According to Article 70 of RA Constitution and 41 Article of NA Rules of Procedure a special session 
of the National Assembly was held on February 17 on the National Assembly’s parliamentarians’ initiative to go on with the discussions, interrupted at the previous session, on the election of the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) in the Republic of Armenia.
The representatives of NA factions expressed their views on the candidates. The Ardarutiun/Justice and the Azgayin Miabanutiun/National Unity factions continued to support Hrant Khachatryan’s candidacy, the coalition member factions, namely the Republican Party of Armenia 
(RPA), the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and the Country of Law, Armen Harutiunyan’s candidacy and Gurgen Arsenyan, head of United Labor Party (ULP) faction declared that each member of their faction was going to vote in accordance with his/her conscience and conviction.
At the special session Arthur Baghdasaryan, NA Speaker mentioned that democracy is a process and demands consistent work, mutual respect and confidence are factors of democracy, whereas some parliamentarians make irresponsible statements that there had been fraudulent elections, which is compromising our country and parliament. According to Mr. Baghdasaryan, 
distinct positions on political conviction voiced in the speeches made by individual parliamentarians (MPs) and by those representing factions, the two candidates enjoy high reputation and the winner should be defined only by an open and transparent election: this is the necessary condition of democracy.
Tigran Torosyan, NA Vice-Speaker agreed that one could make political statements from the political rostrum but as for mutual accusations, he found them senseless. He believes that a fair and full-fledged competition as well as a proper election should be held.
The candidates’ closing speeches were brief, as they had already introduced their approaches at the previous session. The two parties expressed their satisfaction for the discussions on the subjects they were interested in and assured that in case they are elected they will justify the people’s expectations and of those who had voted for them.
Gagik Melikyan, Chairman of the Counting Commission presented the report of the Ad-hoc Counting 
Commission, which was signed by all the members of the Commission: according to the results of the secret ballot Hrant Khachatryan received 28 votes for and 87 against and Armen Harutiunyan received 87 votes for and 28 against. Two ballot-papers were invalidated. Armen Harutiunyan was elected RA Human Rights Defender by the NA decision.
The agenda was exhausted and the NA special session concluded its proceedings.
