Opposition rejects proposal to attend symposium on electoral reforms

The Armenian National Congress (HAK) has turned down the invitation to attend a symposium on electoral reforms to be organized on Nobvember 22 by the joint efforts of the International Institute of Electoral Systems and the Armenian authorities.

In a letter addressed to Michael Getto, Head of the Institute, HAK coordinator Levon Zurabyan explains the reasons for declining the proposal.

He particularly notes that cooperation with the authorities is impossible unless all political prisoners are released and real progress is made in disclosing the cicumstances of the March 1 disorders in Yerevan.

“By initiating discussions on the electoral legislation, the authorities attempt to create an illusion that all electoral frauds and irregulularities are caused by the imperfection of the Electoral Code,” Zurabyan says in his letter.

He further enumerates a number of wrongdoings observed during elections (such as violence against proxies, journalists and observers, widespread terrorism, electoral bribes and falsification of more than 500.000 ballots), stating that they bear no relationship to the imperfection of the electoral code as the latter allow for fair and transparent elections.

“Interested in bridging the legislative gaps, however, the Armenian National Congress has sent 7 key proposals to the Council of Europe, authorizing it and its subdivions to use them for their dicussions on the topic. They have also been informed that Armenia completely lacks a political will to conduct fair and transparent elections,” reads the letter.