Venice Commission highly appreciates continuous efforts of Armenia to bring the Electoral Code into line with norms arising from international obligations and standards of Council of Europe

During the 136^th Plenary Session of the European Commission for Democracy through Law of the Council of Europe (the Venice Commission), Deputy Minister of Justice Karen Karapetyan presented the package of amendments and supplements to the Electoral Code and related laws, as well as the positions and commitments of the Armenian side with regard to the recommendations of the Commission.

During the Session, the joint opinion of the Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on the drafts of the amendments and supplements to the Electoral Code and related laws of the Republic of Armenia was adopted. The draft, inter alia, includes reforms targeted at consolidation of the principles of electoral law, strengthening of transparency and accessibility of electoral procedures, betterment of mechanisms for electoral campaigns and the mechanisms for funding for and supervision over the campaigns, establishment of mechanisms for elections during martial law and state of emergency, formation of the staff of the Central Electoral Commission and strengthening of the procedures for adjusting the electoral lists and a number of other directions. The Venice Commission highly appreciated the continuous efforts of Armenia to bring the Electoral Code into line with the norms arising from international obligations and the standards of the Council of Europe. The Commission particularly emphasised also that the process of developing the package of reforms was carried out through inclusiveness, that is to say, wide consultation and public deliberations.

In addition to the previous recommendations of the Commission, the latter and the ODIHR gave a number of recommendations, including the ones with regard to further amendments to the provisions for holding elections during emergency situations, facilitating the protection of personal data related to electoral lists, improving the mechanisms for financial oversight over political parties and repealing registration of the lists of political parties.