Deputy PM: Extending presidential term - usual norm of constitutional amendments
By Laman Ismayilova
Extending the presidential term in Azerbaijan can be considered a usual norm of constitutional amendments, said Ali Ahmadov, Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Chairman-Executive Secretary of New Azerbaijan Party in an interview with ‘Azerbaycan’ newspaper.
He noted that the norms related to the presidential term have been changed in various countries, adding that in the political practice, it is not among the issues of special importance.
Therefore, the voters will adequately react to the amendments for extending the presidential term from five to seven years, said Ahmadov.
Talking about the motives of those amendments, Ahmadov noted that first of all, they should be assessed in the context of the management reforms in the country.
“Secondly, it is related to the factor of stability in the political system and the factor of stability in general,” he said.
“Article 8 of the Constitution says that president of the Azerbaijan Republic represents the unity of Azerbaijani people and provides continuity of the Azerbaijani statehood. The fulfillment of this task increases the degree of responsibility of the president in ensuring the political system’s work in a stable regime,” Ahmadov added.
He pointed out that the wars, tragedies, terrorism in Azerbaijan’s neighboring regions and subsequently, mass migration of the population is of continuous nature.
“The geography of conflicts and their consequences are expanding. In this situation, it is essential to insure the country against possible threats and to maintain stability,” said Ahmadov.
In this regard, it is necessary to choose an optimal model so that on the one hand, it would prevent threats to stability and on the other hand, to protect democratic norms, he added.
“I believe that the extension of the presidential term from five to seven years may be considered as the best option in terms of creating this model,” said Ahmadov.
He went on to say that equating the voting age to the minimum age of to be elected does not mean that the 18-year-old citizens must be elected the president or members of the Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan).
Ahmadov clarified that the matter is about ensuring a democratic constitutional right to be elected. If to specify, resolution of the issue at what age the applicant may be elected a president of a country or a member of parliament, depends on the voters.
Ahmadov believes in terms of political participation, any restrictive regulations beyond reasonable reasons, including age restrictions, cannot be considered fair.
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