On April 29 the sittings of NA Standing Committees were held.

During the sitting of NA Standing Committee on Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs, which presided Committee Chairman Mher Shahgeldyan, was decided with endorsement to include into the draft agenda of the fifth session of the third convocation the bill on making amendments to the RA law “On Protection of the Population in Emergency Situations”.

The Government submitted bills on making amendments to the RA law “On Armies of Civil Defence”, on making amendments and additions to the RA law “On Civil Defence,” and on making amendments and additions to the RA law “On Defence,” which presented Vache Terteryan, the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration, would be included into the NA spring session and May 2-5 four-day draft agenda by the decision of the committee.

The bill on building of a warehouse for used nuclear fuel in the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant the CJSC was presented by Armen Movsisyan, Minister of Energy. The bill will be included into NA spring session and forthcoming four-day draft agenda by the endorsement of the Committee.

The bills on making amendments and additions to the RA law “Оn Medal for Excellent Maintenance of Public Order”,“Оn RA State Awards,” “On the Medal for the Services to the Motherland” will be included into the NA forthcoming four-day draft agenda by the endorsement of the committee.

During the sitting of NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, which was headed by Committee Chairman Rafik Petrosyan, nine legislative initiatives were discussed and an endorsement was received, which would be proposed to be included into NA spring session and forthcoming four-day draft agenda.

Co-author Galust Sahakyan presented for the second reading the bill “On Making Amendments and Additions to RA Electoral Code”.

Co-author Karen Karapetyan presented for the first reading the bill “On Making Additions to RA Electoral Code”.

The MP Vladimir Badalyan submitted for the first reading the bill “On the Organization of Burial and Operation of Cemeteries and the Crematoriums,” which adjusts legal relations connected with burial and defines principles and the conditions of state regulation connected with the organization of funeral ceremonies.

Coming back to the question of the construction of the crematoriums, the representative of the government noted that it is necessary to know the attitude of the society to this question.

David Harutunyan, RA Minister of Justice, presented for the first reading draft law “On Making additions to RA Civil Code”.

They also debated the draft laws “On Making Additions to RA Laws “ On Local Self-Government”, “ Оn Service in the Staff of the Courts,” “On Making Additions to RA Law On Legal Acts,” and “On Amending and Adding RA Code on Administrative Legal Offences,” “On the Tariffs of Accounting the Size of Compensation Caused to the Fauna and Flora as a Result of Environmental Legal Offences.”

During the sitting of NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Health Care and Environment they debated the bill“On the Employers’ Unions,” which presented by MPs Gurgen Arsenyan, Hripsime Avetisyan, Arthur Petrosyan, Grigor Ghonjeyan and Mnatsakan Petrosyan, which regulates the principles of the employers’ unions, their foundation, activity, reorganization and legal bases of liquidation. The Committee guaranteed with an endorsement to include the bill into the agenda of the session.

The MP Vladimir Badalyan informed connected with the bill “ On the Organization of Burial and Operation of the Cemeteries and Crematoriums.” In the opinion of the Government, the draft law requires editing and cannot be accepted in the submitted form. The Committee decided to put the bill into the agenda of the session and disputable questions solve together with the Government.

The Government submitted the bill “On Construction of a Warehouse for Used Nuclear Fuel in the CJSC the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, presented by Armen Movsisyan, Minister of Energy, proposed to the National Assembly to allow to construct a warehouse to store the used nuclear fuel for 50 years.The Committee guaranteed with an endorsement to include the bill into the agenda of the session and four-day sitting agenda.

The Committee discussed and guaranteed with an endorsement to include into the four-day sitting agenda the bills “On the Improvement of the Agricultural Lands” submitted for the second reading, on Amending and Adding to RA Law “On Social Protection of the Disabled”, “ On Amending and Adding RA Code about Administrative Legal Offences”, “On Making Amendments and Additions to RA Law ‘On Protection of Atmospheric Air’”, “On the Main Provisions of the Water National Policy ” submitted for the third reading , “On the Tariffs of Accounting the Size of Compensation Caused to the Fauna and Flora as a Result of Environmental Legal Offences”..

The Committee postponed the discussion of the bills on making amendments to RA Law “On The Мinimal Мonthly Salary” and “On Amending RA Law “On Cards of Social Security” for the period of 30 days by the authors` proposal.

The NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic Affairs made a positive decision to the whole legislative initiatives debated during the Friday sitting, which took place before four-day sitting, proposing one part of them include into the agenda of the session and another part - into the forthcoming four-day draft agenda.

During the Sitting MP Hermine Naghdalyan proposed her colleagues to make amendments to the RA Law“On Road Payments” revising payments for load-lifting vehicles traffic.

The Government proposed to make similar changes into the RA Laws “On the Consolidated Payments of Petrol and Diesel Fuel” and “On the Consolidated Payments for the Production of Tobacco” for affirming with drams the fixed size of the payments instead of foreign currency.

Calculation has been made for the exchange rate - 500 drams for one USD.

The Government legislative initiative “On the Use of Cash Registers” was also included in the agenda of the sittings.

It is envisaged to present for the deputies’ consideration the documents of summing up three state structures: “The 2004 Annual Report of RA NA Control Chamber of,” “ The report of activity of the RA committee securities for 2004”, “The Report of Activity of the RA Committee Regulating Public Service for 2004”. As a result of votes the parliament should ratify only the first two.

Аfter the heated discussions MP Vahram Baghdasaryan`s legislative initiative “On Adding and Amending the Law “On Simplified Tax, ” decided to postpone for the period of 30 days by the author’s proposal. On a substantiation of the committee members the principles of age of these taxes require additional specification.

The Committee also approved draft laws, which were provided for the second and third reading.