In the current electoral system, it is impossible to change the power in Armenia by means of elections, Head of ARF Dashnaktsutyun Faction Armen Rustamyan said in Parliament on Tuesday.
Rustamyan suggests that Armenia should switch to the 100% proportional election system of parliamentary election. He thinks that the MPs elected under the majority system mostly win through their personal ties and bribes. "If you do not want to give up the majority system, let's announce a tender for the majority seats in Parliament. It would be more honest at least", he said to the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). Rustamyan added with irony that if the RPA feels such big love for the majority system, Armenia may just as well switch to the 100% majority system, like its neighbor Azerbaijan. Secretary of the Armenian National Congress faction Aram Manukyan supported that initiative and said that the reform will enhance the Parliament's level. He added that only 5 out of the 41 MPs perform their duties of parliamentarians.
For his part, Edmon Marukyan, MP elected under the majority system, said that all the negative phenomena are the result of general imperfection of the electoral system. He added that he comes out against the specified changes.
Manvel Badeyan, MP from the RPA, said that it is the opposition that "conducts business" during the elections, particularly, when preparing the party tickets.
Badeyan considers the switch to the 100% proportional system to be antidemocratic, because it deprives the non-partisans of the opportunity to take part in the parliamentary elections.
When commenting on the Badeyan's statement, Naira Zohrabyan, Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party Faction, pointed out that given the current reality in the country, such discrimination is a necessity, and it will do the society good.