20:24, 6 February, 2020

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS.  The National Assembly of Armenia decided to put the issue of suspending the powers of President of the Constitutional Court of Armenia Hrayr Tovmasyan and the members of the Court to a national referendum. ARMENPRESS reports the bill on the referendum was adopted by 88 votes in favor and 15 against.

“Prosperous Armenia” faction had announced that they will not participate in the voting, while “My step” had announced that will vote in favor of the bill.

The bill on the Constitutional amendments proposing to suspend the powers of Constitutional Court President Hrayr Tovmasyan and the members of the Constitutional Court was declined at the National Assembly at 1st reading.

Vice Speaker of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan had announced before the ballot that “My step” bloc will abstain. “The crisis over the Constitutional Court must be solved through referendum”, he had said. 36 MPs voted against the bill and 87 abstained. Head of “My step” parliamentary faction Lilit Makunts announced earlier that their political force wants to put the issue of the Constitutional amendments to national referendum. “The power in Armenia belongs to the people. The people implements its power through free elections, referendums”, Makunts had said, adding that putting the issue of suspending the powers of key bodies of the country to referendum can significantly decrease undue tensions and keep the country away from shocks.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan