Saghatelyan: Arrests and threats will not force the opposition to support the "Aliyev Constitution"

ArmInfo. No means of blackmail will be able to influence the decision of any opposition member and force them to speak out in support of the process that will lead to the adoption of the "Aliyev Constitution" in Armenia, stated Ishkhan Saghatelyan, a member of the Armenian Parliament from the opposition "Armenia" faction and a member of the ARF "Dashnaktsutyun" Supreme Bureau.

"First of all, it must be stated that Pashinyan has failed in his attempt to present constitutional amendments as a domestic agenda for the country." The opposition succeeded in showing the people the real state of affairs, and today everyone in Armenia knows that constitutional amendments are a demand of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, which is why this package has been deservedly dubbed the "Aliyev Constitution," Saghatelyan wrote on his Facebook page, referring to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement that if the parliamentary opposition opposes the adoption of the new Constitution, the ruling majority will begin to generate public pressure.

Furthermore, according to the MP, the opposition succeeded in presenting both Pashinyan and Aliyev with a fait accompli: they currently lack a constitutional majority in the Armenian parliament, and, consequently, no mandate to fulfill yet another "Aliyev" demand. "This is truly a historic moment, and no means of blackmail or hostage-taking will be able to influence the decision of any opposition member or force them to speak out in support of the process that will lead to the adoption of the "Aliyev Constitution" in Armenia. The hostage-taking and imprisonment of opposition leaders, including the predictable new wave of arrests, can only strengthen the opposition's resolve to say "no" to Pashinyan and Aliyev's constitution. As for any guarantees from Aliyev and Pashinyan, they are of no importance," the oppositionist noted.

In this regard, he recalled how in March 2022, Pashinyan stated that if they lowered the bar in the Artsakh negotiations, this would guarantee the security of the Artsakh people and ensure international consolidation on this issue. "Six months later, Pashinyan, together with Aliyev, ensured depopulation and ethnic cleansing in Artsakh. Therefore, in the current situation, the historical role of the opposition remains as follows: to firmly stand on the only correct position, to say "no" to the joint package of Pashinyan and Aliyev - the adoption of the "Aliyev Constitution" "And new territorial concessions under the guise of enclaves. If Pashinyan takes this path, it will inevitably lead to his removal from power," Saghatelyan concluded.

It should be noted that the draft of the new Constitution of Armenia has not yet been officially published. Initially, the authorities promised to publish the draft constitution before the parliamentary elections, but the deadline was repeatedly postponed, and now the deadline is November or December. According to statements, the new constitution will omit references to the Declaration of Independence of Armenia, despite the fact that the preamble to the constitution is inviolable and cannot be amended or deleted. The opposition accuses the Armenian authorities of complying with Azerbaijan's demands and has repeatedly emphasized that it will not support the process of amending the country's constitution.

It should be noted that the approval of the new constitution will require a national referendum, the decision to which must be made by the National Assembly of Armenia with a vote of at least two-thirds of the deputies. Since, according to the results of the regular parliamentary elections in Armenia, held on June 7, 2026, the Civil Contract party has a 3/5 majority, which allows it to adopt constitutional laws and make appointments to positions, but the party does not have a 2/3 majority of votes necessary to make direct amendments to the Constitution of Armenia, to advance this issue they must receive the support of the opposition.