Consultations with political forces
Statement by the board of the "Heritage" Party
"Holding free, fair and transparent elections is the major precondition for forming a government that enjoys the trust of the people, but it has not been ensured for over 16 years now. Only a legitimate government is capable of leading the people to build a free, strong and democratic country with social justice and a competitive economy; to prevent emigration and create necessary conditions to ensure immigration, as well as confront the grave foreign and domestic challenges facing Armenia.
We rate the draft of the RA Electoral Code (modified version) developed by the working group formed without the inclusion of the opposition in mid 2010 not as a reform in the existing Electoral Code, but a proposal that is more uncontrollable by the society and political forces, as well as a proposal that creates more opportunities for electoral fraud and violations.
One gets the impression that the government is not aware of holding free, legitimate elections and the formation of a government through EQUAL COMPETITION, but is simply once again imitating the fulfillment of demands stated in the resolutions adopted by the PACE since 2008.
On 23 June 2008 and by the special order on 24 June 2009, "Heritage" introduced the National Assembly to its legislative initiative of making 55 reforms in the Electoral Code which, unfortunately, were denied by the ruling majority of the National Assembly. Currently, we have developed the draft of the Electoral Code (modified version) in which we have included a number of proposals made by political forces and non-governmental organizations. We find that this draft is a point of departure for the opposition to unite as one for electoral reforms and to reach improvement of the Electoral Code, as well as the formation of citizens' control over electoral processes and the people's trust.
We call on all political forces attaching importance to the adoption of the code that ensures free, fair and transparent elections to initiate discussions aimed at reaching consensus on the united alternative draft (the draft is posted on the "Heritage" party's website at www.heritage.am). "Heritage" is organizing consultations with political forces with the purpose of forming the united alternative draft and, based on the results of the consultations, "Heritage" will organize a conference dedicated to the opposition's united alternative draft of the Electoral Code," as stated in the statement.
