THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE PUBLIC DIALOGUE

By the recommendation of President Serge Sargsyan in the near future a Public Chamber or Council will be established in Armenia. Not only parliamentary but also extra-parliamentary powers will be involved in the Public Chamber. That is to say the parties that have participated in the most recent parliamentary and presidential elections, as well as representatives of political, social organizations, men of art who had active participation in the public life.

MP Victor Dallakayan was one of the first to underscore the indispensability of establishing the Public Chamber, still on August 13 of the past year, by addressing the package of the draft laws on “Making Amendments in the law on “NA Regulations and “About the Public Chamber in Armenia”, as a legal initiative, to the Speaker of the National Assembly. In his interview with the correspondent of “Hayots Ashkharh” daily Victor Dallakyan expresses his point regarding this issue.
“I would like to bring your attention to the fact that I have submitted this initiative to the discussion of the parliament still in August of the past year. That is to say immediately after the parliamentary elections, when the political field was being prepared for the presidential elections and the famous events, beginning from September up to the post-election developments have not yet taken place.
The indispensability of the establishment of the Public Chamber, in my deep conviction, is conditioned by the fact that the National Assembly, with its intellectual and political potential, in fact, can’t completely express public moods. Very often the National Assembly overlooks many issues of public concern.
In my view The Public Chamber can somehow fill the before mentioned gap of the parliament.
As a precedent I have taken into consideration the social-political situation in the Russian Federation and I have made use of the corresponding RF law.
People who enjoy respect in the society and are perceived by our people must be involved in the Public Chamber. The skills and the experience of these people, their intellectual potential must work for the confrontation of the challenges faced by our country, the state, and the people. The Public Chamber can become a center of ideas.
In essence this new structure can become the filter of the discussion of the draft laws submitted to the National Assembly.”
“In the legislative package submitted by you, did you envisage amendments and changes in the NA Regulations-law as well?”
“These amendments and changes are important to provide opportunity for the representatives of the Public Chamber to participate in all the discussions and sessions of the National Assembly. It is previewed to give the right to the members of this structure to express public opinions, in the parliament. In accordance with this their competencies will be equal to the competencies of the MP-members of NA Standing Committees. The members of the Public Chamber will be competent to introduce the results of the drafts their conclusions and to participate in the government sessions, in a consultative manner.
It is a very high status, and the Public Chamber will be completely represented and will participate in all the important discussions on different levels. It is the highest level of public dialogue and, which is more important, it will be continual and permanent.”
“According to your bill what kind of staff, structure and status should the Public Chamber have?”
“According to my bill the Public Chamber will be formed by the citizens and unions who will have volunteer participation in the structure’s activity. The core functions of the structure will be the coordination of the public interest with economic, educational, cultural, health, social, environmental issues, the rights of the citizens, protection of the freedoms, observance of the constitutional order and the accomplishment of the civil society by the principles of democracy.
The Chamber must be able to involve the citizens and the public unions in the functions of pan-Armenian significance implementing the state policy.
The Public Chamber must elaborate and confirm its own charter, which will envisage the status of the members in the activity of the Public Chamber, the schedule of the sessions, the administrative staff and the council, the competencies and the staff.
According to the bill the Public Chamber must have 60 members, from which 20 will be appointed by the President, and 40 will represent public unions, 20 of which must be from the provinces. The members of the Public Chamber will work for two years, after which another member will be appointed.
Public Chamber is a permanent body. Committees and working groups will also be formed. The Public Chamber can convene sessions at least two times a year; it can also convene extraordinary sessions by the decision of the council. The decisions will bear a consultative nature.
In my view this bill must be included in the agenda and discussed during the spring session. In case the bill is adopted in the first reading, by June, in summer we will be able to, seriously and profoundly, discuss the bill, together with the public organizations. I’m sure there will be lots of interesting proposals. Later we can organize parliamentary hearings, and only thereafter can second and third readings be possible during the NA Plenary session.”
GEVORG HARUTYUNYAN

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