Armenia’s Parliament to be Split into Two Houses?

Armenia’s Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, meeting with the Armenian-American community in California, presented Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s intention of splitting parliament into two houses through constitutional amendments, reports local Armenian daily Aravot (“Morning”).

According to Hakobyan, “The upper house will be the Senate, which will also include diasporan Armenians.”

“Today I saw our Californian-Armenian community’s enthusiasm for the idea of creating a senate. The first step by the president was the creation of the Ministry of Diaspora; with the creation of the ministry, serious policy in diaspora-homeland ties was developed; second, dual citizenship was introduced; third, basically, we’re taking the third step, by creating an upper house in which the Diasporan Armenian will have his voice, his words in the governing of the state [public administration], development of policy, and functioning of state power,” she said, reports Aravot.