ArmInfo. Armenia is going to criminalize an act aimed at enforcing campaigning or obstructing the conduct of such work. On December 28, the Armenian government approved amendments to the RA Electoral Code and a number of accompanying legislative acts.
As the Minister of Justice David Harutyunyan stated, the package of legislative reforms is aimed at leveling the risks associated with the abuse of the administrative resource in the election process. According to him, first of all, the circle of people is being expanded, in relation to which restrictions are imposed on participation in the election campaign, including the current list of representatives of medical organizations and educational institutions. In addition, the restrictions apply to employees of state and community institutions and organizations where the state or community has 20% or more participation in the authorized capital.
The following innovation concerns the compulsion to pre-election agitation or obstruction of the conduct of such work. The Ministry of Justice considered that the act was "extremely serious and dangerous", as a result of which it criminalized the norm and burdened the responsibility for its commission, for example, when using the official and other dependencies of a person.
The document also proposes to prohibit the use of financial, information resources, territories, transportation and communication, material and human resources in the course of carrying out their official duties.