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RED LINE?: NON-GOVERNING FORCES REITERATE OPPOSITION TO CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM AFTER PUBLICATION OF CONCEPT
POLITICS | 16.10.14 | 12:21
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/57665/armenia_constitution_reform_concept_politics
Photolure
By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Despite mostly positive conclusions from international organizations,
such as the Venice Commission that considers Armenia's planned
constitutional amendments "valuable" and having a "reliable basis",
most of the country's opposition forces are up in arms against
the reform.
It is also noteworthy that at one recent non-scientific survey
conducted by the A1 Plus news website shows that 80 percent of
respondents also opposes the changes.
Only one parliamentary minority party, the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), still refrains from finally evaluating
the reform. Last spring Dashnaktsutyun joined the Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP), Heritage and Armenian National Congress in
an informal bloc popularly known as Quartet that later presented
a list of a dozen demands to the government. But in the matter of
constitutional amendments Dashnaktsutyun disagreed with its partners
and did not engage in the holding of rallies during which the planned
constitutional changes are one of the key subjects of criticism.
Dashnaktsutyun said it would present its view after the concept of
the reform was published.
According to the concept that was published on Wednesday, the powers of
the president are to be curtailed, but not in favor of the Parliament
but in favor of the Government, representative of the Constitutional
Reform Commission, constitutional law expert Vardan Poghosyan said.
"It is not that the reduced powers of the President will pass to the
Parliament. A lion's share of them will pass to the Government and
the Prime Minister," said Poghosyan, according to RFE/RL's Armenian
Service.
Under the amended Constitution, it is the Prime Minister rather than
the Parliament Speaker who will be the "key player" in the country.
"It will be a prime minister whom it will be difficult to remove. For
this procedure the so-called constructive vote of no confidence is
envisaged, and the meaning of it is that one can change the prime
minister only when at the same time it is possible to choose a new
prime minister," said the expert.
The President, according to the concept, should not be entitled
to be reelected, "so that during his or her tenure s/he could more
integrally ensure his/her independence from political forces."
The Venice Commission made a special observation regarding the election
of the President.
"The decision to change the electoral system should be paid special
attention to, because people who are still accustomed to the direct
election of the President, may feel deprived of their right to vote,"
the international institution said, advising that the electorate
and civil society should be properly informed about the reasons for
the changes.
Meanwhile, the Prosperous Armenia Party, which is the largest of the
parties involved in the so-called opposition trio, stated that it
has a negative position on the concept of constitutional amendments.
"For example, in no way will we accept any constitutional amendments.
This is the red line. Constitutional amendments are simply a means to
create a situation where a government is formed without responsibility
and forever," PAP lawmaker Stepan Margaryan told RFE/RL's Armenian
Service.
At a meeting with reporters on Wednesday Heritage Party member Zaruhi
Postanjyan called the planned constitutional amendments "unfair". "Its
goal is to extend the term of this usurper government and serve the
interests of the usurpers," she said.
Political and electoral technologies expert Armen Badalyan thinks that
no matter how hard the opposition struggles against the constitutional
changes and what they see as an attempt of President Serzh Sargsyan
to ensure his continued grip on power, "the current president has
more powerful allies."
"The current president has a more powerful ally for ensuring the
passage of constitutional amendments, which is 10,000 drams (about
$25), and if necessary, the government will turn to this ally's aid,"
the expert told ArmeniaNow, implying the allegations by opposition
parties and media that authorities have used bribes to buy people's
vote during elections in the past.
"And secondly, in vassal countries like Armenia the government is
formed because it has the go-ahead of the government of the 'mother
country', in our case it is Russia, and the Constitution does not
play a big role," he concluded.
POLITICS | 16.10.14 | 12:21
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/57665/armenia_constitution_reform_concept_politics
Photolure
By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Despite mostly positive conclusions from international organizations,
such as the Venice Commission that considers Armenia's planned
constitutional amendments "valuable" and having a "reliable basis",
most of the country's opposition forces are up in arms against
the reform.
It is also noteworthy that at one recent non-scientific survey
conducted by the A1 Plus news website shows that 80 percent of
respondents also opposes the changes.
Only one parliamentary minority party, the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), still refrains from finally evaluating
the reform. Last spring Dashnaktsutyun joined the Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP), Heritage and Armenian National Congress in
an informal bloc popularly known as Quartet that later presented
a list of a dozen demands to the government. But in the matter of
constitutional amendments Dashnaktsutyun disagreed with its partners
and did not engage in the holding of rallies during which the planned
constitutional changes are one of the key subjects of criticism.
Dashnaktsutyun said it would present its view after the concept of
the reform was published.
According to the concept that was published on Wednesday, the powers of
the president are to be curtailed, but not in favor of the Parliament
but in favor of the Government, representative of the Constitutional
Reform Commission, constitutional law expert Vardan Poghosyan said.
"It is not that the reduced powers of the President will pass to the
Parliament. A lion's share of them will pass to the Government and
the Prime Minister," said Poghosyan, according to RFE/RL's Armenian
Service.
Under the amended Constitution, it is the Prime Minister rather than
the Parliament Speaker who will be the "key player" in the country.
"It will be a prime minister whom it will be difficult to remove. For
this procedure the so-called constructive vote of no confidence is
envisaged, and the meaning of it is that one can change the prime
minister only when at the same time it is possible to choose a new
prime minister," said the expert.
The President, according to the concept, should not be entitled
to be reelected, "so that during his or her tenure s/he could more
integrally ensure his/her independence from political forces."
The Venice Commission made a special observation regarding the election
of the President.
"The decision to change the electoral system should be paid special
attention to, because people who are still accustomed to the direct
election of the President, may feel deprived of their right to vote,"
the international institution said, advising that the electorate
and civil society should be properly informed about the reasons for
the changes.
Meanwhile, the Prosperous Armenia Party, which is the largest of the
parties involved in the so-called opposition trio, stated that it
has a negative position on the concept of constitutional amendments.
"For example, in no way will we accept any constitutional amendments.
This is the red line. Constitutional amendments are simply a means to
create a situation where a government is formed without responsibility
and forever," PAP lawmaker Stepan Margaryan told RFE/RL's Armenian
Service.
At a meeting with reporters on Wednesday Heritage Party member Zaruhi
Postanjyan called the planned constitutional amendments "unfair". "Its
goal is to extend the term of this usurper government and serve the
interests of the usurpers," she said.
Political and electoral technologies expert Armen Badalyan thinks that
no matter how hard the opposition struggles against the constitutional
changes and what they see as an attempt of President Serzh Sargsyan
to ensure his continued grip on power, "the current president has
more powerful allies."
"The current president has a more powerful ally for ensuring the
passage of constitutional amendments, which is 10,000 drams (about
$25), and if necessary, the government will turn to this ally's aid,"
the expert told ArmeniaNow, implying the allegations by opposition
parties and media that authorities have used bribes to buy people's
vote during elections in the past.
"And secondly, in vassal countries like Armenia the government is
formed because it has the go-ahead of the government of the 'mother
country', in our case it is Russia, and the Constitution does not
play a big role," he concluded.