Cabinet composition bill passes first hearing with 71/40 votes
YEREVAN, APRIL 18, ARMENPRESS. The bill on changing the structure of the Cabinet of Armenia has been adopted by first hearing with 71 lawmakers voting in favor and 40 lawmakers voting it down today at the 132-seat parliament.
“We seek to achieve more results with fewer resources through optimization,” said Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan.
Zeynalyan also addressed the campaigning suggestions of incumbent PM Nikol Pashinyan who was in favor of transforming the National Security Service and the National Police Force into ministries, something the governmental structural changes do not envisage now.
“We, lawyers and human rights activistst, know that the right of freedom of opinion includes also the right of freely changing an opinion. A new opinion can be developed because of changes in circumstances. With this we are stating our democracy and readiness to be guided by collegial management,” Zeynalyan said.
The two opposition factions – Lusavor Hayastan (Luminous Armenia) and Bargavatch Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia), voted down the bill, but it still passed by exceeding the required 53 votes.
The bill envisages the Cabinet being comprised of the following ministries:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Defense
Ministry of Emergency Situations
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
Ministry of Nature Protection
Ministry of Healthcare
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Economy
Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures
Ministry of High Tech Industry
Instead of the Diaspora Ministry there will be High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs within the PM’s office.
Below is a list of the current composition of the Cabinet:
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Defense
Ministry of Diaspora
Ministry of Economic Development and Investments
Ministry of Education and Science
Ministry of Emergency Situations
Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
Ministry of Nature Protection
Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs
Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development
Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan