On October 23 the National Assembly began the work of the regular four-day sittings with the debate of the decision on making addenda on the agenda of the session and agenda drafts of the sittings. The draft law on Setting up an Ad-hoc Committee of the National Assembly of the Discussion of the Armenian Genocide authorized by the MP Mr. Tatul Manaseryan with the author’s proposal was dropped from the agenda and the draft laws of the decision of the National Assembly on making amendment on the agenda of the session. The MP Mr. Arshak Sadoyan also proposed to take out from the agenda his presented draft on Making Amendments and Addenda in RA Electoral Code. After approving the agenda the National Assembly adopted 11 draft laws discussed in the previous four-day sittings and ratified 6 international treaties. Mr. Vahan Hovhannisyan, Vice President of the National Assembly, as co-author proposed to delay the voting of the draft law on Safeguard Activity.

The MPs discussed the draft laws on Making Amendments and Addenda to RA Law on Defense, on Making Amendments and Addenda to RA Law on Police Service, on Making Amendments and Addendum to RA Law on Approving the RA Police Disciplinary Code, on Making Amendments and Addenda to RA Law on Trade Unions.

The MP Mr. Samvel Nikoyan, co-author of the draft laws presented the package on Making Amendments and Addenda in RA Electoral Law and connected with it the amendments to RA Law on Parties and RA Criminal Code.

Mr. Nikoyan informed that the observers’ rights have been expanded, the order of complaints have been simplified and clarified. In order to avoid the falsifications it was decided to vote after putting the ballots in the envelope, which initially will be stamped separately. The mechanism of calculating the votes has been also changed: from now on a separate protocol will be made for 250 ballots.

According to the speaker, there are different approaches connected with the return of the member of the Electoral Commission, outcomes of the voting and the recording of the voting process, use of the moveable ballot boxes and other issues, which will be clarified with the accounting of the proposals till the second reading.

The National Assembly will continue the debate of the draft law of the Electoral Code at October 24 sitting.