News - Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR: Frequent changes to RA Electoral Code can affect public trust, confuse voters

The Venice Commission published a joint opinion with OSCE/ODIHR on the implementation of changes in the Electoral Code of ten countries, including Armenia. The opinions were published on October 7 during the 136th plenary session of the CoE Venice Commission. It is noted that in a letter dated July 12 of this year, Armenian Justice Minister Grigor Minasyan requested the opinion of the Venice Commission regarding the draft amendments to the Electoral Code and related legislation. The joint opinion of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR states that the package of reforms proposes changes to the Electoral Code and 17 other legal acts. It is noted that the proposed changes are interconnected, very long and difficult to implement. The international organizations also note that in recent years, Armenia is notable for the frequency of changes in the electoral legislation, which can affect public trust, confuse voters, parties and candidates, make it difficult for the competent authorities to apply the law, which in turn can lead to errors because of distrust towards the elected bodies. “A more comprehensive reform could prevent such risks and provide the opportunity for a more structured and clear process,” said the Venice Commission, adding that the recommendations previously presented by the Commission are not reflected in these changes. The Venice Commission and ODIHR acknowledge the aim to eliminate at least some of the features of the previous electoral framework ahead of the next elections but regret that this opportunity was not used to address the outstanding recommendations from ODIHR and the Venice Commission. In addition to what has already been done, the Venice Commission and the ODIHR have made several recommendations regarding the conduct of elections in emergencies, the protection of personal data by proposing to avoid the publication of voter lists, a review of the proposed architecture of political financial control, etc. They expressed readiness to continue providing support.