Armenia president vetoes law that could have postponed the dissolution of parliament
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian vetoed on Tuesday a law adopted by Armenian National Assembly on October 2, that had sparked a massive protest with thousands of protesters blocking the parliament building.
The law passed by the parliament stated that the vote on the issue should be delayed if there is no quorum or if any other complications arise. The adoption of the law supported by three out of four parliamentary fractions was widely seen as a move to complicate the dissolution of the parliament, advocated by the cabinet and its supporters. Following the vote, PM Pashinyan urged his supporters to gather outside the parliament building, calling for a new parliamentary election.
As the statement issued by the President’s Office reads, the adopted Constitutional law gave room for different interpretations and debates.
“The study of the amendments [by the President’s legal advisors] into the law as well as into the current edition of the Rules of the National Assembly testifies about ‘certain explicit constitutional and legal issues.’
Based on the conclusion, the president has decided to apply to the Constitutional Court to assess the compliance of the law with the main law.