Armenia plans to publish a draft of a new constitution in November and begin public consultations, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. No date has been set for a referendum.
Pashinyan announced the timetable on Nov. 2 during parliamentary committee discussions of Armenia’s proposed 2027 state budget, Vesti Baku reported.
Draft to Enter Public Consultation
Pashinyan said the government would accept and review proposals after publication until officials were satisfied that the draft had been discussed widely enough. The constitutional process would then move to its next stage.
Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan previously said the draft could be presented in mid-November. The government is preparing a new version of the country’s basic law rather than a limited package of amendments. Neither the final text nor the adoption calendar has been approved.
Pashinyan Links Reform to Peace
Pashinyan said that if the parliamentary opposition blocked the new constitution after the governing majority provided convincing answers about its connection to peace with Azerbaijan, that opposition could be seen as opposing a final peace settlement. In that case, he said, the governing force should lead public pressure in support of the reform.
He also said his confidence in the constitutional process was growing. Yerevan continues to describe the constitution’s content as an internal matter for Armenia.
Why the Issue Matters to Azerbaijan
Armenia’s current constitution refers in its preamble to the country’s 1990 Declaration of Independence. Azerbaijan argues that the reference preserves a basis for territorial claims and says it should be removed before the peace agreement is signed. Armenian officials say the constitution contains no territorial claim against Azerbaijan.
On Oct. 29, Pashinyan called provisions of the declaration “anti-state” and confirmed that a new constitution was being prepared. His latest comments set a publication window and more directly connected the domestic debate over reform to prospects for a final settlement between Baku and Yerevan.
Source: Vesti Baku. Pashinyan’s Nov. 2 remarks were also reported by Public Radio of Armenia.