21/02/2019 16:32
Constitution must reflect people’s wish and ideas: Citizen’s Decision social-democratic party leader backs the necessity of constitutional reforms
Aysor.am conducted interview with the chairman of the Citizen’s Decision social-democratic party Suren Sahakyan.
- Mr Sahakyan your party came up with the proposal to undertake constitutional changes. Do you still see this necessity?
- The Constitution must reflect the collective image and wish of citizens about the rules to communicate with one another and state management system. In Armenia this document has never reflected the wish of the people. Three referendums on changing the Constitution took place and all of them were falsified.
Besides serious doubts over the legitimacy of the document, the provisions found place there have periodically been violated. Most of the citizens does not treat this document seriously. Now you say, is there a need to change the Constitution, or not?
- Few days ago, the Armenian National Congress issued a statement proposing conduction of Constitutional referendum during the year and return to semi-presidential governance system. Do you see the necessity of changing the system of governance?
- The Constitutional changes must first register the guarantees for independence of the judicial system, expand the circles of issues to be solved by referendums, simplify the mechanisms for their conduction, apply mechanisms of recalling elected officials, register clear restricting and counterbalancing mechanisms.
ANC’s proposal refers to just one of them – mechanism of restriction and counterbalance. The proposal is one of the options. While for me, the essential thing is the creation of effective mechanism for mutual restrictions and plus not to make public wait for 5 years for making changes. The more rational timeframe for the choice of the citizens will ensure better democracy.
- Is it possible for non-parliamentary forces cooperate over the agenda of the constitutional reforms?
- Of course, it is, why not. All the forces must cooperate over it. Without it, it is impossible to imagine new Armenia. Those forces who are against the constitutional changes benefit from current unjust public relations as the current Constitution is its reflections. From parties only the Republicans and the ARF-D are for current regulations. During the pre-electoral debate Nikol Pashinyan claimed that he does not like these regulations and with the reasons I do not understand the Civil Contract party is trying to postpone the changes with uncertain period of time.
Here it is important to understand that the frequent changes in the statements and goals reduce the trust toward a political figure and force. The trust lost once is very difficult to restore in future.
- What is your opinion about the upcoming changes in the structure of the Armenian government? Do you think this optimization was necessary?
- Everything depends on the pursued goals. If for the implementation of the goals the activity of certain number of ministries is enough, why to fund ineffective structures. If the functions remain the same, the staff is the same then why to change the names and the legal status. If nevertheless, you unite multifunctional structures is it possible to avoid conflict of interests and risks stemming from it? I hope the bill to be presented to the NA will give answers to these questions. If not, we will have to register that these changes are an end in itself.
- Mr Sahakyan, what is Civil Decision Social-Democratic party doing now?
- Currently the party is working out its strategic plan for the upcoming five years. In parallel with it we keep in focus the public agenda. We are actively involved in the agenda of amendments in tax legislation, transition justice and other important issues for the public.