Key Takeaways:
- Opposition leader Anna Grigoryan warned that any outcome of a constitutional referendum held under perceived Azerbaijani pressure would be disastrous for Armenia and vowed to block the issue from reaching a vote.
- She accused the government of successive concessions, including recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory and potential withdrawal of international legal claims.
- A Strong Armenia representative claimed one-third of citizens surveyed were unaware of the proposed changes, while the Justice Minister said the Constitutional Council refused to draft a new text.
Anna Grigoryan, head of the opposition Armenia parliamentary faction, has warned that any outcome of a constitutional referendum held under what she described as Azerbaijani pressure would be disastrous for Armenia.
“Whether positive or negative, any outcome would be disastrous. Our main task is to prevent the issue from reaching a referendum,” Grigoryan told journalists, Factor.am reported.
She argued that proposed constitutional changes must first receive parliamentary approval and said her faction would oppose any amendments it considered to have been demanded by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Grigoryan accused the government of making repeated concessions to Azerbaijan, citing the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory, changes concerning strategic roads and the possibility of withdrawing international legal claims.
Separately, Strong Armenia representative Narek Karapetyan criticized the government’s security policies, arguing that lasting peace required a balance among regional powers rather than reliance on a single guarantor.
Karapetyan also claimed that nearly one-third of people approached during his movement’s public awareness campaign were unaware of the proposed constitutional changes and their alleged connection to Azerbaijani demands.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan said the Constitutional Council was unwilling to assume responsibility for drafting a new Constitution. She proposed that the Justice Ministry continue preparing the text and present it publicly under its own name.
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