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At October 2 sitting the parliament continued the debate of the draft decision on the RA President’s recommendation “On Declaring Amnesty on the 22^nd Anniversary of Declaration of the RA Independence.”

The RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan delivered a speech on the issue.

“On the occasion of Declaring Amnesty on the 22^nd Anniversary of Declaration of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia, the President, implementing his constitutional authority, applied to the National Assembly with the recommendation of declaring amnesty.

The Minister of Justice presented the structure of the amnesty act, the legal content and the conditions, with the basis of which it is suggested to adopt the decision of the National Assembly. Hence, I won’t touch upon those aspects.

In every civilized state the amnesty is of humanitarian, social, legal-political importance which is aimed at strengthening solidarity, tolerance, the improvement of the moral-psychological atmosphere in the society.

As President of the National Assembly I highly appreciate this recommendation of the President of the Republic, which in my opinion, is an expected step by many people in our society.

Our political assessment to the amnesty is positive, and we welcome this step, by which the state displays its mercy and humane attitude towards the citizens who have been “slipped” due to different circumstances and appeared in such situation.

I hope that my colleagues will agree with me that those persons should be given opportunity to be corrected, stand on the right path and be reintegrated to the natural life. Moreover, that the amnesty is a step stemming from the Christian faith and value of systems.

In general, from the humanitarian, moral and political viewpoint we highlight and welcome this step which we may confidently say will promote the strengthening of the atmosphere of tolerance, solidarity and unity, and they are of the most important priorities for us.

The amnesty is also a social-psychological and instructive step, manifestation of humanism, directing the people who appearing in freedom, will be able to invest their forces for the benefit of our country and development of our statehood.

It is also known that in many countries the amnesty is observed as merely a political step aimed at the solution of numerous inner problems, and of course, the loosening of tension in the society, which also results in solution of social, psychological and other problems. In our country the amnesty includes almost all the enumerated problems, legal-political, economic and social-psychological, however the most important, by my deep conviction, is the civil solidarity, this step is directed to.

During the history of the newly independent Armenia, this amnesty is the 10^th , and undoubtedly, will have its positive impact on the public atmosphere and inner-political field, why not, on the promotion of the development of the economy.

Before voting the issue I would like to remind you that our country has turned into a new phase of systemic reforms in a number of spheres of state building and consistently implements programmes aimed at big perspectives. And as in the word of the President of the Republic Serzh Sargsyan is noted: “The key of all them is man, the guarantee of his rights and freedoms, the formation of such atmosphere in the country, where the tolerance, pluralism, indiscrimination, justice and mutual respect will prevail.”

As a result of adoption of the amnesty, I urge the citizens freed from the punishment or improved the situation as a consequence of it to approach the humane attitude shown by the state with all conscience, I call upon them to invest their forces for the welfare of our country, our statehood, become full and exemplary members of the society, promoting the development of our country. I am also convinced, Mr Tovmasyan that this humane step will be directed with impartiality and I urge you, if there is possibility, in future also involve deputies in that committee who, I am sure, will also present to the society, public the impartiality of that event.”

Summing up the debate the key speaker, the RA Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan said that the recommendation on implementing amnesty by the President of the Republic had no goal to solve the problems of the criminal-procedural system. The Minister proposed the deputies to submit their recommendations in written form.

The RA Deputy Minister of Justice Grigor Muradyan in the first reading submitted for the deputies’ debate the package of bills envisaging amendments to the law “The RA Administrative Procedure New Code” and in enclosed laws.

The member of the NA Head, Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Hovhannes Sahakyan said that the package had been debated in detail and was endorsed.

Then the parliament debated the bill “On Amending the Land Code of the Republic of Armenia” for passing it completely in the second reading.

The deputies in the first reading debated the package of bills concerning the law on State Duty.

The Deputy Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Mikayel Melkumyan endorsed the package of bills.

Summing up the debate the key reporter Vardan Ayvazyan gave clarifications on the viewpoints sounded in the speeches.

The debate of the issue ended and by the established order of the NA Rules of Procedure the last hour of the sitting was allotted to the Q & A session between the deputies and members of the Government.