On May 19 the NA Standing Committees’ sittings were held.

At the NA Standing Committee on Social, Health Care and Environmental Protection, headed by Gagik Mkheyan, the Chair of the Committee, the government-submitted draft on 2006-2007 Programme on Privatization of State Property through the procedure of the second reading was debated. The Head of the State Property Management Department Karine Kirakosyan presented the draft.

On the debates in special order of the drafts on making Amendments to the RA Law on Defining Privileges of Environmental Payments to “Yerevan Jur”/Water CJSC and on Environmental and Nature Use Payments the Committee decided to organize the first reading debate after the second reading within 24 hours.

The Committee decided to postpone the debates for 30 days on following drafts:on Making Addendum to the RA Law on Plants Protection and Plants Quarantine, on Making Addendum to the RA Law on Licensing, on Making Amendments to the RA Law on Minimal Salary, on Making Amendments to the RA Law on Compulsory Payment of Social Insurance, on Making Addendum to RA Law on Social Assistance, on Making Addendum to the RA Law on Payment for the Work and on Restoration and Paying off Deposited Savings in Armeconombank, on Making Addendum to RA Law on Civil Servants, on Making Amendment to RA Law on Tax Service and on Making Amendments to RA Law on Criminal Executive Service, on Making Amendments and Addendum to RALaw on Diabetic Prevention and Treatment, on Making Amendments and Addendum to RALaw on the Use of Cash Registers.

The NA Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Youth, headed by Hranush Hakobyan debated the presented draft on 2006-2007 State Property Privatization Program for the second reading. The Head of the State Property Management Department Karine Kirakosyan informed that to compare with previous program health organizations left the privatization program, and privileges were taken out from small objects.

Mrs. Kirakosyan also informed that after the draft debates in the first reading, there were some proposals on making some amendments to the list of privatization entities. And all these proposals were taken into consideration and were adopted.

The debate of some drafts mainly connected with budgetary new allocations, lay down on the agenda, was postponed.

The NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, headed by Rafik Petrosyan, debated in the first reading the government-submitted drafts on Making Addenda to the RA Criminal Code, on Making Amendment to the RA Law on Criminal Procedure Code, and on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law on Alternative Service, which were presented by Deputy Minister of Justice Gevorg Malkhasyan.

The government-submitted draft on Making Amendments and Addendum to the RA Criminal Code, presented by Deputy Prosecutor Gevorg Danielyan was debated in the first reading. Mr. Danielyan informed that the draft was prepared on the basis of the provisions of Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings, adopted on May 16, 2005.

Artur Aghabekyan, Deputy Minister of Defense, presented the government-submitted draft on Making Addendum to the RA Criminal Code for the first reading.

Gevorg Malkhasyan, Deputy Minister of Justice, presented the government-submitted drafts on Making Amendment to the RA Law on Human Rights Defender, on Making Addenda to the RA Criminal Procedure Code, on Making Amendments to the RA Criminal Code, on Making Amendments to the RA Code on Administrative Offences, and on Making Addenda to the RA Law on State Duty for the first reading.

Ashot Abovyan, Deputy Minister of Justice, presented the government-submitted drafts on Making Addenda to Lobbying Activity, on Making Addenda to the RA Law on Legal Acts, on Making Addendum to the RA Law on State Duty, on Making Amendments to the RA Law on Local Self-Governance, on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law on NA Rules and Procedures, on Making Amendments to the RA Law on Administrative Offences.

David Harutyunyan, Minister of Justice presented the drafts on Making Amendments to the RA Law on Advocacy, on Making Amendments to the RA Criminal Procedure Code, on Making Amendment the RA Law on State Duty.

The draft on Making Amendments and Addendum to the RA Law on Criminal Code was debated in the first reading.

NA Deputy Rafik Petrosyan presented the government-submitted draft on Making Amendments and Addendum to the RA Civil Procedure Code, which was debated in the first reading.

