Venice Commission slams Baku's proposed constitutional reforms

PanARMENIAN.Net - Constitutional law experts from the Council of Europe have criticized proposed changes to Azerbaijan’s constitution to be put to a national referendum on September 26, RFE/RL reports.

The Venice Commission said on Wednesday, September 21 that many draft proposals would severely upset the balance of power by giving “unprecedented” powers to the president.

For example, the extension of the presidential mandate from five to seven years “cannot be justified” given the already very strong position of the president, according to the opinion.

The commission said another proposed reform giving the president power to dissolve parliament would both make political dissent in parliament “largely ineffective” and affect the independence of the judiciary, since parliament’s role in the approval of judges will be reduced.

It also criticized the procedure of the referendum as having lacked proper debate in parliament and having been carried out too quickly and without real public discussion.