Vahram Baghdasaryan, head of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) parliamentary faction told reporters today that the HHK doesn’t back a new electoral code bill becausethe Pashinyan government is trying to ramrod the changes through the parliament without adequate review.

He accused the government of disregarding a package of electoral code changes proposed by a working group comprised of all four parliamentary factions.

“The working group summarized its suggestions in August and sent them to the government, but many of the mutually agreed to proposals were overlooked by the government. The bill was hastily presented to the parliament and was submitted to the Venice Commission just days ago. The Commission wasn’t able to issue a conclusion. Thus, the Commission, for the first time is deprived of the opportunity to present an opinion until the bill’s approval by the National Assembly,” Baghdasaryan said.