Artsvik Minasyan: MPs quiting their factions will only create a background (video)
Under the new Constitution, a lawmaker can leave his faction, but he ceases to be a political factor in parliament. “If we talk about a stable majority, their voices in this case are not necessary for the authorities. They can only create a background,” says Artsvik Minasyan, a lawmaker of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun. The Electoral Code should first define the “functions of the stable parliamentary majority.” If the majority is formed through an alliance and if anyone decides to quit the coalition or alliance, he cannot form a separate faction, as they participated in the election and received a vote of confidence as a coalition or alliance,” Mr Minasyan explains. The lawmaker says their aim is to include [in the Electoral Code] a provision that will envisage publication of electoral lists after the vote. The party has not yet discussed the question with the Republicans. “I am sure that they [Republicans] will not have objections,” the Dashnak lawmaker said. Mr Minasyan says people who want to participate in the elections need to go to the Election Commission for registration. Alternatively, they can apply for registration electronically. “We often hear that the number of voters on electoral registers stands at 2,5 million whereas the country does not have so many residents.” The party also plans to change ballot boxes to rule out ballot stuffing in the future. After the change, ballots will automatically be deposited into ballot boxes. “The initial results of the vote will be known half an hour after the end of the election. People can have a clear picture about the number of voters and the election in general,” he added. Artsvik Minasyan proposes that international organizations assume the responsibility of developing and introducing the aforementioned changes ‘so that they will not say later that the elections were rigged.’ “After each election international observers say everything was normal but in the end, all of a sudden, they speak about violations and problems,” he said.
