
Are the authorities preparing for a constitutional referendum?
The announcement of 2025 as the "Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty" in Azerbaijan has sparked rumors and speculation about the government's plans to hold a constitutional referendum this year. Today's statement in the Milli Majlis by the head of the parliamentary committee on human rights and concurrently the director of the Center for Humanitarian Studies, Zahid Oruj, confirmed that these expectations are not groundless.
According to Oruj, "there are numerous calls and views, including the possibility of holding a new constitutional referendum." In this regard, he pointed to the possibility of adopting a new "Constitution of Victory." Furthermore, "the issue of new constitutional structures is being discussed in parliamentary circles," Oruj said.
Noting the formation of the institution of "special presidential representatives" in the liberated territories and in Nakhchivan, alongside local executive authorities, Oruj effectively hinted at the potential formation of a new regional executive power structure.
The current Constitution was adopted in 1995, and since then, it has been amended three times – in 2004, 2009, and 2016 – with the aim of strengthening the institution of the presidency.
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