4+4+4 format talks in the NA (video)
4+4+4 format talks over the new draft Electoral Code kicked off in the National Assembly. The issue of publication of signed voter lists is being discussed. Davit Harutyunyan and Arpine Hovhannisyan represent the authorities. Is there any other reason, in addition to the Venice Commission, for which the authorities limit the publication of signed voter lists, lawyer Tigran Yegoryan asks Davit Harutyunyan. This question remains unanswered. Tigran Yegoryan reminds that most of the European countries have never been interested in the opinion of the Venice Commission and they have never applied to it. There is no CoE member state, which has limited the publication of the voter lists, justifying it by the voters’ privacy, says Tigran Yegoryan. The Royal Prosecutor in Belgium publishes the names of those, who are absent from the elections without any reason, so that they are held liable. Davit Harutyunyan considers the arguments of Tigran Yegoryan to be a lecture and doesn’t touch upon them. Davit Harutyunyan says that we have already taken a step forward in connection with the publication of voter lists. We can discuss the ways to reconciliation of our and your positions. Aram Manukyan says that the problem isn’t in the legal sector. We have an issue- enhancing trust in the society. The publication of lists boosts trust and legitimacy. The question is not the possibility of appeal, but trust. You must come to it, legal arguments don’t help, says Aram Manukyan. He addresses the authorities. Excerpt is not a legal document, says the Prosperous Armenian Party (BHK) member Mikael Melkumyan. He calls on the authorities to take a step under political consolidation and publish the lists. “There is no power in Armenia, which will defend the right to elections’ privacy. The authorities are trying to defend a right, which doesn’t defend anybody,” says Levon Zurabyan and adds that there is serious distrust in the society of your motivations. Davit Harutyunyan says that not only the opinion of the Venice Commission is essential, they are also sure that the lists must remain a secret. Davit Harutyunyan asks the opposition and the representatives of the civil society, “Which are your concerns connected with what I said?” Artak Zeynalyan answers, “We have never used the right to sit between the representatives of the authorities in the electoral commission, and for that reason we have never been able to take excerpts, etc.” Davit Harutyunyan answers, “If you have full information about the lists, does you concerns vanish?” Aram Manukyan says, “No, as we are speaking about trust. Just publish the lists!” Aram Manukyan says that the society needs the lists and not the commissions, protesting members or observers. Artak Zeynalyan says that those, who apply for getting acquainted with the lists, don’t represent the whole society. Davit Harutyunyan says that the trustees and observers can get acquainted with the lists but not the society. He can log in the database with his ID card and see whether he has voted or not. But he cannot know from the list whether his relatives have participated or not.
