The next conference of the donors will take place in Yerevan on June 29, Minister-Head of the Armenian Government's Staff David Harutyunyan said during today's extraordinary session of the Parliament, when commenting on the lawmakers' calls to be more active in searching for the necessary means to implement the amendments to the Electoral Code.
Harutyunyan recalled that the recent meeting with the donors was held with participation of opposition representatives. The next conference of donors will be held on June 29.
The Armenian Parliament keeps discussing the amendments to the Electoral Code, which were the result of the consensus between the authorities and the opposition. However, the document cannot come into effect unless 16 mln EUR is found by 1 September 2016. Active negotiations are being held with the UNDP and the EU. The amendments imply introduction of a system of e-registration of voters by their fingerprints. The citizens will go to the polls with an ID card and nearly 1.8 mln voters will receive such ID cards free of charge. The funds are also necessary for installing equipment at the polling stations for live transmission of the voting process and creation of special websites.
Former foreign minister of Armenia, MP Alexander Arzumanyan, thinks that one should not wait for donors' support to put the amendments into effect. It is necessary to divide the needed 16 mln EUR of expenses into several years. He noted that the order of adoption of Electoral Code amendments, part of which can be considered invalid, is inexpedient.