Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan will soon be able to rid himself of the disloyal last representative of the old elites retained a high post after the “velvet revolution” in 2018, the head of the constitutional court (CC) Hrayr Tovmasyan. It was initially planned that this will happen in the referendum on introducing amendments to the Constitution. He was scheduled for 5 April, but was not carried out because of the pandemic. Meanwhile on Wednesday, the Parliament approved a law allowing generally not to hold a popular vote. Instead, make amendments to the Constitution will be able deputies. Given that the supporters of Nikol Pashinian have a majority in Parliament, the fate of the disloyal to the Prime Minister the head of the COP a foregone conclusion.On Wednesday, the Armenian Parliament passed second and final reading amendments to the law “On referendum”, after which the question put to the vote. For made 82 deputies, against — 17 deputies. Thus, a referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Armenia will not.To change the referendum law proposed by the MP from the ruling bloc “step” Vahagn Hovakimyan. Under the bill, which is considered in the accelerated mode, if the referendum falls in the period of emergency or martial law, you can cancel it altogether. In the previous edition of the law this was not possible: the authorities were obliged to vote “no earlier than 50 and no more than 65 days after the end of war or emergency”.And in the middle of may, when almost all quarantine restrictions were lifted, the Armenian authorities stated: to hold a referendum will have “at least a year” and, therefore, need to find another way to resolve the situation.Photo: constitutional court of the Republic of Armenian referendum were to be considered changes in the basic law that provide for the termination of powers of the Chairman and the members of the constitutional court appointed before the reform of the Constitution in 2015. In the case of amendment have lost their seats, would seven judges out of nine, including the Chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan. Desire Nikol Pashinian to seek the resignation of Mr. Tovmasyan is due to the fact that he is almost the only representative of the old elites of the country, preserved after the “velvet revolution” in 2018 such a high position and openly challenging the Prime Minister. Legitimate ways to send the head of the COP in the resignation of the Prime Minister of Armenia is not, and to wait until the end of his powers for too long. According to the Constitution in 2005, which appointed Hrayr Tovmasyan and four other judges, members of the COP retain the post until reaching the age of 65 — in the case of Mr. Tovmasyan is 2035.Doubt that the decision to dismiss judges need to be approved, no: the ruling block is two-thirds of the seats that just enoughon for decision-making. So as not to incur allegations of violation of constitutional and democratic procedures, the justice of the country appealed to the European Commission for democracy through law — an Advisory body of the Council of Europe, better known as the Venice Commission, with a request to approve such an option.The author of the bill Vahagn Hovakimyan claims that he helped the Prime Minister to get rid of a political rival, and eliminated a gap in the legislation. In turn, Lilit Bakunts explained the necessity of amendments the fact that to hold a referendum, without endangering the lives of citizens, it is impossible. “Therefore, there is a need to cancel the referendum,” she said.”The initiative of the authorities about the cancellation of the referendum over the constitutional court raises many questions. Unclear and late, and sometimes controversial provisions of the bill forced us to vote against this initiative”,— said “Kommersant” the Secretary of “Prosperous Armenia” Arman Abovyan, even after the first reading of the document on 1 June. The head of the parliamentary faction of the same party Edmon Marukyan in conversation with “Kommersant” expressed more rigidly: “We said that the amendments contain many unconstitutional elements. There are suspicions that the project is unconstitutional, so we boycotted the vote to failed to gather enough votes (in the first reading.— “B”) and it was not adopted. But, unfortunately, the result of the initiative still approved”.Hayk Khalatyan, Yerevan
