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Constitutional reforms doomed to failure - Armenian opposition MP
Arminfo
18 Dec 04
Yerevan, 18 December: "The draft constitutional changes proposed
by the Armenian authorities are doomed to failure in their present
form," a member of the Armenian National Assembly from the opposition
Justice bloc and the leader of the National Democratic Party, Shavarsh
Kocharyan, said at a meeting with journalists at the Azdak club today.
He said that since the overwhelming majority of the people do not trust
the authorities, it is almost impossible for the draft constitutional
changes proposed by the ruling coalition to receive the necessary
support from one third of the overall number of voters to be adopted.
"This can only be done through massive falsification of the results
of the plebiscite. However, I do not think that the powers that be
will do so because they resort to any violations only when their
self-preservation is at stake," Kocharyan said.
At the same time, the only way out of the current situation would be
to put up for debate by the people draft constitutional amendments
resulting from public concord, he pointed out.
"If representatives of the ruling coalition started a dialogue
with the opposition on constitutional reforms not in words, but
in deeds, then we would regard the basic law as important to the
country's future without changing our position on the illegitimacy
of the regime and would probably reach an agreement on this issue,"
Shavarsh Kocharyan said.
Passage omitted: The Justice bloc has submitted its own constitutional
changes to the Council of Europe's Venice Commission
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Arminfo
18 Dec 04
Yerevan, 18 December: "The draft constitutional changes proposed
by the Armenian authorities are doomed to failure in their present
form," a member of the Armenian National Assembly from the opposition
Justice bloc and the leader of the National Democratic Party, Shavarsh
Kocharyan, said at a meeting with journalists at the Azdak club today.
He said that since the overwhelming majority of the people do not trust
the authorities, it is almost impossible for the draft constitutional
changes proposed by the ruling coalition to receive the necessary
support from one third of the overall number of voters to be adopted.
"This can only be done through massive falsification of the results
of the plebiscite. However, I do not think that the powers that be
will do so because they resort to any violations only when their
self-preservation is at stake," Kocharyan said.
At the same time, the only way out of the current situation would be
to put up for debate by the people draft constitutional amendments
resulting from public concord, he pointed out.
"If representatives of the ruling coalition started a dialogue
with the opposition on constitutional reforms not in words, but
in deeds, then we would regard the basic law as important to the
country's future without changing our position on the illegitimacy
of the regime and would probably reach an agreement on this issue,"
Shavarsh Kocharyan said.
Passage omitted: The Justice bloc has submitted its own constitutional
changes to the Council of Europe's Venice Commission
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress