REVISED DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO RA CONSTITUTION DIRECT WAY TO
DICTATORSHIP: SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28. ARMINFO. Revised draft amendments to the RA
Constitution submitted to a nation-wide referendum are a direct way to
dictatorship, the Parliament member of the opposition bloc “Justice”,
Chairman of the National-Democratic Party (NDP) Shavarsh Kocharyan
told a press conference.

According to him, the draft should be compared not even with the
current Constitution, but with the document that was submitted to a
nation-wide referendum on May 25, 2003, and was voted down. The new
draft has 20 distinctive features, four of them being merits and 16
demerits, Sh. Kocharyan said. According to him, “among the merits are:
the accused right to interrogation in the presence of a lawyer, the
abolition of the right to tapping and control of people’s private
correspondence, as well as the stipulation of the right of the RA
National Assembly to Statements.” On the other hand, “the demerits
are: arbitrary restriction of citizens’ rights and freedoms, legal
stipulation of dependence of the entire judicial system of one person
– the President, permission to Parliament members to run business, the
President’s right to dissolve the Parliament if it does not approve
the Government proposed by the President, etc.” The goal of the draft
is maximal enlargement of the President’s power, which are excessive
as it is and further dictatorship, the parliamentarian said.

The did not rule out the possibility of Robert Kocharian’s running for
the third presidency term. “Robert Kocharian said that he did not wish
to run for the third term, but as his powers expire, a political
force, representatives of the intelligentsia and public will be found
that will persuade him into continuing as President. This is the real
goal of the draft amendments that is being indirectly proposed,”
Sh. Kocharyan said. He stressed that the opposition’s return to
Parliament would only means “playing up to” this process. Despite the
journalists’ numerous questions, the parliamentarian avoided answering
the question concerning the opposition’s further actions in this
situation. However, Sh. Kocharyan is well aware of what the people
must do, namely, “struggle, while we will lead this struggle.”