YEREVAN. – When it’s asked, “How dare you to hold a constitutional referendum without the Venice Commission?” our sovereignty is subconsciously being struck, subordinated with that. Vahagn Hovakimyan, a member of Armenia’s parliamentary majority My Step faction, said this in a briefing with reporters today, referring to the PACE co-rapporteurs’ statement calling on the Armenian authorities to send the draft constitutional amendments to the Venice Commission.

Asked if they would listen to PACE co-rapporteurs' call, he responded: “The Venice Commission itself is an advisory body. In this case, the NA [National Assembly] Speaker will decide.”

Asked whether he does not consider it disturbing that the PACE co-rapporteurs issued such a statement, Hovakimyan said: “We are talking about a constitutional referendum, which is a process enshrined in the second, unchanging article of the Constitution. It is a process of direct realization of the power of the people, a process of sovereignty of the people of the Republic of Armenia. The referendum is simply a means to exercise the power of the people of Armenia."

He emphasized that the regulation they were led by yesterday operates in 95 percent of PACE member states. "That is, at that 95 percent the parliament approves the draft constitutional amendment and submits it to a referendum."