Artsakh Parliament Approves Constitutional Amendment Bill

The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh discussed a draft amendment to the Republic's Constitution during its latest session. The proposal was presented by the First Deputy of the Presidential Staff, Zhira Mirzoyan, who emphasized the necessity of adopting this amendment to ensure the stability and continuity of the state governance system.

Given the imperative to ensure the security of the Republic of Artsakh, alongside the challenges faced by the Republic and the geopolitical and regional developments, the amendment aims to reserve the right to elect the President to the National Assembly during a state of martial law. This change is intended to enhance the flexibility of the state governance system under such conditions.

Following the introduction of the bill, its author suggested setting a one-week deadline for written proposals before the second reading. The draft had previously been reviewed by the primary committee and received a positive conclusion.

The session featured exchanges of views from the Chairman of the National Assembly, Artur Tovmasyan, and Deputy Gegham Stepanyan. Subsequently, the bill was put to a vote and unanimously passed in its first reading.

Next, Deputy Speaker Gagik Baghunts announced the National Assembly's decision: “In accordance with Part 3 of Article 75 of the ‘Regulations of the National Assembly’ law, the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh decides to set the deadline for submitting written proposals regarding the draft constitutional amendment approved in the first reading on March 15, 2023, until March 21 of this year at 17:00.”