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| 14:14:33 | 30-04-2005 | Politics |

PEOPLE SHOULD GET BACK THEIR RIGHT

Presently the laws and amendments to the Constitution can be put to
referendum at the suggestion of the National Assembly or the President.

Justice faction secretary Victor Dallakyan considers that in the civilized
world the power belong to the people. It is an elementary principle of
democracy. Article 2 of the Constitution says that the people express their
will via referenda, elections, local self-government bodies and officials.
`Consequently, people’s right to initiate referenda is rather logical. The
law on referendum adopted in 1991 says that the President and parliament
have the right to initiate a referendum. However the resolution on
conducting a vote of confidence by the Constitutional Court of April 16,
1995 says that the people should have the right’, Victor Dallakyan says.

He considers that the issues referring to the sovereignty of the republic,
state budget, territorial integrity and so on cannot be put to referendum
while people should have the right to make amendment to some laws and the
Constitution. He brings the example of California, where people can dismiss
a governor, pass laws, withdraw a local senator, etc.

As for the periodicity of holding referenda, Victor Dallakyan considers that
it can be once a year, however without any strict limitations.

National Unity faction secretary Alexan Karapetyan considers that well
formed legitimate powers are essential for the establishment of the
institute of referendum. `Referendum can be held once in six months or once
a year on the issues referring to the global changes, foreign policy and
future of the people’ he says.

Diana Markosyan