CLARIFICATION OF THE PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
June 7 2007
Mr. Raffi Hovannisian, head of the Zharangutyun (Heritage) faction
today turned with a letter to Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the
National Assembly of the third convocation, explaining the reasons
of the non-participation of the faction for the first session of the
National Assembly of the fourth convocation on June 7.
According to Mr. Hovannisian, there are two reasons: first of all,
he has not been notified about the convocation of the session, and
secondly – in the Constitutional Court the issue of the validity of
the parliamentary elections on May 12 is now under discussion.
Mr. Tigran Torosyan had a telephone conversation with Mr. Hovannisian
and has sent him a letter in which he has explained, that first of all,
Mr. Hovannisian’s letter was wrongly addressed, because the President
of the National Assembly of the third convocation has nothing to do
with the problems of the National Assembly of the fourth convocation,
secondly – there is not a tradition of inviting or notifying the
factions for the first session of the newly elected parliament in the
Republic of Armenia. And the Constitution and the Law on the Rules of
Procedure of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia define
when that session should be held.
Obviously the issue of the convocation of the first session of the
National Assembly is not conditioned by any circumstance, including
the issues under discussion in the Constitutional Court.
Hence, the requirement of the Constitution and the Article 34 of the
Law on the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly is to convene
the first session of the newly elected National Assembly in the due
time and the deputies’ participation in it.
The current explanations cannot be basis for somebody not to
participate at the works of the session of the National Assembly of
the fourth convocation.
