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It is proposed to establish the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the package of drafts on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on Structure and Activities of the Government and the related ones.

The RA Deputy Minister of Justice Arpine Sargsyan noted that the Ministry of Emergency Situations will cease its activities according to the transition schedule. The RA Police, the Migration and Citizenship Service, and the Rescue Service will be subordinate bodies to the Ministry.

It was noted that the Deputy Head and the Director of Rescue Service will be the deputies of the Minister of Internal Affairs. The heads of the 3 subordinate bodies will continue to carry out the daily direct management of their services, and the Minister of Internal Affairs will be politically responsible.

Arpine Sargsyan noted that the RA Educational Complex of Police and the Crises Management State Academy SNCOs will be subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The heads of subordinate bodies will be appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia on the recommendation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The importance of the reform to the educational system in police has been emphasized.

According to the Deputy Minister, the legislative initiative also implies parliamentary control and control over civil society, which is accepted in developed democratic countries.

The MPs’ questions mainly referred to the process of reforms in the sphere and the solution of the current problems.

The key rapporteur, the Deputy Chair of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Arusyak Julhakayan noted that the adoption of the legislative package is due to the program reforms in the sphere of the government and the police. The MP called on her colleagues to vote in favor.

During the exchange of ideas, the deputies of the Civil Contract Faction emphasized the importance of increasing the responsibility of the bodies and the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, highlighted the continuity of reforms to the system.

According to the deputies of the Armenia Faction, the number of crimes in our country has increased since 2020. They mainly referred to the actions of law enforcement officials during the opposition rallies.

Alen Simonyan, in his extraordinary speech, in response to the opposition MPs, considered March 1 and other incidents that occurred under the leadership of the previous authorities as a crime.

“For a month and a half or more, you and your colleagues hugged, hit, pushed, beat, insulted the police on the streets, you did everything possible. Every time violence is used against the police, there will be an adequate response, let no one doubt, because, unlike previous unpleasant phenomena, today the government is an elected and legal government. I thank the police for all the actions,” Alen Simonyan said.

The Head of the Armenia Faction Seyran Ohanyan noted that the purpose of reforms should be effective management. He also emphasized the importance of parliamentary and civil control over the activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Seyran Ohanyan also presented substantive recommendations, considered the provision on awarding titles controversial.

The Head of the Civil Contract Faction Hayk Konjoryan, referring to the effectiveness of the draft, noted that a mechanism of checks and balances is introduced. According to him, there is an important circumstance. In the past, the Ministry of Internal Affairs operated in the presidential system, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to be established will operate in the parliamentary government system, where the mechanism of checks and balances will provide wider opportunities to exercise control over the Ministry, and will not allow it to be politicized. According to him, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be based on democratic values.

Hayk Konjoryan called on his opposition colleagues to work together.

The legislative package was debated at the NA extraordinary sitting on December 9.