Armenian referendum on constitutional changes slated for December 6

The referendum on constitutional changes, providing for Armenia’s transition to parliamentary form of government, will be held on December 6.

YEREVAN, October 8. / ARKA /. The referendum on constitutional changes, providing for Armenia’s transition to parliamentary form of government, will be held on December 6. A corresponding decree was signed today by president Serzh Sargsyan, his press service said. The package of changes was approved by the parliament on October 5.

According to the proposed changes, the president of Armenia, whose powers will be significantly curtailed, is elected for a term of seven years (instead of the current five) by the parliament, not in a national vote. One and the same person can be elected president only once. To be elected in the first round the candidate must be backed by ¾ of the votes, and if this can not be done, the candidate must be elected by 3/5 of the votes. If the candidate fails to garner even this number of votes, he/she will be elected by a majority of all deputies.

According to the document, the president is head of state, embodying national unity and ensuring the observance of the Constitution. He/she cannot be a member of a political party.  The supreme executive authority is the government that develops and implements the internal and external policies. The government is also vested with power to implement the overall public administration.

Under the proposed changes the president is to appoint a candidate of prime minister of the party or party bloc that wins parliamentary elections. If parliamentary forces are unable to agree on the candidacy of the head of government, the parliament (National Assembly) is to be dissolved. A vote of no-confidence in the prime minister can be passed no sooner than a year after his/her appointment.

According to the published document, the armed forces are subordinated to the government, and the prime minister is the supreme commander of the armed forces in times of war.

The proposed changes stipulate that parliament members are elected for five years by a proportional system. The unicameral parliament is to consist of at least 101 members (instead of the current 131). This means that 41 single-seat constituencies must be abolished. The new parliament must have representatives of national minorities. -0-