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On May 19, the RA National Assembly continued the work of the first session of the sixth convocation.

Before passing to the agenda item, the deputies in one-minute silence and standing honoured the memory of the Pontian Greeks, the victims of the genocide perpetrated at the beginning of the 20^th century by Ottoman Turkey.

In the morning the elections for the three RA NA Deputy Speakers were held: let us remind that the RA RPA Faction nominated the candidacies of Eduard Sharmazanov and Arpine Hovhannisyan for being elected in the posts of the two NA Deputy Speakers, and Tsarukyan Faction nominated Mikayel Melkumyan’s candidacy.

The Chair of the NA Accounting Committee Gagik Melikyan informed that out of the NA deputies 100 took part in the voting.

84 deputies voted for the nomination of the NA Deputy Speaker’s candidate Eduard Sharmazanov, 13 deputies against, and 3 ballot papers were recognized invalid.

73 deputies voted for the NA Deputy Speaker’s candidate Arpine Hovhannisyan, 22 against, and 5 ballot papers were recognized invalid.

65 deputies voted for the NA Deputy Speaker’s candidate Mikayel Melkumyan, 29 against, and 6 ballot papers were recognized invalid.

Thus, Eduard Sharmazanov, Arpine Hovhannisyan and Mikayel Melkumyan were elected the RA NA Deputy Speakers.

The newly elected NA Deputy Speakers Eduard Sharmazanov, Arpine Hovhannisyan and Mikayel Melkumyan thanked the co-partisans and colleagues for nominating their candidacies in such responsible post and the trust shown to them.

On behalf of him and his colleagues the NA President Ara Babloyan thanked the forme NA President Galust Sahakyan and the former Vice President Hermine Naghdalyan, highly assessed their work in parliament and handed over souvenirs to them.

Afterwards the NA Speaker Ara Babloyan informed that sittings of the NA Factions were held, the heads and secretaries of the NA factions were elected.

Vahram Baghdasaryan was elected Head of the NA RPA Faction, and Gagik Melikyan was elected Secretary. Gagik Tsarukyan was elected Head of NA Tsarukyan Faction, and Vahe Enfiajyan was elected Secretary. Nikol Pashinyan was elected Head of the NA Way Out Faction, and Gevorg Gorgisyan was elected Secretary. Armen Rustamyan was elected Head of the NA ARF Faction, and Aghvan Vardanyan was elected Secretary.

Afterwards the deputy of the NA RPA Faction Hrayr Tovmasyan submitted for debate the RA draft decision on Creating Standing Committees of Sixth Convocation of the RA National Assembly. He informed that the NA Way Out Faction also authored such draft.

It is proposed by the RPA Faction, taking as a basis the Article 10 and the first part of the Article 112 of the Rules of Procedure of the RA Constitutional Law, to establish 9 NA Standing Committees. Hrayr Tovmasyan informed that the incomplete loading of some Committees (12 Standing Committees functioned in the NA fifth convocation) it is designed to combine three Standing Committees with other Committees. Edmon Marukyan submitted the recommendation of the Way Out Faction, informing that it is proposed by the alternative draft law also reduce the number of the NA Standing Committees, making them from 12 to 10. He proposed to keep substantiations presenting the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs. Mr Marukyan also touched upon the political side of the decrease of the Committees’ numbers.

The NA deputies Armen Rustamyan, Gevorg Kostanyan, Aram Sargsyan, Armen Ashotyan, Artak Zeynalyan expressed their viewpoints on the agenda item.

The NA Factions (Nikol Pashinyan – Head of the RA NA Way Out Faction), Naira Zohrabyan (Head of the NA Tsarukyan Faction), Vahram Baghdasaryan (Head of the NA RPA Faction) expressed their viewpoints on the item.

In his final speech Hrayr Tovmasyan noted that we should not overestimate the authorities of the Chairs of the NA Standing Committees, as the majority will be presented in all the Committees, and the voting will be held respectively.

In his final speech Edmon Marukyan has noted that the thing is not about political ambitions, but about using other professional qualities.

Afterwards the parliament with 64 for, 9 against and 4 abstained voted for the NA draft decision on Creating Standing Committees of Sixth Convocation of the RA National Assembly.

The version presented by the Way Out Faction did not receive sufficient number of votes.

The parliament touched upon the nomination of the candidates of the NA 9 Standing Committees. The Chairman of the RPA Faction Vahram Baghdasaryan proposed the candidacy of the NA six Committees’ Chairs, the Secretary of the NA Tsarukyan Faction Vahe Enfiajyan presented the candidacy of three Committees’ Chairs.

Hakob Hakobyan was nominated candidate for the Chair of the Standing Committee on Health Care and Social Affairs, Naira Zohrabyan was nominated candidate for the Chair of the Standing Committee on European Integration, Armen Ashotyan was nominated candidate for the Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, Vardan Bostanjyan was nominated candidate for the Chair of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Koryun Nahapetyan was nominated candidate for the Chair of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security, Hrayr Tovmasyan was nominated candidate for the Chair of the Standing Committee on State and Legal, and Protection of Human Rights, Vardevan Grigoryan was nominated candidate for the Chair of the Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment, Khosrov Harutyunyan was nominated candidate for the Chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, Gagik Minasyan was nominated candidate for the Chair of the Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs.

In their speeches the candidates for the Chairs of the Committees (Hakob Hakobyan, Armen Ashotyan Vardan Bostanjyan, and Naira Zohrabyan) presented their vision of the activities for the upcoming years. They thanked their colleagues for the trust and for nominating theie candidacies in those responsible posts. The candidates assured that in case of being elected they would try to voice and solve the existing system problems.

The National Assembly will continue the work of the sitting on May 20, at 10:00.