Would opposition back new constitution if Kocharyan is freed?

Gegham Manukyan, an opposition lawmaker from the Hayastan faction in Armenia’s parliament, has answered a question about whether it would support a new constitution in exchange for former President Robert Kocharyan’s release.

“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports that Manukyan told journalists Kocharyan would not make concessions on national issues.

“Robert Kocharyan is principled on national issues and duties and does not compromise,” the lawmaker said.

Manukyan also said he saw signs of a criminal act in Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement today about possible pressure on the opposition.

Pashinyan said during an address to parliament that Yerevan would seek an answer in the coming days on whether a new constitution would be sufficient to secure full and comprehensive peace with Azerbaijan.

The prime minister said he hoped the opposition would support the process of adopting a new constitution if the answer was positive. If the opposition obstructed the process, public pressure would build against it, he said, adding that the ruling majority should lead such pressure if that public sentiment emerged.