“The applause addressed to Gagik Harutyunyan were a sign of protest”, so responded the President of Gyumri Journalists’ Club “Asparez”, Levon Barseghyan, to the question of Aravot.am of whether his loud applauses to Gagik Harutyunyan’s speech meant that he agrees with his observations, or they pursued other objective. Recall that, today, the CC President Gagik Harutyunyan’s speech at the international conference entitled “Constitutional Reform in the Context of Democratic Development” organized in support of Open Society Foundations – Armenia office was followed by Levon Barseghyan’s loud applause. In this regard, Mr. Barseghyan, in the conversation with us, detailed, “The man was talking about the matters that the oligarchy is not something new, Aristotle has still talked about it, and reached up to Councils of Ashtishat, Khorenatsi, “Vorogayt Pararts”, and Shahamiryans. The man had come here to lecture and babble. Then, he decided that the U.S. Constitution was amended in ten amendments. Twenty years ago, students and professors were doing such errors. Talking about the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, they were using the words “correction or change”, and Gagik Harutyunyan, working as a judge at Serzh Sargsyan’s staff, in 2014, is using the word “amendment”. And this man dares to talk about constitutional reform. The crown and wreath of his speech was that the mechanism of constitutional reform has reached a deadlock in our own hands. Perhaps, he meant himself that the Constitution is not functioning.” According to Levon Barseghyan, this kind of people that have repeatedly proven that they cannot protect the Constitution, have no right to be included in the reform commission, nor to call their amendments reforms. Again, referring to Gagik Harutyunyan’s speech, Mr. Barseghyan mentioned, “Probably, he was confused that he was invited by KVN (“Club of the smart and the merry”), he has come to entertain, and I could not stand and deservedly applauded him.” Levon Barseghyan urged upon that there is no public demand for constitutional reforms in Armenia and mentioned the 2005 constitutional amendments, which they were also saying that the Constitution is to defend the citizen, the sovereignty. Levon Barseghyan is sure that “Serge Sargsyan and Gagik Harutyunyan are the guys, from whom we cannot expect that the Constitution may be reformed in favor of the public.” Mr. Barseghyan said he would do everything to make constitutional reforms fail. According to him, Gagik Harutyunyan’s “tours to marzes” are not associated with constitutional reforms. Instead, Levon Barseghyan mentioned, if they are really inclined for reforms, “let them enshrine by the Constitution that the list of all persons participating in the elections would be publicized after each elections.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
