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Council of Europe Slams [UNKNOWN] Kocharian~Rs Constitutional Reform

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  • Council of Europe Slams [UNKNOWN] Kocharian~Rs Constitutional Reform

    Council of Europe Slams Kocharian~Rs Constitutional Reform

    Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep
    May 31 2005

    31/05/2005 10:52

    President Robert Kocharian and his leading allies were meeting
    late Monday to discuss harsh criticism of their draft amendments
    to Armenia's constitution which has been voiced by a key Council of
    Europe body.

    The so-called Venice Commission, which monitors legislative reform in
    the human rights organization's member states, expressed on Friday its
    "deep dissatisfaction" with the latest version of those amendments. It
    warned that the Armenian authorities should put more significant
    curbs on Kocharian's sweeping powers if they want to forge closer
    links with Europe.

    "The members of the Venice Commission's Working Group on constitutional
    reform in Armenia expressed their deep dissatisfaction with this
    text, as most of the Commission's comments have not been taken into
    consideration," the commission said in a statement.

    The statement quoted one of the members of the group, Kaarlo Tuori,
    as saying: "The draft constitutional amendments need to be drastically
    revised before they undergo the second reading."

    The constitutional package was approved by the Armenian parliament,
    dominated by Kocharian's loyalists, in the first reading on May 11.
    It is a slightly revised version of the draft amendments that were
    unveiled by Kocharian and his three-party governing coalition last
    November.

    In a report last December, Venice Commission experts said "more
    significant amendments" are needed for putting in place an effective
    system of checks and balances between the government branches in
    Armenia.

    Their recommendations would in particular give more powers to the
    National Assembly, seriously limit the president's controversial
    authority to appoint and sack virtually all judges and make the mayor
    of Yerevan an elected official. The Armenian authorities have so far
    been reluctant to embrace such changes.

    The Venice Commission warned that if their recommendations are not
    "fully" accepted by the authorities "the whole constitutional reform
    process would fail to bring Armenia closer to European values and
    attain the aim of further European integration."

    The issue apparently topped the agenda Kocharian's meeting on Monday
    with leaders of the three parties represented in his government. One of
    them, deputy parliament speaker Tigran Torosian, strongly criticized
    the Council of Europe body. "While accepting their questioning,
    I think that their reaction is not adequate," he told RFE/RL before
    the meeting.

    Torosian argued that Venice Commission experts should have reserved
    judgment on the issue until after their visit to Yerevan which is
    scheduled to start on Thursday. He said the parliament has yet to
    debate the amendments in the second and final reading and could change
    them as a result.

    Torosian, who has personally dealt with the Venice Commission, went
    on to accuse the Council of Europe of trying to "equate" Armenia
    with Azerbaijan. "I am certain that this statement can be used for
    political aims by other organizations," he said without elaborating.

    Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian was far more cautious in his reaction
    to the embarrassing criticism. "I think a lot has been that in that
    direction," he told reporters, referring to constitutional reform. "We
    are still not where the Europeans would like us to be. That is why
    we have to work."

    Constitutional reform was one of the conditions for Armenia's hard-won
    accession to the Council of Europe in January 2001. In a resolution
    adopted last September, the organization's Parliamentary Assembly
    (PACE) gave Yerevan until June to hold the repeatedly delayed
    constitutional referendum. Armenian officials reportedly told PACE
    leaders in April that the vote will likely take place in late July
    or early August.
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