Just 1 year ago, in February 2013, the “Heritage” faction along with ARF faction was suggesting to include a bill in the NA extraordinary session requesting to change the government system in Armenia within 2 years and introduce the issue of parliamentary system of governance into referendum. At that time, the leader of “Heritage” faction Ruben Hakobyan was assuring that it was one of their party’s “program provisions”. Moreover, transition to parliamentary system of governance was also one of the requirements of Raffi Hovannisian’s hunger strike, which was clarified the in the part Board session.
After all, when the authorities are executing one of the program provisions of “Heritage” and the requirements of Raffi Hovannisian’s hunger strike, and are ready to carry out constitutional amendments, the “Heritage” says, “No”. Recently, the “Heritage” faction leader Ruben Hakobyan, in the interview with 1in.am, has said that “I am in favor of a parliamentary form of government, but in this socio-economic tense situation, in this moral-psychological hard condition, bringing this issue forward is not appropriate, it is not equivalent to our reality.” According to him, about 2 years ago, the situation was much more stable when the political parties were raising this issue. Aravot.am asked the “Heritage” party Spokesperson Hovsep Khurshudyan whether Ruben Hakobyan’s view is his personal opinion or the opinion of “Heritage”, and whether Mr. Khurshudyan also thinks that now it is not the time to make a transition to a parliamentary system. Hovsep Khurshudyan responded, “Yes, it is our view that now it is not the time to raise this issue because we believe that this government is not entitled to carry out any constitutional amendments, since it has also come to power illegally; it is not only illegitimate, but also illegal.”
To our question of whether it was not the same government about 1-2 years ago, when you introduced this issue on the agenda, whether the government was legitimate and legal then, Mr. Khurshudyan responded, “First, we were not saying that the government should implement it. Secondly, after the last presidential election you remember when Raffi Hovannisian was suggested to be the President of the Constitutional Committee and consider the amendments, Raffi Hovannisian refused considering that it’s not today’s problem, because he was thinking that this government is not competent to carry out such reforms. Because the concern and fears about background goals would always be available by the society. And this government is pursuing background goals, that is, it does not want real reforms but wants to play with these reforms towards the extension of own power and implementing reforms dangerous to the country. We even have no desire to enter into the content, but in plain sight, if we look at the content section, it shows that there are a lot of unacceptable things there. This is a complex, it is not a sentence that we are making a transition to a parliamentary system of government. It is a complex of amendments where there are a lot of obstacles and, in our opinion, dangerous provisions.”
To our question that then you were saying that when the government system changes, there will be quite positive shift, it will give a lot to us, Hovsep Khurshudyan responded, “We have not such unequivocal statements, we have said that it is preferable to make a transition from semi-presidential system to parliamentary. The situation will change merely in the sense that the counterbalance mechanism will work better, the entire power will not be centered around one institute, i.e. in the hands of the president. The judicial and legislative branches will work independently, which is not available now. However, this is not a panacea. Seeing the solution of all issues in Constitutional amendments is not realistic.” We inquired whether there is some agreement with PAP on this issue that let’s both of us tell the same, because you are literally giving the same explanation. Recall that PAP had also initiated consolidation of political forces on this issue, and now is expressing against these amendments, saying that the socio-economic situation is tense.
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Hovsep Khurshudyan assured that there is no agreement. “It is not within the scope of the agreements, it is our position, which we are happy that it meets their position, too.” Hovsep Khurshudyan assured that there is no need to postpone the transition to a parliamentary system of government until 2017-2018. “We believe that this issue can even be solved in the coming one year, if we can achieve the point that the government resigns and extraordinary elections are held. We are not so pessimistic on this issue to be waiting for the year of 2017.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
