Debates on shifting to 100 percent proportional election system fruitless
17.01.2012,
15:40
A parliament member from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia downplayed today parliamentary minority groups proposal to hold the upcoming parliamentary elections on a solely party-list basis. Speaking at a news conference, Hamlet Harutyunian, said all relating talk and debates are fruitless.
YEREVAN, 17 January. /ARKA/. A parliament member from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia downplayed today parliamentary minority groups proposal to hold the upcoming parliamentary elections on a solely party-list basis. Speaking at a news conference, Hamlet Harutyunian, said all relating talk and debates are fruitless.
The opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and the Zharangutyun (Heritage) party suggested late last month that the authorities agree to distribute all 131 seats in the National Assembly under the system of proportional representation. Under the existing law, only 90 seats will be up for grabs on the party-list basis. The remaining 41 deputies are to be elected on an individual basis.
"I think all such debates at this point are meaningless, because it is too late to change something in the law with only few months left to go to the next parliamentary elections. Technically it is simply not possible to shift to 100% proportional electoral system and the proposal is not well-grounded," Harutyunyan said.
The next parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia in May 2012.
"One should not hope that the introduction of 100% proportional election system will eliminate all election fraud. We need to look for other ways to do it," he said. -0-
