“The elections have not been free, the manifestation of the free will of the electorate has not been provided neither during the parliamentary elections nor the municipal elections, they have not corresponded to the democratic standards”, told Artur Sakunts, the Chairman of Helsinki Citizen’s Assembly Vanadzor Office. He made a few suggestions to the President of the Central Electoral Committee Tigran Mukuchyan. As stated by Sakunts: “We cannot accomplish our reports on election violations particularly in the criminal field for a simple reason – our observers avoid of or are not sure about the possible pressures. The previous Electoral Code encompassed the following provision implying that the observers cannot be prosecuted for the expression of their opinion after the end of the voting process within 7 days. If the observer gives an incorrect information, s/he can be prosecuted by the article on false report via the new Electoral Code. It has a significant influence. We find that the provision on the immunity of the observers and the lack of prosecution for expressing their opinion should be added to the EC.”
Afterwards, Sakunts suggested, inasmuch as they refuse to take operative-investigatory actions regarding the vote-buying, telling that this crime is not regarded a serious one pursuant to the Criminal Code: “We should view certain criminal violations relative to the election process as serious crimes against the state. ”
The representative of the Prosecutor’s Office Sevak Hovhannisyan told if they accept the observers’ suggestion and consider it as a serious crime, then they should sentence people for 10 years for double voting, the whole punishment duration system is to be changed in the Criminal Code.
Sakunts told that they highlight also the realization of the rights of our citizens to vote to be abroad.
The CEC President Tigran Mukuchyan referred to the latter saying that this suggestion has been made by the parties, has been voted, discussed and they have already expressed their opinion on that issue.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
