FINAL DRAFT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS NOT READY YET

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12-07-2005

`It is premature to speak of the final model of the constitutional
amendments’, NA Vice-Speaker Tigran Torosyan stated today.

According to the agreement achieved in Strasbourg June 23-24 with the
Venice Commission the Armenian party had to present the draft
constitutional amendments till July 7. T. Torosyan assured that the
draft that was sent included all the remarks and proposals of the
Venice Commission. `The commission will present its conclusions July
20 and we are ready to discuss them’, he noted.

Member of the working group Vardan Poghosyan also assured that all the
disputable issues have been considered, `As compared to the draft
adopted in the first reading this reviewed draft is a progress and can
really serve for the legal and democratic development of Armenia.

In his words, the main shortcoming of the operating Constitution is
the absence of the power division principle, which was preserved in
the present draft as well. However some issues have been settled. For
example the President is not empowered to dismiss the Prime Minister
any longer and he will nor preside over the Justice Council. The
Justice Minister and the Prosecutor General are not included in the
Council.

By suggestion of the Venice Commission the Justice Council will be the
last instance to settle the issues referring to the professionalism of
the judge. The issue of the election of the Mayor of Yerevan was also
discussed. It was fixed that Yerevan is a community.