YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: If the president of the republic does not apply to the Constitutional Court [(CC)] regarding the controversial draft [law] On Higher Education and Science, the parliamentary opposition will initiate it.

"Yes, we have said that we will apply to the Constitutional Court," BAP [opposition Bright Armenia Party parliamentary] faction MP Anna Kostanyan told us yesterday.

It should be reminded that the draft has been at the presidency since April 2, with a 2-day delay. According to the legal order, in case of delay the president should have sent it back to the parliament; but so far [President] Armen Sarkissian has neither sent it back, nor signed or applied to CC. He has 21 days.

According to our information, the president tends not to sign the law, but it is not ruled out that he will not apply to the CC either; his lawyers will not see any problems in connection with the constitutionality.

It should be noted that the NA [National Assembly] MPs also have the power to apply to the CC, with the signatures of 27 MPs, and the [opposition] BAP and the PAP [factions] together can resort to such a move without [the majority] My step [faction].

As for sending the draft with a delay of 2 days, according to our sources in the NA, the draft was prepared so clumsily and carelessly at My Step that there was a need for technical corrections, and there was a delay until they brought the fat draft to a normal look.