Restrictions for election campaigning
1. Administrative resources shall be human, financial and material capital that persons holding public positions and public service positions dispose during elections, which is conditioned by their supervision over the personnel, finances and allocations in public sector.
It shall be prohibited to organise or conduct election campaigning, disseminate any type of campaign material, use financial, informational measures, premises, transport and communication, material and human resources provided for performing official duties for election campaigning purposes, except for security measures applicable in respect of high-ranking officials subject to state protection under the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On ensuring the safety of persons subject to special state protection”, for:
(1)those in public service, workers of healthcare or medical organisations, educational institutions, pre-school educational institutions - when performing their powers or when acting ex officio;
(2)the employees of state institutions or organisations, community institutions or organisations, organisations with 20 and more per cent participation of state or local self-government bodies in statutory capital - when performing their official duties or when acting ex officio;
(3)judges, prosecutors, officers of the Police, the National Security Service, penitentiary institutions, the Judicial Acts Compulsory Enforcement Service, the Probation Service, the Rescue Service, military servants, persons holding autonomous positions within investigation bodies (heads and deputy heads, investigators of investigation bodies);
(4)members of electoral commissions;
(5)charitable and religious organisations, international organisations;
(6)foreign citizens and organisations, persons not holding citizenship, except for the persons provided for by point 3 of part 2 of Article 2 of this Code;
(7)the Human Rights Defender;
(8)Chairperson and Board members of the Central Bank;
(9)members of the Audit Chamber;
(10)members of the Commission on Television and Radio;
(11)members of autonomous bodies;
(12)members of the Supreme Judicial Council;
(13) the President of the Republic;
(14)accredited organisations and observers engaged in observation mission.
2.Deputies of the National Assembly and heads of communities elected directly by electors, as well as members of the Council of Elders shall not be prohibited to conduct campaigning or disseminate campaign materials excluding the usage of the administrative resources referred to in part 1 of this Article.
3.Candidates who are in public service, candidates included in the electoral list of the political party running in elections shall carry out the election campaigning taking into account the following restrictions:
(1)direct or indirect appeals to vote for or against a candidate, a political party running in elections while performing official powers or any abuse of the official position to gain advantage during elections shall be prohibited;
(2)use of financial and informational measures, premises, transport and communication, material and human resources provided for performing official duties for election campaigning purposes shall be prohibited, except for security measures applicable in respect of high-ranking officials subject to state protection under the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On ensuring the safety of persons subject to special state protection”.
4.Where coverage of other activities of a candidate referred to in part 3 of this Article, who is included in the electoral list of the political parties running in elections is carried out, the mass media carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting shall take this into account when covering the activities of other candidates, political parties running in elections, in order to comply with the non-discriminatory principle of equality of coverage prescribed by Article 20 of this Code.
