THE LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

ON THE ELECTION OF
DEPUTIES TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

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CHAPTER 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. The principles of the election of the deputies
to the National Assembly and its composition

The deputies to the National Assembly are elected in a secret ballot by the citizens of the Republic of Armenia entitled to vote, based on the free implementation of the right for general equal direct elections.

The National Assembly comprises 190 deputies.

Members of the government can not be elected to the National Assembly. Judges, employees of the Prosecution Office and the State Directorate of National Security, servicemen of the Interior Ministry and the Armed Forces cannot be deputies or be nominated for election.

Article 2. The electoral system

The elections to the National Assembly are carried out based on the majoritarian and proportional representation systems.

150 deputies of the National Assembly are elected by the majoritarian system, one National Assembly deputy from each voting district.

40 deputies of the National Assembly are elected by the proportional representation system in a single multiballot district comprising the whole territory of the republic from among deputy candidates nominated through lists.

Article 3. The right to votem

The citizens of the Republic of Armenia who became 18 years of age prior to the day of the elections and have resided in the Republic of Armenia for at least one year prior to the day of the elections have the right to vote.

The citizens of the Republic of Armenia who became 25 years of age prior to the day of the elections and have permanently resided in the Republic of Armenia for at least three years prior to the day of the elections have the right to be elected.

Persons recognized as incompetent by a court of law, citizens in confinement by a legal court verdict and citizens wanted in a criminal investigation do not take part in the elections. Neither do persons detained under criminal charges, who were denied registration by a decision of the Central electoral committee or the Supreme Court in the manner prescribed by this law.

Each elector has a right of one vote in a single ballot district and a right of one vote in the multiballot district comprising the whole territory of the republic.

Each citizen entitled to be elected can run in only one majoritarian district and only one list.

Any restriction of the right of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia to vote is forbidden, except in cases provided by law.

Article 4. The right to nominate candidates for deputies to the National Assembly

The right to nominate candidates for deputies to the National Assembly belongs to the voters in constituent districts and to public-political organizations or coalitions of these registered prior to the nomination-submitting deadline defined by this law.

Each public-political organization or a coalition of them has the right to propose only one list of candidates for deputies to the National Assembly.


CHAPTER 2
THE BASES OF PREPARING AND CARRYING OUT THE ELECTIONS
Article 5. The the bases of preparing and carrying out the elections

The preparation and implementation of the elections is ensured by the central, district and precinct electoral committees in accordance with this law.

The organizational expenses of the elections are covered from a united fund created under the management of the Central electoral committee. The fund is formed by state allocations as well as voluntary contributions of enterprises, public organizations and individual citizens. The amount of the state allocation for the organization of the elections is authorized by the National Assembly.

Candidates for deputies to the National Assembly participating in the elections by the majoritarian system and public-political organizations participating in the elections by the proportional system have the right to use their own funds as well as funds generated through donations and fundraisers in their pre-election publicity campaigns.

The funds used in the campaign of each candidate can not exceed the minimum [monthly] salary in the republic by a factor of more than five hundred. Candidates and public-political organizations submit disclosures of their campaign expenses to the Central electoral committee in a manner prescribed by the latter.

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