RA NA DISCUSSES OBJECTION AND SUGGESTIONS OF PRESIDENT ON LAW ON MAKING AMENDMENTS TO ELECTORAL CODE
Noyan Tapan
Dec 17 2007
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative of the President
of the Republic of Armenia the objection and suggestions presented
by the President of the country on the law on making amendments in
the RA Electoral Code were discussed at the special session of the
National Assembly convocated on December 17.
The President of the Republic of Armenia had returned the law adopted
by the National Assembly on November 28, which was included as an
adjacent part in the common package with the Administrative Procedure
Code. The latter had already been ratified by the President of the
country.
The suggestions on the amendments of the Electoral Code are mainly
conditioned by the necessity for bringing the order and terms of
the dispute protesting connected with the electoral processes in
conformity with the RA Administrative Procedure Code. In addition to
this, by the bill approved by the National Assembly, it is envisaged
that the RA Constitutional Court solves the disputes connected with
the decisions made as a result of all the elections, except for the
results of the elections of the community councillor. According to the
President of the country, such an approach does not follow Article
100 of the Constitution and contradicts the corresponding provision
of the RA Administrative Procedure Code.
Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction is against the objection and
suggestions of the President of the Republic of Armenia. According to
Stiopa Safarian, the Secretary of the indicated faction, the faction is
concerned in connection with making quick amendments in the Electoral
Code, as a result of which a considerable part of society will be
unaware of the order and new terms for dispute challenging. In addition
to this, the faction believes that the suggestions of the President
bring forth a greater number of amendments in the Electoral Code and,
in essence, the President is coming up with a legislative initiative,
however, the Constitution does not entitle him with that right.
Tigran Torosian, the Speaker of the National Assembly, expressed
an opinion in this connection, according to which the objection
and suggestions of the President completely correspond to the
Regulation-Law and the Constitution of the National Assembly. At
the same time, he mentioned with regret that there are serious
contraditions between the two Codes in the package approved by the
National Assembly. That, according to him, should give the parliament
food for reflection in order to draw conclusions for the purpose of
avoiding similar cases in future.
The Speaker of the National Assembly also expressed an opinion,
accoprding to which it is not right to make such amendments in the
pre-electoral period, which are connected with the review of protest
mechanisms of electoral processes. In response to Zharangutiun
(Heritage), he mentioned that it is extraordinary from the first
sight that the President has presented suggestions consisting of
12 articles concerning the 4 articles of the amendments of the
Electoral Code approved on November 28, however, the only goal of
these suggestions is to eliminate the contradictions observed with
the Administrative Procedure Code and the only logical approach is
to accept the objection and suggestions of the President.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
