Protocols Submitted to Armenia’s Constitutional Court
By Asbarez Staff
Nov 20th, 2009

YEREVAN (Yerkir Media) – The Armenia-Turkey protocols were submitted by
President Serzh Sarkisian’s office to Armenia’s Constitutional Court
three days ago, reported Court Chief of Staff Aroushan Hakopyan.

A full-court session must be convened within 20 days to determine a
hearing date for the protocols, Hakopian explained. If within the
20-day time frame a consensus is not reached, the decision to convene
a hearing is extended by 10 additional days. If a month passes from
the time of submission and a decision is not reached, the protocols
must be returned to the President’s office or the court must decide on
further discussions.

The same full-court is also tasked with ruling on the
constitutionality of the protocols, added Hakopian.

The court administrator was unable to say whether the hearings would
be closed or open to the public.

Evidently, the ruling Republican Party parliamentary bloc chairman
Galust Sahakian was unaware about the protocols having been submitted
to the court. Responding to press inquiries on the possibility of the
protocols never being submitted, Sahakian told reporters that Armenia
will be advancing the ratification process through an
already-announced approach, which Sahakian explained was for the
Turkish parliament to first ratify the documents.

He explained that the border cannot open by only the Armenian side’s
ratification.