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On March 22 the National Assembly continued the work of the four-day sittings.

Before turning to the debate of the bills by the proposal of the NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan the MPs greeted the senior classes of the schools of Yerevan Avan and Kanaker-Zeytun administrative districts being in the National Assembly within the frameworks of the Open Doors policy.

Then the parliament continued the debate of the package of RA Electoral Code and the relevant bills in the first reading.

Continuing the speech being not finished on the previous day the member of the Country of Law faction Hovhannes Margaryan said that the working group was willing to debate all the proposals to be received, and the faction would vote for the package.

Naira Zohrabyan presented the stance of the Prosperous Armenia faction and said that the faction would vote for the package submitted by the coalition.

NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan delivered an extraordinary speech and presented his views and stance.

Addressing his colleagues Hovik Abrahamyan noted that the goal of the draft law of RA Electoral Code with new edition was the improvement of the electoral legislation, electoral processes and electoral administration, where the proposals of a number of international organizations, Venice Commission and NGOs had been taken into account. He noted that the Electoral Code in force had been repeatedly amended during the last years and it was necessary to have a Code with new edition.

The NA Speaker touched upon the article on the main principles of pre-electoral campaign, the provisions concerning the pre-electoral foundation, the article on the preparation of voting, the order of formation of electoral territorial commission. The NA Speaker noticed that the organization of voting in the diplomatic and consular representations would enable the voters serving in RA diplomatic or consular representations and the family members residing abroad having the right to vote.

The NA Speaker, particularly, noted that the terms of summing up the elections and complaining the adopted decisions had been specified.

In general, all recommendations, except inking the fingers mentioned in the joint statement of the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR have been adopted.

About 140 proposals of the parties and NGOs have also been adopted.

NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyna said that amendments in a number of codes and laws were also included in the package of the draft law, on which, as well as on the darft law of the Electoral Code the recommendations would be introduced in written form.

Summing up his speech Hovik Abrahamyan noted that the RPA faction would vote for the submitted bill in the first reading.

In his final speech the key speaker of the package of the bills Davit Harutyunyan noted that many recommendations sounded during the debate were useful and after the debate would be probably included in the package.

The member of the ARF faction Artsvik Minasyan submitted to the colleagues for debate the RA draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda in RA Electoral Code. He noted that many interpellations existed on the electoral legislation, which were reflected in the PACE resolutions, in the decisions of RA Constitutional Court, conclusion of the RA NA Ad-hoc Inquiry Committee on March 1-2.

The debate of the bill will continue on March 23.

One hour of the last sitting was allotted to the deputies’ statements pursuant to NA Rules of Procedure.