Government approves new draft Electoral Code (video)
During today’s Government sitting Davit Harutyunyan, Minister - Chief of the RA Government Staff, presented the new draft Electoral Code. He states that the draft Electoral Code is based on the new Constitution, after approval of which terms were set, during which draft laws must have been worked out, “For that the term was set until March 1. We had 13 days for working out the package, but as during this time we didn’t have the NA sitting, and it wasn’t appropriate to convene the NA extraordinary sitting, the draft has been represented only now. We had an alternative; to provide most of the time for discussions to the Government in order to organize active political discussions and to form a package close to the final variant, or to transfer to the NA. Finally we came to a conclusion that the burden of the main discussions must be transferred to the political field- the NA. If now we approve this draft, we will announce the beginning of the public discussions in the NA.” Then he presented in detail the changes, which were made in the Electoral Code. Mr Harutyunyan noted that this draft differs from the draft sent to the Venice Commission, “We don’t have time; it must be approved on June 1. International experts must arrive in the middle of March.” Hrayr Tovmasyan, Head of the NA Staff, one of the co-authors of the new Constitution proposed to consider the discussion of this draft at the NA to be urgent. “Mr Tovmasyan, I think that it won’t be perceived by the lawmakers in a right way; it supposes three-month term of discussions, but no one wants to accelerate the process artificially,” announced Davit Harutyunyan.
