ArmInfo.. Initiative groups will get the right to hold local referenda in Armenia. At its first reading on December 6, the RA National Assembly amended the law "On Local Referendum" and the law "On Local Self-Government".
According to the co-author of the presented document, MP Varazdat Karapetyan, the government is on the way to enlarging the communities. Currently, this process has affected half of all communities, and enlargement will continue next year. The purpose of the executive body is to enhance the capacity of local governments. In 500 small communities, the population provides only 5-6 types of services out of 100 approved, in enlarged ones - 30. However, the enlargement process should take into account the opinion of local residents. For this reason, it is proposed to hold a local referendum, which can be initiated by a working group of 5 people. When a government decides to enlarge a particular community, the head of the community informs all residents of the Cabinet of Ministers. The initiative group, having registered with the territorial election commission, receives corresponding ballots for collecting signatures within 30 days. After collecting signatures, a request for financing a local referendum is sent to the head of the community. In turn, the head of the community turns to the territorial election commission and the police with a request for the amount of funding, after which he turns to the Council of Elders with a proposal to finance the process, after which the referendum is held within 50-60 days. The results of a local referendum are presented to the government and the Council of Elders of local governments.