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The RA National Assembly, taking as a basis the initiative of the National Assembly deputies and the NA CD-045-L decision of 22 June 2020 of the National Assembly Council on convening extraordinary session of the National Assembly, being led by Article 100 of the Constitution and Article 44 of the Constitutional Law of the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, by the decision of the RA NA Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan convened an extraordinary session of on 22 June having on the agenda one legislative initiative. By the MPs’ decision, it will be debated in the special procedure: the debate of the agenda item in the second reading will be held after the draft law is passed in the first reading within twenty-four hours.

The Prosperous Armenia and the Bright Armenia Factions did not take part in the extraordinary session.

The deputy of the RA NA My Step Faction Vahagn Hovakimyan presented the draft law on the agenda – the RA Constitutional amendments. Let us note that the authors of the initiative are the deputies of the RA NA My Step Faction.

The amendments under proposal will enter into force the following day of the official publication.

In his co-speech the RA Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan informed that after immediately initiating the process of the referendum designing April 5 Constitutional amendments, the Ministry had been in contact with the colleagues of the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission to discuss a number of issues.

The Minister noted that after the spread of the coronavirus pandemic the effective discussions with the Venice Commission, and its aim was to overcome the crisis created over the Constitutional Court (CC) in Armenia.

Rustam Badasyan informed that the Constitutional Court also participated in the discussions held with the Venice Commission.

The Head of the RA NA My Step Faction Lilit Makunts has expressed the viewpoint of the Faction and has noted that an attempt is made during about one and a half year to overcome the Constitutional crisis created in Armenia.

In his final speech the key speaker Vahagn Hovakimyan has underlined that the initiative is adopted for the sake of the Republic of Armenia.

The draft law was passed in the first reading with 89 votes for it.

The legislative initiative was debated in the second reading procedure after the end of the term fixed for the recommendations in written form on the bill and presenting the endorsement of the Head Committee.

The co-author of the bill Vahagn Hovakimyan informed that while debating it at the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs the deputies submitted recommendations. Vahagn Hovakimyan recorded that after these amendments being entered into force the CC three members would be suspended to be in the office, four of them would continue to be in the office. The CC Acting President would stop being in his office of the CC President, the latter will be a CC member.

According to Vahagn Hovakimyan, this amendment is their vision for having a legitimate Constitutional Court enjoying public trust.

Presenting the endorsement of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs the member of the Committee Nazeli Baghdasaryan has underlined that they are adherent to their adopted principles. She has reminded the deputies that they have applied to the Venice Commission for advice, the international colleagues have also approved that the solutions proposed by the RA NA pursue legitimate goal.

In his co-speaker the RA Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan has underlined that the RA citizens wish to have an independent and non-corrupted judicial system, and the beneficiaries of the former corrupted system confront it.

He called on all the forces and the representatives of the civil society to unite over the formation of the independent and effective judicial power.

Afterwards the parliament, pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Article 86 of the NA Rules of Procedure law, until the adoption of the Constitutional amendments draft law voted in the second reading and completely the NA draft decision on Applying to the CC concerning the amendment of the Constitution.

The RA NA Speaker Araat Mirzoyan has also underlined that Article 86 of the law the NA Rules of Procedure completely genuinely does not regulate how to deal, when the National Assembly does not pass the decision on Applying to the CC.

The parliament in the second reading and completely passed the debated bill with 89 for, 0 against and 0 abstained votes and ended the work of the extraordinary sitting.

Afterwards, pursuant to Article 100 of the RA Constitution and Article 44 of the Constitutional Law the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, immediately after the end of the extraordinary session convened on 22 June 2020 on the initiative of the deputies of the National Assembly the NA extraordinary session was convened.

The deputies debated in the second reading the package of the draft laws on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Constitutional Law the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, on Making Amendment and Addenda to the Constitutional Law the RA Judicial Code and on Making Addenda and Amendment to the RA Constitutional Law on Constitutional Court authored by the deputy of the RA NA My Step Faction Vahagn Hovakimyan.

In her co-speech the Deputy Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Anna Karapetyan presented the endorsement of the RA NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. She noted that the MPs did not submit recommendations in written form from the first to the second reading. According to Anna Karapetyan, during the sitting of the Committee the Representative of the Government and the author voiced oral recommendations, which were accepted. The MP called on her colleagues to vote for it.

The RA Deputy Minister of Justice Vahe Danielyan stated that the Government presented two recommendations, which were accepted by the author.

As a result of voting, the package of the draft laws was passed in the second reading and completely.

Covering the agenda, the parliament ended the work of the extraordinary session.