ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT GIVES FIRST READING TO BILL ON YEREVAN

ARKA
Dec 26, 2008

YEREVAN, December 26. /ARKA/. The RA National Assembly (NA) adopted the
first reading to the bill on Yerevan’s local government. According to
the RA Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration Vache Terteryan,
the parliament gave the first reading to the bill in December 2007,
but during parliamentary hearings many proposals were made concerning
the bill.

The bill will be given the second reading after adding new articles
to it, he added.

Among major amendments is the removal of the expression "on territorial
administration", Terteryan said, pointing out the amended document
is in line with the European Charter on Local Governments.

MPs have proposed changing principles of calling up standing committees
of the Deans’ Council of Yerevan. The law will be annexed with an
article on Yerevan Mayor’s functions and the protection of public
order.

The bill introduces a new system of local governments and changes the
status of Yerevan, the city changing from a region to municipality. The
document also provides for the principles, bases and authorities of
Yerevan’s local governments and territorial administration.

The bill regulates financial and legal issues related to the
functioning and establishment of local governments.

The city’s administrative division undergoes changes, with 12
administrative regions replacing the current 12 distr icts.

The Mayor appoints heads of administrative regions, with each region
having its Council of Deans. The number of the council’s members will
depend on the number of residential population.

The bill provides for the establishment of a 65-member Council of
Deans in Yerevan. After the adoption of the law, the Council of Deans
is to elect the Mayor.
From: Baghdasarian