Epress.am News from Armenia
Since it will not be possible for Armenian citizens who vote in the December 6 referendum on Constitutional amendments to receive stamps on their identification cards (ID) for voting, this polling method is fraught with risks of double voting, lawmaker Tigran Urikhanyan said Friday during a session of the National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs.
For this reason Urikhanyan proposed a bill to install relevant electronic devices at the polling stations which would record the participation of citizens with ID cards. The lawmaker stated these devices “are inexpensive, and if desired, the Government will find the necessary funds.”
Urikhanyan added that the Government, which has put forward the idea of ID voting, should have also proposed solutions for possible problems. “Perhaps problems elimination requires big expenses; however, is it appropriate to talk about money when the issue concerns the honor or elections. That's the organizers' problem. Reducing certain administrative expenses would relieve the load and [save money for control devices].”
The Committee, with a vote of 5 against to 4 in favor, refused to submit Urikhanyan's proposal to the agenda of the Parliament's next four-day sitting.