President cannot run for third term - Armenian speaker

[Tavakalian Edgar]

President cannot run for third term - Armenian speaker

Arminfo
14 Jul 05


YEREVAN

"I am a lawyer and do not see any grounds for any talk about the
possibility of re-electing the president for a third term in office as
the constitution makes it clear that nobody can run for the presidency
more than twice," Armenian Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan told reporters
today.

He said that the relevant article of the constitution contains
comprehensive comments and cannot cause a difference of opinion. As
for the possibility that the president will be granted the right to be
elected for a third term in office after the approval of the new
constitution, the speaker regards as indisputable the idea under which
the draft amendments to the current constitution cannot be considered
as a new constitution.

At the same time, he said it would be fair if the incumbent president
preserved until 2008 his powers which will be reduced under the
constitutional reforms. "The president should exercise the powers with
which he was elected," Bagdasaryan said. He also said that the
parliament will get new powers after the approval of the
constitutional reforms.