YEREVAN. – There is no danger of a political monopoly in the new draft of the Constitution of Armenia.  

Member of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party National Assembly (PAP NA) Faction, Mikayel Melkumyan, stated the abovementioned at a press conference on Monday. He added that the PAP will not participate in the movement against the proposed constitutional amendments.

In his words, the PAP was and still is in favor of making a transition to a parliamentary system of governance in the country.

“Today, the authorities are constrained by the powers of the president,” said Melkumyan. “And now, with the future Constitution, the PM will no longer have just as powerful leverages against the law enforcement agencies and the judicial powers.”

The PAP MP noted, however, that solely the matter of Armenia’s national security remains unresolved, since it is unclear who is accountable for it in times of peace.
“And speaking about the reproduction of power [in the country], this matter is resolved; the people will reproduce the power,” concluded Mikayel Melkumyan. “And if we are saying that there can be no fair elections [in Armenia], in this case, it’s all the same what system [of governance] functions [in the country].”

The new draft Constitution has been forwarded to the NA. The respective parliamentary debates are expected to get underway during its first four-day fall session. And as per National Assembly President Galust Sahakyan, the constitutional referendum should be conducted in late September.