1 / 6

On October 28 the work of the parliament began with voting. The NA deputies passed by voting all the bills and legislative packages, which were debated on the previous day. The NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan also put for voting the draft law on Recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic submitted by the deputies of the Heritage faction Styopa Safaryan, Larisa Alaverdyan, Anahit Bakhshyan, Vardan Khachatryan, Armen Martirosyan, Zaruhi Postanjyan and Raffi Hovhannisian. Before voting the head of the RPA faction Galust Sahakyan voiced the joint statement of the parliamentary factions RPA, PAP and Country of Law:

The Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) and Country of Law Party are sure that the international recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) has no alternative. The full realization of the right of self-determination of the Artsakh people is the Armenians’ dream and goal.

Defending the efforts and initiatives made directed to the international recognition of NKR, we are sure that the step taken to the one-sided recognition of NKR by the Republic of Armenia this moment does not stem from the constructive position adopted by the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, which supports the parliamentary coalition.

During the past 18 years the Republic of Armenia has permanently shown concerned approach to the negotiation process, being sure that the peaceful and fair settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh is only possible in the conditions of kind and consecutive implementation of the OSCE basic principles.

At the same time we are sure that the right of the self-determination of the Artsakh people and having own state is the highest value, for which the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia is constantly ready to take more decisive steps, if the negotiation process fails endangering the basic rights and security of the Artsakh people.

In case of the failure of the ongoing negotiation process we, ourselves, will initiate the step of the recognition of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh and we will support the initiative of any other political force being concerned about it.

At this moment the ruling political coalition states that it will not take part in the voting of the draft law regarding the recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

Responding to the statement, the head of the Heritage faction, the co-author of the bill Raffi Hovhannisian noted that in the consultation, which was held yesterday with the NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan the coalition partners proposed to postpone the voting of the bill in the context of the upcoming conference in Astana. Mr Hovhannisian said that they had decided to postpone the voting of the issue until including December 9.

The National Assembly decided to postpone the voting of the issue with 77 for, no against and abstention.

The parliament in the second reading continued to debate the legislative package on Making Amendments and Addenda to RA Law on Service in Police and on amending the RA Law on Approving the Disciplinary Regulations of RA Police, which was interrupted on the previous day. The Deputy Chief of RA Police Osikyan also presented in the second reading two issues: the legislative package envisaging amendments and addenda to RA Law on the Provision of the Road Traffic Security and in a number of laws adjoining to it and the draft law on amending the RA Law on State Duty.

Mr. Osikyan introduced the draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda in RA Criminal Code.

In connection with the issue the NA deputies Larisa Alaverdyan, Koryun Nahapetyan, Artsvik Minasyan presented their concerns and proposals.

In the concluding speeches the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Stat and Legal Affairs and the Deputy Chief of RA Police Artur Osikyan touched upon the problems concerning the deputies, proposing to present proposals and remarks during the period from the first to the second reading.

RA Justice Minsiter Gevorg Danileyan presented the legislative package on Making Amendments and Addenda in RA Civil Code, on Making Amendments and Addenda to RA Law on Ltd Companies, on amending the RA Law on State Duty, on Making Amendments and Addendum to RA Law on Individual Entrepreneur and on Making Amendments and Addenda to RA Law on Legal Persons’ State registration, which was debated in the first reading.

RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harurtyunyan presented the annual report on the Activity of RA Human Rights Defender and on Violation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms during 2009.

Positively assessing the presented report the Chairman of the Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Oublic Affairs Rafik Petrosyan noted that it beneficially differed from the reports of the previous years and was more objective and constructive. The debate of the report will continue in the NA four-day sittings.