PACE co-rapporteurs to visit Baku

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Azerbaijan by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Stefan Schennach and Cezar Florin Preda will visit Baku, the assembly reported on September 7.

An assessment mission of seven people, including two co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee on Azerbaijan will be set up in connection with the referendum to be held in the country.

The date of the co-rapporteurs’ visit has not been publicized yet.

September 26, 2016, was set as the date for the 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 the extension of the presidential term from five to seven years, the establishment of the first vice-president and vice-president positions in the country as well as the abolishment of minimum age limit for presidential candidates, dissolution of parliament by the president.

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

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