The RA NA With Honor and Armenia factions have nominated Manvel Badalyan as the agreed candidate for the position of the member of the Competition Protection Commission.
The issue of election of the member of the Competition Protection Commission was debated at the RA NA sitting on December 8.
The Secretary of the RA NA Armenia Faction Artsvik Minasyan briefly presented the candidate’s biography and work activity to the Parliament. According to the key rapporteur, Manvel Badalyan stands at the sources of the implementation of the civil service system.
Manvel Badalyan noted that he attaches importance to the sector in terms of business development, freedom and protection of economic competition in Armenia.
In response to the RA NA Vice President Hakob Arshakyan’s question about how he assesses the existing economic competition before and after the Velvet Revolution of 2018, the freedom of businessmen and patronage towards them, the candidate underlined that there should be no monopolies in the field of entrepreneurship. He stressed that especially in the field of small and medium business activities, economic vibrancy is noticeable. “The legislative and the executive bodies must do everything, improve the toolkits to limit the monopoly field and ensure freedom of economic activity,” the candidate said, considering patronage in all aspects and arenas as an unacceptable phenomenon.
The Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Babken Tunyan, mentioning that there is a hot competition between the private and public sector workforce, asked how the candidate assesses the current regulations in the system and whether they enable qualified specialists to be involved in the state system.
Emphasizing the unhealthy competitive situation of the private and public sector, which is of great strategic importance, Manvel Badalyan pointed out that the public, state service is not attractive, stressing the issue of salaries as a valid reason.
In his speech, Babken Tunyan noticed that the legislative amendment, which gave the opportunity to the opposition factions to nominate candidates for autonomous bodies, was made during their leadership in order to provide some balance and he is happy that this initiative is coming to life. “In these cases, we are not guided by a person’s political or personal views, unless, of course, the given person has crossed a certain threshold. We have had cases when we have rejected the candidate proposed by the opposition and on the contrary, when we have chosen with great satisfaction,” Babken Tunyan said, stressing that at the moment it is important that the Competition Protection Commission works normally and the structure is filled with knowledgeable people.
In his speech on behalf of the RA NA Armenia Faction, the Head of the Faction Seyran Ohanyan mentioned that Manvel Badalyan’s candidacy was presented taking into consideration his personal and work experience.
In his speech, on behalf of the RA NA Civil Contract Faction, the Head of the Faction Hayk Konjoryan, emphasizing the institution and the logic of quotas, reminded that they accepted the regulation that there should be an opposition quota in the Competition Protection Commission. “We are guided by professionalism, the rules dictated by the law and the Constitution,” the Head of the Faction said.
In his final speech, the candidate thanked for the debate, noting that new directions, problems and issues were revealed, which should be the focus of the Competition Protection Commission.
The Chair of the Counting Commission of the 8th convocation of the NA Narek Babayan informed that 84 out of the 107 members of the National Assembly participated in the election of Manvel Badalyan, who was nominated for the vacant position of the member of the Competition Protection Commission. There were no invalid ballots. 84 MPs voted for Manvel Badalyan's candidacy.
The Head of the RA NA Civil Contract Faction Hayk Konjoryan, congratulating Manvel Badalyan on his election, informed that the RA NA deputies of With Honor Faction did not take part in the election of the candidate nominated by them.