YEREVAN. – There was never a strong opposition in Armenia, and the opposition is strong if it has statutory powers, which are nonexistent in the current Constitution.

MP Vahan Babayan of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party, which supports the proposed constitutional amendments, stated the aforesaid at a press conference on Monday. 

“We need to say ‘yes’ to the constitutional amendments, to be free from the super-centralization of power, to form an independent judicial system, and for its new formulations toward the opposition,” Babayan said.

In his words, the “No” front against the constitutional amendments is unable to bring forth any arguments to say “no” to these amendments.

“They say the same thing which they always said,” the PAP MP added. “The opposition [to the constitutional amendments] mistakes the [respective] referendum for presidential elections.”

In turn, Arshak Musakhanyan, who is a member of the “You will not Pass” initiative and the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) which oppose the proposed constitutional amendments, said the opposition has always been strong in Armenia, but there were no opportunities for holding free, fair, and competitive elections in the country.

“[Under the proposed constitutional amendments,] the counterbalances will cease to exist [in Armenia] and a single-party [system] will be created in the country, and it’s impossible to speak about opposition during a monopoly,” Musakhanyan stated. “I urge you to say ‘no’ to the constitutional amendments because this is a chance for reproduction of the [ruling] authorities.”

The referendum on Armenia’s draft constitutional amendments is slated for Sunday, December 6.