Discussions continue in Armenia regarding the new draft constitution prepared by the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Armenian Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan stated in her statement to Factor.am that they will be ready to present the new draft constitution to the public in mid-November.
Emphasizing that the text is not final, Galyan said that constitutional amendments will be discussed for a long time with the participation of different segments of society.
Providing information about the preparation process of the new constitution, Galyan stated that the draft will be opened to public evaluation.
Galyan used the following statements:
"We will be ready to present the draft new constitution in mid-November. This will not be a final text. We will present a draft open to discussion, not a finalized document for public evaluation. We will hold comprehensive discussions with all segments of society for a long time."
Criticizing the opposition of two opposition groups in the parliament to the preparation of a new constitution, Galyan said that he found it unreasonable to object to a text whose content has not yet been disclosed.
Arguing that the constitutional amendment was not prepared in line with Azerbaijan's demands, Galyan made the following statement:
"No one here is doing anything upon Aliyev's request. Maybe the opposition will first give him the opportunity to see what was changed and why, and then make a statement."
Galyan stated that he was pleased that the opposition Strong Armenia group nominated a candidate to the Constitutional Reform Council for the first time and expressed his hope that the representative in question would participate in the work.
Galyan also evaluated the possibility that early elections could be held if the support of the opposition in the parliament is not achieved regarding the adoption of the new constitution, and said that this option is not excluded.
However, emphasizing that no final decision has been taken yet, Galyan stated that it is not possible to make a decision on early elections before the draft constitution is published and public discussions are completed.
Galyan stated that early parliamentary elections are one of the options that can be considered.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also made statements about the new constitution works at the government question-answer session held in the parliament.
Stating that Armenia will not negotiate constitutional regulations with any foreign country, Pashinyan said that they were disturbed by the Azerbaijani administration's statements on the issue.
Pashinyan said, "We clearly stated to all our international partners and in our negotiations with Azerbaijan that we will not discuss any issues related to our constitution with external actors."
Arguing that some statements from Azerbaijan strengthened the discourse of the opposition in Armenia, Pashinyan claimed that this could increase political instability in the country.
Pashinyan continued his words as follows:
"We clearly say to Azerbaijan: The constitution is our internal matter and we will discuss this issue only with the people of Armenia. The text of the new constitution will be published soon and discussions with the public will begin."
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan made remarkable statements regarding the peace process with Azerbaijan in the question-answer session in the parliament.
Answering the questions of Opposition Deputy Arega Hovsepyan, Mirzoyan stated that Azerbaijan linked the signing of the peace agreement with the constitutional change in Armenia.
Mirzoyan said that Azerbaijan did not put forward the constitutional amendment as a direct condition in the negotiations, but brought this issue up at the signing stage of the agreement.
Explaining Azerbaijan's approach, Mirzoyan said:
"They tell us that this is our issue. But they state that they will not sign the peace agreement until they change the constitution."
When the opposition MP said that this actually meant a precondition, Mirzoyan argued that there was a difference between an openly put forward condition and the attitude of not signing the agreement until the change in question was made.
Arguing that the peace process with Azerbaijan has not been postponed, Mirzoyan claimed that a de facto peace environment has been created between the two countries.
Stating that citizens living in the border regions and those doing military service can verify this situation, Mirzoyan also cited the transportation of cargo to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory and the conduct of commercial relations as examples of this.
Emphasizing that the Armenian government is ready to sign the peace agreement, Mirzoyan said that negotiations can start as soon as possible to determine the place and date of the signing ceremony.
Mirzoyan stated that it is possible to sign the agreement at the end of 2026 or in 2027 and that they aim to complete the process before the end of the current government's term of office.
Preparations for a new constitution in Armenia are also important for the peace process with Azerbaijan.
In the introduction part of the declaration, reference is made to the joint decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ErmSSR) and the Nagorno-Karabakh National Council on "Reunification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh" dated December 1, 1989.
Through this reference, the document conveyed the will for the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the claim that this region was united with Armenian territory into the official state document.
The Declaration of Independence in question was also referenced in the preamble/first articles of the Armenian Constitution, which was later adopted, and this situation became one of the biggest disputes in the peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia for many years.
Azerbaijan wants the Armenian Constitution and the references to this declaration to be amended/removed in order to sign a permanent peace agreement with Armenia. The Azerbaijani administration states that the reference to the declaration includes a territorial claim over Karabakh.
Pashinyan stated in his various statements that continuing these approaches in the declaration endangers the sovereignty and independence of Armenia; He points out that this declaration should not be included in the country's new constitutional studies.
With the presentation of the new draft constitution to the public in November, it is expected that the regulations, especially in the preamble, and their effects on the peace process with Azerbaijan will be at the center of discussions in Armenian politics.
