1 / 8

On October 3 the parliament continued the work of the four-day sittings.

At the beginning of the sitting the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan made a statement. “The guarantee of the right of free political opinion is one of the cornerstones of democracy. It is a necessary condition for conducting a decent political debate in the democratic society. Nevertheless, the expression of political opinion by its character is not an absolute right. The Article 77 of the RA Constitution designs that the deputy’s right of expressing his/her opinion is restricted by the impermissibility of the insult or slander. That is, that right is restricted when its use is deviated from its real goal, conducting free political debate.

Also the Article 21.6 of the PACE Rules of Procedure contains obstacle of use of expression violating human dignity.

Taking into consideration the behavior of the NA deputy Zaruhi Postanjyan during the PACE session and under paragraph 7 of the Article 18.1. of the Law of the Republic of Armenia “Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, I have consulted with the factions of the National Assembly and I declare that I am intended to make a change in the composition of the Armenian delegation to PACE.”

The NA President informed the deputies that the debate of the RA President’s recommendation “On Declaring Amnesty on the 22^nd Anniversary of Declaration of the RA Independence” had been postponed at the phase of voting by the RA Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan. The latter introduced the final version of the document.

Thanking the parliament for concerned debates he said that amendments had been made in the document on the basis of the NA deputies’ recommendations.

In the end the NA President Hovik Abrahamyan added that for them, as well as for everybody it was important to have the amnesty fulfilled transparent and unbiased.

Then the parliament passed by voting the bills debated on the previous day. The parliament passed with 102 for, 0 against and 0 abstained the NA decision draft law “On Declaring Amnesty on the 22^nd Anniversary of Declaration of the RA Independence” presented by RA President’s recommendation.

The legislative initiative “On Amending the RA Code on Administrative Infringements” was debated in the first reading.

The Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs Hakob Hakobyan introduced the endorsement of the Committee.

The legislative package “On Amending the RA Law “State Material Reserve” and on Amending the RA Law “On State and Service Secret” was also debated in the first reading.

The parliament debated several agreements which were endorsed by the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs.

The NA deputy Martin Sargsyan presented in the first reading the bill “On Amending the RA Law on Value Added Tax.”

The RA Minister of Nature Protection Aram Harutyunyan presented in the first reading the package of bills “On Vital Security of the Use of the Genetically Formed Organisms,”“On Amending the RA Law on Licensing,” “On Amending the RA Law on State Duty,” “On Amending the RA Code on Administrative Infringements” and “On Amending the RA Criminal Code” and the draft law “On Amending the RA Law on Fauna.”

The RA Deputy Minister of Justice Aram Orbelyan presented the package of draft laws “On Amending the RA Law on Public Individual Notification Via Internet” and in relating laws.

The Deputy Minister of Defense Ara Nazaryan in the first reading introduced the draft law “On Amending the RA Law on Civil Special Service.”

The debate of the issue will continue at the next four-day sittings.