In mid-June, Armenia president signed into law a newly amended electoral code. Recently passed by the parliament, known as the National Assembly, the reformed code incorporated several of IFES’ recommendations.

The new provisions improve accessibility to voter lists; ensure transparency of election commissioner selection at all levels; develop more efficient and transparent election appeal procedures; and increase the quota for women’s participation on political party lists.

These reforms, and the political will to carry them out, were demanded during peaceful protests immediately after the 2008 presidential election. The protests tragically turned violent, in which several citizens were killed in skirmishes with the police.  After a series of discussions, the National Assembly agreed to address some of the shortcomings in the election code and its implementation that contributed to the protests.

With the National Assembly in agreement, IFES organized an Electoral Legislation Reform Symposium in Yerevan where potential changes to the election code were discussed. This symposium brought together legal experts and stakeholders from government, political parties and civil society to discuss electoral reform and address the draft legislation. IFES also sponsored a study tour to Poland to acquaint members of the Armenian Parliament and civil society representatives with Poland’s political and campaign finance regulations and their process of reform. 

Final legislation included many of IFES’ recommendations for reform, presented by both the majority and the opposition in the National Assembly; the result of a more inclusive, frank conversation about moving elections in Armenia forward. The new legislation was written to ensure more effective dispute resolution and oversight of electoral campaign finance, and taken as a whole, represent an improvement over the law that governed the disputed 2008 presidential vote.  Ultimaely, it is how this new law will be enforced that will determine the degree to which Armenia's elections have advanced.

IFES contributed regularly to the discussions on election law through written commentaries and comparative analyses. These have helped lawmakers be more inclusive in addressing the sensitive issues surrounding electoral legal reform.

There is guarded optimism that enforcement of the law will improve during the upcoming May 2012 parliamentary elections, and thus create a more even playing field for competing candidates and parties. The improved election code, still far from perfect, offers a step in the right direction.