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PRESIDENTIAL REPRESENTATIVE SPEAKING ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Politics

Two packages of constitutional amendments proposed by Galust Saakyan, an MP of Republican Party, one of the ruling Coalition parties, and Arshak Sadoyan, an MP from the Opposition, are included in upcoming parliamentary session agenda.

On Friday, Armen Harutyunyan, the presidential representative on constitutional issues, answering the questions journalists put to him in National Press Club said the coalition-supported amendments restrict president’s powers. For example, under the current Constitution, the president was empowered to dismiss Parliament at any time he wants, excepting some cases, while the new amendments prohibit to do that, again excepting some cases.

Armen Harutyunyan didn’t specify that these “some cases” give President sweeping powers and strip Parliament of its independence.

It means if the president-nominated cabinet ministers fail to be approved by the Parliament for three times, Parliament elected by people can be dismissed.

Even the previous version proposed by Coalition and not approved by Referendum gave no such absurd authority to the President.

Armen Harutyunyan assured journalists some provisions, including this one, is still under discussion.

Do constitutional amendments give the president a right to run for presidency three or four times? Instead of giving direct answer, the presidential representative said “it isn’t a new Constitution but only amendments to the current one”.