TEXT OF DRAFT NKR CONSTITUTION DISTRIBUTED TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

Lragir.am
15 June 06

NKR Speaker Ashot Ghulyan stated June 14 that the text of the draft
NKR constitution was distributed to the members of parliament. He
also announced that the parliament will discuss the constitution in
fall. In the meantime it will be put to a referendum. The Task Force
on Constitution was set up in 2000. Though it was already rather late,
no practical efforts were made over the past 6 years (at least the
public did not learn anything). In this context, the hastiness this
year seems strange.

It should be noted that the second and last term of President Arkady
Ghukasyan ends next year. It was said to be intended to empower Arkady
Ghukasyan to run a third time. However, judging by information that is
given, the bill provides for semi-presidential governance, and Arkady
Ghukasyan would hardly wish to be elected "semi-president." Besides
it should be noted that the head of the Task Force, Attorney General
Armen Zalinyan announced a year ago that the current borders of NKR
would be set down in the Constitution. It is unknown to the public
what other "attention-grabbing" provisions the Constitution contains,
because the draft of the constitution has not been published yet,
and it is not clear when it will be published.