Constitutional amendments of Armenia have been drafted in line with the Venice Commission recommendations and resolutions, President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio said in a message to the National Assembly of Armenia. Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov read out the message at the Parliament meeting today.
He said it is upon the will of the Armenian people whether to support the document or not. Mr. Buquiccio called for organization and conduct of the Constitutional Referendum in line with international standards. The expert said the draft Constitutional amendments will improve the system of human rights protection and bring it in line with European standards. He pointed at mechanisms of ensuring independence of the judicial system: Constitutional Court, Supervisory Chamber, and Central Election Commission.
Today, on October 5, the Armenian Parliament will submit the draft Constitutional amendments to vote. Afterwards, the date of the referendum will be determined. According to ArmInfo's data, it is December 6. Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, who will retire or will take a vacation by that time, will be appointed as the Chief of the Campaign Headquarters. The document, particularly, calls to expand the parliament's supervisory powers, authorize the legislative body to elect the president for a 7-year term. The authors of the draft concept offer changes to the system of the presidential election.