YEREVAN. – Many of the proposed amendments to Armenia’s Electoral Code were good ones and were aimed at improving the situation in the electoral legislation, President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio told reporters in Yerevan.
He admitted that the Venice Commission always says that amending the electoral legislation be done a year before the elections, “but when it’s a question of improving and when there are good amendments we should not oppose it”.
“So, my position was that we will welcome the amendments. I would have preferred that everything was done with more time but we also will consider the specific situation in Armenia and the need to clarify the situation,” he added.
Asked whether snap election will be less transparent under the present Electoral Code, Buquicchio said: “Of course, the elections clarify the situation. If the present interim government will win elections, they will have parliamentary majority and they will be in the position to govern the country well, so making all that they will tend to do. Yesterday I had meetings with the authorities, with PM. The impression was that they are committed to change the situation in Armenia in order to have stable political scene”.
President of the Venice Commission said the amendments that were proposed and not adopted by the parliament will be again studied after the elections and recommended to the authorities to do this in an open and transparent manner in a dialogue with all political forces in Armenia.
“Of course, the Venice Commission will be there in order to help and contribute to the best possible electoral legislation. But the government has a lot of things to do in the field of political parties legislation, not to speak about economic problems and other important reforms. But I see a good will to go further and of course we must be prudent,” he said.
At the same time Buquicchio emphasized that the parliament is a sovereign body, and if they decide not to adopt the amendments to the present code, the elections will be held by the old Electoral Code.
