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On April 13, pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Article 120 of the RA Constitution and Article 48 of the Constitutional Law ‘the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, the RA National Assembly convened a special sitting of the National Assembly by law in force. And on its agenda the item on Extending the State of Emergency declared on 16 March 2020 in the RA and on Making Amendments and Addendum to the B-298 decision of 16 March 2020 of the RA Government was  included.

According to the draft law presented by the Government by April 13, 1039 cases infected by Covid-19 corona virus disease were recorded, 211 citizens were recovered and 14 death cases were registered.

Tigran Avinyan presented the devastating pandemic spread in the world and the forms of fight against the virus, documenting that the countries and the societies were not ready facing the disaster. According to him, at this moment it is already evident that there is no absolute effective strategy of the fight against pandemic, it is impossible eliminating the virus, and the creation of the vaccination will be possible after several months, if not after one year.

As the Deputy Minister has informed, about 12 percent of the permanent residents or more than 353.000 people irrespective of their age and health state, in terms of virus they are considered be at risk. A great number of people also are citizens with chronic diseases. In particular, 77.418 citizens suffer from the 2-type diabetes, 71.025 people have ischemic heart disease, and 145.408 citizens have hypertension. The citizens who have several chronic diseases, and are at risky age in the most risk group.

The Deputy Prime Minister presented data: how the spread of the coronavirus infection could be if the Government did not undertake in time the well-known restriction events. In fact, if not the restrictions, then at this moment about 30.000 infected people and hundreds of deaths could be in Yerevan.

To prevent the spread of the disease the Government has designed target events, which are divided into four phases. Now, we are in the third phase, which supposes the use of the toolset of the citizens’ more intensive location, strict restrictions and expansion of the testing volumes.

It has been noted that the location tool is already under use, and the system automatically clarifies the circle of the persons, who are infected or have contacted with the virus carrier.

Touching upon the further works to be done, Tigran Avinyan noted that the restrictions of the movement would be preserved in April. The work of the public transport, including also the inter-regional transport would remain banned, the people’s free movement also would remain restricted, the foreigners’ entry to the Republic of Armenia would also remain restricted.

Tigran Avinyan answered to the MPs’ questions.

Speaking on behalf of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs, the Committee Chair Naira Zohrabyan also voiced the issue of the non-registered working citizens working with daily wages among a number of problems, and touched upon the problems related to the provision of the rural loans and the obstacles of the implementation of the agricultural works during this period.

Vladimir Vardanyan spoke on behalf of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. The Committee Chair referred to the constitutional bases of extending the state of emergency and the international legal obligations in this issue. To his assessment, the state of emergency restricts the execution of the person’s certain rights, however those restrictions persecute legal goal and are proportional. Quoting the requirements of the international documents, Vladimir Vardanyan expressed conviction that the extension of the regime should become subject of parliamentary control.

On behalf of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Babken Tunyan has underlined that the goal of the state of emergency is to make the pandemic controllable. In prevention of pandemic, he highlighted the joint fight of the citizens and the authorities. The Committee Chair talked about the unregistered employees, the problems of providing loan holidays, the tax overdue obligations and the social target programmes being implemented by the Government. Babken Tunyan highlighted the workers’ registration by the employer.

Presenting the viewpoint of the NA Bright Armenia Faction Edmon Marukyan referred to the activity of the Commandant and the activities of the Commandant’s Office. He has noted they propose to make logical restrictions: to let the work of Yerevan Metro and buses by preserving the sanitary-hygienic norms, the shops being engaged with the construction material, the items of the economic and sport significance, the activity of the handicraft significance, the activity of the inter-regional transport for providing construction and agricultural works, etc.

Mikayel Melkumyan expressed the viewpoint of the Prosperous Armenia Faction, recording that in this issue balanced approach should be shown. The first is the problem of the health security, the second is the problem of the public life and the collapse of the economy, the third is the business and social problem, and here we should not oppose each other. During this period the Prosperous Armenia submitted to the government 27 provisions, 7 urgent items, 3 packages of support established by the decision of the government, and also reviewed 3 legislative initiatives. Mikayel Melkumyan touched upon the steps to be taken after overcoming the pandemic and presented recommendations.

Suren Grigoryan voiced the viewpoint of the NA My Step Faction. Regarding the concerns of his colleagues on extending the state of emergency, the MP has documented that it can be extended all the time, if the application means are harmonious and necessary. He also quoted the Article 107 of the NA Rules of Procedure law, which says that in conditions of the state of emergency any time the faction can initiate a process of canceling certain events or eliminating the regime of the state of emergency. The MP once again underscored that the process should be under parliamentary everyday control.

In his final speech the RA Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan referred to the MPs’ questions and recommendations.

At the end of the sitting the item on Passing the NA draft decision on Declaring Invalid the Implementation of Certain Events Stipulated by the Legal Regime of the State of Emergency presented by the NA Bright Armenia Faction was put for voting, but it did not pass.

Covering the agenda the NA special sitting ended its work.