Armenian Justice Minister recalls Italy’s experience with regard to electoral system

PanARMENIAN.Net - Speaking at a parliamentary hearing on the opposition’s proposal to move to 100 per cent proportional system of elections, Armenian Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan reminded the deputies of Italy’s experience.

He said after the war and up to 1993 when elections in Italy were organized by proportional system only, no political force ever managed to form a stable majority in the parliament which resulted in almost annual change of the government. Meanwhile, in the period between 1993 and 2012 when elections were being held by mixed system, Italy changed only 4 governments.

The opposition Heritage and ARF Dashnaktsutyun parties came up with a joint statement on December 27, 2011 calling on the authorities to cancel the majority electoral system and move to 100 per cent proportional system of elections. The Armenian National Congress (ANC) and a number of other opposition forces backed this initiative. ANC also declared they plan to organize a rally during parliamentary discussions to support the idea.

The coalition Prosperous Armenia party together with the opposition Heritage and ARF Dashnaktsutyun parties addressed the speaker of the National Assembly Samvel Nikoyan on January 26 to organize parliamentary hearings on the issue of moving to 100 per cent proportional system of elections.