YEREVAN. – It is noted that the powers of the three judges [of the Constitutional Court (CC)] shall be terminated by these constitutional amendments; but in our opinion, these amendments can, at best, terminate the powers of the two judges, except for the powers of Constitutional Court Judge Alvina Gyulumyan. Edmon Marukyan, leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party and head of its parliamentary faction, stated this in a conversation with journalists Wednesday.

"Consequently, the halls of power are trying to change two judges, as well as to terminate the powers of the president of the Constitutional Court, which is an administrative position. The president of the Constitutional Court does not have two votes, he has one vote during the voting; in this sense, there is no big change. The public propaganda that this is aimed at changing [Constitutional Court president] Hrayr Tovmasyan, in fact, does not happen with this change. (...). Even in this situation, the promoted goal is not met because Hrayr Tovmasyan continues to be a judge of the Constitutional Court,” Marukyan added, in particular.

To note, according to the aforesaid constitutional amendments, the powers of the Constitutional Court judges who have held this office for more than 12 years are terminated. Alvina Gyulumyan last became a judge of the Constitutional Court in 2014; that is, only 6 years have passed. But the thing is that she was a member of the Constitutional Court in the 1990s, too, from where she was sent to the ECHR for work. And with the sum of those years, she has served in the Constitutional Court for more than 12 years.