Vahagn Hovakimyan Nominated for Head of the Central Electoral Commission

The newspaper "Jhurhourd" reports that the ruling political force, "Civil Contract," will also take over the position of the head of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). According to information from the newspaper, Vahagn Hovakimyan, a former journalist and now the deputy head of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, is set to replace Tigran Mukuchyan, who has served as CEC chairman for 11 years.

We also attempted to confirm this information with Hovakimyan, but he did not respond to our calls and messages. A source from the newspaper assured that although there are mixed feelings about Hovakimyan's candidacy within the team, there is a political decision that he will be the next chairman of the CEC.

According to the Electoral Code, the CEC must have a new chair by October 12, which is when the current head Mukuchyan's term ends. Before that, however, the factions of the National Assembly can propose candidates, which will then be presented to the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs for approval, and the candidate's question will be discussed during the National Assembly plenary sessions.

As the deadline for nominations approaches, the "Civil Contract" faction in the National Assembly is expected to soon announce Hovakimyan's candidacy. It is noteworthy that the government led by Prime Minister Pashinyan, which accuses previous authorities of turning Armenia into a party oligarchy, is seemingly inclined to politicize all areas of the state and distribute positions among its own party members.

The CEC, which has not had a party-affiliated president for about 30 years, is now set to have a leader from the Civil Contract party. This will also mark the first time that a sitting deputy and member of the political team is being dispatched to the electoral commission.

This is nothing short of a direct violation of democratic norms and rules, as the drafters and implementers of electoral policy will not be independent professionals but representatives of the ruling political force. Moreover, considering that there are genuinely skilled, highly experienced, and professional specialists at the CEC, it is possible that they, along with Mukuchyan, will also pack their bags and leave the CEC.

For more details, refer to the current issue of the newspaper.