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“Prosperous Armenia” Party (PAP) is taking part in discussion of the draft concept of constitutional reforms. They seem to be engaged in content-oriented discussions, yet remain loyal to earlier views of being against the parliamentary system of government. However, they changed their opinion and no more claim the constitutional reforms pursues prolonging the rule of incumbent government.

On earlier accounts, PAP claimed that they are against the provision of constitutional reforms. Moreover, they claimed not to see the necessity of the constitutional reforms, and on top of that -- the constitutional reform, they claimed, only pursues prolonging the rule of incumbent government.

Speaking to Panorama.am, Mikayel Melkumyan, an MP from the PAP faction in the parliament, said: “We can touch upon the issues of the human rights and fundamental freedoms, judicial and electoral systems, as it has nothing to do with the governance model. With regards to the issue of the system of governance, we continue to be of the same view, there are no changes on that”.

However, Malkumyan confirmed recently he has met the President of Constitutional Court, who is also chairing the Expert Commission on Constitutional Reforms, Gagik Harutyunyan, to discuss issues pertaining to the draft concept of the reforms.

“Yet our mind hasn’t changed, we think that the present semi-presidential system must be improved,” added Melkumyan.

With regards to earlier statements about the “reproduction of government” through constitutional reform, according to Melkumyan, PAP has changed its position on this. Melkumyan did not quite remember when the party had made statements about that, but he clarified that presently “the part about the reproduction of government” is out of their vocabulary.