Experts: Constitution of Nagorno-Karabakh to be changed only after national referendum

In Nagorno-Karabakh, all political reforms and the issues related to the change of form of government and extension of its term should be considered on the basis of a referendum held among residents of the region. This opinion was voiced by experts.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 21, Bako Saakyan, President of Nagorno-Karabakh, signed a decree on the establishment of a commission on constitutional reforms. The deadline of the development was moved to July 1 because of the April war.

Meanwhile, the Armenian media report that the Nagorno-Karabakh President will remain in office until 2020.

Social analyst David Karabekyan has noted that "Nagorno-Karabakh is a part of Armenia, with general economics, defence, ethnic basis, history, and culture."

"Under the conditions of the Armenia's transition to semi-presidential or presidential-parliamentary system of governance, the transition to a similar system for Nagorno-Karabakh is logical. According to supporters, such a reform will enable the republic to better coordinate the defence issues with Armenia, and that is very important under the conditions of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict," David Karabekyan has emphasized.

"After the April war, there is no need for major constitutional changes," stated Karen Ogandjanyan, the leader of the "Republican Party of Artsakh", the coordinator of the Nagorno-Karabakh Committee "Helsinki Initiative-92". According to him, "it is necessary to strengthen presidential power for better control over democratic processes."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.