RPA perverts Constitution?
Transition to 100-percent proportional electoral system proposed by the Heritage and ARF-Dashnaktsutyun parties does not suggest constitutional changes, says ARF-Dashnaktsutyun MP Artsvik Minasyan.
Note that the Republican Party of Armenia rejects the bill citing this provision.
"The Constitution envisages that the National Assembly is comprised of 131 MPs while the election procedure is defined by the Electoral Code," Mr. Minasyan told A1+.
"Moreover, the presence of deputies elected on the majoritarian ticket contradicts the spirit of the Constitution since the deputy elected from one constituency does not reflect the position of the other 40 elected on the same ticket and a non-democratic system is formed as a result," said the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun member.
Artsvik Minasyan thinks that the proportional system will unite political forces.
"The struggle by the majoritarian list is not political, it is a contest of administrative resources, during which candidates try to bribe or threaten residents to get their votes," he stressed.
As an alternative to 100-percent proportional electoral system, he suggests elaborating a ‘hybrid' electoral system where deputies are elected from the party list by the principal of rating. This system is used in some Eastern European countries.
Mr. Minasyan reminded that before the 2007 parliamentary elections, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun had reached an agreement with the Republican Party to shift to the 100-percent proportional electoral system before the next elections.
"Unfortunately, the parliamentary majority failed to keep its promise," he said.
At the same time, Atsvik Minasyan hailed the support of the Armenian National Congress and other opposition parties.
