Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has denied that the proposed constitutional changes are being made at Baku’s behest, insisting that the matter is exclusively Armenia’s internal affair.
Representatives of the opposition groups took to the streets and metro stations of Yerevan over the weekend, approaching residents to explain their position. The campaign was led by members of the two parliamentary opposition factions, including Narek Karapetian, head of the Strong Armenia faction, as well as Aram Manukian, deputy chairman of the Armenian National Congress party.
The opposition forces describe the proposed constitution as “[Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev’s constitution” as the Pashinian government intends to remove a reference to Armenia’s 1990 Declaration of Independence from the country’s basic law at Azerbaijan’s insistence.
Baku argues that the Declaration of Independence contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan as it also cites a 1989 unification act adopted by the legislative bodies of Soviet Armenia and the then Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
Armenia’s opposition groups say they want to prevent the adoption of the new constitution through public pressure.
“We want to show our public position that it is the Armenians who get to decide what their constitution should be and not Aliyev. This is a matter of our national dignity,” Karapetian said in a video showing him speaking to a passenger on the metro.
“We are going to do everything in parliament to oppose Aliyev’s constitution,” he added.
Twelve opposition groups announced earlier this week that they would join forces to oppose the government’s initiative.
Pashinian reiterated on November 7 that his government would not discuss Armenia’s constitution with any foreign actor. Speaking at a panel discussion in Yerevan, he acknowledged, however, that Baku was unwilling to sign a peace agreement with Yerevan under Armenia’s current constitutional arrangements.
“The president of Azerbaijan told me in our conversations that they recognize this as our internal affair and do not raise the issue with us, but they also say that, under these constitutional arrangements, they are not prepared and do not want to sign the peace agreement,” Pashinian said.
The dispute over plans for a new constitution has intensified in recent weeks, with both the government and its opponents threatening to mobilize public support for their respective positions.
Pashinian has warned that his political team could seek to exert public pressure on opposition lawmakers if they oppose submitting the new constitution to a referendum, including by organizing demonstrations outside parliament.
The ruling Civil Contract party lacks the two-thirds parliamentary majority required to approve the referendum initiative on its own and needs the support of at least six opposition lawmakers.
Opposition groups have said they will not back the initiative. They maintain that Baku would not be satisfied with the change of the constitution and would demand further unilateral concessions from Pashinian that would jeopardize Armenia’s very existence as a viable state.