Armenian parliament approves bill on reforming local self-government model
27.05.2020,
16:13
Armenia's National Assembly has approved today in the first reading a set of amendments to the Electoral Code and related laws that will abolish direct elections of the mayors of all towns and some villages.
YEREVAN, May 27. /ARKA/. Armenia's National Assembly has approved today in the first reading a set of amendments to the Electoral Code and related laws that will abolish direct elections of the mayors of all towns and some villages.
According to the amendments, community Council of Elders will be transformed into a kind of local parliaments both in terms of their functions and the principle of formation.
Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Suren Papikyan said the changes stem from the new Constitution that came into force in 2018, under which local self-government bodies should be close to the parliamentary model.
According the changes, only communities with up to 4,000 residents will continue to have directly elected mayors, while communities with a population of more than 4 thousand people, self-government bodies will be formed through elections on the party-list basis.
According to Suren Papikyan, the proposed changes are expected to make democracy stronger by increasing the role of political parties and alliances.
"This is important because the parties will be able to fully realize the potential of the existing electorate and their own," said Papikyan. According to him, this will allow the formation of balanced Councils of Elders, which, in turn, will become more like a parliament.
Under the changes, the threshold for parties is 4%, down from the current 6%, and for blocs - 6% instead of 8%.
“Parties will be interested in developing their presence not only in Yerevan, Gyumri or Vanadzor, where such a mechanism is already in place, but also in small towns and villages,” he said. -0-
According to the amendments, community Council of Elders will be transformed into a kind of local parliaments both in terms of their functions and the principle of formation.
Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Suren Papikyan said the changes stem from the new Constitution that came into force in 2018, under which local self-government bodies should be close to the parliamentary model.
According the changes, only communities with up to 4,000 residents will continue to have directly elected mayors, while communities with a population of more than 4 thousand people, self-government bodies will be formed through elections on the party-list basis.
According to Suren Papikyan, the proposed changes are expected to make democracy stronger by increasing the role of political parties and alliances.
"This is important because the parties will be able to fully realize the potential of the existing electorate and their own," said Papikyan. According to him, this will allow the formation of balanced Councils of Elders, which, in turn, will become more like a parliament.
Under the changes, the threshold for parties is 4%, down from the current 6%, and for blocs - 6% instead of 8%.
“Parties will be interested in developing their presence not only in Yerevan, Gyumri or Vanadzor, where such a mechanism is already in place, but also in small towns and villages,” he said. -0-
