Armenia's Constitutional Court may be dissolved by parliament
16.05.2020,
16:02
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan indicated today that the standoff between the Constitutional Court and his administration may be resolved by parliament.
YEREVAN, May 16. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan indicated today that the standoff between the Constitutional Court and his administration may be resolved by parliament.
Armenia's parliament had earlier approved a decision, drafted by Pashinyan's My Step parliamentary bloc, to hold a referendum on constitutional changes that would dismiss seven of the nine members of Constitutional Court.
The court’s chairman, Hrayr Tovmasyan, and six other members installed by former Armenian governments were accused by Pashinyan of being linked to the “corrupt former regime.” Tovmasyan and others refused to quit.
The referendum was scheduled for April 5, but was postponed after Armenia declared state of emergency to contain the spread of coronavirus.
"About ten days ago, I reported that according to our forecasts the situation with coronavirus in our country will last about a year, which means that there will not be a referendum for a year because no political benefit could be rated higher than public health," he said.
Pashinyan said it is impossible to wait for the resolution of the standoff with the Constitutional Court until the victory over the coronavirus.
"We have formed a commission on constitutional amendments, which may be put to referendum next June. This means that in this context, the referendum on Constitutional Court members becomes meaningless," he said.
Pashinyan noted that the government has applied to the Venice Commission to find out the possibility of resolving the standoff in parliament. -0-
Armenia's parliament had earlier approved a decision, drafted by Pashinyan's My Step parliamentary bloc, to hold a referendum on constitutional changes that would dismiss seven of the nine members of Constitutional Court.
The court’s chairman, Hrayr Tovmasyan, and six other members installed by former Armenian governments were accused by Pashinyan of being linked to the “corrupt former regime.” Tovmasyan and others refused to quit.
The referendum was scheduled for April 5, but was postponed after Armenia declared state of emergency to contain the spread of coronavirus.
"About ten days ago, I reported that according to our forecasts the situation with coronavirus in our country will last about a year, which means that there will not be a referendum for a year because no political benefit could be rated higher than public health," he said.
Pashinyan said it is impossible to wait for the resolution of the standoff with the Constitutional Court until the victory over the coronavirus.
"We have formed a commission on constitutional amendments, which may be put to referendum next June. This means that in this context, the referendum on Constitutional Court members becomes meaningless," he said.
Pashinyan noted that the government has applied to the Venice Commission to find out the possibility of resolving the standoff in parliament. -0-
