ARFD: Armenian parliament becomes hostage in the hands of government

 May 13, 2011 - 13:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Secretary of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary group Artyusha Shahbazyan said that the party has nothing to fear of the committee on ethics of high-ranking officials, which is envisaged to be established under the RA law on Public Service adopted during the last NA sitting.

“We are not afraid of the establishment of a committee on ethics, since we have nothing to conceal. But we have concerns that the committee may become an instrument for persecution of officials and parliament members on the eve of elections,” Shahbazyan told a briefing in the Armenian parliament.

Besides, according to him, “parliament is forced to urgently adopt all the bills submitted by the government, what is bad practice.”

“Thus, the parliament becomes a hostage in the hands of the government,” Shahbazyan noted.

Head of the Republican Party of Armenian parliamentary group Galust Sahakyan said for his part that the parliament will never be a body, which implements the government’s orders. As for the Law on Public Service, Sahakyan agreed that the law has some shortages. “That is why the RA parliament Speaker offered the parliamentary groups to submit offers for introduction of amendments to the bill,” concluded Sahakyan.