CEC Cannot Artificially Obstruct Registration of “Strong Armenia” Party, Says Commission Chairman

YEREVAN — Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission of Armenia (CEC) cannot arbitrarily refuse to register any political force if it has submitted all the documents required by the Electoral Code. Registration can only be denied if the documents are incomplete and the political party fails to correct the deficiencies within the legally prescribed 48-hour period.

This was stated by CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan during a press conference in response to a journalist’s question about whether the commission could refuse to register the Strong Armenia Party.

“For the CEC not to register a political force, the political force itself would have to want not to be registered. If a party submits all the required documents, the CEC simply registers it without a vote. If there are no objections, the party is considered registered automatically. There can be no artificial obstacles, because the law clearly defines the list of required documents,” Hovakimyan said.

According to the CEC chairman, once a political force is registered, the commission does not have the authority to revoke that registration on its own. In such cases, the commission must apply to the court.

“The Central Electoral Commission cannot independently declare the registration of a political force invalid. Under our legislation, the CEC must apply to the court on this matter. A mandatory condition is that the political force repeatedly violates the Electoral Code. Only when serious and consistent violations accumulate can the CEC be compelled to apply to the court,” Hovakimyan explained.

Addressing statements by law enforcement agencies regarding possible pressure or financing from foreign states, the CEC chairman emphasized that the commission is not an intelligence or law enforcement body and operates solely within the framework of monitoring the activities of electoral participants within Armenia.

“The CEC is not an intelligence, counterintelligence, or law enforcement body that operates with the tools you describe. It is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to protect our citizens both in Armenia and abroad. The CEC’s role concerns registered parties and their activities within the territory of Armenia,” Hovakimyan said.

On March 10, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Armenia issued a statement warning about pressure being exerted on Armenian citizens in another country and possible interference in Armenia’s upcoming electoral processes.