David Haroutyunyan, Minister of Justice, presented the drafts on Making Amendments to the RA Law on Criminal Code, on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law on Criminal Executive Code, on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law on Criminal Procedure Code, on Making Amendments and Addendum to the RA Law on Criminal Executive Service for the first reading.

The MPs also debated the Convention on the Expediency of Agreement Termination of CIS Economy Court Status, adopted on July 6, 1992.

On Committee’s decision the drafts on Territorial Governance, on Making Amendment to the RA Law on Legal Status of Voluntarily Constructed Buildings, Facilities and Voluntarily Occupied Land Plots, on RA State Emblem and on RA Anthem Use were postponed for 30 days. With the Committee’s endorsement all debated drafts will be put on the draft agenda of the NA big sessions.

At NA Sittings of the Standing Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic Affairs, headed by the Committee’s Deputy Chair Vahram Baghdasaryan the presented issues on being laid down forthcoming sittings agenda were debated.

With the Committee’s endorsement it will be suggested putting on the draft agenda the government-submitted drafts on Suspension of Cash Registers Users’ Activities, on making Amendments to the RA Law on State Duty.

With the Committee’s endorsement 5 issues and 2 international agreements are envisaged to put on the draft agenda of the NA sittings. It will be proposed to adopt with some amendments the 2006-2007 Program on Privatization of State Property through the procedure of the second reading. The Head of the State Property Management Department Karine Kirakossyan informed that Vanadzor Test CJSC and Yerevan Shipping/Unshipping Site SCJSC were excluded from the program; instead the Geocomplex SCJSC was included in the program. Mnatsakan Petrosyan, ULP Faction Deputy, presented his draft on Making Amendment to the Law on Fixed Payments for Tobacco Production.

Gagik Voskanyan, Chair of the Control Chamber, presented the 2005 Report. The control results of accounting period were summed up in 39 reports and references. The Control Chamber found out that last year out of 25 credit programs 64% were underfulfilled. The Control Chamber also stated that 2001-2003 Privatization Program (in which the 2004 Privatization Program is also included) was fulfilled for 77%; the majority of companies failed to be privatized. During that period the privatized, by direct purchase or by tender, companies’ purchase price is 25,7%.

The sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations was held, headed by the Committee Chair Armen Rustamyan.

Gegham Gharibjanyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations, presented the Agreement between the Government of Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United States of America regarding the Employment of Dependents of Employees Assigned to Official Duty in the Receiving State, signed by exchange on September 20, 2005 and on December 30, 2005, which will be presented with the Committee’s endorsement for the Parliament ratification.

Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy David Haroutyunyan presented the Agreement between the Government of Republic of Armenia and the Government of Federal Republic of Germany on Financial Cooperation 2005-2006, signed on March 3, 2006, in Yerevan and the Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) between the Government of Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United States of America, which operates within the framework of Millennium Challenge Compact Corporation, signed on March 27, 2006 in Washington. For the implementation of the Compact purposes the MCC provided the Armenian Government with 235,650.000 (two hundred thirty five million six hundred fifty thousand) US dollars. It is envisioned by the program to reconstruct 943 km. of roads, consisted of 85 roads sections, out of which 321 km are roads of republican importance and 622 km are roads of local importance. According to the program 21 irrigation systems will be renewed, 15 systems will be changed from mechanical irrigation into the self-irrigation, 7 water reservoirs will be renewed, 200 km of main channel will be reconstructed, 68 pump stations will be renewed, the drainage system of Ararat valley used for production system will be renewed and so on.

With the Committee’s endorsement the agreements will be presented for the Parliament ratification.

The sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs was held, headed by the Committee’s Chair Mher Shahgeldyan.

Ararat Mahtesyan, Deputy Chief of Police, presented for the second reading the draft on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law on Police. With the Committee’s endorsement the draft will be put on the draft agenda of the forthcoming four-day NA sittings.

The government-submitted draft on Making Amendment to the RA Law on Criminal Executive Code, presented by the Deputy Minister of Defense Arthur Aghabekyan, with the Committee’s endorsement will be put on the agenda of the third convocation of the National Assembly of the seventh session.