THE RA NA APPROVES THE PROJECT OF CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IN THE SECOND READING
ARKA News Agency
Sept 1 2005
YEREVAN, September 1. /ARKA/. The RA NA approved in the second
reading the project of constitutional reforms from the coalition
by 98 votes “for” and one “abstained”. As the Chairman of Standing
Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs Mher
Shahgeldyan stated, the authors of the project took into consideration
the majority of the suggestions offered by the United Labor Party,
“National Deputy” deputy group and some independent deputies. He also
added that the editorial notes will be considered during the interval
between the second and third readings. According to him, adoption of
constitutional reforms will not solve the existing problems, however
the package of constitutional reforms makes serious legal basis
for it. He emphasized that the project is a “step forward compared
with the acting Constitution and previous projects of constitutional
reforms’. At that,Shahgeldyan reminded about the positive evaluation
of the project by the USA and such international organizations as PACE,
OSCE and EU.
To note, on August 29 a special session of the RA NA on the project
of the constitutional reforms (ARKA – project of ruling coalition)
began in the second reading. The opposition parliamentary powers
represented by the National Unity party and Justice bloc, boycotted
the parliamentary sessions from Feb 2004, and participated in the
discussions, however, in connection with neglect of their suggestions
they refused to participate in voting. A.H.-0–