YEREVAN. – It was for the first time in Armenia’s history that the authorities and the opposition together met with people during the constitutional amendments’ campaign.
MP Sukias Avetisyan of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, which supports these amendments, stated the abovementioned at a press conference on Tuesday.
He stated this reflecting on the ongoing reality TV program devoted to the proposed constitutional amendments ahead of the forthcoming respective referendum.
“The campaign gave a lot,” Avetisyan noted. “Many people were briefed, understood the content of the document.”
Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan of the opposition National Self-Determination Union, which opposes the proposed constitutional amendments, in turn, noted that there was no obstacle during the entire campaign, except for Tuesday’s slated event.
In his words, the public transport buses, which work between capital city Yerevan and nearby Abovyan city, are not working at present, and this is linked to the opposition rally to be held later in the day at Liberty Square in Downtown Yerevan.
Hayrikyan stated that the objective of this public assembly is not the Constitution per se, but rather to change the ruling regime by way of the Constitution.
“There will be many people [at the rally] today,” he added. “But these people are coming to decide whether or not they will do something.”
The referendum on Armenia’s constitutional amendments will be conducted on Sunday.
Pursuant to the proposed amendments, the country will make a transition from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary system of governance, and conduct completely proportional parliamentary elections.
The opponents of these amendments, however, consider them to be primarily the authorities’ attempt to hang on to power.
