Lawyer Aram Vardevanyan wrote on Facebook that businessman and philanthropist, Strong Armenia party chairman Samvel Karapetyan, can be elected prime minister by the people’s decision, stressing that constitutional amendments have precedents.
- “The requirements for a prime minister are determined by the people.
- Samvel Karapetyan can be elected prime minister by the people’s decision.
- The National Assembly can amend the requirements for a prime minister through a simple procedure.
The current authorities themselves implemented a constitutional amendment back in June 2020.
I have also addressed other issues.
God protect our people and the Armenian world. Freedom to all political prisoners,” the post says.
Vardevanyan noted that the discussion about the alleged inadmissibility of constitutional amendments began circulating after Mer Dzevov movement coordinator Narek Karapetyan stated that the way for Samvel Karapetyan to become prime minister or a candidate for prime minister is through constitutional change.
The lawyer clarified that constitutional amendments can take place in various ways, one being a referendum, and another being an amendment by a two-thirds vote of the National Assembly, introduced as a result of the 2015 constitutional reforms.
He recalled that on June 22, 2020, a constitutional amendment was adopted at the initiative of one quarter of National Assembly deputies and approved by two-thirds of the votes.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also addressed the issue, stating that Karapetyan cannot be either a candidate for parliament or for prime minister, Panorama.am reports.
“Under Armenia’s legislation and Constitution, a person holding citizenship of a second, and in this case also a third, country cannot be a candidate either for parliament or for prime minister.
Therefore, what you are saying simply does not exist either de jure or de facto, and I do not consider it necessary to comment on something that does not exist,” he said.
He also stated that under Armenian law, citizens may establish political parties.
Mer Dzevov movement coordinator Narek Karapetyan issued a statement saying that Pashinyan already knows Samvel Karapetyan will be Armenia’s next prime minister and is trying to find ways to obstruct him.
“Today I saw a weak prime minister who is afraid of losing. Pashinyan already knows that Samvel Karapetyan will be Armenia’s next prime minister and is trying to find ways to obstruct him. But that will not help him, because Samvel Karapetyan will become prime minister, and Armenia will be strong.
We need a major victory to implement the big changes Armenia needs — 300,000 new jobs, 20,000 affordable apartments, guaranteed crop procurement, 0% tax for small businesses, and lower prices for medicines and essential goods.
Pashinyan feels so weak and fears Samvel Karapetyan so much that he does not give him the opportunity to speak. Otherwise, he himself would have responded to him in this way,” he wrote.
The coordinator of the Mer Dzevov movement also outlined the legal processes through which Samvel Karapetyan’s nomination for prime minister could be made possible, referring to Article 148 of the Constitution.
“Twenty days after the elections, we will come forward with a decision on relevant legislative amendments to allow any person holding only Armenian citizenship to become prime minister. At that time, Samvel Karapetyan will hold only Armenian citizenship,” he said.
