Nagorno Karabakh to hold referendum on draft constitution on December 10
Regnum, Russia
Nov 3 2006
Nagorno Karabakh President Arkady Gukasyan signed a decree on November
3, to carry out a referendum on draft Nagorno Karabakh constitution
on December 10, 2006, a REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert informs.
The draft constitution, particularly, says that the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic is a sovereign, democratic, law abiding, social state. Power
in Nagorno Karabakh belongs to the people. The people exert their
authority through free elections, referenda, and through governmental
institutions, local authorities and governmental officials envisaged by
the Constitution and basic legislation. The state secures protection
of basic human and civil rights in accordance with general principles
and international law. Until the territorial integrity of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic is restored and the borders delimitated, public
authority is being exerted in the territory practically being under
the NKR jurisdiction.
It is worth mentioning, the NKR draft constitution was passed by the
parliament in the first reading, after that public debates were held.
During the debates, a large number of proposals on the draft
constitution were received, including 127 proposals from parliamentary
factions and groups, as well as from MPs. All the proposals were sent
to the head of the work group of the constitutional commission and
discussed with commission members. As a result, the draft was amended
before the second reading and submitted to the parliament. As had of
the work group Armen Zalinyan said, the draft was elaborated that
"would give a reason to us to be proud of it." He also noted high
public activity during the debates, which, according to him, showed
involvement of society into the process of drafting and adopting
the document.