Yerevan /Mediamax/. On July 7 Armenian President Armen Sarkissian met with several members of the commission on constitutional reforms.

Below you can read 3 key remarks which President Sarkissian made during the meeting.

Presidential or parliamentary system of governance

“Discussing whether we should choose between presidential or parliamentary system of governance now… I believe it would mean veering off the course. Discussions should be on the topic, and since we have the parliamentary system of governance, we should discuss how to make the system one of the best and make it ours, in compliance with our Constitutional and its legal framework. When we say we need to determine our national identity, the “we” is not abstract, it is not a way to make us a special nation or state. The “we” means that we should select the best experience present in the world and use it, taking into account our culture, history, and current reality.”

Put up for discussion beforehand

“Public discussions about the constitutional changes should begin as early as possible, even before the document is drafted in legal terms. The public guideline of constitutional changes must be public. There are several ways: you have a commission, and after you take into account the President, the Prime Minister and the National Assembly, you can put together the guideline and submit it for public discussion. Find a way for public to discuss it. It would be wrong to draft the constitutional law, take it to the National Assembly, and then think about public discussions. The guideline must be put up for discussion beforehand to give people answers to their questions, to let them know what you want to change.”

The election of President

“I am trying to be a neutral President. All of you do not want the President to be partisan, to lean to the right or the left. You want the President to be someone who is able to exercise their authorities correctly. One needs to be in the middle to mediate during a crisis or in case of necessity. It is actually very difficult and direct election can help. In order to be a mediator, you clearly need at least the majority of the population to recognize you as non-partisan, as someone who you should be or are already – a person above political processes, someone in the middle.”