Every Person Has the Right to Do What Does Not Contradict the Constitution and Laws, i.e., What Is Not Prohibited: Pashinyan

Today, Armenia celebrates Constitution Day. On this occasion, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory message.

“Dear people, dear compatriots,

On July 5, we celebrate Constitution Day, which holds significant importance in our state calendar. September 21 expresses our will and determination to have an independent state, and it is essentially the birth date of our state, whereas July 5 signifies what our state is or what it should be.

The Constitution embodies general and strategic concepts about the state, the functioning of key mechanisms of the state, and the rights and obligations of individuals and citizens. The Constitution governs the relationships of all people, organizations, and state structures, and no individual, group, organization, or institution’s activities can contradict the Constitution. Hence the term 'constitution.' It indicates the boundaries of permissible activities for the state and the individual.

According to the current Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, state structures have the right to do what is permitted by the Constitution and laws, and individuals have the right to do what does not contradict the Constitution and laws, in other words, what is not prohibited. Our country's legal framework is based on this principle, and I must say that today our reality is rooted in this principle. This reality, of course, is not ideal. But today, all political and economic rights are accessible to all people, as is appropriate for a democratic country. This is a result that is no longer recognized because it has become ordinary, and perhaps what has become ordinary is the greatest achievement of all.

Our greatest challenges in ensuring constitutional reality remain external security (peace and/or external constitutionality) and an undeniably reliable judicial system. Reliable for everyone: the Government, the opposition, and society.

We have made significant progress in the judicial system, evidenced by the fact that today no innocent person can be subjected to an accusatory verdict, unjustly arrested or detained. Today, no one can consider themselves above the law. All people are truly equal before the law.

However, the judicial system does not always respond to violations with appropriate speed and efficiency. Many trials of public and state significance sometimes last for years for objective and sometimes subjective reasons, causing just public bewilderment. We also witness puzzling events in the field of civil and administrative legal relations.

But our determination for judicial reform is not undermined in any way. Reforms are ongoing—slowly but without interruption—because that is the only guaranteed way to achieve results.

Our problems in the field of external security are known to everyone, and we face serious challenges here. At the same time, I am confident that the peace agenda adopted by the Government has no alternative, because peace is the most reliable factor of our sovereignty and security.

The implementation of the peace agenda is not guaranteed for the simple reason that it does not depend solely on us, but we must exert all legitimate efforts to achieve peace is also evident and indisputable. In this sense, creating proper mechanisms to address the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and recognizing the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia—29,800 square kilometers—is crucial.

According to our Constitution, Armenia is a social state. I find it important to emphasize that significant changes have occurred in the social sector in Armenia. Since 2018, the minimum pension has more than doubled, the average pension has increased by 22%, and the basic pension has risen by 50%. Since 2018, 170,000 jobs have been created in Armenia, the wage fund has more than doubled, the average monthly salary has increased by about 57%, and the minimum wage has risen by more than 36%. The number of health services provided to citizens under state orders has also doubled.

The primary goal of our policies in social and other sectors is the welfare and happiness of the individual, which we should not lose sight of even in the most difficult moments.

Dear people,

Read the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. It is not lengthy but a substantive document, and its reading is beneficial for everyone, as in many cases citizens face difficulties because they are unaware of their rights.

I congratulate all of us on Constitution Day!”