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Parliament on Monday adopted a decision to establish an ad hoc commission on matters related to the ethics of Members of Parliament, proposed by the ruling Civil Contract faction.
The bill was presented at the plenary session by Arusyak Julhakyan, a member of the Civil Contract faction.
The ad hoc parliamentary commission on matters related to the ethics of lawmakers will consist of 10 members and have a two-year term.
Civil Contract will be granted the right to appoint five of the commission’s 10 members, while the opposition Strong Armenia faction will appoint three members and the opposition Hayastan faction two members, Julhakyan said.
According to Julhakyan, the Civil Contract faction will have the right to appoint the first chair of the Ethics Commission, while the Strong Armenia faction will have the right to appoint the first deputy chair.
“The draft also provides for the periodic transfer of the right to appoint the chair and deputy chair of the commission among the factions. Thus, after the end of the first six-month period, the right to appoint the commission chair will be granted to the Strong Armenia faction, while the right to appoint the deputy chair will be granted to the Civil Contract faction. After the end of the second six-month period, the right to appoint the commission chair will be granted to the Civil Contract faction, while the right to appoint the deputy chair will be granted to the Hayastan faction.
After the end of the third six-month period, the right to appoint the commission chair will be granted to the Hayastan faction, while the right to appoint the deputy chair will be granted to the Civil Contract faction,” she said.
According to Arusyak Julhakyan, the commission is planned to be established for two years, but its term of activity may later be extended.
“The commission will be established for two years, but after the two-year period ends, naturally, we propose establishing it for another two years, and then for one more year. How this commission will operate depends on the political will of all the factions represented in our parliament,” Julhakyan said.
The bill was adopted with 92 votes in favor.