Election-related Legal Opinions and Comments

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) co-operated with the Council of Europe's Venice Commission in preparing this Joint Opinion, which was adopted by the Venice Commission at its 111th plenary session on 16-17 June 2017.

At its 108th Plenary Session, on 14-15 October 2016, the Venice Commission endorsed the Second Joint Opinion with the OSCE/ODIHR on the Electoral code of Armenia as of 30 June 2016. Following the invitation from the Minister of Justice of Armenia, the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR made second joint opinion on the final version of the Electoral Code, particularly in light of the extent to which the latest amendments addressed the recommendations presented in their first Joint Opinion, endorsed at 107th Plenary Session on 10-11 June 2016.

At its 107th Plenary Session, on 10-11 June 2016, the Venice Commission endorsed the Joint Opinion with the OSCE/ODIHR on the draft electoral code of Armenia as of 18 April 2016. At this Plenary Session, the Minister of Justice informed the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR that additional amendments, including changes that addressed recommendations made in the first Joint Opinion, could be submitted to parliament at an extraordinary session before the end of June 2016. The Minister therefore invited the rapporteurs to hold a working meeting with the Armenian authorities in order to discuss possible additional improvements to the code. The Minister also requested another joint opinion on the final version of the amended Electoral Code, particularly in light of the extent to which these new amendments addressed the recommendations presented in the first Joint Opinion. The Minister asked that this opinion be again transmitted and made public in preliminary form during the month of July. The Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR granted this request. The Minister confirmed this request in a letter sent on 2 July 2016.