In just a few days, on November 27 th , the citizens of the Republic of Armenia are to say "yes" or "no" to a draft containing amendments to the principal legal document of the country, the Constitution. This is the second attempt to make constitutional changes in Armenia; the first attempt, in 2003, failed. "If this process fails for the second time, Armenia might have serious problems with the Council of Europe (CoE)." This is the theme that government representatives repeat as they call on the people to say "yes" to the amendments. Those campaigning for "no" assure us that nothing terrible will happen if the amendments are rejected, since it will constitute an expression of the will of the people.

What do ordinary people think? Here are the views of people who took part in an informal poll we conducted. As you'll see, they are not particularly enthusiastic about the amendments.

"I'm not going to participate in the referendum. I don't have time for anything so senseless. I haven't read through the draft for the same reason. I have no desire to take part in any political endeavor. Everything is meaningless. I'm against the government and its every initiative. And the opposition has shown that it is unable to lay claim to our votes. Does it make any sense to go to the referendum under these circumstances?" asked Vardan Khachatryan, 23, a cameraman.

"I'm not familiar with the constitutional amendments and am not going to participate in the referendum. I don't trust this government. All the laws, including the Constitution, are written for the authorities. Thus my participation or lack of participation in the referendum won't change a thing. In any case, the results of the referendum will be falsified. Before carrying out a referendum, the government should first think about restoring people's trust," maintained Ruzanna Sargsyan, 39, a teacher.

Some voters are especially upset about the campaign and all the TV programs dedicated to the amendments. "I'm not interested in the constitutional amendments at all. I don't trust this government on any issue and am against any initiative of theirs. Whatever constitution is adopted, it will not work as long as this regime is in power. I'm not interested in the campaign, either. All the TV companies are the government's mouthpiece-I don't even want to listen to them," saidShushanik Movsesyan , 53, a medical worker.

Those who complain about the campaign note mainly that it is biased and depressing and prevents people from deciding for themselves. "I will go to the referendum to say 'no'. It isn't clear to me to what extent this amended constitution will work. As recent years have shown, in our country no one gives a damn about the Constitution or the law. I've learned about the amendments from the media. The campaign is biased - it favors 'yes' and it makes you sick. In the regions, the 'no' campaign is relatively more active, but still there is no one concise brochure to objectively and clearly present the advantages or disadvantages of the draft to the people," complained ArthurGhazaryan, 19, a student .

Some people plan to say "yes" to the amendments, only because they have been endorsed by the European Commission for Democracy through Law, better known as the Venice Commission. "I'm not familiar with the amendments in detail but I will participate in the referendum and vote 'yes'. I trust the Council of Europe and if they say that the amendments are progressive compared with the present constitution, it means we should say 'yes'. Television too is conducting quite a good campaign. If we want to become a full-fledged member of the CoE we have to meet our obligations and to get one step closer to them," reasoned Naira Sargsyan, 29, a teacher .

Some optimists are ready to say 'yes' to the constitutional amendments but cannot fulfill their duty for technical reasons: "I'm familiar with the proposed amendments but I'm not going to take part in the referendum since I live very far from my polling station. I have studied the amendments on my own initiative but not in detail. I know the present Constitution very well and a cursory study of the draft amendments is enough to see that it is a step forward compared to the present one. I believe that the draft does in fact curtail the president's power and expand the power of the National Assembly and the government. There are improvements to the judicial system, in particular, formation of the Council of Justice," said Arthur Martirosyan, 31, an accountant.

Other voters, though they see some progress in the draft, fear it will share the fate of the present Constitution - it will be nothing more than a good intention on paper: "I'm somewhat familiar with it. I know that according to the proposed amendments, human rights will be better protected. I didn't expect that the campaign would be organized so well. There even is a toll-free number and you can call and get whatever information you need. I'm pleased with the amendments but I'm worried that they won't work. I don't think that the Constitution can change us. First our mentality has to change, we should change," maintained Varsenik Sargsyan , 32, a biologist.

Some citizens are not going to participate in the referendum for the sake of their health. SaidYekaterina Dadiyan, 45, a housewife, "I'm not familiar with the amendments. I'm so disappointed in this country that I don't trust anybody. Before making changes, they should first restore the people's trust. As regards the campaign, I'm not following it on purpose. My health doesn't permit me to listen to this foolishness. And I advise others to do the same."

Most pensioners are interested in whether the proposed amendments will mean an increase in their pensions. 73-year-old Suren Sahakyan said, "I have one foot in the grave. Why should I act like I was born yesterday? I'm not going anywhere."

There are also people who see the outcome of the referendum as a foregone conclusion. "I'm don't know anything about the amendments and I have no desire to learn. I'm not going to the referendum. I'm sure that just like every other election, the constitutional amendments will be falsified, too. I realize that my vote will change nothing and I have no desire to participate in a farce," said Satenik Batikyan, 51, a biologist.

As Anahit Pilosyan, 21, a student, explained , "I'm not going to take part in the referendum. As far as I can see, the amendments don't, in fact, guarantee progress. Even if these amendments were really progressive I'm not sure that my vote would influence the referendum results in any way. Everything will be the way the government has planned. I'm also worried that if I don't participate in the referendum it will be easier to forge my vote but I'm not going to take part. I've learned about the amendments though Aravot . I'm very unhappy with the campaign. It's mostly in favor of 'yes' and doesn't give you the chance to figure things out for yourself. There is no level playing field for the 'yes' and 'no' camps."

Many voters oppose the amendments only because of the intention to remove the ban on dual citizenship. "I'm slightly familiar with the amendments. I will certainly participate in the referendum to say 'no'. Just the provision allowing the dual citizenship is enough for people to say 'no'. This is the most important clause, the consequences of which we'll face later. In my opinion it doesn't matter whether the constitution is good or bad, the authorities will violate it in any case," assertedArshavir Simonyan, 60, an engineer .

There are those who seem indifferent to the proposed constitutional amendments, but raise some practical questions, nonetheless. One woman selling sunflower seeds near the Opera House, for example, who declined to give us her name, asked, "If they change it, will we not be able to sell things here anymore?" A beggar standing nearby said, "Give me money and I'll tell you."