President Serzh Sarkissian meets members of a presidential commission on constitutional reform, Yerevan, 13 March 2015 (Source: RFE/RL)
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—A state commission formed by President Serzh Sarkissian on Wednesday publicized its draft constitutional amendments envisaging Armenia’s transformation into a parliamentary republic with a largely ceremonial head of state not elected by popular vote.
The amendments reaffirm the commission’s belief that executive authority in the country must be fully vested in the prime minister and their cabinet formed by the parliamentary majority. The prime minister would also be empowered to pick the chief of staff of Armenia’s armed forces and would become their commander-in-chief in times of war.
By contrast, the president of the republic would be stripped of their presently sweeping powers. Under the amendments submitted to Sarkissian, the head of state would be elected for a 7-year term by an electoral college comprising members of the Armenian parliament and representatives of local governments.
The proposed changes also stipulate that the 131-member National Assembly will be elected only on the party-list basis. That would lead to the abolition of 41 single-seat constituencies that have been critical for Sarkissian’s control of the parliament ensured through his Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).
However, this change could be offset by another draft amendment mandating a second round of voting if no political party or bloc wins a clear parliamentary majority. The run-off parliamentary vote would pit the two leading election contenders against each other.
The constitutional package needs to be formally endorsed by Sarkissian before it can be sent to the parliament for approval. Armenian lawmakers are expected to start debating it in September. The Sarkissian administration is expected to put the amendments on a referendum later this year or early next year.
This will be a right direction for democracy, and elimination of oligarchy corrupted MPs. and government officials!
All TALANHIS are out of this and future draft constitution. This should be a must condition!
Sounds complicated, convoluted and confusing. In other words, Armenia becomes a one-party state in which the oligarchs can engage in unlimited plunder.
So sad to see a nation slowly bleed itself to death due to bottomless greed.
This is not Armenia’s new constitution – This is the Republican Party’s reincarnation program. This is the the great idea of former KGB-man Serzhik Sarkisyan for turning Republican party into CPSU and Armenia into USSR. He is always confident, that the soviet system was the best. First he created one-party-system then party-government-“nomenclatura” and this is the final step. I recommend smart people to calculate the consequences. I can add only one thing – former KGB-men have Armenia in their pockets and there is no escape.