Republican Party of Armenia

On May 21 the RA National Assembly continued the debate of the issue “On Approving the RA Government Programme”

Before turning to the exchange of thoughts by the proposal of the NA President Hovik Abrahamyan, the deputies welcomed the teachers and pupils from different schools of Yerevan and Echmiadzin involved in the program “The Youth Involved in the Society” Jinishian Memorial Foundation.

About three dozens of deputies have been registered on the previous day to deliver a speech.

The deputy Hrant Bagratyan deemed non-perspective the upcoming five-year Government programme. In Alexander Arzumanyan’s opinion, the programme under debate does not differ in any way from the one of the previous years. There is no distinct programme of actions and of solutions of problems. Zaruhi Postanjyan’s opinion was also negative on the programme. Aram Manukyan touched upon the failures of the Government and noticed that there were reasons for approving the Government programme. He talked about the rise of gas tariffs, civil aviation, army, electoral processes and negative phenomena existing in those spheres. Vahan Hovhannisyan built his speech in the context of the shortcomings of the Government and political responsibility. Making parallel with the previous Government programme and the one under debate, Stepan Demirchyan noted that they didn’t differ from each other, and this programme would not prevent the continuing emigration and would not reduce the poverty, hence he will vote against it. Khachatur Kokobelyan deemed the Government programme kind and with good intentions, but he proposed to bring another one with the ways how to solve the problems. The RA Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan gave an extraordinary speech. The deputy Mikayel Melkumyan in his speech touched upon the reforms in the tax policy. The MP Ruzanna Muradyan talked about the educational reforms. The deputy Gagik Minasyan talked about the works to be done by the Government and the main peculiarities of the programme. The deputy Levon Martirosyan agreed with Gagik Minasyan. The deputy Artsvik Minasyan introduced his negative position and noticed that the social-economic problems of the country were not included there, so he would vote against it. The deputy Nikol Pashinyan in his speech criticized the Government programme. According to him, the rise of the gas tariffs would result in the rise of other goods and services.

The debate of the programme will continue at May 22 sitting.

In accordance with the NA Rules of Procedure in extraordinary order the parliament debated the bill “On Amending the RA Electoral Code.”

Levon Martirosyan presented the negative conclusion of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. The RA Justice Minister also said that the opinion of the Government was also negative.

During the exchange of thoughts the bill authored by the deputies of the Heritage faction defended Aram Manukyan, Tevan Poghosyan, Zaruhi Postanjyan, Edmon Marukyan, Armen Rustamyan, Alexander Arzumanyan and Artsvik Minasyan. Davit Harutyunyan and Khosrov Harutyunyan were against the bill, noting that it was necessary to raise the public trust towards the electoral processes, finding other ways.

The Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia faction said that they would vote for the bill.

In accordance with the NA Rules of Procedure, the last hour of the sitting was allotted to the deputies’ announcements.