Switchover to parliamentary government: opinions

The human rights activist Artak Zeinalyan believes that, under the pretext of constitutional reforms, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is seeking an artificial switchover to parliamentary government thereby extending his own tenure of office.
 
On the other hand, Zeinalyan says that there is neither time for nor sense in forming a constitutional reforms committee.

“Our country is facing a number of serious challenges. But there is neither time for nor sense in launching such processes. But they are doing what they want. All these processes have no sense or essence,” Zeinalyan said.

Artsvik Minasyan, an Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnakstutyun (ARF-D) parliamentary group member, has a different opinion. According to him, parliamentary government meets the Armenian people’s interests regardless of who is the president.
With respect to Parliament Vice-Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov’s statement that a change of the government system is not on the agenda, Minasyan said that “it is too bad if so.”

“I really want this issue to be put on the agenda because it is rather important regardless of who Armenia’s president is now and what his values are. Parliamentary government is the only right way that will first of all neutralize political monopoly and, secondly, allow the country to be reformed through sustainable development. Thirdly, a transition from autocratic decisions to general positions,” Minasyan told Tert.am. According to him, the issue of what kind of system parliamentary government is a different one.

“Parliamentary government has different forms. The presidency may be preserved, with the president elected by Parliament rather than by means of national elections. There is no country with parliamentary government but without human rights as a priority. You cannot cite a single example,” he said.

As regards the opinions that this is a way for Armenia’s incumbent president to extend his tenure of office, Minasyan said: “I would not like to attribute it to the incumbent president. Moreover, President Serzh Sargsyan himself is against switching over to such a system.”

The ARF-D commends the Armenian authorities’ desire to implement constitutional reforms depending on the kind of the reforms.