Armenia will hold referendum on constitutional amendments on Apr. 5

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia will hold a referendum on suspending the powers of the President and seven out of nine judges of its Constitutional Court on April 5, according to a decision signed by President Armen Sarkissian.

If the constitutional amendments are approved by the public, the two other judges, who were appointed after the peaceful revolution against corruption and former authorities, will maintain their powers.

In September 2019, the Constitutional Court ruled that a criminal case against Armenia’s former president Robert Kocharyan was partly unconstitutional.

The ex-President has been charged with breaching the constitutional order by introducing a state of emergency in March 2008. 10 people were killed in protests that erupted shortly after the disputed election.

In December, Hrayr Tovmasyan, the President of the Constitutional Court of Armenia, was charged with abuse of power while he was the country’s Justice Minister. He has denied the charges.