AREVIK PETROSYAN WAS ELECTED AS VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
Dec 10 2007

The four-day sittings of November 12-15 of the National Assembly of the
Republic of Armenia was begun by the endorsement of the decisions and
agendas of the National Assembly, after which the deputies continued to
debate, interrupted during the previous four-day sittings, the bill
on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Code on Administrative
Offences.

Presenting the view of the Heritage faction the MP Mrs. Larisa
Alaverdyan said that the faction will present its proposals up to
the second reading. Before that they will stay abstain from voting. Mr.

Ara Babloyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs,
Health Care and Environmental Protection of the National Assembly and
Mr. Tatul Hakobyan, Deputy Minister of Healthcare in their concluding
speeches proposed the MPs to present their remarks in written form,
assuring that all the constructive proposals will be included in
the bill.

The election of the Vice-President of the National Assembly was
also debated.

Before nominating the candidate Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President
of the National Assembly said that the Heritage faction addressed
with a request letter to replace the member of the Ad-hoc accounting
committee of the National Assembly Mrs. Anahit Bakhshyan with the MP
Zaruhi Postanjyan.

On behalf of the Prosperous Armenia faction Mr. Aram Safaryan proposed
Mrs. Arevik Petrosyan as a nominee for the vacant post of the Vice
President of the National Assembly. Mr. Raffi Hovhannisyan on behalf
of the Heritage faction proposed the nominee Mrs. Anahit Bahkshyan,
and Mrs. Heghineh Bisharyan proposed as nominee Mrs.

Hranush Hakobyan.

The MP Mrs. Arevik Petrosyan, thanking for nominating on a post
of the Vice President of the National Assembly, according to the
political agreement of the coalition, assured that she will do her
utmost for normal activity of the legislative body, realization of all
those programs which will be executed for the favor of the country
and people and will make all for the justification of trust of the
political forces, proposing and protecting her nominee.

The MP Mrs. Hranush Hakobyan thanking for being nominated, said that
the majority has already made its political decision and that the
post belongs to the Prosperous Armenia faction, hence she refuses to
be a nominee.

The MP Mrs. Anahit Bakhshyan thanked the Heritage faction for
nominating her and for the trust and blamed the majority for the
"bolshevik" style of work, though the political majority also tries
to destroy the positions of the minority, but they always will be an
alternative to them and will call to life their understandings about
democracy, political pluralism and tolerances.

The MP Mr. Edward Sharmazanov reminded that according to the memorandum
of the coalition the PAP faction proposed Mrs. A. Petrosyan’s nominee
who is absolutely worth the post for her experience and skills and
has called on to vote for her.

The MPs Mrs. Larisa Alaverdyan and Mr. Styopa Safaryan called
on for voting Mrs. Anahit Bakhshyan, who has political position,
she is a woman of principle and consistent. According to them the
election is the best way of forming a new political opportunity
for the political majority and minority to make a step to mutual
understanding, mutual trust and for establishing pluralism atmosphere:
to elect a representative of opposition in the authority body of the
National Assembly.

Mr. Vahan Hovhannesyan, Vice President of the National Assembly
highlighted that women nominees are offered in the conditions of
pluralism, reminding that yet from the period of the reforms of the
Constitution the ARFD insisted that the rights of minority should be
strengthened by the Constitution but it should be mutually coordinated,
a sad fact that the very political atmosphere is not matured yet the
mutual trust is achieved only by the preliminary consent. The ARF
faction has an agreement with the coalition, being guided with it
will protect A. Petrosyan’s nominee, she is quite worthy this post
with her knowledge and experience.

Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly welcomed the
step of the opposition on promoting a candidate, as the process of
election is not less important than the result of the election. The
fact that there will be a woman in the post of the Vice President of
the National Assembly Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National
Assembly considered important. It is symbolical, as our political
life corresponds to that situation when it is possible not to protect
women but to involve them in the most complicated and responsible
works. Mr. Torosyan did not agree with the very view of the opponents,
when political arrangements contradict to democratic processes.

On the contrary "All the processes in the political body are the
results of the political arrangements, if there are no arrangements
that parliament is doomed for chaos. And the political forces
should respect those arrangements," said Mr. Torosyan. The appeal
of opposition to mutual understanding and formation of the new
political culture Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National
Assembly considered acceptableif there are all bases for a similar
image of action, whereas the position of majority is an attribute
of intolerance. Creation of the new political culture, the election
of the candidate of opposition in the structure of supervising
body will be caused by everyday work. Majority having proposed
the nominee from opposition should realize, whether effective and
normal work of the parliament will be promoted, or will pursue other
purposes. The Vice President of the National Assembly should solve
one problem – to provide the natural course of the activity of the
parliament. Mrs. Petrosyan corresponds to the demands of that post
therefore Mr. Torosyan called on to vote for her.

In her final speech the MP Mrs. A. Bakhshyan said that she does not
call to vote for her and even does not expect to be elected, but the
day will come when the role of the political minority will be bigger.

The MP Mrs. A. Petrosyan assured that in case she is elected she
will promote the normal work of the National Assembly. The names of
the two candidates, nominated for the post of the Vice President
of the National Assembly Mrs. Arevik Petrosyan and Mrs. Anahit
Bakhshyan were included in the electoral ballots, and a closed,
secret voting was held. After which Mr. Samvel Nikoyan, Head of the
Add-hoc Counting commission, said that in the results of the voting,
Mrs. Arevik Petrosyan was elected as Vice President of the National
Assembly by the votes:79 for and 13 against.

The National Assembly also debated, submitted through the second
reading, bills on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Criminal
Executive Code of the Republic of Armenia and on Making Addenda and
Amendments to the RA Law on Police Service and on Making Addenda
to the RA Law on Currency Regulation and Currency Control and the
package of the bills proposing amendments to other laws.

Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly said that
Mr. Armen Melikyan, by the decision of CEC will become a member of
the faction of Prosperous Armenia.

The National Assembly will continue the work of the four-day sittings
at November 13.