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On January 25, the first sitting of the NA Inquiry Committee Studying the efficiency of the events implemented by the Government and the Commandant’s Office, as well as the productivity and legality of the restrictions of the human rights and fundamental freedoms on preventing the spreading of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), fighting against that virus: mitigating or eliminating the consequences of the epidemic, was held.

The Chair of the Inquiry Committee Arkady Khachatryan informed that the Committee was created on the initiative of the RA NA Bright Armenia and the Prosperous Armenia factions. Stemming from the martial law, the individual staff of the Inquiry Committee was formed by the RA NA Speaker’s order on 12 January 2021.

Assessing the year 202 very hard, Arkady Khachatryan has expressed his gratitude to the doctors, who with high responsibility and selfless devotion have had their important contribution and continue it in preserving the people’s life and health. The goal of the Committee is to raise the problems emerged in the health system conditioned by the new pandemic, to study the events implemented by the Government and Commandant’s Office directed to their solution and submit relevant proposals, promoting the increase of the institutional capabilities of the country for facing such pandemic.

Touching upon the problem of the efficiency of the Committee’s activity, the RA NA deputy Artak Manukyan has noted that the fighting process against the pandemic has not ended yet moreover, based on the world experience there is still no best model of undertaking steps stemming from the process, and in that context there will be possible to evaluate its efficiency.

Responding to Artak Manukyan, Arkady Khachatryan noted that in case of effectively working the Committee could ensure results. He also stated that the work of the Committee would be more based on studies made by the experts. According to him, experienced lawyers, economists and experts were involved in the Committee.

Regarding the issue of the efficiency and the expediency of the creation of the Committee, Naira Zohrabyan noted that until now answers to numerous questions had not been received on the expenditure of the sums collected for the fight against the pandemic, late response to the first aid service calls and the choice of the medical institutions. According to her, the Committee has an agenda of debating disputable issues.

By the proposal of the deputy of the RA NA My Step Faction Suren Grigoryan, Heriknaz Tigranyan was elected Deputy Chair of the Committee.

Arkady Khachatryan called on to form partnership, cooperation environment, to display political will and tolerance and to carry out transparent and effective activities.

The Inquiry Committee will carry out activities through the regular and extraordinary sittings. The main directions of the activities and the periodicity of the regular sittings were specified. An agreement was reached to present recommendations and questions in written form within reasonable term aimed at the relevant institution s.

The MPs referred to the steps aimed at the work order, the existing toolset and the activity efficiency of the Committee.