President Armen Sarkissian will not sign the amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly into law. Instead, the President will forward the bill to the Constitutional Court, which will determine its “constitutionality.”
The decision comes after large-scale public outrage following the adoption of the law by the Parliament on October 2, 2018.
“Committed to his approach, President Sarkissian instructed his office to study the international experience on this issue in more detail,” the President’s Office said.
The study of the amendments, as well as the existing edition of the Rules of Procedure reveals certain constitutional-legal problems, Sarkissian’s Office added.
The law adopted earlier this month was largely seen as an attempt by the parliamentary majority to hamper the conduct of early elections in December. Subsequently, Nikol Pashinyan stepped down as Prime Minister to force dissolution of the Parliament.
On Wednesday, October 24, the National Assembly is set to hold a vote to elect new Prime Minister. Nikol Pashinyan is so far the only candidate nominated by Yelk faction.
If the Parliament fails to pick Prime Minister, it will have another week to organize new elections. If no Prime Minister is elected within two weeks, the Parliament will dissolve by virtue of law.
