YEREVAN (Eurasia.net)–Fourteen Armenian opposition parties, united under the banner of the “No To Protocols” Campaign, have appealed to the country’s Constitutional Court seeking a ruling that would declare Yerevan’s rapprochement agreement with Turkey unconstitutional, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Thursday.
A statement signed by opposition representatives, led by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Heritage Party, argues that the Armenian-Turkish protocols threaten Armenia’s constitutional order and runs counter to national interests.
The Armenian National Congress, the large opposition bloc led by ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian, did not join the appeal. Earlier in November, Ter-Petrosian delivered a speech to his supporters saying he was ready to cooperate with President Serzh Sarkisian.
The “Voch” coalition held a meeting at the Erebouni business center on Tuesday to discuss future activities and effort. At the conclusion of the meeting an announcement was issued calling on the National Assembly to not ratify the protocols with their current wording and urging all Armenians to oppose the effort by signing a petition being circulated by the opposing forces.
Meanwhile, the ARF has announced it plans on suing the Armenian Government over the unconstitutionality of the protocols. The party hopes the lawsuit will provide the Constitutional Court grounds to reject the protocols as unconstitutional.
President Sarkisian submitted the protocols, subject to parliamentary approval both in Armenia and Turkey, to Armenia’s Constitutional Court on November 29 for a review of their compliance with the Constitution.
The Javakhq Armenians threaten to start negotiations with the Catholicosate of Antelias to open a Diocese of Javakhq, if Ejmiadzin does not address the dire situation with the churches and clergy.
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