Armenian lawmaker criticizes last-minute electoral reform

An opposition lawmaker on Tuesday criticized proposed amendments to Armenia's Electoral Code, arguing that introducing changes just two months before elections risks undermining political stability and fairness.

Artsvik Minasyan, a member of the opposition Hayastan faction, said during an extraordinary parliament session on Tuesday that the ruling Civil Contract party’s proposed revisions could have tangible political consequences.

“Whether you like it or not, this creates political repercussions,” Minasyan told lawmakers, referring to a draft bill that seeks to amend Armenia’s Electoral Code.

The proposal includes restrictions on the naming of electoral alliances, stipulating that coalition names must not contain personal names, references to state or local government bodies, or wording that could be confused with such entities. It also prohibits the use of offensive or defamatory language in alliance names.

While expressing conditional support for the broader principle behind the changes, Minasyan stressed that the timing of the initiative was problematic.

“I am in favor of stricter regulations, even supportive of this concept in principle,” he said. “However, even if this is a technical correction, you had no right to introduce such amendments just two months before elections, when the political landscape has already been shaped.”

Minasyan further argued that the justification provided by the authors of the bill was insufficient, describing the interpretation underpinning the proposal as unacceptable.