On February 8 the last sitting of NA four-day sittings took place. The President of the National Assembly Mr. Tigran Torosyan informed that taking into consideration the proposals regarding the draft law On Formation of Government and Resignation, the RA Government has made amendments to it, leaving only one article, according to which the Government is considered to be formed if all of its members are appointed. The representatives of the opposition and the United Labor Party (ULP) were against voting for the draft law with an incomplete criterion of formation of Government, new contents and a new title without discussing it.

Mr. Torosyan noted, that the constitution requires voting for the amended draft law, so it will be better to amend and improve the draft law after having it adopted through first reading.

The draft law On Considering the Government Formed was not adopted because of not providing the required number of voting MPs. The draft law On Making Addendum to the RA law On Property Tax was not adopted too.

The MPs continued to discuss the package of the draft law On Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA law On Citizenship and the draft law proposing amendments to a number of related draft laws.

The MP Mr. Gegham Manukyan presented the viewpoint of the Head Committee On State and Legal Affairs concerning the draft law.

Highlighting the importance of the idea of dual citizenship in their speeches, MPs Mr. Grigor Harutyunyan, Mr. Viktor Dallakyan, Mr. Arshak Sadoyan and Mr. Aram Sargsyan considered the participation of the citizens having dual citizenship to the formation of powers unacceptable and reserved that right only to those citizens, who permanently reside in Armenia.

Vice-president of the National Assembly Mr. Vahan Hovhannisyan that there are unclear wordings in the draft law, but did not agree that the draft law is not a constitutional requirement. Its importance has become a basis for political agreement. The speaker noticed also, that together with unsubstantiated criticism there are also substantiated concerns, which will be taken into consideration by the authors and given a solution before the second reading. Mr. Hovhannisyan considered particularly unacceptable the concern that the dual citizenship will have an impact on elections. He considered the concerns regarding the national security exaggerated. Mr. Hovhannsiyan assessed that the law is of great political and moral significance.

Head of the ULP faction Mr. Gurgen Arsenyan noted, that during the constitutional amendments they have been for abolishing the ban on dual citizenship provided that the rights of the dual citizenship are limited. But now the draft law does not envisage ban of becoming a minister for dual citizens.

Mr. Hovhannes Margaryan presented the viewpoint of the Country of Law faction. He noted that for dual citizens the mechanisms of participating to the elections are not clear, the issues of granting citizenship to Armenians and foreigners are not well defined, and the issue of emigration is ignored.

According to the Head of the ARF faction Mr. Hrayr Karapetyan, the ban on dual citizenship in 1995 Constitution put a barrier between the two segments of Armenians. Mr. Karapetyan called on to stand higher from the party interests and to be guided with interests of unity and collectivity. It is a matter of morality.

The President of the National Assembly Mr. Tigran Torosyan didn’t consider it right to give party colourings because the idea is not the monopoly of anyone, and it has to be discussed in essence. The draft law has to enshrine that the knowledge of the RA Constitution is a requirement for those who wish to be granted dual citizenship. It is neither convenient nor substantiated to grant citizenship to those persons who have waived their citizenship after January 1, 1995 only on the basis of their applications. Although Mr. Torosyan considered unsubstantiated the apprehension that that draft law intends to falsify the elections, but in order to avoid from speculation suggested including a provision in the draft law, which will put it in force after the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

The National Assembly discussed also the package of the draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Code of Criminal Procedure and draft laws suggesting a number of amendments related to them.

The suggested amendments aim to comply the legislation with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

The National Assembly ended the four-day sittings.