Opposition figure: the draft of the new Constitution is being developed for only one purpose: to exclude the reference to the Declaration of Independence

ArmInfo. The draft of the new Constitution is being developed with only one goal: to eliminate the reference to the Declaration of Independence. Opposition “Strong Armenia” faction Member of Parliament of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Edgar Kazaryan stated this to journalists on October 27.

According to him, the draft does not provide for a change in the system of government, and the country will continue to remain a parliamentary republic. “Several cosmetic changes may be made to this document, which will not have any significant meaning. This is a fundamental issue related to the demands of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and everything is being done to satisfy this demand, that is, to eliminate the reference to the Declaration of Independence,” the NA deputy said, adding that the absence of this reference can mean only one thing: the liquidation of Armenian statehood.

Edgar Kazaryan urged journalists to pay attention to the program of the ruling party, which explicitly refers to the creation of the Fourth Republic. “When Nikol Pashinyan speaks about the Fourth Republic, what does he mean?  This means the liquidation of the Third Republic. At the same time, no one asks the question: if the Third Republic is liquidated, who can guarantee that the Fourth Republic will be created? If this state is liquidated, which is their main goal,  what difference does it make what is written in the other provisions of the new Constitution?” the opposition politician asked.

He expressed hope that honest people would be found among the NA deputies from the ruling faction who would leave the faction and announce the impeachment of Nikol Pashinyan and the government headed by him.  According to Edgar Kazaryan, the solution to all of Armenia’s problems should lie precisely in this. “It is obvious to everyone that the Civil Contract party ruling in Armenia is guided by the demands of Ilham Aliyev,  and I do not rule out that a deputy may be found in parliament who will form a bloc with Ilham Aliyev, Jeyhun Bayramov and Hikmet Hajiyev. In essence, the draft of the new Constitution is aimed at liquidating Armenian statehood. Azerbaijan is a hostile state for Armenia and has remained so since the proclamation of independence. To this day, Baku has not recognized Armenia’s independence, nor has it established diplomatic relations with Yerevan. Moreover, Azerbaijan committed aggression against Armenia and the Armenian people, subjecting part of our people to genocide. This policy continues to this day, with Nikol Pashinyan and the ruling party acting as its supporters in the country,” the opposition politician stated.

It should be recalled that the draft of the new Constitution of the Republic of Armenia has not yet been officially published, but the authorities plan to present the document for public discussion by the end of 2026. One of the main objectives of the authorities’ reform is said to be the removal from the preamble of the current Constitution of the reference to the Declaration of Independence of Armenia. Prime­Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan emphasize that the adoption of a new Basic Law is an internal matter of Armenia aimed at the long-term stability of the state, rather than a concession to external demands.  Baku insists on amending Armenia’s Constitution as one of the conditions for signing a final peace treaty, claiming that the mention of the Declaration of Independence allegedly contains territorial claims. Yerevan rejects the existence of such claims.

Approval of the new Constitution will require a nationwide referendum, the decision to call which must be adopted by the National Assembly of Armenia by at least two-thirds of the deputies’ votes. In the absence of agreement with the opposition, Pashinyan has not ruled out holding early elections.