YEREVAN. – The National Assembly (NA) has no right to debate on the submitted bill without the conclusion of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. Edmon Marukyan, head of the opposition Bright Armenia Party and its NA faction, stated this on February 6, addressing NA Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan during the NA special sitting debates on the bill on making amendments to the Constitution.

In response, Mirzoyan noted that the said committee’s meeting had been convened, the issue had been discussed, but they had not come to a conclusion. He added that then a vote was taken to put the issue on the NA agenda, with the opposition Prosperous Armenia and Bright Armenia MPs voting against it. The ruling bloc then made a decision that the discussion of the bill could not take more than five hours.

The bill proposes that Article 213 of the Constitution be edited. Accordingly, this bill states, in particular, that term of office of the Constitutional Court President and members who were appointed prior the entry into force of Chapter 7 of the Constitution shall cease, and the nominations for the vacancies of Constitutional Court judges shall be made in succession by the government, the President and the general meeting of judges.