WE WILL RATHER TRY TO INCLUDE POLITICAL FORCES WITH OPPOSITION VIEWS
IN PUBLIC COUNCIL, GARNIK ISAGULIAN SAYS

Y EREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. "The idea of creation of a Public Council
or a Public Chamber was also included in the RA National Security
Strategy, and today there is no need to connect it with the current
home political situation in Armenia," Garnik Isagulian, the Adviser to
the RA President, the Chairman of the National Security party, stated
at the May 30 press conference.

According to him, the Internal Threats department of the National
Security Concept clearly formulated that public-authorities,
public-state structures, local self-government bodies-public direct
contact needs to be created, as there is rather a serious barrier
between society and state institutions. "Irrespective of the fact what
kind of home political situation we will have, the issue of creation of
a Public Council was to be raised all the same," G. Isagulian said
adding that the domestic situation also dictated that the political,
public forces, individual figures having no other tribune should be
rather included in the Public Chamber. According to him, these are
mainly extra-parliamentary parties with opposition views.

G. Isagulian said that they have officially applied to 23 parties
taking part in the last parliamentry elections and not overcoming 5%
barrier for being included in the Public Council. They have also
applied to offices of former RA presidential candidates, 17 NGOs. It
was also mentioned that in total, 359 proposals were received by NGOs
and political organizations in a two-week term.

According to G. Isagulian, the Public Council will be a parliamentary
body, which is authorized to express its opinion on any bill. "Any
bill, as well as the RA President’s decrees will become a subject of
discussion at the Public Council. And Council’s viewpoints will be
presented publicly," the RA President’s Adviser said.