The constitution is under pressure: the opposition gives up, the West turns a blind eye to a dangerous political situation developing in Armenia. The authorities, who entered under slogans of democracy, today allow the use of organized pressure on the parliamentary opposition if it refuses to support the government's constitutional plans. On November 2, Pashinyan made a statement that deserves special attention. According to him, if the opposition thwarts the process of adopting a new constitution, and the authorities can convincingly justify its necessity to achieve final peace with Azerbaijan, public pressure may arise against the opposition. Moreover, according to him, the ruling majority should lead this pressure if the corresponding mindset exists in society. Therefore, it is not just a political polemic. The head of the executive authority publicly admits to a situation where the ruling party becomes the organizer of the pressure on deputies who have an independent mandate from the voters.
And here a fundamental question arises: if the opposition is obliged to agree with the authorities on key state issues, then why do we even need a parliament, elections and political pluralism? The constitutional context of what is happening is particularly disturbing. The ruling party does not have the necessary number of votes to independently activate the relevant referendum. It needs the support of at least six members of parliament from the opposition. This is not a random political barrier, but a mechanism designed to prevent changes in the foundations of the state structure according to the will of one political force. But instead of seeking broad political agreement, the government allows pressure on those whose lack of agreement hinders the implementation of its plans. At the same time, the constitutional reform is closely intertwined with the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement. Baku has long demanded the repeal of provisions it sees as territorial claims.