1 / 14

On October 27 the parliament continued debating the work of the four-day sittings.

By the proposal of the NA Speaker Galust Sahakyan the deputies welcomed the members of the project “The Youth Engaged in the Society” of Jinishian Memorial Foundation, who visited the parliament within the framework of the NA Open Doors programme and was observing the sitting.

The NA deputies in one-minute silence honoured the memory of the October 27, 1999 crime victims.

The NA deputies continued debating the report “On the Activities of the RA Human Rights Defender and the Violation of Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the Country during 2004.”

The NA deputies Zaruhi Postanjyan, Hovhannes Sahakyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Karine Atshemyan, Elinar Vardanyan, Rubik Hakobyan, Samvel Farmanyan, Mikael Melkumyan expressed their viewpoints on the report.

The NA Deputy Speaker Hermine Naghdalyan delivered an extraordinary speech, considering very important both the HRD Institute and the report, noting that it presents the picture of the cases of the violation of the human rights in the country during one year. According to Mrs Naghdalyan, the Ombudsman’s report is an indicator not only of the situation of democracy, but the situation existing in all spheres. It has been noted that the report has been improved, its influence is noticeable on the works of the executive body and it is expressed in many spheres by the dynamics of the violations of human rights, their decrease and the solution of numerous problems. Mrs Naghdalyan has underlined the huge work done and work underway by the Ombudsman’s Staff: the valuable studies, operative actions for solving the problems in many citizens’ life, the restoration and protection of the violated rights.

The NA Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov also delivered an extraordinary speech, touching upon the speeches sounded during the debates that lasted for several days and considered not right, when in some speeches the deputies voiced the names of their parties. Speaking about the expressions sounded about the police, the NA Deputy Speaker has noted that there are shortcomings in the work of the police, and the latter expressed readiness to listen to the remarks for improving the work. Eduard Sharmazanov has documented that today the HRD Institute is more upgraded and the level of democracy has more risen. As NA Deputy Speaker, Eduard Sharmazanov expressed willingness to effectively work with the Ombudsman.

The representatives of the parliamentary factions (the Head of the Rule of Law Heghine Bisharyan, the member of the ARF Artsvik Minasyan, the member of the ANC Gagik Jhangiryan, the Head of the PAP Naira Zohrabyan and the member of the RPA Khosrov Harutyunyan) also expressed their viewpoints on the report.

In their final speeches the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Elinar Vardanyan and the RA Human Rights Defender Karen Andreasyan touched upon the deputies’ recommendations and concerns.

Afterwards the parliament in the first reading debated the package of the draft laws “On Amending the RA Electoral Code” and “On Amending the RA Law on Identity Cards” authored by the NA deputies Hovhannes Sahakyan, Artak Davtyan, Gagik Minasyan and Gagik Melikyan.

In accordance with the law, the NA Rules of Procedure, the last sitting was allotted to the deputies' announcements.