Campaign Funds Too Large – Armenian Ngos

CAMPAIGN FUNDS TOO LARGE – ARMENIAN NGOS

TERT.AM
26.11.12

It is unacceptable that a party should have a campaign fund amounting
to AMD 100m.

All the candidates are offered to create their campaign funds,
Tigran Yezoryan, a member of the Europe of Rights NGO, said at a
public discussion on Monday.

He pointed out the need for reducing the amount to AMD 50m.

A number of NGOs have proposed amendments to Armenia’s election law
on the threshold of presidential election.

Sona Ayvazyan of the Transparency International Anti-corruption Center
(TIAC) believes some points in the election law urgently need amending.

“With respect to free and fair elections, free expression of will,
it is the election law that poses some problems. Surveys show that
only 11% of women and 12% of men believe in fair elections. Restoring
public confidence in the newly formed authorities and elections is
a priority task,” she said.

Lusine Hakobyan of the Europe of Rights NGO believes that the major
problem involves observers, who sometimes openly express their support
to certain candidates.

“We proposed placing responsibility on the observers that openly
express their support to certain candidates. In some cases,
authorized bodies refused to register violations. We propose
placing responsibility on proxies for not registering violations,”
Ms Hakobyan said.

Mr Yezoryan pointed out unequal conditions for the political parties
that lack funds during the pre-election period.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress