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On February 25 the parliament continued the work of the four-day sittings and passed by voting the bill “On Amending the RA Law on Approval of List of Goods Imported by Organization and Private Entrepreneurs, That Have '0' Customs Duty Rate and are Not Subject to Excise Taxation and for which Value Added Tax shall not be Calculated and Collected by Customs Authorities.”

The deputies welcomed the pupils and teachers of Vazgen Sargsyan N 1 secondary school from Ararat village of Ararat marz who were in the legislative body within the framework of Open Doors Programme.

Then the National Assembly continued debating the draft decision “On Establishing an Ad-hoc Inquiry Committee on the Activity of the Gas Supply System of the Republic of Armenia” submitted on the initiative of one third of the NA deputies.

The representatives of the NA factions (the Head of the Heritage faction Rubik Hakobyan, the Head of the ARF faction Armen Rustamyan, the Head of the ANC faction Levon Zurabyan, the Secretary of the PAP faction Naira Zohrabyan) presented their views.

The NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan delivered an extraordinary speech on the issue under debate. He noted that when four political forces had submitted the draft decision on establishing an Ad-hoc Committee, he had said in his speech that they would give an opportunity for all the layers of community, civil society, parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political forces to get answers concerning them. The NA Speaker noted that they debated in the party, proposed the RA President that the coalition would initiate establishing the Ad-hoc Committee, which would have wide authorities. Hovik Abrahamyan has noted that all the issues submitted by the opposition are included in the draft decision, and a number of issues are also proposed, which the Committee will study.

Hovik Abrahamyan also has mentioned that they have no wish and experience to hide anything: this issue has been considered in the RPA executive sitting, and the RA President has said that if there are people who have speculated their post and have been engaged in illegal actions, will be punished, and the Committee will be consistent for the revelation of the truth. The NA Speaker has deemed inadmissible that they discredit the Committee, and he has an impression that they impede the establishment of the Committee. Speaking about the formation of the Committee Hovik Abrahamyan documented that they had agreed to establish the Committee proportionally from coalition and all other political factions.

Touching upon the opposition’s next dissatisfaction, which related to the terms of the Committee’s activity, the term until November 8, Hovik Abrahamyan has noted, can be changed into June, if the opposition insists on it. “It is important to study it substantially. We have serious intentions for the Committee to be established, effectively work and give the answers to all the questions, which exist in society,” the NA Speaker said.

The Head of the parliament has assured that the Committee will be a serious leverage to reveal illegalities, if there are any and present them to society. As the Speaker of the parliament, Hovik Abrahamyan promised to be consistent and create all the opportunities to study and disclose the issues concerning the public.

The NA Speaker noted that in future many similar committees would be established. According to Hovik Abrahamyan, the issues that are topical today and concern the wide layers of the public, will be studied and submitted to them. The Head of the parliament informed the deputies that the RPA faction would vote for the draft decision.

Touching upon the speeches and proposals, the co-author of the draft law Davit Harutyunyan noted that only the ARF and the PAP factions had submitted recommendations.

Then the deputies debated the NA draft decision “On Establishing the RA NA Ad-hoc Inquiry Committee on the Reasons of Privatization of Nairit Factory CJSC, Assumed Credit Obligations and Non-Fulfillment of the Economic Activity with Necessary Volume.” The key reporter Artsvik Minasyan mentioned the considerable role of the Nairit Factory CJSC in social-economic life.

In his co-report the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Vardan Ayvazyan mentioned that the Committee endorsed it to be included in the session agenda, but they didn’t reached a positive endorsement for including it in the four-day sitting agenda.

The key and co-reporters answered the deputies’ questions.

In his co-report the RA Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan highlighted the importance of the Nairit Factroy CJSC.

The NA deputies Levon Zurabyan, Hrant Bagratyan, Aram Manukyan, Armen Rustamyan, Aghvan Vardanyan, Naira Zohrabyan and Heghine Bisharyan expressed their views on the issue.

In the extraordinary speech the RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan has called on his colleagues to be tolerant and noted that the authorities are for the establishment of such committees. He has noted that no representative of the power is involved in illegalities, and he is against such speeches. “If there are such people let us disclose them all together and condemn them,” Mr Abrahamyan said. The Speaker of the parliament noted that in autumn he would create an opportunity to touch upon the Nairit Factory CJSC.

In his final speech Vardan Ayvazyan has noted that time is needed to refer to this issue.

In his summarizing speech the key reporter Artsvik Minasyan thanked the NA Speaker for the constructive speech. Addressing the political majority Mr Minasyan called on them to vote and submit recommendations.

The NA deputy Gagik Jhangiryan submitted for debate the NA draft decision “On Establishing an RA NA Inquiry Ad-Committee on the Events Undertaken by the RA Police, Special Investigative Service, the RA Prosecutor General Office for the Cases of Causing Ten Persons’ Murders, Gunshot and Other Bodily Injuries to the Civilians, Police Officers and Servicemen in the City of Yerevan on March 1-2, 2008 and Its Substantiation and Legality” authored by the ANC deputies.

The debate of the issue will continue the next day at the February 26 National Assembly sitting.

In accordance with the Law on the NA Rules of Procedure the last hour of the sitting was allotted to the deputies’ announcements.