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The National Assembly of Armenia ontinues debating the legislative initiative on amendments and additions to the Law on ID cards and the Electoral Code of Armenia.

Earlier, the chairman of Armenian parliament’s standing committee on state and legal affairs Hovhannes Sahakyan said at the committee’s sitting that over 558 thousand Armenian citizens currently may not vote during an election or a referendum because they have only ID cards (new internal passports in Armenia). A citizen’s registration place is not indicated on the ID card. Besides, it is impossible to put a stamp on an ID card during a vote. On the initiative of H. Sahakyan, the issue of making amendments and additions to the Law on ID Cards and the Electoral Code was included on October 26 in the agenda of 4-day sittings The proposed legislative amendments shall ensure that ID cards will be accepted as an identity document during electoral processes, while the law will stipulate that no stamp shall be put on ID cards during a vote.

Member of the opposition ARF-Dashnaktsutyun (ARFD) faction Artsvik Minasyan presented today several proposals for solution of the problem: first, citizens should show a certificate about their participation in the vote, with a stamp to be put on that certificate. Secondly, lists of voters with ID cards should be publicized so that members of election commissions could exercise proper control.

Thirdly, according to Minasyan, election ink may be applied to fingers of voters during the vote to prevent double voting. Four parliamentary factions support that proposal, the MP said.

“This method is used in many countries. It will allow increasing the level of trust. Let’s take this step to prevent the constitutional reform opponents from stirring up trouble to achieve a victory,” A. Minasyan noted.