Tuesday, September 20 2016 15:25

ArmInfo.The Armenian National Congress (ANC) will take an active part in the October 2 local elections in Gyumri and Vanadzor, ANC Faction Secretary Aram Manukyan said at a press conference in Yerevan on September 20. 

He said that artificial and fictitious opposition political forces,  whose task is to take votes away from the real opposition, will run  in both the local elections and the upcoming parliamentary elections.  "They are trying to split the opposition to mislead the voters," he  stressed.     Manukyan thinks that the ANC is an alternative to the ruling regime.  He noted that the ANC calls for total power shift. When considering  the amendments to the Electoral Code, the ANC will try to do its best  to cancel the provisions on preferential voting by party lists. "We  will try to conduct a peaceful power shift," Manukyan said. 

The politician added that the positions of the Republican Party of  Armenia have considerably weakened.  "They realize quite well that  they are weak and their concessions regarding the publication of the  lists of those who went to the polls are direct evidence of that,"  Manukyan said. He expressed hope that the elections will be fairer  after additional mechanisms aimed at enhancing public confidence in  electoral processes are introduced.    

To note, on September 13, representatives of authorities and  oppositionist factions in 444 format signed a new agreement on  creating additional mechanisms of raising public confidence towards  elections.  The new document envisages publication of voted citizens'  lists, amendments to Criminal Code on toughening punishment for false  testimony related to election rigging, prolongation of terms of  recalculation and appeal of results, as well as ensuring online  broadcasting from polling stations during elections. Head of Armenian  National Congress faction Levon Zurabyan said that for implementing  additional mechanisms of control over electoral processes 9 mln USD  were needed, which were raised due to EU, the USA and donor  organizations' efforts.