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On July 14, the National Assembly convened an extraordinary session on the initiative of the deputies. According to the decision of parliament, a number of drafts included in the agenda will be debated in the second reading within 24 hours after their adoption in the first reading.

The draft law on Making Addenda and Amendments to the Constitutional Law the RA Electoral Code authored by the deputies of the Civil Contract Faction Artur Hovhannisyan and Heriknaz Tigranyan was debated in the first reading with the attached legislative package.

The rapporteur Artur Hovhannisyan informed that the package of drafts proposes to provide separate ballots for the parties and alliances of parties in the case of elections of the local self-government bodies by the proportional electoral system, regardless of the number of voters, thus eliminating the use of pens during voting. In order to implement this approach, it is proposed to set the deadline for the withdrawal of the first three candidates of the parties, alliances of parties and the proportional lists of the latter no later than 15 days before the voting day. According to the authors, this will allow the electoral commissions to start the process of printing ballots earlier.

It is also proposed to carry out simultaneous internet broadcasting of the voting process at the polling stations during the elections of the local self-government bodies in accordance with the proportional electoral system. The authors think that this will increase confidence in the electoral process.

The package of drafts proposes to establish in the RA Administrative Procedure Code that the lawsuits related to the election of the Head of the community in the first session of the Council of Elders formed by the proportional electoral system are also electoral disputes and that they should be examined and resolved in a special, accelerated manner, collectively.

It is proposed to remove the additional requirements set by the Electoral Code for the candidate for the member of the Central Electoral Commission, and to bring the regulations into line with the Constitution.

The authors propose to review the salary levels of the CEC members.

“The problems appeared during the previous elections will be corrected by the adoption of the package,” Artur Hovhannisyan noted.

The Deputy Minister of Justice Yeranuhi Tumanyants presented the positive opinion of the Government. The Deputy Minister informed that the Ministry will submit some proposals during the period of the first to the second reading.

The deputy Vahagn Hovakimyan submitted proposals on the legislative package.

The legislative package was endorsed in the first reading.