MP: Proposed amendments to Constitution fully fit new status of Azerbaijan

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

The upcoming constitutional referendum will reflect the will of the people and have a positive impact on the overall development of Azerbaijan, said MP Fuad Muradov.

Muradov, talking to Day.Az, noted that over the past ten years President Ilham Aliyev did everything systematically and step by step to strengthen and improve the governance mechanism.

“During all these years, the process of building a strong state was going on in the country. Now it’s time to make some reforms that only positively impact the country”, said the MP.

Constitution is a document that can be changed and developed when the country moves to a higher level of development, according to Muradov.  “Today, Azerbaijan is not one of the former republics of the USSR, but the country that stands firmly on its feet. Hence, it is necessary to make changes in order to maintain further large-scale reforms, which President Ilham Aliyev started long ago in 2003,” he added.

Muradov noted that there are different models to improve governance mechanism and one of them is the distribution of executive power.

"The proposed amendments to the Constitution, regarding the increase of the presidential term and the introduction of the vice-president post, fully fit with the current status of our country. These changes will create an opportunity to introduce reforms needed to improve the state and political systems,” he said.

Previously, MP Asim Mollazade stressed that the management structure requires further reforms.

"The main purpose of the referendum is to reform the system of executive power, management structure and form a more flexible, reliable and consistent policy in this system,” Mollazade said.

September 26, 2016 was set as the date for referendum on proposed changes to the constitution of Azerbaijan.

In a bill recently sent to the Constitutional Court, President Ilham Aliyev proposed  amendments to 29 Articles of Azerbaijan’s current constitution. The changes envisage extension of the presidential term from five to seven years, establishment of the first vice-president and vice-president positions in the country as well as abolishment of minimum age limit for presidential candidates, dissolution of parliament by the president.

Final results of the Referendum will be announced till October 21.

The last time changes to the Constitution were made seven years ago, following Constitutional referendum held in 2009.