ArmInfo. Armenia is going to criminalize an act aimed at enforcing campaigning or obstructing the conduct of such work. On May 4, the Armenian Parliament approved amendments to the RA Electoral Code and a number of accompanying legislative acts in the second and final reading.
As the First Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Artur Hovhannisyan 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, regarding which restrictions are imposed on participation in the election campaign, including the 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. It is also prohibited to use the state financial resource, including state budget funds, during the campaign.
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 duties in the performance of their duties.
Meanwhile, as MP from Tsaroukyan bloc Naira Zohrabyan stated during the session, immediately after the voting, the faction will begin to draft a new Electoral Code, which will meet all modern requirements.