During the plenary winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) launched in Strasbourg on Monday, head of the Armenian Delegation to the PACE, Hermine Naghdalyan, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, referred to the processes following the Constitutional reforms in Armenian and the upcoming parliamentary elections.
In her speech, the Deputy Speaker briefed her European partners on the entire essence of the Constitutional reforms, considering them vital in terms establishing a more stable and democratic system in the country and improving the constitutional mechanisms, which ensure the balance and rule of law of relevant forces.
She also stressed that the process of the Constitutional reforms was approved by the Venice Commission, almost all of its recommendations being accepted by the Armenian authorities.
Apart from this, Naghdalyan noted that after the referendum the Armenian authorities have launched a large-scale process of reforms in the legal system and adjustment to new realities: new constitutional laws have been adopted, relevant amendments have been made to different laws and legal acts, including the Laws “On Human rights defender”, “On local self-governance” and the parliament’s Charter.
Moreover, Naghdalyan said a large package of legislative amendment is also planned to be made in 2017, again in cooperation with the Venice Commission and other international parties concerned.
In the Deputy Speaker’s words, the process of drawing up the Electoral Code took place in the spirit of close cooperation with all the political parties concerned and with the equal involvement of the government, opposition and civil society sectors.
“The new Electoral Code establishes a fully-fledged reliable basis for the upcoming parliamentary elections,” Naghdalyan stressed, assuring that holding free and fair elections is the key task of the authorities, their legitimacy and proper process being more important than the results.
“Our obligation is to hold democratic and transparent elections, primarily based on competitive ideas and programs. The Armenian people have chosen the path of democracy, and no foreign obstacle can draw us off that path,” she noted.
In this context, Naghdalyan recalled the aggression unleashed by the Azerbaijani side all along the Nagorno-Karabakh contact line last April, as well as the recent military encroachment on the border with Armenia, which was condemned by the international community. Despite this Armenia has not abandoned the path of democracy, remaining faithful to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, she added.
“Such actions, which jeopardize the security of Armenia, Karabakh and the region, do not disturb our decisiveness to carry out large-scale reforms in judicial, human rights and other important spheres in line with our international obligations,” the Deputy Speaker concluded, stressing that Armenia’s devotion to the human rights, democracy and rule of law have never depended on any external factor regardless of their being geopolitical, economic, etc.
