CHAIRMAN OF CHOICE IS YOURS NGO HOPES THAT AMENDMENT OF ELECTORAL CODE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO HOLDING OF FAIR ELECTIONS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 06 2007
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, NOYAN TAPAN. Haroutiun Hambartsumian, Chairman
of Choice is Yours NGO carrying out observation mission in Armenia
since 1999 hopes that the May parliamentary elections will not
pass with violations which were committed during 2005 referendum
on constitutional amendments and other state elections. As the
latter stated at the March 6 press conference, he is hopeful
that the elections will be fair due to the amendments made to RA
Electoral and Criminal Codes, according to which rather strict
sanctions are determined for electoral bribes and those taking
them. H. Hambartsumian also attached importance to the circumstance
that liability is determined for the heads and members of electoral
commissions who impede work of observers, empowered persons and
media representatives. Meanwhile, H. Hambartsumian expressed anxiety
in connection with a number of provisions of Electoral Code. In
particular, he mentioned the circumstance that after CC’s well-known
decision employees of judicial system were included in electoral
commissions instead of judges, as a result of which, however,
this problem was not liquidated. In H. Hambartsumian’s words, the
possibility to make a decision given to electoral commissions under
conditions of no quorum also causes anxiety. H. Hambartsumian gave
assurance that the main violations are committed during voting and not
when summarizing votes. He regretted to say that provisions on marking
fingers of electors having already voted, as well as on videoing the
whole process of voting were not included in the Electoral Code.