Today the mobile communication provided by Armentel functions much worse than several days ago. Tomorrow it can be even worse. The Greeks do not know what’s going on . “The reasons are unknown”, they say. {BR} The quality of the service is so bad that some people in Yerevan say that Armentel went on strike. The news was certainly refuted by Armentel. However nothing was reported of the possible improvement of the service. Many Armentel’s...

From today any Armenian citizen can send his complaints to the Human Rights Defender with the help of a website. Today www.ombuds.am three-language website was presented in the Tekeyan Center in Yerevan. {BR} The site was created within the program implemented by the RA National Assembly and the UN Development Program. According to Larisa Alaverdyan, the creation of the website will especially useful...

It turns out that the youth wing of the Republican Party of Armenia is the most democratic among all the Armenian parties. {BR} Anyway leader of the young RPA members Armen Ashotyan rendered a press conference to say that the wing has become a full member of DEMYC (European Democratic Community). The RPA became the 32nd member of the organization. The decision was taken after the DEMYC representatives...

The Armenian National Library was not included in the Lincy construction project, however it badly need repair. However, despite the serious problems available the Day of Library was celebrated today. The RA National Library was founded in 1832, but it received state status in 1919. According to director David Sargsyan, during these years the library was a big depository of books. To date 7 millions...

“The conflicting party to be the first to launch hostilities will be expelled from the Council of Europe”, Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis stated.{BR} As reported by day.az, his opinion is based on the fact that both Azerbaijan and Armenia undertook the obligation to settle the conflict peacefully. “Independently of what the Armenian politicians say, everyone knows that Armenia...

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, today praised the Turkish authorities for introducing important changes to the new Penal Code, following a legal review his Office produced last May listing 23 provisions that needed to be revoked. {BR} However, "despite some improvements, the amendments do not sufficiently eliminate threats to freedom of expression and to a free press,"...

Today many of the deputies were dressed officially, and the journalists wondered why. It turned out that Robert Kocharyan was to arrive at the Parliament. At 01:00 p.m. sharp almost all the pro-authority deputies were in the Parliament hall, when Robert Kocharyan entered. Some of the deputies stood up. And the occasion was the oath ceremony of Henrik Danielyan who has been appointed member of the Constitutional...

Today the NA special session started with 88 deputies. But at noon only 10 remained in the hall. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the session the Parliament managed to hold all the votes and all of them were accepted unanimously, including the budget report. 88 deputies were for it, none was against. {BR} Tomorrow at noon the draft laws discussed today will be voted for. It should also be mentioned...

On July 11 the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs will arrive in Baku. The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan depends on that visit. The Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov informed about it, day.az reports. {BR} “If after the discussions with the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs with the conflict sides there is a necessity of meeting of the two Ministers, the day of the meeting will...

Article 100.1 of the Constitution says that the Constitutional Court views the government’s decisions from the aspect of their correspondence to the Constitution. {BR} When asked how many decisions were taken on such cases, CC chairman Gagik Harutyunyan said, “None. There was no appeal, no case. Does it mean that all the decisions by the government are constitutional? Proceeding from the international practice I can say they are not.”

“Laws including the organic law cannot but be violated in Armenia. It is a natural process. However the violations should be unique but not bear mass character”, Gurgen Arsenyan, leader of the United Labor party considers. {BR} Tigran Torosyan shares his opinion. “The Constitution is violated in any country. However the decision of the Constitutional Court is needed for certain cases. Unless...

Today the Constitution Day was celebrated in the Constitutional Court. The presentation of Gagik Harutyunyan’s book entitled “Constitutional Culture, Lessons of History and Modern Challenges” also took place. {BR} The CC Chairman delivered an hour speech dedicated to the history of constitution of different countries of the world noting that they do not always become better after the reformation. “For example the US Constitution was changed...

It’s the 10-th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution today and people try to reveal the shortcomings of the organic law of the country. In our republic, the Constitution does not operate in corpore. {BR} RA Justice Minister David Harutyunyan shares the opinion. “I agree that the Constitution does not function fully. Nevertheless the Constitution has saved the country from many crises....

Today the OSCE Mission held a recurrent monitoring was held at the contact line of the Karabakh and Azeri armed forces to the southwest of Karmiravan settlement of Mardakert region of NKR. {BR} Miroslav Vimetal and Peter Key, tield assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office conducted the monitoring from the Karabakh party. The Azeri side did not lead the monitoring group...

“I am celebrating three holidays today – the US Independence Day (day is not over in the US yet), my birthday and the Constitution Day”, leader of National Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan stated. {BR} Paruyr Hayrikyan is grateful to the United States for ruining the Soviet Union. As for the Constitution, he said the following: “A nation can have a state without Constitution but there can’t be guaranteed democracy.” However...

With the slogans “White Genocide”, “Justice” the residents of the North and Main Avenues, who were expelled from their houses, gathered today at the President’s residence and then marched to the building of the Constitutional Court. {BR} “The Constitution does not exist. Today, by decree of the government a white genocide is perpetrated”, one of the protesters said. Raffi K. Hovannisian, chairman of Heritage party and Ombudsman Larisa...

By decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev the election to the Melli Majlis will be held November 6. The international organizations watch the processes and urge official Baku to secure transparency and democracy of the upcoming elections. {BR} To remind, in November a referendum on constitutional reform will be held in Armenia. Thus, the European experts will have a great deal of work in the Transcaucasus in November.

“Expel Armenia’s representative from Azerbaijan”, the Organization for Karabakh Liberation demanded protesting against the presence of Armenian expert in Baku. {BR} The other day chairman of Veradardz Hayk (Return to Armenia) organization, native of Baku Robert Melik-Pashayev participated in seminar organized by the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population and the PACE Sub-Committee...

Ara Sahakyan, ex-member of the Armenian Pan-National Movement and member of the non-governmental organization “Armat” answered the questions of “Ayb-Fe”. {BR} - While choosing the governing system of the Republic of Armenia why was the French Constitution and not, say, the British one chosen as prototype? - The choice of the Presidential system in the first phase of development of the state was conditioned by the desire to secure internal...

- There is now a golden opportunity for a peaceful solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, based on a win-win concept where both Armenia and Azerbaijan come out better. Armenia and Azerbaijan must intensify the negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh. {BR} Swedish MP Göran Lennmarker, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict, today presented his report to Heads...

“Yes or no”, a choice the RA citizen faced 10 years ago, no matter consciously or not. This choice gave birth to the Constitution which is called semi-presidential in the language of the Constitutional right, but is in fact and super-presidential in its essence. {BR} It is called semi-presidential as the main mandate had two subjects of power – the President and the National Assembly. It is...

There are some items in the Constitution which are not subject to any changes. These mostly refer to the temporal or democratic regime of the state, pluralism, etc. According to the RA representative Armen Harutyunyan, the 1st and 2nd articles of our Constitution, which say that the Republic of Armenia is a sovereign, democratic, social, legal state and the power belongs to the people. “These clauses...

The referendum on changing the Constitution is declared by the President of the republic on the suggestion or with the consent of the majority of the parliament members. During 21 days after receiving the draft amendments the president can draw it back to the NA with the demand for new debates with his objections and proposals. The coalition draft suggests the following: “If the President initiates...

Constitutional reforms are usually carried out by the parliament with the majority of votes. In Germany constitutional changes are adopted with the consent of 2/3 of the deputies of the two houses of the parliament. In some countries a more complicated order is provided. For example the confirmation of the draft adopted by the parliament via referendum or confirmation by the parliament of the next...