USA backs constitutional reform in Armenia – envoy

Arminfo
27 Aug 05

YEREVAN

The USA supports the efforts of all participants in the process of
making amendments to the Armenian constitution and calls on all sides
to take part in responsible and constructive discussions of this
issue, the US ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, said yesterday.

He said that the constitution is the basic law of any country and
forms a “basis” that ensures the supremacy of the law. The Americans
needed 13 years to create the first version of the US
constitution. Since then, the US constitution has been amended 27
times and this last happened in the early 1990s.

Today in Iraq, creating or amending a constitution is a lengthy and
difficult process that requires a high level of responsibility from
all participants in order for the final document to express the will
of the people and secure the current balance between different
branches of power, the US ambassador said.

[Passage omitted: Expanding on the importance of the constitution] The
international community, including the USA, has always consistently
supported the efforts of the Council of Europe which helps Armenia
create a package of reforms. Today’s constitutional package is a
significant step forward, although its adoption is the prerogative of
the Republic of Armenia, of course, the US ambassador believes. He
expressed the hope that all important measures will be taken to
increase the civil consciousness of society in order for the
well-informed population to be able to express its will in the
forthcoming referendum in November.

“In the run-up to parliamentary discussions set for 29 August, I hope
that members of the National Assembly will realize their level of
responsibility to their compatriots for adopting constitutional
amendments for the good of the Republic of Armenia.” The debates which
will be held on 29 August, as well as the entire subsequent process
will become an indicator of the level of Armenia’s political
development, the US ambassador pointed out.