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The Venice Commission published Friday evening, September 11, the second preliminary opinion of the draft amendments to the Constitution of Armenia. The draft amendments were prepared by the Specialized Commission on Constitutional Reforms adjunct to the Armenian President.

The September 11 opinion of the Venice Commission concerns the draft amendments to Chapters 8, 9, 11 and 16 of the Constitution. These chapters are related to the prosecutor’s office and investigative agencies, local government bodies, the Central Election Commission, the adoption and changes of the Constitution, and a referendum. The Venice Commission released the preliminary opinion on the other chapters in July.

The preliminary opinion of VC contains the improved article 89 of the Constitution regarding a transition to the proportional electoral system and the formation of a stable majority in the parliament.

Article 89 was amended by the Commission on Constitutional Reforms adjunct to Armenian President as a result of discussion held with Venice Commission experts in Yerevan on August 24.

Thus, according to the draft amendments to the Constitution, Article 89 does not provide any more that a second round of elections shall be held, but only that is may be held. This can be regulated later by the Electoral Code.

The Venice Commission praised that decision taken in line with the recommendations of the July 30 preliminary opinion of the Venice Commission.

To remind, President Serzh Sargsyan submitted on August 21 the draft amendments in the Constitution of Armenia to the National Assembly. The draft amendments had been developed by the Specialized Commission on Constitutional Reforms adjunct to Armenian President.

Vardan Poghosyan, a member of the Commission, has been appointed as official representative of Armenian President for presentation of the draft amendments to the Constitution in the National Assembly of Armenia. The head of state also instructed the Commission on Constitutional Reforms adjunct to the Armenian President to continue the dialog with the Venice Commission (VC) over those issues indicated in the VC’s preliminary opinion, around which no agreed solutions have been found so far. Besides, Serzh Sargsyan has already held consultations on the approaches stated in the draft new Constitution with representatives of various political parties.

The draft amendments to the Constitution were included on September 11 into the agenda of the plenary sitting of the Armenian parliament’s autumn session starting on September 15. The draft amendments received a positive opinion of the parliamentary standing committee on state and legal affairs.