ARF-D NOT TO BACK CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS UNLESS PARLIAMENTARY MODEL APPROVED – LAWMAKER
17:30 * 03.04.15
In an interview with Tert.am, Artsvik Minasyan, a lawmaker of
opposition the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun
(ARF-D), commented on the possibility of a second draft of
constitutional amendments.
The ARF-D is concerned over the reasons for a second draft.
“If the concept of a semi-presidential system or of reforms has
to be discussed once again, we are not for such an approach,” Mr
Minasyan said.
The second draft has not been distributed among the MPs because
Armenia’s president has approved one concept – parliamentary
government.
Commenting on the security concerns expressed by President Serzh
Sargsyan in a recent speech, Minasyan said he doesn’t think that the
parliamentary model in any way undermines national security.
“We insist on parliamentary government and share all the concerns
addressed by the president. We have international experience; in many
countries, there are systems ensuring government security, reducing
instability as well as guaranteeing internal and external security.
The parliamentary government does not in any way diminish [the
importance] of those problems. On the contrary, we see that developed
countries prefer the parliamentary model.”
Asked whether the president’s refusal to accept the system would mean
that he will lose the ARF-D as a partner in the implementation of the
reforms, Minasyan said the party will not back the amendments in case
the proposed model isn’t included in the package.
“Definitely, if the parliamentary form [of government isn’t approved],
we will not back such a reform. Our proposals are not restricted to the
government model; we have more large-scale proposals in terms of both
human rights protection and independence of the judiciary, as well as
direct participatory democracy, local government and corporate systems;
there are so many proposals. Yes, that’s the central question, but the
rest are important for us too; even if they are accepted, that doesn’t
mean we will be fully content with the proposed scenario, because it
is important to address the other questions as well,” he noted
Minasyan said he doesn’t expect the rest of the problems fully resolved
without the adoption of the parliamentary model. “If that one is
adopted without the other, we may formally have a parliamentary
[government], but the system will be super-personified in essence,”
he added.