Armenian opposition MP accuses government of tailoring constitution to Azerbaijan’s demands

An Armenian opposition lawmaker has accused the government of seeking to turn upcoming parliamentary elections into a de facto referendum on constitutional changes demanded by Azerbaijan, sharply criticising the country’s leadership as acting in the interests of foreign rivals.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Kristine Vardanyan, a member of the Hayastan faction, reacted to comments by Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan about drafting a new constitution. Vardanyan claimed the authorities were moving to satisfy external political conditions rather than domestic priorities.

“Effectively, the ruling regime seeks to turn parliamentary elections into a referendum on the constitution demanded by Aliyev,” the MP wrote.

According to Vardanyan, the government has been told to release a draft constitutional, secure signatures on a previously agreed peace deal and then use the process to “mislead the public” before changing the constitution.

“What else they may have agreed on in this way, we do not yet know,” she added.

Vardanyan said the situation should serve as another reason for voters to reject the current leaders, accusing them of undermining Armenia’s sovereignty.

“We cannot continue to have leaders in Armenia who are to the liking of Aliyev and [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan,” she said.