To put another checkmark?
Chairman of the NA committee on state-legal affairs, Republican MP David Harutyunyan still considers the release of voters' lists immediately after elections as unacceptable.
"In principle, that contradicts Europe's requirements," David Harutyunyan told "A1+".
Today the committee held hearings on the draft for amendments in the Electoral Code with the participation of parliamentary parties, as well as representatives of international organizations and non-governmental organizations.
"The amendments were accepted by the first reading. The hearings are in delay. We presented the proposals six months ago, but there had not been any response from the committee to this day. Did they call us here to put another checkmark?" said president of the "Against the Republican Party's illegal acts" NGO Ruben Tovmasyan.
Tovmasyan is certain that the amendments in the Electoral Code will not help hold free and fair elections in Armenia. "How can there be free and fair elections when there are political prisoners and the falsifiers haven't been punished?"
President of the "Asbarez" Club of Gyumri journalists Levon Barseghyan says it is very clear why the authorities don't want to release the voters' lists. "The lists will reveal up to 450,000 false votes."
Levon Barseghyan says the entire process of elections should be taped at the polling station. "The taping will prevent all crimes that we have registered to this day."
David Harutyunyan is not against placing cameras at the polling stations if that doesn't pressure voters and doesn't hurt the confidentiality of their votes. "I am against having the government take responsibility for that. If the government takes responsibility, any violation will call the results of the vote into question."
"Country of Law" vice-chairman Hovhannes Margaryan says the Electoral Code adopted in 2006 allows the country to hold free and fair elections and is certain that the amendment draft will undergo more changes. Margaryan also said he is against the taping of electoral processes at the polling stations. On his behalf, Hovhannes Margaryan mentioned that he is not against the release of voters' lists.
"We can accept a norm according to which anyone, whether he is a proxy, observer or interested person, can demand voters lists."
Since the participants of today's discussion consider the presence of "political will" the main precondition for holding free and fair elections in Armenia, "A1+" asked David Harutyunyan whether the authorities have the will to hold free and fair elections or not. "I do, do you? Let's try to make sure everyone has that will."
Attending the discussion were representatives of ethnic minorities as well. Head of the newly created "Midia Shangal" Yezdi union Amo Sharoyan demanded that the National Assembly give the Yezdi a chance to have their representative in parliament.
