Wednesday, June 24 2020 10:33

ArmInfo.On June 24, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian signed a package of bills, including regarding amendments to the law on the Constitutional Court.

So, according to the message published on the website of the head of  state, the president signed a package of laws On introducing  amendments and addenda to the law "On the Securities Market", On  introducing amendments to the Tax Code of the Republic of Armenia, On  introducing amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic  of Armenia, Ћn introducing additions and amendments to the  constitutional law , On introducing additions and  changes to the constitutional law ,  On introducing additions and amendments to the constitutional law  , On introducing additions  and amendments to the constitutional law < About the Constitutional  Court>.

As ArmInfo already reported, on June 22, the National Assembly of  Armenia adopted the draft amendments to the Constitution of Armenia  in the second and final reading. 89 lawmakers voted "for" the  adoption of the bill, against -0.

It should be noted that in the meeting, on the agenda of which there  was one issue - amending Article 213 of the Constitution of Armenia,  the opposition factions Prosperous Armenia and Bright Armenia did not  participate, boycotting the vote. According to the proposed  amendments, the powers of judges of the Constitutional Court, who  have been in office for more than 12 years, must be terminated. After  the vacant posts of judges are taken, the election of a new head of  the Constitutional Court will take place.

According to the amendments, legislative amendments will get legal  force after they are approved during the second reading and will not  be presented for signature to the president, as it is legally  required.

"Changes to the law , to the  law and to the Judicial Code will not  be placed on the table of the Armenian President Armen Sarkissian for  signature," co-author of the legislative initiative, lawmaker from  the ruling bloc Vahagn Hovakimyan said earlier at a meeting  of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on State legal Affairs .

It should be noted that on February 6 the National Assembly of the  Republic of Armenia adopted a decision on submitting draft amendments  to the Constitution to the referendum. 88 lawmakers voted for this  decision, against 15. It is a question of introducing amendments to  Article 213 of the Constitution, implying the dissolution of the  Constitutional Court. A referendum on constitutional amendments was  called for April 5 this year. However, because of the coronavirus  epidemic, it had to be postponed. As a result, the lawmakers decided  to amend the Constitution themselves.

To note, the PAP has already announced the beginning of the  collection of signatures for sending the bill to the Constitutional  Court to check it for constitutionality. -l-