OPPOSITION NOT HOMOGENEOUS

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| 14:25:14 | 04-06-2005 | Politics |

Though the coalition’s draft constitutional amendments was adopted in
the first reading it does not provide for three principal aspects,
these being the independence of the juridical system, elective post
of the Mayor of Yerevan and the division of power.

“The problem of power balance is the most difficult one, since in this
case the President will be deprived of his exceed authority. “Neither
the acting Constitution nor the drafts provide for this balance. As
result we see that the country has become authoritative”, leader of
the Liberal Progressive party Hovhannes Hovhannisyan says. “With
implementing new reforms the leadership will exert every effort
to strengthen this authoritarianism. The rights of the NA will be
reduced. The NA is not empowered to make serious decisions like the
formation of the government, appointment of the Prime Minister. As
a matter of fact we have no National Assembly, since featureless NA
has no significance in ruling the country”, he notes.

The LPPA members are adherents to the specifying of the parliament’s
position and providing it with wide-range authority. “The National
Assembly should take part in the formation of the government,
the members of the government should account to the NA and the
parliament should have the right to express opinion on appointment
of the Prime Minister. H. Hovhanissyan understands that in case the
NA authority is expanded it is essential to create a mechanism of
counteraction, otherwise the parliament can become another “headache”
for the society. “I think the President should not have the right to
dissolve the parliament. If we arm the President with this instrument
the parliament’s rights will not worth a penny”, he says.

Leader of the extra-parliamentary opposition is convinced that the
amendments will not improve either after the second or third reading.
Unfortunately to ate trying to cheat all – the Council of Europe,
the Venice Commission and our own people. “The authorities proved
that they cannot be trusted. They displayed no tolerance towards the
other draft amendments”, H. Hovhannisyan says.

“Earlier the Venice Commission just advised however now it appears as a
commander. The style has changed from consultations to demands. It is
inadmissible”, head of Ramkavar-Azatakan, another extra-parliamentary
party Harutyun Arakelyan says. He is an adherent to the presidential
government system. “However executive legislative and juridical
powers should control each other and their functions should be fixed
in the Constitution. In this case a political system will be formed”,
he stressed. The members of Ramkavar-Azatakan are displeased with the
current process of constitutional reforms. “The Constitution should be
elected by the people. However nobody explains to the people what laws
will be adopted and what sense these amended laws will have”, they say.

Lena Badeyan