We won’t let any head of government tell the parliament what to do. This is what head of the Bright Armenia faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Edmon Marukyan said during the special parliamentary session devoted to the constitutional amendments today, touching upon the speech by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“A large portion of the Prime Minister’s speech was taken from the long letter of the judge of the Constitutional Court Vahe Grigoryan which describes how the presidency of Hrayr Tovmasyan was established in the Constitutional Court, and another portion is from the criminal case instituted against the former parliamentary speaker and the ex-chief of staff of the National Assembly.

This gave me something to think about. If there are judges who were appointed by ex-presidents, they shouldn’t serve. This is a wrong logic because the bodies that need to exist, according to the Constitution, as independent bodies, need to have judges serving for different terms and appointed by different authorities. The meaning of the Constitutional Court is that various authorities appoint people for different terms, and this is also a guarantee of certain independence.

What is troubling and seems dangerous is your approach that you are threatening from this podium the forces that may legally dispute the decisions that are being made today.

You say those who try to impede the referendum will be declared anti-state forces and those who support this process will be considered people devoted to the nation. As long as we are in this parliament, we won’t let any head of government tell the parliament what to do.

Mr. Prime Minister, if those forces disagree with a referendum, are you going to burn their cars and attack them? This is not the path to take. These approaches won’t lead to a positive outcome. I say that nobody can declare a citizen of Armenia an anti-state force of the nation. If anyone goes against the referendum, I’m ready to stand by that person’s side. This parliament won’t become a political bureau. The Bright Armenia faction will vote against the draft decision on the referendum and will consider its future actions with the territorial subdivisions of Bright Armenia Party. The political party’s decision will be based on the decision of the proud citizens who don’t agree with certain steps. Nobody can threaten us. Don’t talk to us that way,” he said.