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On December 29, the National Assembly continued the work of the extraordinary session.

The NA draft decision O n Suspending the Powers of the Deputy of the RA National Assembly Naira Zohrabyan as Chair of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs was debated.

Presenting the substantiation, the key rapporteur the NA deputy Artur Hovhannisyan has noted that My Step Faction, remaining faithful to the principle of ensuring the transparency of the National Assembly, considered necessary to touch upon the circumstances that practically the impossibility of further tenure of the deputy Naira Zohrabyan in the post of the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs becomes clear.   On December 17 of this year, Naira Zohrabyan particularly wrote in the Facebook social network: “I hate you zhekh (derogative word) /mud that brought to power a person like you, who slowly closes the page of our statehood.” It was noted that on December 22, in the same network Naira Zohrabyan wrote, noting: “Number one problem of our country is the illiteracy. After Nikol and Nikolism, we, if you want, yes by violent force shall educate that part of the society not to go to the elections and not to bring to power its mirror-like reflection. I will not give homeland to the mud. Now, I will be in the Republic Square for saving my homeland from Nikol and the mud. The mud will never make a decision in my country. And if it shall be, yes, before reaching certain educational qualification, we shall deprive the mud of the right to making any kind of decision and first of all, of electing and take to educate by violent force. This is no more the most serious item of national security. This is now a fight of kind: a fight between the people and the mud. Which kind wins we’ll have such a state. We shall not have a state of mud. Be sure.”

As Artur Hovhannisyan assessed, the deputy Naira Zohrabyan repeatedly publicly spoke with the same logic of system of values.

The key rapporteur has reminded that it is stipulated by unchangeable Article 2 of Chapter 1 the bases of the constitutional order of the Constitution that the power in the Republic of Armenia belongs to the people. Moreover, the people shall exercise their power through free elections, referenda, as well as the state and local self-government bodies and officials stipulated by the Constitution.

“From the abovementioned writings and public words of the deputy of the National Assembly Naira Zohrabyan becomes clear that statements violating, degrading the alienating dignity and containing offence considered as a highest value, as well as classifications between the people directly contradicting the Constitution, moreover, the fundamental execution of the right to electing stipulated by the Constitution are made by the deputy,” the draft substantiation reads.

According to the key rapporteur, the abovementioned makes evident that the deputy Naira Zohrabyan cannot be a Committee Chair, whose key activity is not to be the protection of human rights.

During the exchange of ideas the MPs Suren Grigoryan, Hovik Aghazaryan have voiced the problems and the substantiations, which make impossible the further activity of Naira Zohrabyan in the post of the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs, Gor Gevorgyan talked about the inner-political realities in the country. According to Arman Babajanyan, the debate of such item is not expedient in this phase, noting that he is against the initiative. The deputy voiced the issue of the study of the NA committees’ activity efficiency. He also talked about the steps aimed at the further armament of the army, the protection of the border and underlined the role of the parliament in this issue.

Presenting the viewpoint of the NA My Step Faction, Hayk Konjoryan has opined that the protection of human rights shall be the protection of the very persons, who hold the same opinion, do not share their viewpoint. According to Hayk Konjoryan, that is a planned narrative of depriving the people forming power of that right. According to the representative of the Faction, that work style is inadmissible especially in case of Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs, who should protection the people’s alienated right.

As the key rapporteur, the RA NA deputy Hamazasp Danielyan informed there were numerous debates on the legislative package after being passed in the first reading, as a result of which it had been revised.

Presenting the endorsement of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, Nazeli Baghdasaryan has expressed an opinion that the initiative is complete: it is an important precondition of holding fair elections and democracy.

Detailing some revised provisions of the package the RA Deputy Minister of Justice Kristinne Grigoryan thanked My Step Faction and the key rapporteur for constructive cooperation in the revision of the package.

Hamazasp Danielyan expressed the viewpoint of the NA My Step Faction. He thanked all political forces and the structures for the readiness shown in the revision of the legislative package.

At the end of the session the Chair of the NA Accounting Committee Vahagn Hovakimyan informed that Karen Arustamyan was elected member of the Audit Chamber with 103 for and 1 against votes.

The secret ballot On Suspending the Powers of the Deputy of the RA National Assembly Naira Zohrabyan as Chair of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs also held: the decision was made with 78 for and 4 against votes.

The draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Constitutional Law on Parties with the legislative package was passed in the first reading by voting.

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