CoE`s Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR issue second joint opinion on amended Election Code of Armenia

ArmInfo. CoE's Venice  Commission and OSCE/ODIHR have issued a second joint opinion on  Election Code of Armenia amended on May 25. According to the  document, a significant number of earlier recommendations were taken  into account. The document was submitted to the authorities of  Armenia on July 19.  

In the first Joint Opinion on the draft electoral code, the Venice  Commission and OSCE/ODIHR made three key and several other  recommendations. The new Electoral Code as amended on 30 June takes  into account a significant number of these recommendations, notably:  

The time-period for the formation of political coalitions after the  first round of elections has been doubled, from three to six days  from the announcement of the official results in order to avoid a  second round, and from two to five days from the decision to hold a  second round in order to form a coalition to participate in it;  

Access to the so-called "signed" (in the new Code, "stamped" rather  than signed) voter lists has been made possible, in two new ways.  First, by using technical equipment to print a statement of the  individual voter identification number of those who voted immediately  after the end of voting. Proxies, observes and media representatives  receive a copy of this statement and may check the individual voter  identification numbers against the original signed voter list for a  period of thirty minutes (extended from twenty minutes by the  amendments of 30 June 2016). If the equipment has not been  introduced, proxies may apply to the District Electoral Commission  after the elections in order to consult the lists. While the two  possibilities are currently alternative, their cumulative application  could serve as another welcome confidence- building measure;  

The mandatory test for citizen observers has been removed. The  requirement for specific provisions in the charter of the citizen  observer organisations to have been in force for at least three years  preceding the elections has been reduced to one year, but regrettably  not totally removed; 

The requirement for the President to appoint the acting chairperson  or a member of the CEC "in consultation with parliamentary factions"  has been added, as a means to build consensus on the appointment of  election officials etc.  

"Importantly, the adoption of the new Electoral Code on 25 May 2016  was achieved with a significant majority and was followed by a broad  political agreement between the governing and opposition parties on  additional measures to enhance the preconditions for democratic  elections (local elections will be held in the autumn of 2016 and  parliamentary elections in the spring of 2017). Civil society  organizations were also constructively involved in the negotiations,  although they eventually did not sign the final agreement. The  agreement formed the basis for additional amendments to the Electoral  Code adopted by the Parliament on 30 June 2016, bringing about, in  particular, the use of new technologies for the oversight of the  electoral process, on condition that adequate funding is secured.  Many of these additional amendments may be seen as measures to  increase public confidence in the new electoral system and  procedures," the document reads.  

Further in the document, the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR  underscore their support for this spirit of compromise and their wish  for it to continue to prevail as regards the implementation of the  Electoral Code and the election of a new Central Electoral Commission  in the autumn of 2016.