Electoral Code passes first reading (video)
In its Wednesday sitting, Armenian legislature voted 104 to 4 to pass the new amendments to the Electoral Code. Before the vote, Head of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) faction, Naira Zohrabyan, said she sees a tendency that the parliamentary majority wanted to thwart the agreement reached in the result of 4+4+4 format talks. “It means they are not going to publish the signed electoral lists. The discussions with the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) did not produce any result. The parliament speaker promised that the discussions would continue but if we fail to achieve results, we shall vote against the amendments in the second reading. Today we are going to vote for the bill,” she said. Vahram Baghdasaryan, Head of the HHK faction, said the five forces that had signed the agreement, today held a discussion. “There were some professional differences. I call on you to vote for the amendments and continue discussions,” he said. Heghine Bisharyan, Head of the Rule of Law Party (OEK), said there was some confusion over the bill. “We are all speaking about the same problems. There was an initial agreement to vote for the amendments because certain changes were foreseen to be made in this article. That is why we are going to vote for the bill,” she said. Lawmaker Khchatur Kokobelyan said he was going to vote against the bill.
