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On November 25, the extraordinary sitting of the RA NA Standing Committee on Defense and Security moderated by Andranik Kocharyan was held. The draft decision on Abolishing Martial Law authored by the RA NA Bright Armenia Faction was on the agenda.

The key rapporteur, the RA NA deputy Gevorg Gorgisyan has noted that the draft decision proposes to abolish the martial law declared on September 27. According to him, the reasons that have been presented for establishing martial law are abolished, and the restrictions in the mentioned conditions still exist. According to the MP, the martial law will also result in the economic crisis. In this context, Gevorg Gorgisyan has underlined that those with dual citizenship, conditioned by martial law, cannot leave the country.

According to the co-rapporteur, the RA NA deputy Aren Mkrtchyan, the establishing and abolishing martial laws cannot be an aim in itself. In the MP’s opinion, it is possible to debate the item of partially canceling the martial law, mitigating the provisions, which have no connection with the very martial law.

The RA Deputy Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan presented the position of the Government on the draft decision. The Deputy Minister has informed that at that moment there are decisions of the government, which can enact only in the conditions of martial law, thus she has proposed to postpone the cancellation.

The Head of the Mobilization Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the RA Ministry of Defense Albert Baghdasaryan introduced the opinion of the defense department. He has informed that they are not against canceling the martial law, but immediately after it, another state shall be adopted. “We have a problem of security. We shall organize border protection, and its versions are under discussion. We shall give time for that,” he noted.

The Committee Chair Andranik Kocharyan proposed to postpone the debate of the item for one week, giving time to the government and the law enforcement structures to submit their recommendations.

The key rapporteur did not accept the recommendation. Gevorg Gorgisyan proposed to endorse the draft decision, giving an opportunity to the MPs to debate the item at the RA NA extraordinary sitting.

As a result of voting, the draft decision received negative conclusion.