Constitutional changes come into force in Armenia

After months of negotiations and manoevering, change has come to the Armenian Constitutional Court.

Considered the last bastion within the state of those opposing the Velvet revolution of prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, the court has been subject of controversy for months. But on Friday (26 June), the Constitutional Changes hastily enacted by the Armenian parliament earlier this week came into force on the stroke of midnight. As a result three of the eight ordinary judges of the court, who had served for longer than twelve years, lost their seats. Furthermore the position of president of the court became vacant. The government is now expected to move with the appointment of three new judges, and a new president.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his facebook page:

"The constitutional amendments came into force. Hrayr Tovmasyan is not the chairman of the Constitutional Court, and Felix Tokhyan, Hrant Nazaryan and Alvina Gyulumyan are not members or judges of the Constitutional Court.

Three new judges of the Constitutional Court must be elected within two months.

All state bodies of Armenia are obliged to take note of this reality and be guided by it. "

 Until this morning however, the website of the Constitutional Court was still showing the old composition of the court.

source: commonspace.eu

photo: The Constitutional Court of Armenia in session (archive picture)

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
European Green parties invite UK to rejoin the EU, 10 years after Brexit.

European Green parties invite UK to rejoin the EU, 10 years after Brexit.

The European Green Party, bringing together all Green parties across the EU, is the first European political family to make an explicit political invitation for the UK to rejoin, 10 years after Brexit.  The Green party leaders, united on Friday at the Green Leadership Council in Brussels, and stated in a common Declaration that the way forward for the EU is to enlarge to the East and the West, and to roll out a radical move towards renewable energy to ensure European autonomy.  Vula Tsetsi, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, said:  'On the eve of Europe Day, we European Greens are clear: the European Union must enlarge and its doors should be re-opened for the United Kingdom. If, in the future, the people of the UK choose this path, we are ready to welcome them back. Ten years after Brexit, it is increasingly clear that Brexit weakened both the UK and the EU. Any political process must begin with a political signal, and today, the European Greens are the first European political family to say clearly that our door is open to a future return of the UK in the EU. We now call on the other European political families to follow.’ The European Green Party fully supports enlargement across Europe, from the Western Balkans and Ukraine to any European country that chooses a shared democratic future within the European Union, as a more united Europe is a stronger Europe. Ciarán Cuffe, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, added:  'Europe’s dependence on oil and gas is keeping it weak, exposed and vulnerable. If we are serious about peace, security, and independence, we must break free from fossil fuels and go all in on renewable energy. Wind and solar are not just climate solutions, they are the foundation of a stronger, independent and ultimately free Europe. Investing in renewables will protect us from the price spikes linked to fossil fuel.' (click the image to read the full report).

Popular

Editor's choice
Interview
Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Today, commonspace.eu starts a new regular weekly series. THURSDAY INTERVIEW, conducted by Lauri Nikulainen, will host  persons who are thinkers, opinion shapers, and implementors in their countries and spheres. We start the series with an interview with Murad Muradov, a leading person in Azerbaijan's think tank community. He is also the first co-chair of the Action Committee for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue. Last September he made history by being the first Azerbaijani civil society activist to visit Armenia after the 44 day war, and the start of the peace process. Speaking about this visit Murad Muradov said: "My experience was largely positive. My negative expectations luckily didn’t play out. The discussions were respectful, the panel format bringing together experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey was particularly valuable during the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan, and media coverage, while varied in tone, remained largely constructive. Some media outlets though attempted to represent me as more of a government mouthpiece than an independent expert, which was totally misleading.  Overall, I see these initiatives as important steps in rebuilding trust and normalising professional engagement. The fact that soon a larger Azerbaijani civil society visits to Armenia followed, reinforces the sense that this process is moving in the right direction." (click the image to read the interview in full)