THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE PUBLIC DIALOGUE
GEVORG HARUTYUNYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 08, 2008
Armenia

By the recommendation of President Serge Sargsyan in the near future a
Public Chamber or Council will be established in Armenia. Not only
parliamentary but also extra-parliamentary powers will be involved in
the Public Chamber. That is to say the parties that have participated
in the most recent parliamentary and presidential elections, as well as
representatives of political, social organizations, men of art who had
active participation in the public life.

MP Victor Dallakayan was one of the first to underscore the
indispensability of establishing the Public Chamber, still on August 13
of the past year, by addressing the package of the draft laws on
`Making Amendments in the law on `NA Regulations and `About the Public
Chamber in Armenia’, as a legal initiative, to the Speaker of the
National Assembly. In his interview with the correspondent of `Hayots
Ashkharh’ daily Victor Dallakyan expresses his point regarding this
issue.

`I would like to bring your attention to the fact that I have submitted
this initiative to the discussion of the parliament still in August of
the past year. That is to say immediately after the parliamentary
elections, when the political field was being prepared for the
presidential elections and the famous events, beginning from September
up to the post-election developments have not yet taken place.

The indispensability of the establishment of the Public Chamber, in my
deep conviction, is conditioned by the fact that the National Assembly,
with its intellectual and political potential, in fact, can’t
completely express public moods. Very often the National Assembly
overlooks many issues of public concern.

In my view The Public Chamber can somehow fill the before mentioned gap
of the parliament.

As a precedent I have taken into consideration the social-political
situation in the Russian Federation and I have made use of the
corresponding RF law.

People who enjoy respect in the society and are perceived by our people
must be involved in the Public Chamber. The skills and the experience
of these people, their intellectual potential must work for the
confrontation of the challenges faced by our country, the state, and
the people. The Public Chamber can become a center of ideas.

In essence this new structure can become the filter of the discussion
of the draft laws submitted to the National Assembly.’

`In the legislative package submitted by you, did you envisage
amendments and changes in the NA Regulations-law as well?’

`These amendments and changes are important to provide opportunity for
the representatives of the Public Chamber to participate in all the
discussions and sessions of the National Assembly. It is previewed to
give the right to the members of this structure to express public
opinions, in the parliament. In accordance with this their competencies
will be equal to the competencies of the MP-members of NA Standing
Committees. The members of the Public Chamber will be competent to
introduce the results of the drafts their conclusions and to
participate in the government sessions, in a consultative manner.

It is a very high status, and the Public Chamber will be completely
represented and will participate in all the important discussions on
different levels. It is the highest level of public dialogue and, which
is more important, it will be continual and permanent.’

`According to your bill what kind of staff, structure and status should
the Public Chamber have?’

`According to my bill the Public Chamber will be formed by the citizens
and unions who will have volunteer participation in the structure’s
activity. The core functions of the structure will be the coordination
of the public interest with economic, educational, cultural, health,
social, environmental issues, the rights of the citizens, protection of
the freedoms, observance of the constitutional order and the
accomplishment of the civil society by the principles of democracy.

The Chamber must be able to involve the citizens and the public unions
in the functions of pan-Armenian significance implementing the state
policy.

The Public Chamber must elaborate and confirm its own charter, which
will envisage the status of the members in the activity of the Public
Chamber, the schedule of the sessions, the administrative staff and the
council, the competencies and the staff.

According to the bill the Public Chamber must have 60 members, from
which 20 will be appointed by the President, and 40 will represent
public unions, 20 of which must be from the provinces. The members of
the Public Chamber will work for two years, after which another member
will be appointed.

Public Chamber is a permanent body. Committees and working groups will
also be formed. The Public Chamber can convene sessions at least two
times a year; it can also convene extraordinary sessions by the
decision of the council. The decisions will bear a consultative nature.

In my view this bill must be included in the agenda and discussed
during the spring session. In case the bill is adopted in the first
reading, by June, in summer we will be able to, seriously and
profoundly, discuss the bill, together with the public organizations.
I’m sure there will be lots of interesting proposals. Later we can
organize parliamentary hearings, and only thereafter can second and
third readings be possible during the NA Plenary session.’