ADOPTION OF BILL "ON FORMATION AND RESIGNATION OF GOVERNMENT" AGAIN FAILS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 08 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. At the February 8 morning sitting
RA National Assembly again failed to adopt the bill "On Formation
and Resignation of Government" discussed in first reading two days
ago. Before the voting RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian said that the
government had revised the bill on the basis of MPs’ proposals changing
its title as well. Passions inflamed in the hall when it became clear
that against MPs’ proposals to completely stipulate in the draft
law constitutional provisions relating to government’s formation and
resignation also specifying the mechanisms, the government preferred
to withdraw the most of the provisions from the bill. The bill renamed
"On Criteria of Considering Government as Formed" only stipulated that
the government is considered as formed if all government members have
been appointed, and by the adoption of the above mentioned law the law
"On Formation and Resignation of Government" adopted in 1998 will be
considered invalid. Proposals of a number of MPs to again discuss the
bill or to postpone the voting were again declined. The bill received
50 votes in favor and 3 abstained, while participation of at least 66
MPs was necessary for adopting the law. The adoption of the bill "On
Making Addition to law "On Property Tax" discussed in first reading
the previous day also failed, after which T.Torosian presiding over
at the sitting stopped the voting.