Televised Debates between Party Leaders Will Be Mandatory: Changes in Electoral Code

The National Assembly approved a significant package of amendments to the Electoral Code with 82 votes in favor and 1 abstention during an extraordinary session held last night. The second reading of the draft is scheduled for today at 18:30 in a forthcoming extraordinary session, during which lawmakers can make further proposals.

Representatives of the 'My Step' faction assured yesterday that these amendments will not be implemented during the upcoming snap elections due to the lack of time to complete all legal procedures.

Before discussing the legislative debates held in the National Assembly, let’s outline several key changes proposed in the draft:

What are the changes?

The package suggests reducing the electoral deposit for parties participating in the National Assembly elections. Under current law, the deposit is set at 10 million AMD for parties, while the proposal is to lower it to 7.5 million AMD. For party alliances, the proposed deposit is 15 million AMD. Additionally, the electoral threshold for parties is being lowered from 5% to 4%, while for alliances consisting of two parties, it is rising from 7% to 8%. For alliances comprising three parties, the threshold will be 9%, and for those with four or more parties, it will be 10%.

The regulations for forming political coalitions are also changing. The party or alliance that receives a majority of votes in the elections will be given priority to form a coalition. This winning entity can form a coalition with other parties, provided the sum of votes cast for them exceeds 52% of the total mandates and they reach an agreement regarding the candidate for Prime Minister within 14 days.

If within 14 days, the party or alliance that received a relative majority of votes does not form a political coalition, any participating party may establish a coalition with others within a 7-day timeframe under similar conditions.

Another significant change involves expanding the list of expenses that must be declared, leading to greater transparency in financial expenditures. This includes the necessity to declare previously non-disclosed gifts or services provided free of charge.

Furthermore, the rules for televised debates among candidates, which were enforced in the previous elections by Public Television, will now have the force of law. It will be compulsory for Public Radio and Public Television to organize debates during the electoral campaign, guaranteeing equal conditions for all parties and alliances. For National Assembly elections, the number of debates must be no less than four, with each debate lasting at least 90 minutes, and at least one debate must include only the first candidates on the electoral lists of the parties and alliances.