Holding a Constitutional Referendum During the Pandemic is Impossible, But We Cannot Wait Until the Coronavirus Pandemic is Over

Holding a constitutional referendum during the pandemic is impossible, but on the other hand, we cannot wait until the coronavirus pandemic is over. The issue of resolving the question of the Constitutional Court in a partial or complete manner in parliament is being discussed. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at a press conference today.

“Even if we wait, we are planning to form a commission for constitutional changes soon, constitutional amendments need to take place. In this context, we will determine what can be placed on a referendum, which, according to preliminary calculations, can be done next June. In other words, that process is becoming somewhat meaningless; we were thinking of doing this referendum this year, and then with the parliamentary elections in 2023, the other one. But now, with the changes brought by this pandemic, that timeline is not working out so well. Therefore, we have now appealed to the Venice Commission. And yes, the issue of at least finding a solution for the Constitutional Court in a partial or complete formulation in parliament is being discussed. It is evident to me that we cannot hold a referendum before May of next year. But on the other hand, we also cannot wait,” said Pashinyan.