Former ruling party MP becomes Constitutional Court judge in Armenia, NGOs warn of risks
Former MP becomes Constitutional Court judge
Armenia’s parliament has approved the appointment of former ruling party MP Vladimir Vardanyan as a judge of the Constitutional Court. A total of 67 out of 107 MPs took part in the vote, all of whom supported his nomination.
Vardanyan resigned his parliamentary mandate a week earlier, after the country’s president nominated him for the post. He also left the Civil Contract party, although until recently he had been an active member of parliament. He previously chaired the parliamentary committee on state and legal affairs.
Representatives of Armenia’s civil society have warned that his appointment to the Constitutional Court could pose a risk to the court’s independence and impartiality.
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What the law provides
The law “On the Constitutional Court” sets out the requirements for a Constitutional Court judge.
Under the law, a Constitutional Court judge cannot:
- be a member or founder of any political party,
- hold a position within a party,
- act on behalf of a party or engage in political activity in any other way.
“A judge of the Constitutional Court must demonstrate political restraint and neutrality in public statements and in all other circumstances,” the law states.
If a Constitutional Court judge engages in political activity, authorities can terminate their mandate. The current Constitution of Armenia also includes this provision.
Representatives of civil society stress that these rules apply after appointment. However, they aim to prevent links between a judge and political forces. As a result, they seek to ensure the court’s independence and impartiality.
“Ending political ties is not guaranteed”: NGO statement
“Although Vladimir Vardanyan resigned his parliamentary mandate and left the political force that holds the parliamentary majority, the fact that he spent more than seven years in politics and belonged to a party raises doubts about his ability to perform the duties of a Constitutional Court judge impartially,” representatives of more than a dozen NGOs said.
In their view, “political interconnectedness rules out the possibility of managing risks”.
NGOs published the joint statement before MPs began voting. They urged lawmakers “to refrain from voting for Vladimir Vardanyan’s candidacy”.
Civil society representatives stressed that an ideological link with the ruling party provides sufficient grounds to question Vardanyan’s independence and impartiality in the role:
“Resigning a parliamentary mandate or leaving a party cannot guarantee the end of political and party ties or political influence.”
Farewell to committee members ahead of appointment
A week before parliament debated the appointment of a Constitutional Court judge, Vladimir Vardanyan said goodbye to members of the committee he chaired.
“By tradition, I should say: dear colleagues, I apologise if anything was not right,” he said, thanking MPs for their active cooperation.
His remarks surprised even members of his own party.
“There was no need to rush to say goodbye,” said Civil Contract MP Arusyak Julhakyan.
Opposition figures argued that the farewell in advance showed the vote would be a formality. In their view, parliament would confirm an appointment rather than hold a genuine selection.
Kristine Vardanyan, an MP from the opposition Armenia faction, said the ruling party did not even seek to preserve a formal appearance of procedure, as the outcome was already clear:
“Everyone knows a candidate has been nominated. He will come, no matter what he says, what questions are asked, or how society reacts. An SMS will arrive, he will be elected, because that has already been decided, because the Constitutional Court must become even more compliant with them.”
Former MP becomes Constitutional Court judge
