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The RA NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs proposed the candidacies of Silva Markosyan, Armen Smbatyan and Arusyak Terchanyan nominated from the Civil Contract Faction for electing in the positions of the members of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC).

At October 7 extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly, the issue of the election of the candidates for the member Silva Markosyan, Armen Smbatyan and Arusyak Terchanyan was discussed.

On behalf of the RA NA Civil Contract Faction Alkhas Ghazaryan introduced Silva Markosyan’s biography and her working path. The deputy Trdat Sargsyan presented Armen Smbatyan, and Vigen Khachatryan - Arusyak Terchanyan.

“During the elections the most important thing is the rise of the public trust, the public awareness is important for it,” Silva Markosyan noted. According to the candidate, on publicizing and transparency of the elections, the public trust towards the electoral process, the rise of the voters’ awareness, the CEC observes the public awareness as an important element of the electoral administration and undertakes numerous events in raising the voters’ awareness level.

In case of the latter, Silva Markosyan emphasized the investment of the automated system of the elections, as well as conducting the professional courses of holding the elections. The candidate underlined that for raising the trust towards elections we should reach a perception that the participant sides of the electoral process will be perceived as real counterparts, competitors, but not opponents.

The candidate for the member of the Central Electoral Commission Armen Smbatyan noted that the elections are the large-scale events of the state, where the CEC has a key role. The rise of the rating of the electoral bodies stems from everyone’s interests, because if we don’t do that, then one day we receive what we haven’t done. If the state and the society want to look in the mirror, then they organize elections. The electoral system is that mirror. As clean it is so right we’ll look in it. The CEC Staff is able to take that burden, and I’ll be ready to serve with my experience,” Armen Smbatyan said.

The next candidate, Arusyak Terchanyan, touching upon the last reforms of the Electoral Code, their efficiency, particularly the inclusive elections and the its accessibility component, noted that one of the key amendments of the Electoral Code in the NA electoral system was the transition to the simple proportional electoral system. According to the candidate, this amendment had an essential influence to make the voting process, as well as the voters’ volunteering in terms of more correct fixing. According to Arusyak Terchanyan, it was possible with new electoral system to organize the voting with separate ballot papers, and the elimination of the territorial lists made possible the voting without using the pen. As a positive achievement, the candidate pointed out that the transition to a new electoral system essentially decreased the number of the invalid ballot papers.

The candidates answered the MPs’ questions, particularly, touching upon the problems on execution of the electoral right to the persons with disabilities.

“I am hopeful that with these members and led by the candidate of the CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan, the CEC will succeed, will continue to cooperate with the NA, improving the electoral processes, which still do not provide full competitive free and equal elections,” Heriknaz Tigranyan said in her speech, noting that the amendments of the Electoral Code for 2020-2021, were really reforms.

The Head of the Civil Contract Faction Hayk Konjoryan noted that they will vote for the candidacies of the Commission Chairman and all members. “The provision of the continuity of the CEC normal activity, the improvement and the development of democratic elections and in general, the tradition of democracy is extremely important. We consider this parliament the citadel of democracy. In the previous year after the aftermath of war, by holding snap parliamentary elections, it was recorded that democracy and elections in Armenia can be possibilities of causing not inner-political crises, but also overcoming inner-political crises. And with that we proved that democracy can be, particularly, a warrant of external security. The democratic state is one of the main guarantees of security for Armenia. The political will of the main evidence of the power is the organization and implementation of democratic elections. We believe that the new CEC Chairman and its members in its position as its most important mission will fulfill its position guard of democracy and security,” the Head of the Faction concluded.