Draft of Constitutional Reform Concept Approved

A draft of the constitutional reform concept has been approved by the professional commission for constitutional reforms. This was reported to Sputnik Armenia by the Ministry of Justice in response to a written inquiry.

The ministry did not specify which provisions of the fundamental law the commission is discussing altering; however, they noted that the approved draft includes provisions related to the form of government, the scope of presidential powers, the elimination of the distinction between Chapters 2 and 3 of the Constitution, and the incorporation of fundamental social, economic, and cultural rights into the chapter on human rights. It also addresses the possibility of establishing state and, particularly, autonomous bodies by constitutional provisions, the citizenship and residency requirements for several positions, and the delegation of powers from state bodies to private law entities.

It has been noted that the concept also aims to tighten the procedure for amending the Constitution and includes proposed adjustments concerning other regulations, which have already been approved by the Constitutional Reform Council.

The Ministry of Justice also reported that the chair of the Professional Commission for Constitutional Reforms is legal scholar David Hakobyan. However, the ministry did not clarify which other experts are included in the professional commission.

It is important to mention that David Hakobyan was elected as a member of the Professional Commission for Constitutional Reforms as a result of a public competition held on February 3, 2023. Subsequently, Hakobyan became the coordinator of the commission's activities.

Recall that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared on January 19 that Armenia needs a new Constitution, and on February 1 he stated on Public Radio that it is essential to regulate the relationship with the declaration. According to him, if the decision of the Nagorno-Karabakh National Council and the Supreme Council of Armenia on the reunification of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia is placed at the foundation of our state policy, it means that we will never have peace.

On the same day, February 1, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan could only be signed after changes are made to the Constitution of Armenia.