Who is responsible for what? Serzh Sargsyan's representative presents draft constitutional amendments
Azerbaijan is shocked by the high level of “Shant 2015” Military Command and Staff Exercises held in the Republic of Armenia in current tense conditions along the borders between Azerbaijan and the 2 Armenian Republics, Armenpress News Agency reports. Azerbaijani pro-government media referred with unconcealed envy to the readiness of Armenian authorities, power structures and the active involvement of the population in it. Pro-government Azerbaijani haqqin.az and virtual.az news agencies wrote that despite the confidential nature of the exercises, it did not create panic among the population even during mass evacuation of the population in some bordering areas. The latter was one of the components of the exercises. Azerbaijani media also cited the clarification of the press secretary of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan – that the exercises are aimed at testing the coordination of all official state structures to raise the readiness level of state structures and the population during possible military operations. Azerbaijani media also referred to President Serzh Sargsyan’s convening a session of the National Security Council on September 3 where information was provided on the events occurring in the surroundings of Armenia in recent days. On September 3 “Shant 2015” Military Command and Staff Exercises started in Armenia. The nationwide event “Shant 2015” Exercises are aimed at raising the level of state’s immediate preparation for defense, military and state bodies mobilization preparedness in repulsing the act of aggression, rechecking the ability of bringing to high degree of readiness and raising the level of harmony in cooperation and actions. Taking into account the military and political situation surrounding Armenia, the scenario of the Exercises includes а fictitious rival and the situation is maximally adapted to reality. esident Serzh Sarkisian met with members of his National Security Council on Thursday at the start of “strategic command-and-staff military exercises” that will simulate Armenia’s response to foreign aggression. The four-day exercises codenamed “Shant-2015” (Lightning-2015) are involving not only the Armenian military but also other state bodies, including those responsible for mass mobilization and evacuation of civilian residents from border settlements in times of war. It was not immediately clear how many soldiers and pieces of military hardware will join the exercises later this week. The Armenian Defense Ministry said it will divulge more details on Friday. The ministry first announced preparations for the drills on August 6, saying that they will test the military’s coordination with other bodies in case of an “escalation of the military-political situation” around Armenia. Senior Armenian military officials briefed Yerevan-based foreign military attaches on the upcoming war games at a meeting on Wednesday. A Defense Ministry statement quoted them as saying that the participating Armenian agencies will practice coordination of their actions “during a repulsion of aggression.” It said they also stressed that “the imaginary enemy and situation envisaged by the war game scenario are maximally adapted to the existing reality.” It was an apparent reference to Azerbaijan’s regular threats of a military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The presidential press office said that during the mock emergency session of the National Security Council Sarkisian issued “instructions stemming from the war game scenario to relevant state bodies.” The Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs of Armenian National Assembly is holding parliamentary hearings on the draft constitutional amendments initiated by Serzh Sargsyan. Lawmakers of all factions, as well as representatives of extra-parliamentary political forces and NGOs are participating in the hearings. The package of draft amendments was presented by Serzh Sargsyan’s representative Vardan Poghosyan. He referred the characteristics of the Constitutions of 1991 and 2005 and stressed that the first Constitution had a longer life and was able to solve the problems presented in its concept, but ‘the center of the first Constitution was the president who had a dominant position in all branches of power.’ The Constitution of 2005, although guaranteed basic human rights, was unable to fully ensure the transition to a human-centered system of governance. Mr Poghosyan stressed that the new document is an attempt to fill the gaps and uncertainties of the previous constitutions. He then dwelt on the key points of the constitutional amendments, one of which, he said, is the fundamental freedoms. Speaking about the long-debated provision of the draft constitution – the switch to a parliamentary system, Mr Poghosyan stressed that the transition is extremely important in terms of providing the equilibrium among the three branches and political responsibility. Vardan Poghosyan especially likes the amendments proposed for the judicial system, which he considers to be ‘revolutionary.’
