Reports

Policy Alert

Electoral reform in Armenia: Always room for improvement

EPDE
Armenia

Open
Document

The Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia, has proposed amendments to the electoral code and other legal acts to enhance existing regulations.

In the recently published Policy Alert, expert Tigran Mughnetsian sheds light on the draft bill on amendments to the electoral code and provides recommendations for improvements.

 

Manual for the media identifying fake election observers

EPDE

Open
Document

This manual helps journalists identify politically biased or "fake" election observers during election processes.

 

EPDE Publication

Media and Freedom of Expression in the EU – Eastern Partnership and Russian Federation

EPDE

Open
Document

This report is published at a time of Russian invasion of Ukraine. It underscores the central role of freedom of expression in the maintenance of democracy at home, as well as international order and security abroad. This report provides the analysis and conclusions on the state of freedom of expression and the work of the media in seven countries of the EU Eastern Neighborhood, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia.

 

Armenia

Comprehensive monitoring report on reforms in Armenia

HCAV
Armenia

Open
Document

Several Armenian civil society organizations, including EPDE members Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor and Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, released a comprehensive monitoring report on the progress of reforms in Armenia.

 

Policy Alert

Policy Alert #10 - Two Down, One To Go: Armenia’s 2021 Local Elections

EPDE
Armenia

Open
Document

In the wake of the early parliamentary election on June 20, 2021, 54% of the electorate will have a second chance to vote during the autumn 2021 local elections. Several communities have already held their city council elections on October 17 and November 14, but the biggest wave will take place on December 5.

 

Policy Alert

Policy Alert #9 - Armenian Local Elections Rescheduled And Expanded Due To Municipal Amalgamations

EPDE
Armenia

Open
Document

Armenia is holding its most important local (city council) elections in recent years this autumn, as the proportional party list system is expanding at the municipal level. A delayed municipal amalgamation process has pushed back dates but is now complete. The revised local election dates for 2021 are October 17, November 14 and December 5.

 

Early parliamentary elections

Preliminary report and PVT result

Akanates / TIAC
Armenia

Open
Document

According to the Akanates observation mission, election day saw engaged and active participation from citizens. The process was fundamentally organized, smooth, and without serious violations. Nevertheless, a number of polling stations had a palpable level of tension, mostly due to the presence of unauthorized persons inside the polling station. Although violations were noted by representatives for multiple parties and alliances, the majority of violations involved representatives of the Armenia Alliance. The PVT projection for final turnout is 49.3%.

 

Policy Alert

Policy Alert #8 - European Institutions 'Broadly Welcome' Armenia’s Proposed Electoral Reform

EPDE
Armenia

Open
Document

On April 21, 2020, the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and OSCE/ODIHR published their Draft Joint Urgent Opinion on an electoral reform legislative package in Armenia that is expected to pass ahead of the announced early parliamentary election. The Joint Urgent Opinion understands the urgency of eliminating district seats, noting that it followed many years of consultation on the issue, and comments on several aspects of the reform bill. Details on these in our Policy Alert.

 

Policy Alert

Policy Alert #7 - Armenian Electoral Code Amended to Remove District Seats

EPDE
Armenia

Open
Document

On April 1, a marathon parliamentary session removed district seats from Armenia’s Electoral Code. Eliminating district seats was the flagship policy in the electoral reform bill brought forward in October 2018 by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s first government. That bill failed to attract enough votes to pass, but now it has finally been accomplished. What is so problematic about district seats? What electoral reforms come next? Find out in our latest Policy Alert.

 

Policy Alert

Policy Alert #6 - New law on political parties introduces stricter regulation on party financing

EPDE
Armenia

Open
Document

Open
Document

On 29 December 2020, amendments to Armenia’s Law on Political Parties were passed with widespread consensus following a period of extreme polarization which provide for a substantial increase in public financing of political parties, while increasing the transparency of party donations, prohibiting corporate donations, and decreasing the upper limit for individual donations. The amendments include minimal requirements of internal democracy within the organization of political parties. Alert available in English (Doc1) and Russian (Doc2).

 

EPDE Publication

Money and politics – need for new rules of the game

EPDE

Open
Document

In recent years, election experts observed significant increase of spending on election campaigns. The transparency of party and campaign financing became one of the key requirements to ensure the integrity of today's election processes. To raise awareness about the urgent need to increase transparency, our newest comparative study analyzes the regulation and oversight of political party and campaign financing in the EU - Eastern Partnership and Russian Federation.

 

Policy Alert

Policy Alert #5 - Armenia’s Stable Majority Constitutional Provisions Under Review

EPDE
Armenia

Open
Document

Photo: vestnikkavkaza.net

The 2015 Constitution promised that Armenia would move toward a fully proportional parliamentary model. However, a number of other provisions serve to distort the translation of votes to seats in practice. They include provisions for various bonus seats and the exclusion of political parties from campaigning if no government can be formed and a “second round” vote is held. 

 

EPDE Publication

Dossier: Impact of COVID-19 on election processes in the EaP and Russia

EPDE

Open
Document

COVID-19 spread rapidly across the world in early 2020, with most governments instituting far-reaching pandemic mitigation measures, including nationwide lockdowns. This dossier compares the lockdown regimes and extraordinary measures taken in response to COVID-19 and how these have impacted election processes in the Eastern Partnership countries and the Russian Federation.

 

Policy Alert

Armenia explores alternative to referendum on Constitutional Court

EPDE
Armenia

Open
Document

Photo: massispost.com

Armenia was supposed to hold a referendum on April 5, 2020, on whether to replace 7 of its 9 Constitutional Court judges. The referendum was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now seen as too great a risk to public health to go ahead. Instead of terminating the 7 judges immediately, the government is now considering waiving their exemption to the current 12-year term limit and has applied to the Venice Commission for an official Opinion on the modified approach.

 

Policy Alert

Armenia to expand proportional representation to municipal elections with tri-partisan bill

EPDE
Armenia

Open
Document

Photo: emerging-europe.com

MPs from all three parliamentary factions have sponsored a bill that seeks to change how municipal councils and mayors are elected. Specifically, mayors in the largest cities and towns will no longer be directly elected but chosen by city councils, who will also be given the power to remove them mid-term. The closed party list proportional representation system used in the three largest cities in Armenia would be expanded to all communities with more than 4000 registered voters.

 
latest