Day: February 7, 2024

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—The ruling Civil Contract party on Wednesday managed to strip three opposition members of Yerevan’s municipal council of their seats with the decisive help of two other councilors summoned to an Armenian law-enforcement agency on Tuesday.

The ousted opposition members include former Mayor Hayk Marutyan, whose party finished second in last September’s municipal election, and two councilors representing the radical opposition Mayr Hayastan alliance.

Civil Contract and its local coalition partner, the Hanrapetutyun party, argue that they can no longer sit on the city council because of having skipped most of the council sessions and votes. The opposition forces dismiss the explanation, saying that their absence was part of legitimate boycotts designed to scuttle key decisions made by Mayor Tigran Avinyan.

“Why did you not oust dozens of your teammates from the previous council who did not attend sessions for years? Because they didn’t challenge you,” Marutyan told Avinyan and his political allies during a heated session preceding a vote on their seats.

“You are removing us because we are fighting against you and demanding your resignation,” charged Marutyan.

“If you don’t attend and speak during sessions why would we want to silence you?” countered Suren Grigorian, a deputy mayor affiliated with Civil Contract.

Council members from Mayr Hayastan boycotted the session in protest against what they too described as a government bid to silence the opposition. The bloc’s leader, Andranik Tevanyan, called for a fresh municipal ballot on Tuesday.

Civil Contract and Hanrapetutyun lacked a single vote to oust the opposition members and they predictably secured it from the Public Voice party that was until recently led by Vartan Ghukasyan, a controversial video blogger based in the United States.

Two Public Voice councilors showed up for the session and voted for the ouster of the opposition members. One of them, Vahan Avagyan, admitted that they were summoned to the Investigative Committee on Tuesday.

“I won’t say why because it’s confidential information,” Avagyan told reporters. He denied opposition claims that he was pressured to back the ruling party’s latest initiative.

Public Voice, which campaigned for the September polls on an opposition platform, already decisively helped Civil Contract install Avinyan as mayor last October. Its nominal chairman, Artak Galstyan was arrested last year on charges of blackmail and extortion and remains in custody. Ghukasyan is wanted by law-enforcement authorities on the same charges.

Prime Minister Reveals One Aspect of Draft Peace Treaty as He Steps Up Push for New Constitution

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday continued his push for a new Constitution and doubled down on his opposition to Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, saying that if Armenia is guided by that document there will be no peace.

Certain provisions of the Declaration of Independence are cite in Armenia’s current Constitution.

He said there are three guideline embedded in the Declaration of Independence: the aspirations of the Armenian people, historical justice and the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Pashinyan emphasized that peace would be impossible if Armenia continues to be guided by a Constitution that echoes these aspects of the Declaration of Independence.

The prime minister also questioned what historical justice means, saying that the concept has not been defined and many circles in Armenia interpret historical justice to mean different things. He echoed the same sentiments about the “national aspirations of Armenian people.”

“…And finally, what does the reference to the decision on the unification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh mean?,” Pashinyan asked, saying that if policies are being advanced based on these principles then peace will not be possible to achieve. He added that serious discussion and consideration must take place about these issues.

Armenia’s Deceleration of Independence specifically states the need for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the imperative for the reunification of Artsakh and Armenia.

Pashinyan’s adamant disdain for these concept embedded in the Declaration of Independence, and thus the Constitution, have angered the opposition, which is claiming that Pashinyan is advancing the need for a new constitution under pressure from Ankara and Baku.

In his quest to quell criticism that he is advancing a new constitution to appease the peace the talks, Pashinyan, for the first time, revealed a provision of the so-called “peace treaty” begin negotiated with Azerbaijan, claiming that both sides had agreed to the text.

“In terms of the signing of the peace treaty, even if such problems exist, they have been resolved. There is an agreed article in the text of the peace treaty stating that the parties cannot refer to their own legislation to avoid fulfilling any of their obligations under this treaty. The issue here is not and cannot be about the peace treaty at all,” said Pashinyan.

He went to say, however, that while a constitution generally governs internal matters of a state, it also regulates foreign relations, “as is the case with the Constitution of any country.”

Pashinyan said that the world has changes since Armenia adopted a constitution and called for resilience in an effort to bolster Armenia’s security.

“The army and foreign relations should serve the legitimate interests of the given state within its internationally recognized territory. This is a step aimed at elevating the level of security by one level,” Pashinyan added.

Despite the prime minister’s claims of a new world order requiring changes in Armenia’s Constitution, there are no other countries rushing to amend their laws of the land, including in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev re-elected in landslide  Fox News

There Will be No Peace if Armenia is Guided by Independence Declaration, Pashinyan Says – Asbarez.com  Asbarez Armenian News

Ardshinbank Purchases HSBC Armenian Subsidiary  Armenian News by MassisPost

Crowds gather after US drone strike targets Iran-linked militia leader in Baghdad – video  The Guardian

US drone strike in Baghdad kills senior commander of Iran-backed militia  The Times of Israel

In Brief: Escalation with Iran  War On The Rocks

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye has issued a statement regarding Azerbaijan’s snap presidential election held on February 7, Report informs.