On September 8 the sittings of the Standing Committees of the National Assembly were held.

At the sitting of the Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Youth presided over Hranush Hakobyan, the draft on Making Amendment and Addendum to the RA Law on Education was debated. MPs Arthur Baghdasaryan and Mher Shahgeldyan presented the draft.

The RA Government accepts that there is a proposed task, but it should be solved not by law, but by the Government’s decisions. It was decided to postpone the debates on the draft, to hold Parliamentary hearings, joint discussions and if there is no agreement on the outcome, the authors might insist on discussing their presented draft in the plenary session.

The Government-submitted amendments to the draft on Graduate and Post Graduate Specialized Education mainly referred to deans and heads of chairs’ activity. To exclude discrepancies in other laws and ensure comprehensive solution to the issue it was decided to guarantee only with putting it on the draft agenda of the session.

Harutiun Yavoryan, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee of Physical Education and Sports adjunct to the RA Government presented the proposed amendments to the RA Law on Youth Sport and to the RA Law on Physical Education and Sport.

The Committee endorsed the drafts to be put on the draft agenda of plenary session.

By the authors’ consent the debates on a dozen of drafts were postponed.

At the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Health Care and Environment presided over Mnatsakan Petrosyan the government-submitted draft on Making Addendum to the RA Law on RA Budget System was debated. The Minister of Environmental Protection Vardan Ayvazyan presented the draft.

Mr. Simon Papyan, the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection, presented the drafts package on Making Addendum to the RA Law on State Duty and to the RA Law on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. He mentioned that the draft was developed by the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Mr. Vardan Ayvazyan, the Minister of Environmental Protection also presented the draft on Making Amendment to the RA Law on Rates of Environmental Payments. Mr. Simon Papyan, the Deputy Minister of Environmental protection, presented the government-submitted draft on Specially Preserved Nature Locations. He mentioned that the draft has undergone an international expertise by the World Bank.

The Committee also debated the draft on the RA National Water Program, which was presented by the Minister of Environmental Protection Mr. Vardan Ayvazyan.

The draft on Restoration and Covering of Savings Deposits in the “Armsavingsbank” was presented by the MP Mr. Viktor Dallakyan. The draft received negative conclusion of the Committee.

The other drafts debated at the Committee were endorsed to be put on the draft agendas of the NA four-day sittings and big session. The debates of 11 drafts were postponed on the authors’ initiative.

At the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs presided over Rafik Petrosyan a number of drafts were debated.

The draft on the RA NA Rules of Procedure of ULP faction was debated in the first reading. The MP Ms. Hripsime Avetisyan presented the draft.

The government-submitted draft on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Code on Administrative Offences, debated in the first reading, was presented by Mr. Vache Terteryan, the Deputy Minister of the RA Territorial Administration.

The draft resolution on the Establishment of the NA Standing Committee on Studying of the RA Government Activity in the sphere of Civil Aviation, submitted by the “Ardarutiun” faction was debated in the first reading. The Deputy Minister of Justice Mr. Gevorg Malkhasyan noted that the Control Chamber controls the Government activity according to the RA Constitution and the National Assembly is not authorized.

The MP Mr. Gagik Avetyan presented the draft to the RA Law on Prosecutor’s Office.

On the Committee’s decision the debates of the draft were postponed for 30 days.

The legislative initiative on Making Amendments and Addendum to the RA Law on Local Self-Governance was also debated in the first reading. It was presented by Mr. Vache Terteryan, the Deputy Minister of the RA Territorial Administration.

Mr. Gevorg Malkhasyan, the RA Deputy Justice Minister, presented the draft of the government on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Criminal Code for the first reading.

The drafts on Alienation of Property for the Needs of Society and Country on Making Amendments to the RA Land Code, on Making Amendments to the RA Civil Code were debated in the second reading.

The issue of the MPs’ absence was removed from the agenda.

All the debated drafts, excluding the draft resolution of the “Ardarutiun” faction on the Establishment of the NA Standing Committee on Studying of the RA Government Activity in the Sphere of Civil Aviation, were endorsed to be put on the draft agendas of the NA four-day sittings and big session.

24 drafts were postponed for 30, 60 and 90 days on the decision of the Committee.

The draft on Making Amendments to the RA Code on Administrative Offences, presented by Mr. Gevorg Danielyan, the RA Deputy Chief Prosecutor, was debated and endorsed at the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs. The draft was endorsed to be put on the draft agenda of the 8^th session of the third convocation and on the draft agenda of the upcoming four-day sittings.

Mr. Romik Harutyunyan, the Deputy Director of the National Security Service adjunct to the RA Government, presented the draft on Making Amendments and Addendum to the RA Law on State Border. Mr. Harityunyan presented also the draft on Making Amendments and Addendum to the RA Law on Frontier Troops. The presented two drafts with the endorsement of the Committee will be put on the draft agenda of the 8^th session of the third convocation and on the draft agenda of the upcoming four-day sittings.

Mr. Artur Aghabekyan, the Deputy Minister of Defense presented the draft on Making Amendments to the RA Law on Subdivisions of Civil Defense. The draft will be endorsed to be put on the agendas of four-day sittings and big session.

The legislative package on Military Police, on Making Addendum to the RA Criminal Procedure Code, on Making Amendment and Addendum to the RA Code on Administrative Offences, on Making Amendment to the RA Law on Police also was endorsed and will be put on the draft agenda of the NA four-day sitting in the first reading.

Mr. Ararat Mahtesyan, the Deputy Chief of the RA Police, presented the draft on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law on Service in the Police. Mr. Mahtesyan presented also the draft on Approval of Disciplinary Code of the RA Policy. The above-mentioned two drafts were endorsed to be put on the draft agenda of the NA four-day sitting and big session.

The government-submitted draft of the Law on Operative Investigation Activity was endorsed by the Committee and will be put on the draft agenda of the 8^th session of the third convocation.

The NA Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic Affairs presided over Mr. Gagik Minasyan debated the presented drafts to be put on the agendas. With the Committee’s endorsement 12 issues will be proposed to be put on the draft agenda of the 8^th session and 14 issues of the upcoming four-day sittings.

Mr. Alaverdyan presented also the draft Law on Suspension of the Cash Registers Users’ Activities. Mr. Ararat Malkhasyan, the Deputy Minister of Justice, presented the proposed amendments to the Law on Licensing with enclosed legislative package.

The Government proposes the legislative body to adopt new Law on Food Safety.

An Annual 2005 Report on Execution of the Program on Privatization of State Property 2001-2003 was also presented for the evaluation of the Committee.

Mr. Pavel Safaryan, the Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, presented the draft on the Order of Reimbursing the Losses of the Budget Incomes by the State as a Result of Applying the RA laws on Reducing the Community Budget Incomes.

Ms. Hripsime Avetisyan, the MP of ULP faction, presented the legislative initiative of the faction on Making Amendment and Addendum to the RA Code on Administrative Offences.

The MPs of the “National Unity” and “Ardarutiun” factions propose to establish the NA Standing Committee on Studying of the Damage Caused to Local Producers and Population in the Result of Unjustified Increase of Currency in January-May 2005 and 2006.The authors postponed the debate of the issue, since the parliamentary hearings on this topic are envisaged to be held in the upcoming month.