Friday, September 7 2018 12:10

ArmInfo. The bill, which tightens the punishment for electoral bribes, was adopted by the Armenian parliament in the second and final reading.

 

To note during the extraordinary session of the Parliament held on September 6 this bill was criticized by representatives of the parliamentary factions of RPA and "Tsarukyan" bloc. Representatives of the factions, in particular, noted the government should make amendments to the bill. The MPs also said that the bill contains a lot of incomprehensible phrases and some of its provisions contradict the very idea of criminal law. However, on September 7 the bill was adopted in the second reading.

 

To recall, on September 6 during an extraordinary session the Armenian parliament discussed amendments to the Criminal Code envisaging toughening responsibility for violations during elections.  The document proposes prohibit any charitable activity during the pre-election campaign.  In addition, it is envisaged to punish not only the bribery of voters, but also the promise to give bribes. For such proposals, it is proposed to set a fine from 100,000 to 400,000 drams, or imprisonment for up to five years. At the same time, it is proposed to consider as bribery not only money, but also other material goods, including food products, which corresponds to the standards of the Group of States against Corruption, the Council of Europe's anti-corruption  body (GRECO). It is also proposed to criminalize and toughen punishment in cases not only of offering bribes, but also falsification of election results, the theft of ballot boxes and signed lists.