The deeper our country’s problems grow, the more convinced I become that Armenia’s Constitution truly needs to be amended. But not in the way this government wants—carrying out Aliyev’s demands—but in a substantive sense.
Specifically, it would be desirable that whoever is entrusted with the position of prime minister, or in the case of a presidential system, the president, be required to undergo a psychiatric examination.
At present, the situation is dismal. Let me give two examples. Until the autumn of 2020, Nikol Pashinyan was confident that Armenia would win the war; he boasted and provoked. After the defeat, he “came to the conclusion” that losing had been his cunning plan, through which he safeguarded the country’s sovereignty. I think he genuinely believes this. In psychiatry, this is called rationalization, a defense mechanism characterized by self-deception and the justification of failures.
Or take this: “I want to subordinate the Church to Jesus Christ.” Meaning, Armenia’s current prime minister has such intimate relations with God that he knows what God wants and assumes the responsibility of regulating relations between God and a 1,700-year-old Church. This is not only boundless “obsession and impudence” (to borrow Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s phrase), but also a clear sign of inadequacy. In psychiatry, this is referred to as delusions of grandeur or a messianic delusion.
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…Donald Trump confuses Armenia with Albania, and Azerbaijan with “Aber-baijan” (or even Cambodia). Not because he holds these countries in contempt, but simply because, at his age, he cannot manage to retain their names in memory.
Do Trump’s “peculiarities” prevent the United States from being one of the most powerful and influential countries in the world? No, because no matter what the U.S. president does or says, there is a system of checks and balances that will not allow him to destroy or even weaken the country. And if it is seen that, due to his mental disturbances, the president cannot fulfill his duties, then there is the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides a mandatory mechanism for removing the head of state from office. Here, the key roles are played by the vice president, the cabinet members, and Congress.
So yes, we need constitutional changes that will put an end to ungovernable personal rule.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
