«Hraparak». Authorities Shift to Plan B Regarding Hrayr Tovmasyan

«Hraparak» newspaper reports that the authorities may respond to independent MP Arman Babajanyan's application regarding Hrayr Tovmasyan through a Plan B, although legal experts assert that this process would still lack legal consequences.

It is recalled that, according to Babajanyan, "Tovmasyan has usurped the position of President of the Constitutional Court using criminal schemes." The basis for this claim rests on the fact that Gagik Harutyunyan left the presidency of the Constitutional Court about a month before the expiration of his term, allowing Hrayr Tovmasyan to assume the position before the full implementation of the Constitution on April 9, 2018. This was allegedly done to ensure that Tovmasyan would be subject to the provisions of the Constitution from 2005, not the one adopted in 2015.

Under the 2005 Constitution, the president of the CC was not elected for a term of six years but until reaching the age of 65. However, law enforcement officials state that Gagik Harutyunyan did not leave the position forcibly, as would be interpreted in the case of Tovmasyan's alleged usurpation, but voluntarily. Moreover, even if there was a breach, it was made by the Chairman of the National Assembly, who did not terminate the MP's powers, which allowed the individual to serve both as an MP and as a CC judge for a few days.

More details are available in today's issue of the newspaper.