ONLY "HERITAGE" FACTION ENDORSES ARF’S PROPOSAL TO SET UP NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AD HOC COMMITTEE ON MONITORING

Noyan Tapan
Nov 18, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly on November
17 discussed the "ARF" faction’s legislative initiative considered as
urgent by that faction: the draft decision on setting up a National
Assembly Ad Hoc Committee on Monitoring. The purpose of such an ad hoc
committee is to monitor the implementation of the proposals presented
in the conclusion of the NA Ad Hoc Committee on the Inquiry into the
Events of 1-2 March 2008 in Yerevan and their Reasons.

Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs,
member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) David Harutyunian
had expressed an opinion a few days ago that the existing standing
committees can perform the function of monitoring, so it is inexpedient
to set up a new ad hoc committee.

The draft’s authors disagreed with this opinion. According to them,
the existing standing committees do not have the functions and powers
of the ad hoc committee to be established. Besides, according to them,
the ad hoc committee will regularly inform the National Assembly
and the public about the implementation of the proposals stipulated
in the conclusion. The ARF faction members put forward an argument
that the implementation of the conclusion’s proposals regarding the
legislative reforms and the socioeconomic situation would prevent
the possible recurrence of the March events. It was also mentioned
that most of these proposals are in line with the requirements of
the PACE resolutions on Armenia, while the implementation of these
resolutions is under monitoring of the PACE.

Only the opposition "Heritage" faction endorsed the initiative of the
ARF. Head of "RPA" faction Galust Sahakian stated that while being
in favor of control by the National Assembly, they are against the
form of control. He reasserted the RPA’a opinion about retaining this
function for the NA standing committees. The two other forces of the
political coalition did not voice their opinions.

At the suggestion of the authors, the vote on the draft decision was
postponed – due to the necessity to amend it based on the proposals
voiced during the discussion.
From: Baghdasarian