Armenian opposition MPs call for “no” vote on constitutional referendum

Mediamax news agency
31 May 05

Yerevan, 31 May: The parliamentary factions of the opposition Justice
bloc and the National Unity Party issued a statement today. They called
on the Armenian citizens to vote against the draft constitutional
amendments put forward by the ruling political coalition.

The leaders of the Justice bloc and the National Unity Party, Stepan
Demirchyan and Artashes Gegamyan, signed the statement.

“Genuinely democratic constitutional reforms have no alternative and
they will be implemented once a legitimate government is established
in Armenia,” the statement said.

The coalition’s draft, which the Armenian parliament adopted in the
first reading on 11 May, “is directed at perpetuating the authoritarian
system”, the opposition’s statement said.

It is expected that the referendum on amending the constitution will
be held in Armenia at the end of the summer or at the beginning of
the autumn.