President of the National Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan has gone on a hunger-strike outside the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) in protest against a decision to ban a petition campaign aiming to change the Constitution.

The politician considers the CEC’s decision unconstitutional.

“We all know that the adopted Constitution contains transitional provision allowing three initiators to enforce changes, attracting 200,000 citizens, the National Assembly and the President. But 200,000 citizens cannot possibly gather together the parliamentarians in just half an hour,” he told reporters, considering the issue extremely important.

Hayrikyan said they have their own version of the basic law which, if properly considered, “would make every third person feel that he is the master of this country”. He added the CEC rejected their earlier request for an official form for signatures, citing the absence of legislative guarantees allowing the procedure.

“[The CEC president] could have said at least that the provision is ineffective. I only wanted to call attention to the problem, considering its importance as a panacea” he added.