ARMENIAN PRESIDENT UPBEAT ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

Public Television of Armenia
Oct 1 2005

[Presenter] An international conference to mark the 10th anniversary
of the Armenian constitution and the Constitutional Court started
in Yerevan today. The secretary of the Venice Commission of the
Council of Europe, the chairman of the European Court of Human Rights
and chairmen of Constitutional Courts from more than 20 countries
are attending. The conference is planning to discuss wide-ranging
constitutional and justice issues in a two-day conference.

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan welcomed the participants in
the conference. He said that the constitution should be concise and
maximum accessible to every citizens of the country.

[Correspondent] The 10th international conference under the auspices
of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and the Armenian
Constitutional Court is a jubilee dedicated to the 10th anniversary
of the Armenian constitution and the formation of the Armenian
Constitutional Court.

The leaders of influential European organizations and chairmen of the
constitutional courts from 25 countries are attending. The president
expressed his satisfaction with the fact that Armenia has been a
venue for many international conferences in the recent ten years
where constitutional and justice issues were discussed.

[Kocharyan] Armenia is in the run-up to the constitutional reforms.

The experience of various countries shows how dangerous constitutional
crises are. You, as specialists know that constitutional reforms
must be in harmony with public process and stimulate them. The valid
constitution has a great role in promoting democracy in the country
and its admission to the Council of Europe.

However, the practical application of the constitution revealed many
serious conceptual omissions hindering the further development
of democracy in the country. Today it is necessary to create
constitutional guarantees for the establishment of a legal state.

[Correspondent] The process of the constitutional reforms in our
country has been implemented with the assistance of specialists from
European organizations since 2000. The Armenian president praised
productive cooperation with the Venice Commission which is coming to
an end.

[Kocharyan] The new draft constitutional amendments, which meet
international standards, will be submitted to public debates. The draft
amendments ensure significant progress in human rights protection,
division and balance of power branches. The independence of the
country’s judicial system will considerably grow and the local
government bodies will become more independent.

[Correspondent] The Armenian president also expressed the hope that
the discussions at the conference will focus on today’s realities
and help the community to better understand the importance of the
constitutional amendments. [Passage omitted: an interview with
participants in the conference]