Nagorno Karabakh to hold referendum on draft constitution on December 10

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Nagorno Karabakh President Arkady Gukasyan signed a decree on November 3, to carry out a referendum on draft Nagorno Karabakh constitution on December 10, 2006, a REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert informs.

The draft constitution, particularly, says that the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is a sovereign, democratic, law abiding, social state. Power in Nagorno Karabakh belongs to the people. The people exert their authority through free elections, referenda, and through governmental institutions, local authorities and governmental officials envisaged by the Constitution and basic legislation. The state secures protection of basic human and civil rights in accordance with general principles and international law. Until the territorial integrity of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is restored and the borders delimitated, public authority is being exerted in the territory practically being under the NKR jurisdiction.

It is worth mentioning, the NKR draft constitution was passed by the parliament in the first reading, after that public debates were held. During the debates, a large number of proposals on the draft constitution were received, including 127 proposals from parliamentary factions and groups, as well as from MPs. All the proposals were sent to the head of the work group of the constitutional commission and discussed with commission members. As a result, the draft was amended before the second reading and submitted to the parliament. As had of the work group Armen Zalinyan said, the draft was elaborated that “would give a reason to us to be proud of it.” He also noted high public activity during the debates, which, according to him, showed involvement of society into the process of drafting and adopting the document.