While Pashinyan attempts to satisfy Baku and Ankara, public dissatisfaction in Armenia grows, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes

Armenia marked the 30th anniversary of the Constitution amid difficult negotiations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as a new phase of internal political crisis. While supporters of billionaire Samvel Karapetyan are demanding his release and the ousting of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the head of the government calls for rewriting the fundamental law to please Baku and Ankara, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.

It was noted that the government promises to prepare a new draft constitution by spring 2026. Opponents believe that Pashinyan plans not only to change the preamble of the Constitution but also to exclude mentions of the Genocide, which is of concern to Turkey. It remains unclear how far Armenian authorities might go in amending the Constitution and whether the public will support them. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has already stated that Yerevan has begun to adopt a more flexible approach regarding the so-called “Zangezur Corridor.” But Armenia and Azerbaijan first need to sign a peace treaty. The text of the treaty already exists, but in order to ratify it, Baku demands that Yerevan amend the preamble of the Constitution and dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group.

The article also mentions that on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Constitution, a large rally took place in Yerevan supporting billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who was arrested on charges of calling for a coup. “The opposition has already called him the ‘Armenian Ivanishvili,’ but it’s still early to assess his political prospects,” the website writes, adding that the event was not as large as the rally held a year earlier in Yerevan under the leadership of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.

Regardless, Karapetyan’s supporters were determined not only to see him released but also to fight for power in the republic.

“Any protest in Armenia has potential, as the majority of the population is dissatisfied with the government. Moreover, over time, such sentiments are spreading more and more. At the same time, the only way for Karapetyan to be released is through a change of power in the country. His allies have managed to hold their first good rally. Of course, fewer people came out compared to last year, but this is only the beginning. They will likely prepare for the next parliamentary elections, whether they are regular or snap,” political analyst Tigran Kocharyan told Nezavisimaya Gazeta.