“And in that case, the ruling majority must lead that pressure — provided, of course, that there is such a public sentiment,” he said when presenting his government’s draft state budget for next year to lawmakers.
Pashinian already threatened to organize street protests for that purpose last week. He said that if the opposition Strong Armenia and Hayastan alliances do not bow to that pressure he will initiate snap parliamentary elections and bar them from participating in such polls. Both alliances dismissed his threats, reaffirming their rejection of the new constitution which they believe is imposed on Armenia by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
“Nikol Pashinian is speaking against Armenia’s laws because according to them, a vote cast by members of the parliament under duress cannot be legitimate,” said Gegham Manukian, a Hayastan lawmaker.
“The path we have traveled demonstrates that one cannot talk to us in this manner and that such an approach will not yield results,” Strong Armenia’s Tigran Abrahamian told reporters, for his part.
Other Strong Armenia representatives suggested last week that Baku will not sign an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal finalized last year even if Pashinian manages to enact the new constitution through a referendum. Pashinian responded by saying that they are raising legitimate questions and promising to answer them soon.
“If we receive clear, positive answers to these questions and if it turns out that the parliamentary opposition is still blocking the process of adopting a new constitution, it will mean that the opposition is against a final and comprehensive peace with Azerbaijan,” he said on Monday.
Senior lawmakers from the ruling Civil Contract party essentially confirmed that Pashinian will be seeking those answers from Baku.
Anna Grigorian, Hayastan’s parliamentary leader, made clear on Friday that the bloc headed by former President Robert Kocharian will not change its stance even if Pashinian produces “some document stating that the treaty will be signed following the change of the constitution.” Strong Armenia leaders have sounded more ambiguous on that score.
Pashinian’s party lacks a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly required for holding the constitutional referendum.
