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On February 15 the RA NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs initiated parliamentary hearings to discuss the draft law “On Amending the RA Electoral Code” submitted by the NA deputies Styopa Safaryan, Artsvik Minasyan, Vahan Hovhannesyan and Armen Martirosyan, which designs to hold the elections of legislative body completely through electoral system. The RA NA Speaker Samvel Nikoyan was attending the hearings. Na deputies, members of the Government, parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political forces, representatives of NGOs and international organizations, mass media were also taking part in the discussions.

We’ll remind you that the NA Heritage, ARF and PAP factions presented a proposal of holding parliamentary hearings on passing into 100 per cent proportional electoral system.

Opening the parliamentary hearings the Committee Chairman Davit Harutyunyan introduced the procedure of the discussions.

Welcoming the representatives of the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces, NGOs and international organizations the RA NA Speaker Samvel Nikoyan has noted in his word that discussions concerning the proportional and majoritarian electoral system are always going on, which are more up to date and obtain sharp nature in the pre-electoral period. The NA Speaker stressed during these months they attentively follow what substantiations bring forth their colleagues, proposing transition into 100 per cent proportional electoral system. “I have distinguished for me two of them:” first the holding of the fair elections and the second the development of the party system,” Mr Nikoyan said. To his assessment the electoral systems should not be observed separate, but interconnected with other state structure. In the Parliament Head’s word, it is distinct that it will be luxurious for Armenia having two chamber parliament: our country has one chamber electoral parliament, which means that the elements of majoritarian and proportional electoral systems. “When we study the experience of the world, experience of about 110 countries, all the systems function: both the majoritarian and the proportional one, and the mixed systems,” the NA Speaker clarified. In Samvel Nikoyan’s opinion, the quality of the elections does not depend on the proportional and majoritarian electoral systems, which also shows the experience of the state.

The NA Speaker deems natural that in the pre-electoral period every extra-parliamentary political force announces that he will definitely appear in the NA as a result of elections, and the parliamentary forces will increase the representation in the parliament. “But when they declare that if I don’t receive my announced percentage, thus the elections are falsified, we can’t agree with this. One assertion remains: holding of fair elections in compliance with law,” he added. Mr Nikoyan proposed both the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces to create a body within the framework of the authority of the NA and the NA Speaker, which will carry out certain oversight or monitoring functions towards the Electoral Code created by itself. "Without intervening into the affairs of any state body or the local self-government body, the functions of independent state body within the framework of rights stipulated by Constitution and laws by the principle of legal equality, equal representation we can discuss that matter and create functioning mechanism in order the parliament can have a positive impact through parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces on pre-electoral processes and the very elections," the Head of the parliament stressed. Ending his word Mr Nikoyan expressed hope that the discussions would be held in constructive atmosphere.

In his key report the NA ARF faction member Armen Rustamyan reminded those present that this item was part of the legislative initiative that Dashnaktsutyun had presented and as an alternative to the submitted bill it had been discussed by the authorities one year ago and rejected by the majority.

In their speeches the NA deputies and the representatives of the NGOs touched upon the expediency of turning into 100% proportional electoral system. The NA deputies Armen Martirosyan and Lyova Khachatryan were against the majoritarian electoral system. The NA deputies Armen Martirosyan and Lyova Khachatryan were against majoritarian electoral system. The NA Deputy Speaker Samvel Balasanyan considersahead of time passing into proportional electoral system. The ANC member Levon Zurabyan has opined that by eleimination of the majoritarian electoral system they will put an end to the electoral corruption.