MEETINGS OF GRECO DELEGATION WITH THE FACTIONS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

National Assembly
parliament.am
May 20 2010
Armenia

On May 19 the members of the Council of Europe Group of States against
Corruption, GRECO, delegation Sophie Meudal-Leenders, Tania Van Dijk
and Adrian Moraru met with the representatives of the factions of
the National Assembly.

The first meeting was with the members of the RPA faction Gagik
Minasyan and Hovhannes Sahakyan.

Sophie Meudal-Leenders said that as a result of three-day meetings,
the delegation would prepare a report, which it would submit to the
Armenian authorities and would be approved at GRECO plenary session.

At the guests’ request the members of the RPA faction presented the
control mechanisms of the financial flows of their party and the
legislative solutions providing them.

Mr. Minasyan emphasized the transparency of the financial flows
especially in the political sphere, as the political parties also
control the financial transparency in other spheres.

Mr. Sahakyan said that besides the territorial sub-units the party
also has structures, where in women, youth and sport and has no status
of legal person are involved, all events are financed from the common
treasury box of the party.

The members of GRECO delegation also met with the secretary of the
PAP faction Aram Safaryan and deputy Vahe Enfiajyan.

The Secretary of the PAP faction Aram Safaryan presented in detail the
structure and activities of the Prosperous Armenia Party, noting that
they permanently retained the provisions of RA acting laws concerning
the parties and their financial flows. The Editorial Council of the
PAP Political Board, which consists of nine persons, will work out
relevant standards till September, and they will be debated.

The Head of the Country of Law faction Heghine Bisharyan, Secretary
Artsruni Aghajanyan, members Hovhannes Margaryan and Gagik
Baghadasaryan also met with the members of GRECO delegation.

The Head of the Country of Law faction Heghine Bisharyan presented the
structure of the party, the financial sources of the regional party
offices, the procedure of presenting the financial reports. The Head
of the faction highlighted the full presentation of the parliamentary
happenings through mass media in order the citizens would have
opportunity to get acquainted with the parliamentary work, and
according to that, would get oriented in the upcoming elections.

The Secretary of the NA ARF faction Artyush Shabazyan and Ara Nranyan
met with the members of GRECO delegation.

Presenting the passed path of the party the Secretary of the ARF
faction Artyush Shabazyan noted that the financial means of the party
come up from membership fees and donations.

According to the deputies, the control structure of corruption
in Armenia is not sufficient, and the legislation of the sphere
needs reforms, especially the Electoral Code, as the corruption of
the parties especially becomes more in electoral processes. In this
context Artyush Shabazyan and Ara Nranyan emphasized the affirmation
of the public control mechanism in the Electoral Code.

The Head of the NA Heritage faction Styopa Safaryan, Secretary Larisa
Alaverdyan and the Director of the Central Office of the Party Gevorg
Kanachyan also met with the members of GRECO delegation.

Presenting to the guests the history of the foundation of the young
party the head of the faction Styopa Safaryan touched upon the sources
of the financial means of the party. He said that the financial means
of the party, which are very modest and are formed from the membership
fees and from the donations of the representatives of small business.

The Secretary Larisa Alaverdyan was convinced that it was necessary
to find a mechanism, which would provide the transparency and
accessibility of the expenditures of the party to the public.