Draft of New Constitution to Be Put to Referendum After Nationwide Elections

YEREVAN — The Ministry of Justice of Armenia has denied an article published by the Turkish outlet OdaTV claiming that a so-called “historic decision” would be adopted and that the term “Armenian people” would allegedly be removed from the Constitution.

The Ministry stated that the publication concerning the new Constitution is entirely false and does not correspond to reality. According to the Ministry, the information presented completely distorts the possible amendments under consideration.

“Dear citizens, taking into account that the process of drafting a new Constitution is being carried out by the Ministry of Justice, we hereby clarify all details of the process.

“At present, the Constitutional Reform Council is operating, composed of representatives of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, extra-parliamentary forces, and civil society organizations. The Council is chaired by Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan. It works in a coordinated and thorough manner, discussing the proposed changes to each chapter of the Constitution. The objective is to ensure that every proposed amendment is well-substantiated, takes expert opinions into account, and reflects a broad spectrum of public and political interests.

“We inform you that the Council’s discussions, proposals, and adopted decisions do not yet constitute the draft text of a new Constitution. Everything depends on the final decision of the people, which will be made through a referendum. Any constitutional change will take place only if the adoption of a new Constitution is approved by referendum.

“This process reflects the preservation of the democratic principles of the Republic of Armenia and emphasizes that the final word belongs solely to the people,” the Ministry’s statement reads.

The Ministry of Justice calls on the media and the public to rely exclusively on official information and to refrain from unfounded speculation, noting that the constitutional reform process is transparent and open to public scrutiny. It was also emphasized that the draft of the new Constitution will be put to a referendum after nationwide elections.

“The Ministry of Justice regularly provides updates on the sessions and discussion topics of the Constitutional Reform Council. Once again, we urge everyone to follow only the official announcements published by the Ministry,” the statement concludes.