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Opposition Groups Protest Voting System Outside Armenian Parliament (PHOTOS)

While the National Assembly discusses the move to a 100% proportional representation system proposed by parliamentary opposition parties Heritage Party and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), a couple hundred people were protesting outside the National Assembly gates in central Yerevan. Demonstrators represent mainly the two parliamentary opposition parties and the extra-parliamentary opposition bloc the Armenian National Congress.

Recall, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), which holds a significant parliamentary majority, is opposed to the bill.

Note, out of 131 parliamentary seats, 41 are elected by majority ballot and 90 by party-list proportional representation. In Armenia, citizens vote for individual candidates on the majority ballot, but vote for political parties on the proportional ballot. Opposition parties support a move to a 100% proportional representation system as they believe the majority seats are biased in favor of larger political groups and oligarchs.

There are about two hundred police officers also on the scene.

The inscription on some of the placards held by protestors and affixed on the parliamentary gates reads: “41 + HHK = poverty, emigration”, “A National Assembly without cretins”, “No to Majority System, Yes to Proportional Representation” and “I am against the majority system”.

The discussion in parliament wrapped up a little while earlier, but voting on the bill will take place tomorrow.