ARMENIAN MPS DEBATE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES AT EXTRAORDINARY SESSION – TV

Armenia TV, Yerevan
29 Aug 05

[Presenter over video of parliament session] After 18 months of
boycott, representatives of two opposition parties have returned to
the parliament to take part in its extraordinary session.

>>From the very beginning the opposition spoke about disagreements
regarding the draft constitution. The secretary of the Justice
bloc, Viktor Dallakyan, said the president’s decree convening an
extraordinary session of the National Assembly did not correspond to
the current constitution and the National Assembly regulations. The
decree did not say that constitutional changes would be debated in
the second reading, it only mentioned the constitution with the word
– changes – in brackets. In the future this may give grounds to the
Constitutional Court to declare that the constitution was not amended
but a new constitution was adopted, Dallakyan said.

The chairman of the National Assembly, Artur Bagdasaryan, replied that
both Armenia and the Council of Europe were aware that the parliament
was not adopting a new constitution but changing the old one. But the
opposition was not pleased with this answer. Finally, it was decided
that those making speeches would mention that the constitution was
being amended.

The main reporter on the draft, Mger Shakhgeldyan, presented
constitutional amendments. The branches of power have been balanced,
the role of the National Assembly in government formation has been
increased, independence of the Justice Council has been ensured,
necessary conditions have been created for the establishment and
development of local government structures and the issue of Yerevan
mayor’s election has been resolved, Shakhgeldyan said.