As we have already informed, the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) passed the Stefan Shennakh’s resolution entitled “The progress of the Assembly’s monitoring procedure”. The document also addresses the ongoing constitutional amendments in Armenia. Note that the section where the Monitoring Committee expresses its concerns regarding the monitored countries, there is also a provision about Armenia too. Particularly, Clause 11.2 envisages, “The ongoing polarization of the political environment, including due to the Constitutional reforms.”
Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE Hermine Naghdalyan, in the conversation with Aravot.am, told that the polarization is not conditioned by the process of the constitutional reforms, and added, “Polarization is not a bad thing. It speaks of the fact that there is a difference of opinions and clashes, which is one of the most important features befit to the democratic society. We also often express this concern, formulating it in a way that when the polarization is unsubstantiated, we also are worried about it.” Ms. Naghdalyan reminded that in the last two months, the PACE Monitoring Committee has at least three times addressed the constitutional processes, in the form of a report, co-rapporteurs’ informative document and the statement adopted by the Monitoring Committee.
In this regard, Ms. Naghdalyan noted, “In all of them, the core idea is that PACE welcomes the process and the organization of the constitutional reforms in Armenia.” As we had already informed, the member of the Armenian delegation to PACE, ANC faction leader Levon Zurabyan has made a recommendation, particularly to rewrite Clause 9 of the preliminary draft of the resolution, which reads as follows: “The efforts of the Armenian authorities towards the constitutional reforms”. As a result, it was passed with the following editing, “commencing the constitutional reform process”.
Ms. Naghdalyan thanked Levon Zurabyan for this recommendation and noted, “I am thankful to Levon Zurabyan for making a recommendation to the resolution, and thus making the PACE attitude further clear and earmarked towards the constitutional amendments in positive sense. If until now there was an uncertainty in Clause 9.2, after Zurabyan’s recommendation, a resolution to commence the process of the constitutional amendments was clearly adopted. The PACE welcomes the initiation of the constitutional reforms process. This change has further strengthened the positive attitude of the Assembly, it has been extended over not only the debates but over the whole process, starting from the moment of initiating up to the present day. This is also a response to many questions that were raised by ANC politicians whether these constitutional reforms were necessary or not. Zurabyan unlike the ANC figures with solid stance, under his own initiative gave a definite answer to this question, saying that our country needs the constitutional reforms.”
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In this respect, Ms. Naghdalyan recalled Churchill’s words, “I have not praised my country being inside nor picked on being outside.” Then, she noted, “I think Levon Zurabyan displayed a posture of an interested and caring official.” Back to the words of the Monitoring Committee that the violence against the peaceful protesters during the protest on electricity price hike must be investigated, Ms. Naghdalyan noted that they have talked about it in Sarajevo and the relevant authorities behave exactly like that, the investigation is underway. Regarding the provision on the referendum of the Constitutional amendments, Ms. Naghdalyan said, “By the international standards, all the political forces are the recipients of conducting a referendum. In other words, the Monitoring Committee calls on all political spectrum to have involvement in this process within the scope of their responsibilities.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
