Erkin Gadirli predicts holding of constitutional referendum in autumn

Baku/18.07.23/Turan: Azerbaijan may hold a constitutional referendum in autumn 2023, MP, member of "REAL" Party, lawyer Erkin Gadirli believes.

There are objective reasons for this - "The system is outdated, management costs and political risks have increased, and efficiency has decreased," Gadirli wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to Gadirli, the current system is unsuitable for the post-war period (the 44-day war in 2020).

Gadirli's assumptions about a possible referendum are also based on the fact that the Parliament has made amendments to the budget-2023, according to which the expenses for election-related events have been raised by 50 per cent.

The MP believes that both amendments to the new Constitution and the adoption of the new Constitution can be submitted to the referendum.

Gadirli does not know what reforms are expected. At the same time, from the point of view of legal expediency, he considers a cardinal reform of local authorities necessary first of all. To his thinking, the current system of heads of executive power of regions has been preserved since the collapse of the USSR. These heads have essentially replaced the first secretaries of the Communist Party's district committees.  This system is outdated and does not meet the requirements of the day.  At the same time, the bodies of representative democracy - municipalities are not a part of the system of state power.

Gadirli believes that the reform of administrative division is necessary, because for a small country like Azerbaijan there is no need for the administrations of 66 regions, 14 cities of republican subordination and 12 city districts.

In Gadirli's view, the issue of enlargement and strengthening of administrative units and their municipalities accordingly can be put to referendum.

He believes that economic, cultural and social issues could be transferred from the executive to the municipalities. In order to manage political risks, it is possible to introduce the institution of a "presidential plenipotentiary representative", which has already been tested in some regions throughout the country.

Also, Gadirli does not rule out putting the issue of reforming the electoral system, transition to a bicameral Parliament and proportional system of elections to the lower house to a referendum.

As for the Cabinet of Ministers, it has no real powers now.

If there are intentions to keep it, it will be necessary to subordinate the Cabinet of Ministers to the Parliament, as it is in France, which is also a Presidential Republic.

Otherwise, the Cabinet of Ministers may be abolished altogether, as is the practice in the United States, believes Ghadirli. -06В-