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On January 31 Davit Harutyunyan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs , met with Nicola Schmidt, Deputy Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Elections Department and Raul Mureşan, ODIHR Election Adviser. Before sending an Observation Mission to the upcoming elections the guests were interested in some interpellations on the legislation.

Touching upon the Electoral Code, which enjoyed the positive opinion of the Venice Commission, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs has opined that by amending the Code various disputable issues concerning society have been solved. According to him, the Code contains numerous preventive mechanisms. A procedure of making administrative decisions on the applications-complaints it has been designed for the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) by the Code, about absence of which local and international observers have expressed their dissatisfaction. By another important amendment made in the Electoral Code The National Commission of TV Company and Radio should work out methods for the monitoring of covering the electoral campaign.

Davit Harutyunyan also talked about the opposition’s proposal of eliminating the majoritarian electoral system. He said that the Committee would refer to the proposal on organizing parliamentary hearings in connection with this issue. Touching upon the role and importance of the observation missions, Mr. Harutyunyan highlighted the observers’ readiness, noting that especially the short-term observers often are not aware of the legislation of the given country.

At the meeting other issues of bilateral interest were also discussed.

Galust Sahakyan, Head of the RPA faction , also met with Nicola Schmidt, Deputy Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Elections Department and Raul Mureşan, ODIHR Election Adviser.

The guests have informed him that the goal of the meeting is to evaluate the pre-election situation in the Republic of Armenia, to get familiarized with the preparatory works of the CEC and the parties, to learn about the political forces’ opinion on the need of their participation by Observation Mission, what opinion they have about the Electoral Code, how the parties get ready to use the possibilities given by the mass media and what their strategy and the message to the people will be.

As to Mr Sahakyan, they work out their strategy for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Regarding the Electoral Code, it has been passed the phase of discussion for about one year, received the local and international experts’ endorsements. At present a number of parties propose to amend the electoral system, but in their opinion, the success of the elections cannot depend on the change of the number of the majoritarian and proportional seats.

Mr. Sahakyan highlighted the cooperation of the political forces and the tolerant attitude towards each other in the pre-electoral phase. As he noted, their party will not dispute with other political forces, it prefers to report the people about their work in the sphere of economy, political assessments. It is preferable that the political forces will agree with party oversight, and the Electoral Code gives that opportunity. The RPA is concerned about having international observers, so the comments will be more objective. According to Galust Sahakyan, it’s very important for the RPA to have elections convincing for the citizens of Armenia and international observers.

During the meeting other issues concerning the upcoming parliamentary elections were discussed.

Nicola Schmidt, Deputy Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Elections Department and Raul Mureşan, ODIHR Election Adviser, met with Artyush Shahbazyan, the ARF faction Secretary and faction member Artsvik Minasyan. They have presented the goal of the visit: to get familiarized with the pre-electoral situation of Armenia, meeting with the representatives of the parties, CEC, state bodies and the mass media. The OSCE/ODIHR representatives were interested in the need of the international observers during the parliamentary elections and the view of the ARF faction on the new Electoral Code and pre-electoral campaign.

Stressing the international experts’ role the Secretary of the ARF faction has noted that it is preferable for the observers to be in Armenia a week before the elections and spend the whole day in the electoral district in order to have a complete picture. Artsvik Minasyan finds that there should be one international observer in each electoral district, who will cooperate with local observation organizations.

According to Mr Minasyan, the faction has tried to make joint proposals with the Heritage faction for having a good Electoral Code, and most of them have not been accepted.

Touching upon the pre-electoral campaign Artsvik Minasyan has noted that the ARF faction builds the main campaign in three directions: approaches at national-state level, understanding on democratic systems reforms and social-economic policy.

At the end of the meeting the OSCE/ODIHR representatives have noted that Armenia’s obligation is to have good elections.

On the same day the NA Heritage faction members Styopa Safaryan, Armen Martirosyan and Anahit Bakhshyan met with the OSCE representatives.

Ms Nicola Schmidt presented the goal of their visit and asked the faction members to give their opinion. They introduced their views on the formation of the electoral commissions, problems rising during the campaign and emphasized the observers’ presence in the electoral districts during the whole day of the election. The opposition faction members also considered necessary holding TV disputes and, in general, the just coverage of the pre-electoral period.

The NA Heritage faction members have said that their party will take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections both through proportional and majoritarian electoral systems, but they think that it is necessary to eliminate the majoritarian electoral system and turn exclusively to the proportional electoral system.

Ms. Nicola Schmidt has noted that they cannot express their position, as it is beyond their authorities, and they think there isn’t a perfect electoral system.

During the meeting with the Prosperous Armenia faction issues relating to the upcoming parliamentary elections and, in particular, their preparatory works.

Vadran Bostanjyan, member of the Prosperous Armenia faction, as member of the created working group for elaborating the Electoral Code, gave details about the amendments, noting that all their proposals have been adopted, and the New Code has created all opportunities for holding free and just elections.

Naira Zohrabyan has noted that an agreement has been reached in the PACE to pass the concerns of all the Armenian political forces on the elections and possible violations while forming the Observation Mission. The deputy considered an important precondition the presence of long-term Observation Mission of the international structures for holding elections in accordance with international standards.

In Naira Zohrabyan’s opinion, the law on Referendum passed two years ago will give an opportunity to hear the people’s voice on proportional and majoritarian electoral system.

Aram Safaryan, secretary faction, conveyed the willingness of the Prosperous Armenia to cooperate with the OSCE, at the same time welcoming the Observation Mission of this structure in the parliamentary elections.

In the course of the meeting other issues were also discussed.