Armenian Parliament OKs amendments to Electoral CodeMay 8, 2021 - 14:00 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian parliament voted on Friday, May 7 to change the country's Electoral Code. The measure was approved with 81 lawmakers voting in favor of the changes, 0 against and 0 abstaining, Speaker of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan said. The electoral threshold for parties was thus lowered from 5% to 4%. That of blocs, however, was raised from the previous 7% – to 8% for three-party blocks and to 10% for blocs of four and more parties. In early April, the National Assembly approved draft amendments on holding snap elections in the country under a proportional system. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on March 18 that Armenia will hold snap parliamentary elections on June 20. the PM came under fire after signing a statement with the Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents to end the war in Nagorno-Karabakh almost 45 days after the start of the military hostilities. Under the deal, the Armenian side was forced to return all the seven regions surrounding Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities. Top stories Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. Partner news | Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan “progress” The EU has welcomed “progress” made in the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process. Belarus opposition leader slams Lukashenko for Karabakh trip Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has harshly criticized the visit of Lukashenko to Karabakh. |