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The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) held a sitting of RPA Council last evening to discuss the new draft Constitution of Armenia (the main chapters – Chapters 1– 7) published by the Commission on Constitutional Reforms on July 15.

Minister-Chief of the Armenian Government Staff David Harutyunyan told reporters after the discussion that Serzh Sargsyan declared at the sitting that following the amendments to the Constitution, he has no intention to become a parliament speaker.

D. Harutyunyan reminded those present that at the very start of the process of constitutional reforms, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced that he would not re-run for Armenian president anymore and he had no intention of becoming a prime minister. In the words of D. Harutyunyan, in this way S. Sargsyan once and for all nullified the statements of skeptics about the plans for power reproduction.

To remind, by the new draft Constitution, a president is elected into office for a term of 7 years instead of the current term of 5 years. The president shall be a permanent resident of the Republic of Armenia for the previous 7 years – instead of the current period of 10 years. Besides, under the new draft, a president may serve only one term. Unlike the Constitution currently in force, the new draft bans the president from being member of a political party.

Article 125 of the new draft Constitution establishes the procedure of a presidential election. The president shall be elected by an assembly consisting of an equal number of Armenian parliament deputies and local government bodies’ representatives nominated by municipalities themselves.

The prime minister shall become the supreme commander-in-chief of the Armenian armed forces during a period of military operations. He is appointed by the president within 3 days from the start of activities of the newly-elected parliament. In particular, the president confirms the candidate nominated by the political force that won the election to the National Assembly. No more than 18 ministries can be formed, and there is a position of deputy PM.

As was reported, public debates of the new draft Constitution will be held until late July. The draft may be amended if any acceptable proposals are submitted. Then the document will presented to the Armenian president and, if approved, to Armenia’s National Assembly.