The Armenian Constitutional Court will be functioning without a president starting from November 19 due to a deadlock in the election process, as reported by the newspaper “Zhoghovurd”. It appears that disagreements have prevented the court from organizing the election of a president, leading to a political struggle within the judiciary. The conflict seems to involve the head of the court’s advisory body, Hovhannes Nalbandian, a member of the advisory body named Haykuh Harutyunyan, and Narine Avetisyan, the Deputy Chief of the Court. The political decisions regarding the selection of a president remain uncertain at this time, as stated by “Zhoghovurd”.

“Zhoghovurd” also revealed that a consultative panel was formed in the National Assembly to address the issue of electing members of the Constitutional Court. Despite the inclusion of Karabakh war veteran Arusyak Julhakyan in the panel, there have been delays in the selection process, including the rejection of Tadevos Avetisyan, the chief of the Constitutional Court, as a nominee. The selection process for members of the Constitutional Court remains unfinished, thus further complicating the situation.

Furthermore, the current president of the Constitutional Court, Haykush Harutyunyan, has raised concerns about the functioning of the court as her term is set to end on November 17, 2023. She has appealed to the National Assembly of Armenia, emphasizing the need for the election of court members to take place before her term concludes. The reasons behind the disorganized functioning of the court are unclear, possibly stemming from professional or political issues. The future of the advisory council of the Constitutional Court will depend on discussions with the court’s president.

According to “Zhoghovurd”, a competition was held within the Constitutional Court to select its members. Despite representatives from various organizations participating in the competition, only three candidates managed to answer questions related to the court’s activities. This indicates that the selection process for members of the Constitutional Court remains incomplete.

It is worth noting that the situation of officials continuing to hold their positions for several days after their terms expire is not uncommon in Armenia, as seen in the case of the Ombudsman’s position. To clarify this matter, “Zhoghovurd” reached out to the Ombudsman’s assistant, Tsoline Khachatryan, who confirmed that parliamentary authority is maintained for 30 days following the expiration of their term.

The “Law on Suspension of the Constitutional Court” establishes the term of the Constitutional Court’s chairman, who represents the court’s administration. This term typically spans no less than 90 days and ends no later than 50 days before the completion of the members’ terms.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the situation, readers can refer to today’s issue of the “Zhoghovurd” newspaper.