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REFORM CONTROVERSY: ANC REAFFIRMS OPPOSITION TO CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
NEWS | 17.03.15 | 10:49
The Armenian National Congress (ANC) will seek to scuttle the
constitutional reform initiated by the current administration or turn
a corresponding referendum into a "vote of no confidence" in President
Serzh Sargsyan and his government, the opposition party said on Monday.
In a statement the ANC said that the initiative has only one goal:
"To remove the constitutional barrier to extending [Sargsyan's]
personal rule."
The opposition party claimed that Sargsyan ordered a government
crackdown against the opposition last month "in order to reach
this goal".
Last week the president held a series of meetings with representatives
of several political parties, including the Prosperous Armenia Party
(PAP), which had to change its leader earlier this month under apparent
strong pressure from Sargsyan and his ruling Republican Party of
Armenia, that described the PAP's then leader Gagik Tsarukyan as
"evil".
Since the change of leadership on March 5, the PAP has been less
categorical in its opposition to the constitutional reform that is
expected to turn Armenia into a parliamentary republic.
The ANC believes, however, that by making the National Assembly a
more dominant branch of power Sargsyan attempts to extend his own
rule beyond 2018 when, under the current Constitution, he will be
barred from seeking a third presidential term in a row.
Sargsyan, who formally endorsed the reform concept over the weekend,
earlier had pledged not to seek a top government post if the
constitutional amendments were made.
"The goal of this imitational show of "broad consolidation" of
political forces is to create an illusion of public approval around
the idea of changing the Constitution," the ANC said.
"The ANC state that in the created situation it will do everything
to protect the Constitution from tyrannical encroachments, to return
the power to the people, to restore the disturbed constitutional order
and urges the public, all layers of society to consolidate and oppose
the unconcealed attempt to establish dictatorship in the country by
turning the referendum on constitutional amendments into a vote of
no confidence in Serzh Sargsyan and a nationwide process of removing
the current regime from power," the opposition party said.
http://armenianow.com/news/61477/armenia_constitutional_reform_anc_opposition
NEWS | 17.03.15 | 10:49
The Armenian National Congress (ANC) will seek to scuttle the
constitutional reform initiated by the current administration or turn
a corresponding referendum into a "vote of no confidence" in President
Serzh Sargsyan and his government, the opposition party said on Monday.
In a statement the ANC said that the initiative has only one goal:
"To remove the constitutional barrier to extending [Sargsyan's]
personal rule."
The opposition party claimed that Sargsyan ordered a government
crackdown against the opposition last month "in order to reach
this goal".
Last week the president held a series of meetings with representatives
of several political parties, including the Prosperous Armenia Party
(PAP), which had to change its leader earlier this month under apparent
strong pressure from Sargsyan and his ruling Republican Party of
Armenia, that described the PAP's then leader Gagik Tsarukyan as
"evil".
Since the change of leadership on March 5, the PAP has been less
categorical in its opposition to the constitutional reform that is
expected to turn Armenia into a parliamentary republic.
The ANC believes, however, that by making the National Assembly a
more dominant branch of power Sargsyan attempts to extend his own
rule beyond 2018 when, under the current Constitution, he will be
barred from seeking a third presidential term in a row.
Sargsyan, who formally endorsed the reform concept over the weekend,
earlier had pledged not to seek a top government post if the
constitutional amendments were made.
"The goal of this imitational show of "broad consolidation" of
political forces is to create an illusion of public approval around
the idea of changing the Constitution," the ANC said.
"The ANC state that in the created situation it will do everything
to protect the Constitution from tyrannical encroachments, to return
the power to the people, to restore the disturbed constitutional order
and urges the public, all layers of society to consolidate and oppose
the unconcealed attempt to establish dictatorship in the country by
turning the referendum on constitutional amendments into a vote of
no confidence in Serzh Sargsyan and a nationwide process of removing
the current regime from power," the opposition party said.
http://armenianow.com/news/61477/armenia_constitutional_reform_anc_opposition