YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Parliament adopted at first hearing the draft decision presented by the ruling My Step faction MPs on declaring invalid the decision to hold referendum on draft Constitutional amendments.

81 MPs voted in favor of the draft decision.

My Step faction MP Vahagn Hovakimyan reminded that the change to the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure creating a legal case for making such a decision has entered into force on June 25. “When we were discussing the package of changes to the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, there was an impression that the referendum was cancelled at that time. But in fact, we were creating a legal set of tools in practice which would allow to cancel the referendum”, he said.

Another lawmaker from My Step Suren Grigoryan said they continue insisting that the referendum is the best way. “We have not refused from the view that the referendum is really the best way, but all those who ask why it’s not possible to hold a referendum in Armenia now, perhaps they are just unaware of what is happening in the country or just behave in a way that they are unaware”, the MP said.

The Parliament session was not attended by the opposition Bright Armenia and Prosperous Armenia faction MPs.

Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan