Armenian Electoral Code has been improved with time, however, it has points to simplify: International expert
“It’s everyone’s responsibility to immediately react to election violations and abuse right in the polling stations,” John Hardin Young, expert on electoral recounts, domestic and international, told reporters today, reflecting to RA new Electoral Code and introducing his accentuations on election procedure.
He stated that the most important accentuation is that work of observers and fair organization of elections is important. The most noteworthy to be implemented, in his words, is the following: provide fair elections and count of votes. According to the expert, this means if on the voting day some issue emerges, they should be immediately reflected.
“This is everyone’s responsibility—needs of the civil society, commissions, voters should be immediately reflected. In other words, every issue should be solved in real-time mode in place. Official procedure of backdated claims simply means, that shortcomings haven’t been corrected right in the place,” John Hardin Young said.
He stated that he is familiarized with RA Electoral Code. In his words, despite the fact on how non-formally the Code is formulated, electoral procedure, as well as procedure of reflecting to issues is clear.
International expert stated that Armenian Electoral Code provides, even demands, that the commission members immediately reflected to the issues and solved them.
“We are all protectors of democratic process on the voting day, it includes commissions, civil society, political powers, observers, who should reflect to all the incidents,” he said.
The expert believes that the role of mass media is decisive in any democracy, as media outlets are the “watchdog” of the process. John Hardin Young said Armenia has passed a long way in the last quarter of the century. “Electoral Code is being improved, it has points to simplify, I’m sure with time it’ll be recorded, as there is no more important law in democracy, than that of voting,” The expert said.
Photo—panorama.am
By Araks Martirosyan
