DRAFT BILL SUGGESTS DEPUTIES TO KEEP TO ETHICS NORMS

Panorama.am
14:08 13/09/06

One of Armenian Republican Party (ARP) members, Sukias Avetisyan,
expressed his discontent with the bill on the discipline of deputies
at the National Assembly.

The deputy said it is more proper for schoolchildren.

In fact, Avetisyan’s discontent was addressed to Ararat Malkhasyanm,
who is the co-author of the bill and a member of the same ARP. The
authors of the bill say they have considered the experience of
countries at different stages of democratic development in drafting
the bill. The bill says, "Deputies are obliged to be present at
the sessions of the National Assembly and the committees to which
they are members." It also says, "the deputy must be honest,
self-restrained, tolerant. He/she must never abuse his official
position and avoid rude words in oral and written speech. He/she
must be respectful during communication with any person (persons)
and keep to ethics norms." According to the draft, "A deputy of the
National Assembly votes in person and only for himself during the
sessions."