CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS PASS FINAL READING

Armenpress
Sept 28, 2005

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS: With a vote of 90 and without votes
of ‘no’ and abstentions the Armenian parliament has passed today in
the third and final reading a package of constitutional amendments
that will be put on a national referendum on November 26.

Opposition lawmakers from Ardarutyun (Justice) bloc and the National
Unity boycotted the voting. The Armenian parliament passed also in
the second and third final reading a bill on making changes to the
Law on Referendum. The changes are meant to make the Law on Referendum
comply with already amended Election Law.

Before putting the bill to a second reading Hrayr Karapetian from
the ARF said the bill incorporated some of changes, proposed by the
opposition. He, particularly, mentioned a suggestion by an opposition
lawmaker from Ardarutyun-Arshak Sadoyan- envisaging the secrecy
of ballot.

The bill also incorporated two other opposition proposals saying that
precincts may have no more than one ballot box and that voting results
must be tabulated and made public every three hours, but nevertheless,
the opposition boycotted the voting.