New Constitution: Church article stays unchanged, and “no goal of uniting Karabakh with Armenia”, says minister Srbuhi Galyan
- Published
- Place
- National Assembly, Yerevan, Armenia
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan gave several details in parliament on 2 November about the draft new Constitution, which the government plans to publish in November. The current provisions on the Armenian Apostolic Church will be kept unchanged, she said, adding that the text will remain open to discussion after publication. On the 1990 Declaration of Independence, which the opposition wants referenced in the Constitution, she said its goals were “outdated”: “We have no goal of uniting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.” No one can erase the Declaration from history, she added. Since the Constitutional Reform Council is not ready to take responsibility for the text, her ministry will bear sole responsibility for it.
Analysis
The reference to the Declaration of Independence is at the heart of the stand-off between the government and the opposition. The 1990 text mentions reunification with Nagorno-Karabakh, a reference Baku demands be removed before a final peace deal is signed. By leaving the Church article intact, the authorities avoid opening a second front at a time when their relations with the Apostolic Church hierarchy are already very strained.
Possible consequences
The draft is due to be published in November and then put to a referendum; the minister urged the opposition not to obstruct the vote.
