OSCE Office in Yerevan supports public discussion on draft Electoral Code

The first public hearing of the new draft Electoral Code, organized by the Armenian Justice Ministry with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, took place on 11 March 2016 in Yerevan.

Attended by more than 100 people representing the government and the election administration as well as heads of parliamentary factions, unaffiliated members of the National Assembly, representatives of citizen election observer organizations and media, the event underscored the importance of an open and inclusive process for electoral reform in Armenia.

The hearing included a presentation of the draft law by the Head of Government Staff David Harutyunyan and the Justice Minister Arpine Hovhannisyan, followed by a discussion of the key provisions.

“The founding principle in the development of this legislation was to provide for the transition towards a fully proportional electoral system while at the same time ensuring a stable parliamentary majority envisaged by the amended constitution,” said Hovhannisyan.

Harutyunyan said: “The Government’s approach with regards to this draft is not dogmatic. We welcome constructive comments and proposals that would help us find solutions to the existing problems and address such concerns as multiple voting.” He also presented the Government’s intention to introduce new voting technologies to safeguard the voter identification process.

The Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Barbara Davis emphasized the  importance of a broad-based and inclusive development of the Electoral Code. “This would help address one of the priority recommendations contained in the reports by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) with regards to enhancing public trust in the electoral system. The OSCE Office in Yerevan will continue to offer opportunities for such consultations.”

The draft Electoral Code was introduced at the Government session of 3 March 2016 and has been shared with the ODIHR and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission for a legal opinion. In line with the transitional provisions of the amended constitution, the new law is envisaged to enter into force by l June 2016.