Opposition Election Commission Member Shortfall

Lragir reports that the number of opposition members of election commissions might fall short of that necessary. The news follows the opposition Heritage party’s decision to allocate its vacant positions to members of Vazgen Manukian and Levon Ter-Petrossian’s party. However, and somewhat alarmingly, neither party is able to supply enough licensed commission members.

The representatives of the Heritage Party declined to tell how many seats the Heritage Party has provided to Manukyan and Ter-Petrosyan, but they say most seats remain vacant since Manukyan and Ter-Petrosyan did not have enough licensed members to appoint to the election commissions, as required by the law. And since the Heritage Party provided the seats to the other forces because it lacks licensed members for about 2000 polling stations, it turns out that most of the seats of the Heritage Party will remain vacant, which are therefore appointed by the chairs of commissions. And the chairs of commissions are representatives of the ruling wing, with all the stemming consequences. For instance, at some polling stations of the region of Gegharkunik Republicans have been appointed to some election commissions instead of the Heritage Party members. The spokesman and the secretary say there are such commissions but they are not many.