Solely proportional election system advantageous to political minority in Armenia
28.02.2012,
18:01
Armenia’s political minority needs passage of the bill proposing to shift to 100 percent proportional (through party lists) electoral system to enlarge its presence in the parliament, Armenian Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan said on Tuesday.
YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. Armenia’s political minority needs passage of the bill proposing to shift to 100 percent proportional (through party lists) electoral system to enlarge its presence in the parliament, Armenian Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan said on Tuesday.
The bill proposed by Zharangutiun (Heritage) and Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutiun factions was put on the National Assembly’s floor today.
The faction of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia slams this amendment to the electoral code. The government is opposed to the bill as well.
Tovmasyan said that approval of this amendment “will allow the political minority to obtain a greater number of seats in the parliament”. “The bill solves no other problems,” he said.
The minister admitted the fact that only large political forces can take advantage of individual races, but said that this is a problem of those parties whose leaders appeared as engines in elections, but are unable to score the necessary number of votes in polling stations.
Tovmasyan also stressed that the government didn’t hide that its opposition to the bill is politically motivated.
“Any political system should ensure effectiveness of the parliament’s activity,” he said. “The present mixed system solves these problems and shapes a stable majority.”
The minister also said that “electoral fraud happen under any system, and passage of this bill is not able to ensure just and transparent elections”.
The bill repealing individual races in parliamentary elections is hailed by many opposition-minded political activists. Armenian National Congress, bloc of opposition parties, and some members of Prosperous Armenia, a ruling coalition member, favor the bill.
Armenian parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 2012.
The National Assembly of Armenia consists of 131 members, of which 41 are elected in individual races, and 90 through party lists. -0-
