Civilnet
By Lia Avagyan
Armenia’s Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan said on Thursday that Armenia’s Constitutional Reform Council will vote on whether the country’s new draft constitution should continue to cite the 1990 Declaration of Independence, a clause that has become a focal point in ongoing peace talks with Azerbaijan.
“We will make a decision based on the results of the discussions,” Galyan told Azatutyun (RFE/RL’s Armenian service), stressing that “no decision has yet been reached” and that the issue remains “an internal matter” for Armenia.
Galyan added that she would convene the long-dormant council “in the coming weeks,” the first time it will meet since she took office six months ago. The minister gave no time frame for when a finished draft might be published, reiterating only that multiple options are still on the table.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has already signaled his preference: in April, he publicly argued that the new constitution “must not contain” the reference to the Declaration, which he described as a source of conflict. Azerbaijan has made its removal a key precondition for signing a long-awaited bilateral peace treaty, arguing that the Declaration of Independence implies territorial claims over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The declaration, adopted in 1990, references a 1989 resolution passed by the then-Supreme Council of Soviet Armenia on the unification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh—a move that Baku views as evidence of irredentist intent. Azerbaijani officials have argued that any reference to this declaration in Armenia’s constitution contradicts the recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
Reform risks deepening polarization, expert warns
Constitutional lawyer Armen Mazmanyan, a former member of the reform commission, has warned that adopting a new constitution in the current climate could “deepen the country’s already extreme polarization.” In a February interview with CivilNet, he said Armenia lacks the national unity required to draft a legitimate “social contract,” adding that reforms undertaken in moments of deep division are unlikely to gain public trust.
Mazmanyan also criticized the government for sidestepping proposals that would limit executive power and strengthen oversight, arguing that these were essential to safeguarding democracy. He dismissed the government’s push for “popular discussions” of the constitution as populist, stressing instead the need for elite and expert consensus.
Galyan said the draft will be opened for public debate once ready, and any final text must be approved by referendum. Whether or not the Declaration of Independence remains in the constitution could shape both Armenia’s domestic political trajectory and its fragile normalization process with Azerbaijan.
Also read: Armenia’s extreme polarization makes constitutional changes meaningless, expert warns
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