Baku: At today’s session of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan, the draft Constitutional Law ‘On the Approval of Amendments to the Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic’ was put up for discussion, APA reports. The draft law proposes adding two new articles (Articles 3-1 and 28-1), removing one article (Article 5), and amending several other articles and the preamble of the Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the provision from Article 134(III) of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, indicating that the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is an inseparable part of Azerbaijan, will also be reflected in the preamble of the Nakhchivan Constitution. Article 3-1, entitled “Authorized Representation of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic”, will establish an executive body under the President’s authorized representative in Nakhchivan, appointed and dismissed by the President of Azerbaijan.
Another proposed article, Article 28-1, outlines conditions under which the Parliament (Ali Majlis) of Nakhchivan can be dissolved. This can occur either at the request of 31 deputies or if it fails to fulfill its constitutional functions. In such instances, the President of Azerbaijan may dissolve the Assembly.
The draft law also suggests removing Article 5, which previously referred to “The Highest Official of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.” Elections to the Parliament of Nakhchivan will be scheduled by the President of Azerbaijan based on the Assembly Speaker’s proposal, as outlined in Article 13, II.
Additionally, the draft allows for closed sessions of the Parliament of Nakhchivan to be held upon the proposal of the President of Azerbaijan or the Milli Majlis, as stated in Article 18.IV. According to Article 24.II, laws concerning elections to the Parliament and the status of its members will require a majority of 31 votes, while other laws will need 23 votes.
The requirement for candidates for the Speaker of the Parliament to have lived in Nakhchivan for at least five years will be abolished under Article 29.II. Another amendment states that heads of local executive authorities in Nakhchivan will be appointed by the President of Azerbaijan upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the Parliament of Nakhchivan, as per Article 32.4-1.
The Cabinet of Ministers of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic will no longer report to the Parliament and will determine its procedures in agreement with the President of Azerbaijan. Additionally, acts issued by the Speaker of the Parliament will be termed ‘orders’ instead of ‘decisions,’ aligning with the Constitutional Law of Azerbaijan ‘On Normative Legal Acts’ (Article 33).
Changes and amendments to the Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic will now be adopted through laws rather than constitutional laws, as stated in Article 50. The draft includes technical, clarifying, and alignment changes to ensure consistency with Azerbaijan’s Constitution. Following discussions, the draft Constitutional Law was voted on and adopted in the third reading.