On October 3 the National Assembly continued the four-day sittings. All the draft laws that were debated at the previous regular and extraordinary sittings, as well as during the first hour and a half of the four-day sittings were put to voting. All the draft laws were adopted except for the draft law on Television and Radio, the package of amendments to two adjunct laws and the proposal of the President of the Republic on stopping the implementation of the treaty on the Status of Economic Court of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). And out of the two draft laws on making amendments and addenda to the Law on the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly discussed under an alternative procedure and the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, the first one was chosen as a base. It had been initiated by the representatives of different political forces, and the author of the rejected draft law was the ULP (United Labor Party) faction.

The draft law on making amendments to the Penal Code was also among the agenda issues of the four- day sittings. The conclusion of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs was positive.

Mrs. Hranush Hakobyan presented to the MPs the draft law on making amendments and addenda to the law on Social Protection of Children without Parental Care. Presenting the positive conclusion of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth regarding the issue, Mr. Mkrtich Minasyan noted, that a significant increase of wages will encourage to help and care about the children properly.

The legislative initiative of the Government on making amendments and addenda to the law on Social Security of Military Servants and Their Family Members was presented to the MPs in order to be adopted in a second reading.

National Assembly MPs Mr. Hrayr Karapetyan, Mr. Vahan Hovhannisyan and Mr. Mher Shahgeldyan have put into circulation a draft law on Bodyguard Activity. The law on Weapons will regulate the permission of obtaining weapons for the bodyguard organizations and bodyguards.

Unlike the Government, the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs has drawn a positive conclusion regarding the issue. Mr. Mher Shahgeldyan, member of the Committee, noted that the draft law creates an opportunity to regulate, control and define standards for the field.

The Vice President of the National Assembly Mr. Vahan Hovhannisyan noted in his extraordinary speech, that the draft law is of social, and not a political significance.According to Mr. Vahan Hovhannisyan, that is why the draft law is protected or rejected by MPs of both opposition and power. The Vice President of the National Assembly believes that the number of those who need bodyguard services is more than 38, as presented by the Government. Besides, Mr. Hovhannisyan considers necessary to regulate the atmosphere of absence of control and punishment. According to Mr. Hovhannisyan, today there are already bodyguard organizations and we should regulate their activity in order to exclude the illegal circulation of weapons.

The debate of the issue will continue at October 4 sitting.

As it is defined by the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, the second sitting of the four-day session ended with the MPs’ announcements.