On July 4, after six days and some 50 hours of hearings, Armenia’s Constitutional Court rejected petitions from seven opposition forces and upheld the results of the June 7 parliamentary election. The ruling is final and cannot be appealed. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party holds 64 seats; and the last institutional avenue for contesting the vote is closed. By the account that traveled fastest — Reuters framed it as the court rejecting a “pro-Russia opposition” and solidifying Armenia’s Western pivot — the system worked and the matter is settled.
Within hours, five opposition forces jointly declared “a new phase of political resistance.” Both things deserve attention: what the court settled and why nothing feels settled.
Already a subscriber?Log in here
This story is FREE for you...
Create a free account to access this and four more articles, and get more sent to you with our e-newsletter.By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
There is no longer an Armenian Constitutional Court, but a Pashinyan Constitutional Court; there are no longer Armenian state institutions, but Pashinyan state institutions; and the Armenian Constitution will not remain in effect for long, it will be replaced by a Pashinyan Constitution. He might well rename Yerevan and Armenia after himself. After all, there is a historical precedent with the mad Roman emperor Commodus renaming the empire, the capital, the senate and the army after himself. It didn’t end too well for him.