Political parties should have minimum 1,000 members upon registration – minister

Armenia’s minister of justice on Thursday introduced the proposed reforms to the law “On Political Parties”, which she said requires reducing the founding members’ number.

Under the amendments on agenda, a political party should have at least 1,000 members upon registration instead of the 2,000 required under the current legislation. The founders should be residents of Yerevan or represent at least 1/3 of the regions across Armenia.

If approved, the proposed legislation will allow parties to have territorial subdivisions in not only the capital city but also in at least 1/3 of the regions, Minister Arpine Hovhannisyan said.

The bill also outlines procedures for regulating the registration of parties, as well as the return of applications, rejection and grounds for banning their activities.

The amendments stem from the constitutional changes adopted after the December 6, 2015 referendum.