ArmInfo. In Armenia, referenda will be prohibited in emergency or martial law. The National Assembly at the meeting on June 3 in the second and final reading amended the constitutional law "On the referendum".
As the author of the presented document Vahagn Hovakimyan, MP from the ruling "My Step" faction, noted according to the provisions of the RA Constitution, it is forbidden to hold referendums in emergency or martial law. It should take place after the emergency is over in no earlier than 50 days and no later than 65 days. The lawmkaer noted that everything was ready for the referendum on constitutional reforms, which envisaged solving the problem of the Constitutional Court, however, an emergency regime was announced and the referendum could not be held.
"At the same time, it is not clear how events will develop further. Questions remain about what will happen to the campaign headquarters" Yes "and" No ", with commissions, etc. We discussed the situation with representatives of the government and the CEC. Thus, it is proposed that the National Assembly will be able to cancel the decision made by the parliament to hold a referendum. I would like to emphasize that the parliament can only make such a decision in a state of emergency or martial law. If the parliament does not make such a decision, the referendum process will resume, "Hovakimyan said. He emphasized that such measures are simply necessary. "The fact is that if the heads or members of the commissions are appointed, they are exempted from draft and mobilization. And in conditions of martial law, these members of the commission will not be called up, even if they themselves want to be mobilized. This issue concerns our security," the lawmaker said. Hovakimyan noted that the main goal of the abolition of the referendum is to preserve the health of citizens. "We fear the coronavirus pandemic, which has spread not only to Armenia, but the whole world. We do not intend to endanger the health of our citizens, for us the most important thing is to protect the health of our citizens," the lawmaker concluded.
It should be noted that on February 6 the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia adopted a decision on submitting draft amendments to the Constitution to the referendum. 88 lawmakers voted for this decision, 15 against. It is a question of introducing amendments to Article 213 of the Constitution, providing for the dissolution of the Constitutional Court. A referendum on constitutional amendments was scheduled for April 5 this year. However, due to the coronavirus epidemic, it had to be postponed.