t send the draft to the Venice Commission this way and then justified itself by saying that new Armenia is in a state of emergency and this is why they are not sending it, etc.
“The only reason for hastiness for the snap parliamentary elections is that the current political party in power believes that the conditions for holding elections are politically favorable, and it is taking this step, which is actually causing great harm to democracy and to the functioning of political parties in Armenia, and I am sorry for this,” Sargsyan stated.
In his turn, First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan informed that the concept paper and the draft of the new Electoral Code had been sent to the Venice Commission and that the final version was also officially sent today.
According to him, the interactions with the Venice Commission will continue, but he assumes that there will not be an expert opinion.
Before this, 168.am had informed that on October 19, Ararat Mirzoyan is going to participate in the plenary session of the Venice Commission and will present the package of amendments to the RA Electoral Code. 168.am had also informed that the draft hasn’t even been sent for an opinion, and so the Venice Commission isn’t going to express any opinion. The acting authorities, under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, are simply trying to ensure at least a formal process in order to create a demonstrative illusion of cooperation with the Venice Commission.
This cooperation with the Venice Commission is not going to go any further than the visit of Ararat Mirzoyan and the other formalities that are part of the protocol because the Venice Commission isn’t going to express an opinion.
“But the authorities are rushing. They are rushing so much that the only thing that they can do is to “blow dust in the eyes” of the Venice Commission at the level of the Deputy Prime Minister,” 168.am informed prior to the statement made by Mirzoyan today.
Zvart Khachatryan
