GOVERNMENT SUGGESTS INCLUDING NEW MINISTRY OF DIASPORA AFFAIRS IN ITS STRUCTURE
Noyan Tapan
Ju ne 16, 2008
YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The bill authored by the government on
"The Structure of the RA Government" was discussed in the first reading
at the special session convened on June 16 on the initiative of the MPs
of the RA National Assembly. According to Gevorg Danielian, the main
speaker and the Minister of Justice, the necessity of the adoption
of the law comes from the demands of Article 85 of the Constitution,
according to which the structure of the government is defined by the
law at the suggestion of the government.
The draft suggests including a new Ministry: Ministry of Diaspora
Affairs, in the structure of the government besides the current
17 ministries.
During the discussion Vahan Hovhannisian, the Head of the ARF faction,
proposed to name the ministry as Ministry of Diaspora Relations
and Repatriation and independent MP Viktor Dallakian as Ministry of
Armenian Diaspora Relations, giving the Minister of the latter the
status of the Deputy Prime Minister, which will give an opportunity
to coordinate those relations with educational issues as well.
According to the draft law, in case of being adopted the law will come
into force since July 1, except for the provision on the inclusion
of the new ministry in the structure of the government, which is
envisaged to come into force since October 1.
According to the unofficial information spread in the parliament,
the main and probable pretender to the post of the Minister of
Diaspora Affairs is Republican Hranush Hakobian, the Chairwoman of
the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and
Sport Issues.