The Venice Commission,  an advisory body of the Council of Europe, has issued preliminary opinion on the draft amendments to chapters 1-7 and 10 of Amenia's Constitution.

The Venice Commission welcomes the work done by the Constitutional Commission of Armenia, the experts said in a conclusion.

According to them, thanks to an open dialogue with the Venice Commission, important improvements have been made on a text which was already a very good basis for the constitutional reform.

However, the opinion makes some recommendations for the further improvement of the draft, among them removal of limitations to the right to vote and the right to be a candidate for the National Assembly. In addition, the possibility of a second round between the two most voted parties of alliances should be removed.

The experts recommend that the prohibition of forming new factions in the Assembly during the whole term of a legislature should be removed as it would limit the free mandate of Members of Parliament As concerns the Judiciary, there should be no interference of a political organ in the procedure of dismissal of judges and in the appointment of judges and court chairpersons of the Court of Cassation.

“The Venice Commission encourages the Armenian authorities to continue the discussions with all political forces and civil society in order to clarify any misunderstandings and to ensure the widest possible support for the reform.   The Venice Commission will be pleased to continue its cooperation with the Armenian authorities for this important reform,” the document reads.