Nagorno-Karabakh needs constitutional amendments - MP

In an interview with Tert.am, Gagik Petrosyan, a member of the Homeland parliamentary group in the National Assembly of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), spoke of a need for constitutional amendments, particularly, for parliamentary government, as well as of prolongation of NKR President Bako Sahakyan’s term of office.

Mr Petrosyan, much has lately been talked about Nagorno-Karabakh following Armenia’s example in planning constitutional amendments, particularly parliamentary government.

The State Commission for Constitutional Amendments is known to have postponed submission of the concept of constitutional amendments until July 1, 2016. Numerous options of state system have been proposed: a parliamentary republic with a powerful premier and a ceremonial president or without a president, with his ceremonial functions performed by the Constitutional Court; a parliamentary republic without a president, with his ceremonial functions performed by the Senate, which is formed by the ex-presidents and representatives of the Armenian Diaspora, in proportion to the population. By the way, the proposal is worth discussing after the second Azerbaijani-Karabakh war. One more option is a powerful republic without a premier. More opinions have been voiced after the war that no changes are needed.

All the proposals are worth attention. However, mechanisms to switch over to a certain system are of no less importance. Different opinions have been voiced as well: dissolving the parliament in switching over to a parliamentary or presidential system and announcing elections. But this parliament was elected just three years ago, and I do not think it would be a right step. On the other hand, in a switching over to parliamentary government, the current parliament elected under different circumstances cannot assume new functions without transitional provisions. So opinions have been voiced to elect a president or extend the incumbent president’s term of office until 2020 for this transition period.

According to press reports, the Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh authorities have made a political decision extending incumbent Nagorno-Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan’s term of office until 2020. Do you think it is possible?

Of course, the two Armenian states’ authorities have discussed the advisability of constitutional amendments. But they have hardly discussed mechanisms. According to your logic, the best option was extending the incumbent president’s term of office because of the war, re-enforcing certain points of martial law ruling out any elections. But it did not happen. I hope you understand that extending the president’s term of office is a mechanism of the transition period, not a political decision.

Do you see any need for constitutional amendments in Nagorno-Karabakh?

I think constitutional amendments are necessary and I am inclined to a parliamentary republic without a president. Many object to it in the context of an unsettled conflict with Azerbaijan. But Israel has been able to prosper for seventy years, surrounded by enemies. Others argue that no parliamentary republic without a president exists in the world. But no other Nagorno-Karabakh Republic exists in the world either, does it? Most of the developed states are parliamentary governments.