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On the agenda of the NA first sitting held on March 2 was the issue of the election of the Human Rights Defender.

The Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan, turning to the 3^rd article of the law on the Human Rights Defender, presented the candidate nominated by the NA 48 deputies Karen Andreasyan. According to this article, the Human Rights Defender’s candidate should be nominated by the 1/5 of the deputies.

In his speech the Human Rights Defender’s candidate, expressing his gratitude for his nomination, mentioned the basic principles, according to which he would be guided in the 6 years of his serving. The Ombudsman's candidate spoke about some important rights: the right to freedom of expression, the right  of the protection of the property and voting and about some other rights. Karen Andreasyan also answered the deputies' questions assessing the level of the democracy in our country turning to the protection of the right to vote and the protection of the political minorities’ rights. On behalf of the faction Vahan Hovhannisyan mentioned that there had not been discussions with the coalition, just at the last minute a meeting with the candidate had been held. There had not been any alternative of another candidate too, as the law had designed it, the speaker said and noting that the faction could not vote for in these conditions.

Giving speeches the representatives of three political powers making coalition protected the Karen Andreasyan's candidacy. The deputy of the Country of Law faction Hovhannes Margaryan expressed hope that the new Ombudsm a n would be impartial, a man of principle, would act publicly and openly. The member of the Prosperous Armenia faction Naira Zohrabyan assessed the decriminalization of the article of slender and the candidate’s contribution in this initiative as a serious step. In the RFA, as the deputy of the faction Hovhannes Sahakyan mentioned, Karen Andreasyan was considered to be a person with important characteristics for the Human Rights Defender: with his literacy, courage and principles.

The Parliament elected Karen Andreasyan as the Ombudsman by the correlation of voting of 83 for and 13 against votes, who took office by an inauguration ceremony.

The ARF deputy Lilit Galstyan presented to her friends’ assessment a proposal on Making Addendum in the law on Principles of the Cultural Legislation. The Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Affairs and the Government and gave an endorsement on the issue.

The Environment Minister Aram Harutyunyan presented some programmes concerning the sphere. The NA Committee on Agriculture and Environment gave an endorsement to the programmes.

The proposal of the ARF deputies in the law on the State Duty and on Making Addenda in the Legislation of the Criminal Proceedings was presented by the co-author Hovhannes Sahakyan at the sitting.

With the RFA deputies’ another initiative on Making Addenda and Amendments in the law on the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly an online broadcasting of the NA Open Doors sittings was designed in the Internet website of the Parliament. The NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs assessed the deputies’ initiatives.

The packages of bills on Making Amendments and Addenda in the laws on Refugees and Asylum and Political Asylum as well as on Ecological Control and next two programmes were presented for the adoption in the second reading. After the first reading there were no suggestions concerning the packages.

The Parliament also adopted by voting the issues debated on the previous day.