AZG Armenian Daily #104, 08/06/2005

Constitution

‘REFERENDUM WILL BE EQUAL TO REVOLUTION’, ARSHAK SADOYAN PREDICTS

Venice Committee Still Disappointed

Giovanni Buccicio, chairman of the Venice Committee, and Tigran Torosian,
chairman of the Committee for Integration to Europe, completed the works on
the bill on making constitutional amendments and gave a press conference
recently. Buccicio confirmed the disappointment of the Venice Committee with
the three points in the bill. The issue of electing the mayor of Yerevan is
definitely accepted by the Committee, while there is still much to do in the
human rights issue, as well as in balancing the power between the ruling
branches. Buccicio stated that the new variant will be elaborated till June
20 and the Venice Committee will accept it. He added that, after being
discussed in Strasburg, it will be submitted to RA National Assembly for the
second reading.

They recently adopted a memorandum of mutually agreed conclusions that
speaks of the decision of RA Government to keep in line with the criteria of
the Venice Committee when elaborating the new bill. Tigran Torosian said
that the elaborated bill on making constitutional amendments will be
submitted to the Venice Committee earlier than June 20 and it will be
possible to discuss it in Strasburg already on June 23. Buccicio informed
that they expect that the constitutional referendum will be held not later
than in October.

Earlier Arshak Sadoyan expressed the idea that the abovementioned referendum
can turn into a revolution. At the same time, he said that RA authorities
have submitted the bill he elaborated without translating that till the end
to the Venice Committee. He said he is going to provide the full translation
of the bill to the committee at his own initiative. Arshak Sadoyan is going
to represent 30-40 suggestions.

By Nana Petrosian