OPPOSITION TO HAVE NA VICE-SPEAKER
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 20, 2008
Armenia

But In The Next Parliament

Speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan answered the
questions of the journalists yesterday, the overwhelming majority of
which were regarding the draft law on making amendments in the law on
"Holding meetings, rallies and demonstration marches", submitted to
the parliament by his signature.

"Venice Committee has recorded in its conclusion that the bill mainly
meets the terms of the European standards, but meanwhile considers a
"regress" that the notification term has changed from three to five
days. Don’t you intend to return to the previous version?"

"With pleasure! But how? I asked the experts to give an option. How
can we reduce the term? Another problem has appeared – the conclusion
of the competent body and for this naturally we need some time. In
case of appealing, people must get the answer to their question
beforehand. That is why we can’t remove the two days previewed for
the court hearing. This is the problem."

"The pro-oppositional powers complain and even consider it strange
that only you have signed under the bill?"

"It was only due to some limitations linked with the organization
of the work. According to the regulations the bill, signed by the
Speaker of the National Assembly is immediately included in the
agenda. Otherwise the bill must pass all the required procedures –
the conclusion of the Committee, etc.

And besides that, my attitude towards the signatures under any bill
is philosophic. I’m sure anyone would have signed under the bill
had they been given this chance. And after all it is not a book or a
scientific discovery it is a simple bill that requires discussion. When
it turns into a law, it will be a law passed y the National Assembly
and there is no issue of copyright here. People need to be a bit
honest and if they failed to understand the explanations given by
others, they should ask again."

"In your speech you underscored that you haven’t received any proposals
regarding the bill. Whereas "Heritage" declares that they have only
recently familiarized themselves with this bill."

"Beginning from April 25, the bill has been in our website. Moreover we
have sent them to the fractions and those who wanted to make proposals
regarding the bill could do so within 25 days. When people speak
about artificial delays about "swiftly" submitted bills, without
making any proposals, in my view everything is clear itself."

"Do you think there has been any practical steps made towards the
implementation of the PACE resolution 1609: the dialogue between the
government and the opposition."

"Firstly this is the bill that fully complies with the requirements
of Venice Committee and was estimated positively. Secondly, we have
established a working group to study the election processes, where
we have included extra-parliamentary political powers and observation
organizations as well.

During the coming four days most probably we will set a temporary
committee, in which we will again include extra-parliamentary powers
and representatives of different organizations, whose professional
skills will be helpful to the committee. Those who have participated
in the electoral processes can have their representatives in this
committee. But if they don’t have the desire, no one has the right
to force them. We will also invite representatives and experts of
different international organizations.

After a week or so, we will circulate a bill linked with the amendments
in NA regulations, which will envisage certain competences for the
parliamentary pro-oppositional powers. There is a resolution passed
this January, which envisages the competences of the parliamentary
opposition.

There are 27 points there, 22 is at the moment, being envisaged by
our regulations.

We shouldn’t also forget about the committee established by the
country’s President. The formation of the Public Palace should also
be observed on the plane of the dialogue. Parliament is also a place
for a dialogue, a limited dialogue, of course, because the seats of
the pro-oppositional powers are strictly limited as compared with
the parliamentary majority."

"Don’t you intent to give the position of the vice Speaker of the
National Assembly to a pro-oppositional candidate to raise the role
of the opposition?"

"In my view opposition will have their vice Speaker of the Parliament,
but in the next, 5th parliament."