Opposition Prosperous Armenia decides against participating in referendum on constitutional changes
14.02.2020,
18:44
The opposition Prosperous Armenia Party decided today against participating in a referendum on constitutional changes.
YEREVAN, February 14. /ARKA/. The opposition Prosperous Armenia Party decided today against participating in a referendum on constitutional changes. A parliament member from the party Naira Zohrabyan told reporters that the party shares the idea of implementing democracy through referendums, but cannot participate in processes, which she said are doubtful from the point of view of legality.
According to her, the Prosperous Armenia believes that the authorities have moved the issue from the legal to the political plane, creating new lines of division in the society.
'Prosperous Armenia has always considered unacceptable the practice of creating watersheds and barricades in our society. The time has come to finally close the page of the fruitless confrontation between the old and the new and to direct the collective potential of the people towards creation of a prosperous future, "Zohrabyan noted.
Earlier, the Bright Armenia party, the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia, as well as the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, said they would boycott the referendum. The referendum was supported by the Armenian National Congress, headed by the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Earlier this month Armenia’s National Assembly, by a vote of 88 to 15, passed a bill approving a national referendum to amend the country’s constitution. The referendum seeks to modify Article 213 of the constitution and thus allow for the early termination of powers of Constitutional Court chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan and six other Court members.
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian signed a decree on February 9 setting April 5 as the date for the vote.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has accused the seven judges of the Court of maintaining ties to Armenia’s former leadership and impeding reforms aimed at creating an independent judiciary. -0-
According to her, the Prosperous Armenia believes that the authorities have moved the issue from the legal to the political plane, creating new lines of division in the society.
'Prosperous Armenia has always considered unacceptable the practice of creating watersheds and barricades in our society. The time has come to finally close the page of the fruitless confrontation between the old and the new and to direct the collective potential of the people towards creation of a prosperous future, "Zohrabyan noted.
Earlier, the Bright Armenia party, the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia, as well as the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, said they would boycott the referendum. The referendum was supported by the Armenian National Congress, headed by the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Earlier this month Armenia’s National Assembly, by a vote of 88 to 15, passed a bill approving a national referendum to amend the country’s constitution. The referendum seeks to modify Article 213 of the constitution and thus allow for the early termination of powers of Constitutional Court chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan and six other Court members.
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian signed a decree on February 9 setting April 5 as the date for the vote.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has accused the seven judges of the Court of maintaining ties to Armenia’s former leadership and impeding reforms aimed at creating an independent judiciary. -0-
