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The adoption of the new regulations to the law on Public Service and co-reports is conditioned by the collision of the interests between the persons of holding public position and public servants, the necessity of the improvement of the existing legislative solutions on the incompatibility of the demands and the institute of gifts, as well as providing the fulfillment of the international obligations assumed by the Republic of Armenia. The RA Deputy Minister of Justice Yeranuhi Tumanyants said about this at September 28 sitting of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. The initiative authored by the Government was debated in the first reading.

The initiative proposes to consolidate the regulations designing restrictions receiving gifts by the persons holding public position and public servants based on the assignments presented by GRECO in the report on Armenia in one legal act. It is proposed to establish administrative responsibility for the persons of holding public position and public servants instead of disciplinary responsibility in case of violating the restrictions of accepting gifts.

The demands of incompatibility of the persons of holding public position and public servants will also be specified, the tools aimed at the solution of the situation for the collision of the interests will be improved, the scope of the inter-connected persons, as well as persons with declaration will be expanded.

The key speaker underlined that the amendments being made were revised and agreed with the Corruption Prevention Commission.

As the MPs observed, some definitions are not formulated in the package.

The initiative is important in terms of decreasing the corruption risks and fulfilling the necessary obligations, but it also should be realistic: the Committee Chair Vladimir Vardanyan expressed this opinion.

“Our international colleagues should understand that the Republic of Armenia tries to disseminate democratic values in our country. In parallel with that we should understand that democracy is not permissiveness, and it cannot result in the situation, when the formal violations will become as a basis for brining to responsibility the conscientious officials,” the Committee Chair underscored.

The issue debated in the Committee was endorsed with the condition of continuing the working discussions on the initiative.