Vladimir Vardanian, who was until recently a prominent member of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s ruling Civil Contract party, declined on March 18 to chair a session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, citing what he described as a need to avoid a “conflict of interest.”
Although parliament has not officially announced the termination of his powers, Vardanian chose not to preside over the session, citing the likelihood of his election as a Constitutional Court judge.
The move comes less than a week after President Vahagn Khachaturian nominated Vardanian for the post. If elected, Vardanian would also relinquish his parliamentary mandate.
Vardanian, who had been affiliated with Civil Contract for eight years, resigned from the ruling party days earlier to become formally nonpartisan, which is a requirement for serving in what is considered an independent judicial body. He said he accepted the nomination “with the understanding that my professional and academic experience could better serve the preservation and development of democratic values in Armenia.”
Since 2018, Vardanian has served as a lawmaker elected on the ruling party’s list and has chaired the influential Committee on State and Legal Affairs. In that role, he has backed a number of controversial laws promoted by the government, including a recent legislation aimed at the nationalization of the Electric Networks of Armenia.
Vardanian’s nomination has sparked concern among human rights activists as well as opposition figures, who question the implications for judicial independence.
Civil activist Daniel Ioannisian described the move as controversial, arguing that appointing individuals with recent party affiliations to high judicial posts undermines trust in the Constitutional Court. He noted that similar concerns had been raised over previous appointments to other state bodies. “These are serious issues that cannot be ignored,” Ioannisian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Another rights advocate, Nina Karapetiants, went further, suggesting that the decision to nominate Vardanian, though formally made by the president, may in fact have been driven by the prime minister. She warned that the move could further erode public confidence in the Constitutional Court.
Karapetiants also argued that placing a loyal figure on the Constitutional Court could provide additional guarantees for the current government to maintain power, especially as the court may soon be called upon to consider such sensitive issues as election disputes, an Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement, and a new draft constitution.
“No matter how hard they try to assure us now that they quit the party half an hour ago or a week ago, it will naturally not be convincing to anyone, because we have already seen this practice many times,” Karapetiants told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Vardanian is expected to replace former Constitutional Court Chairman Hrair Tovmasian, whose mandate was terminated after a court ruling, upheld last month, found him guilty of exceeding his authority while serving as justice minister in 2010-2013.
Incidentally, one of the main arguments used by Pashinian and his allies in pushing for Tovmasian’s resignation as Constitutional Court chairman in 2019 was that he had been a member of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia prior to assuming the role.
Representatives of the parliamentary majority have defended their broader record, insisting that over the past eight years they have taken necessary steps to ensure judicial independence. However, they have yet to publicly articulate a position on Vardanian’s nomination, saying the issue still needs to be discussed within the ruling party’s faction.
It remains unclear when Vardanian’s appointment will be discussed in parliament. Representatives of the opposition factions say they have not yet taken up the issue or formed a position on Vardanian’s candidacy.