“If the opposition decides to vote against it, a political process will ensue,” Pashinian told reporters. “Something quite unusual will happen. Typically, it’s the opposition that holds protests in front of parliament. But this time, it might be the authorities who hold a protest.”
“If this scenario also fails, we will head to snap elections on the condition that there is a 100 percent guarantee that the current parliamentary opposition will not be in the next parliament,” he said.
The draft constitution needs to be backed by at least two-third of the Armenian parliament’s deputies before it can be put on a referendum. The opposition Strong Armenia and Hayastan alliances represented in the National Assembly have repeatedly said that none of their deputies will vote for the still unpublicized document which they believe is imposed on Armenia by Baku.
Their representatives did not immediately react to Pashinian’s latest threats. A senior Strong Armenia lawmaker, Aram Vartevanian, insisted instead that Baku would hardly sign a peace treaty with Yerevan even if Pashinian were to succeed in enacting the new constitution.
During the Armenian government’s question-and-answer session in the parliament on Wednesday, Vartevanian asked Pashinian and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan whether they can guarantee that the change of the constitution is indeed the last remaining Azerbaijani precondition.
“I don’t have an answer to that question today because that answer lies beyond Armenia’s sovereign territory and the Armenian government’s powers,” Pashinian replied, hinting at Azerbaijan’s leadership. “When I get the answer to that question I will come out and make clear whether or not I guarantee that.”
The premier claimed on Thursday that the very fact that Strong Armenia is inquiring about such a guarantee indicates a softening of its opposition to the new constitution. He said it also reduces the likelihood of fresh general elections threatened by him last week. Strong Armenia and Hayastan said on October 23 that they are undaunted by his threats.