Vahram Avetisyan was the government’s candidate for judge of the Constitutional Court, not mine. This is what Minister of Justice of Armenia Rustam Badasyan told reporters in parliament today, touching upon the presses’ news according to which he had nominated Vahram Avetisyan for judge candidate, but the latter renounced the nomination.

When told that the government has nominated Edgar Shatiryan, Badasyan said he believes Shatiryan is a great candidate and a professional who deserves to be a judge of the Constitutional Court.

Reporters also told Badasyan that Shatiryan got offended and refused to join the Commission for the Prevention of Corrpution after getting elected since he didn’t become the head of the Commission, Badasyan said this is very bad and that he believes the My Step faction of the National Assembly will find the time to clarify the matter.

Asked if the three candidates for judges of the Constitutional Court are the people who, if elected by the National Assembly, will change the situation in the Constitutional Court and will help increase the public’s confidence in the Court, Badasyan said the following: “I will only express my opinion on the candidate nominated by the government. I believe Shatiryan’s personal and professional attributes are satisfactory for him to serve as a judge of the Constitutional Court and instill confidence in the latter. I won’t express my opinions on the other candidates since they are nominated by the President and the General Assembly of Judges.”