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| 19:14:22 | 23-06-2005 | Politics | PACE SUMMER SESSION |

IT’S SENSELESS TO TRY TO AVOID PROPOSALS BY VENICE COMMISSION

The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) is `deeply concerned’ by
the fact that the delay in the adoption of the constitutional amendments is
`holding back Armenia’s progress towards European democratic norms and
standards in key areas of political life’. According to the Assembly, the
revision of the Constitution is a pre-condition for the fulfillment of some
of the most important commitments that Armenia undertook upon its accession
to the Council of Europe. These include the separation and balance of
powers, the reform of the judicial system and local self-government reform.

At the end of an urgent debate, PACE followed the proposals by the
rapporteurs Georges Colombier (France, EPP/CD) and Jerzy Jaskiernia (Poland,
SOC) and called on the Armenian authorities and the parliamentary majority
to fully implement the recommendations of the Venice Commission, to
undertake clear and meaningful steps in order to resume an immediate
dialogue with the opposition and to adopt the text at second reading `no
later than August 2005′, in view of the referendum that should be held `no
later

The Assembly called on the opposition `to stop its parliamentary boycott and
do everything possible to promote the recommendations of the Council of
Europe with regard to the constitutional reform’. The parliamentarians
decided to observe the constitutional referendum and, in the meantime,
declared their readiness to provide any assistance that might be needed for
its preparation.