CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

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CHAPTER 4

The National Assembly

Article 62. Legislative power in the Republic of Armenia: shall be vested in the National Assembly.

Under cases provided by Articles 59, 66, 73, 74, 78, 81, 83, 84, 111, 112 of the Constitution, as well as for purposes of organizing its own activities, the National Assembly shall adopt resolutions which shall be signed and published by its President.

The powers of the National Assembly are determined by the Constitution.

The National Assembly shall operate in accordance with its rules of procedure.

Article 63. The National Assembly shall have one hundred and thirty one deputies.

The authority of the National Assembly shall expire in June of the fourth year following its elect on, on the opening day of the first session of the newly elected National Assembly, on which day the newly elected National Assembly shall assume its powers.

The National Assembly may be dissolved in accordance with the Constitution.

A newly elected National Assembly may not be dissolved during a one year period following its election.

The National Assembly may not be dissolved during a state of martial law, or under the cases foreseen under paragraph 14 of Article 55 of the Constitution, or when the removal of the President of the Republic from office is being deliberated.

Article 64. Any person having attained the age of twenty five, having been a citizen of the Republic of Armenia- for the preceding five years, having permanently resided in the Republic for the preceding five years, and who has the right to vote, may be elected as a Deputy.

Article 65. A Deputy may not hold any other public office, nor engage in any other paid occupation, except for scientific, educational and creative work.

The compensation and guarantees for the normal functioning of a Deputy shall be prescribed by law. .

Article 66. A Deputy shall not be bound by any compulsory mandate and shall be guided by his or her conscience and convictions. A Deputy shall not be prosecuted or held liable for actions arising from the performance of his or her status, or for the expression of his or her opinions expressed in the National Assembly, provided these are not slanderous or defamatory.

A Deputy may not be arrested and subjected to administrative or criminal prosecution through judicial proceedings without the consent of the National Assembly.

Article 67. The powers of a Deputy shall terminate upon the expiration of the term of the National Assembly, upon the dissolution of the same, upon violation of the provisions of part I of Article 65 of. the Constitution, upon loss of citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, for unfounded absences from half of the floor votes during a single session upon being sentenced to imprisonment, when deemed incapacitated and upon his or her resignation.

A Deputy’s term of office shall be terminated in a manner prescribed by the rules of procedure of the National Assembly.

Article 68. Regular elections to the National Assembly shall be held within sixty days prior to the expiration of the term of the current Assembly.

Procedures for elections to the National Assembly shall be prescribed by law.

The date of elections shall be fixed by Presidential decree.

The first session of a newly elected National Assembly shall convene on the second Thursday following the election of at least two thirds of the total number of Deputies.

Until the election of the President of the National Assembly, its meetings shall be chaired by the Deputy who is most senior in age.

Article 69. The regular sessions of the National Assembly shall convene twice per year from the second Monday of September to the second Wednesday of December and from the first Monday of February to the second Wednesday of June.

The sittings of the National Assembly shall be open to the public. Closed door sittings may be convened by a resolution of the National Assembly.

Article 70. An extraordinary session of the National Assembly may be convened by the President of the Republic, at the initiative of at least one third of the total number of Deputies, or at the initiative of the Government.

An extraordinary session of the National Assembly convening upon the request of the majority of the total number of Deputies shall be held in accordance with the agenda and timetable of the Deputies requesting the session.

An extraordinary session may not last for more than six days.

An extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly may be convened by its President, upon the initiative of the Government or of at least one third of the total number of Deputies..

Extraordinary sittings shall follow the agenda and timetable specified by the requesting party.

Article 71. Laws and resolutions of the National Assembly shall be passed by the majority vote of the Deputies present at a given sitting, if more than half of the total number of Deputies participate in the voting, except for cases covered under Articles 57, 58, 59, 72, 74, 84, 111 of the Constitution, and paragraph 4 of Article 75, the first paragraph of Article 79, and Section 3 of Article 83 of the Constitution.

Article 72. The National Assembly shall deliberate on a priority basis any law which has been remanded by the President.

Should the National Assembly decline to accept the recommendations and objections presented by the President of the Republic, it shall pass the remanded law, again with a majority vote of the number of Deputies:

Article 73. There shall be six standing committees established in the National Assembly. Ad hoc committees may be established as necessary.

The standing committees are established for the preliminary consideration of draft legislation and other proposals and for the submission of findings on such legislation an-d proposals to the National Assembly.

Ad hoc committees are established for the preliminary consideration of special draft legislation or for the submission of findings and reports on specific events and facts to the National Assembly.

Article 74. Within twenty days of the formation of a newly elected National Assembly or of its own formation, the Government shall present its program to the National Assembly for its approval, thus raising the question of a vote of confidence before the National Assembly.

A draft resolution expressing a vote of no confidence toward the Government may be proposed within twenty four hours of the Government’s raising of the question of the vote of confidence by not less than one third of the total number of Deputies.

The proposal for a vote of no confidence shall be voted on no sooner than forty eight hours and no later than seventy two hours from its initial submittal. The proposal must be passed by a majority vote of the total number of Deputies.

If a vote of no confidence toward the Government is not proposed, or such proposal is not passed, the Government’s program shall be considered to have been approved by the National Assembly.

If a vote of no confidence is passed, the Prime Minister shall submit the resignation of the Government to the President of the Republic.

Article 75. The right to initiate legislation in the National Assembly shall belong to the Deputies and the Government.

The Government shall stipulate the sequence for debate of its proposed draft legislation and may request that they be voted on only with amendments acceptable to it.

Any draft legislation which is considered urgent by a Government resolution shall be debated and voted on by the National Assembly within a one month period.

The National Assembly shall consider all draft legislation reducing state revenues or increasing state expenditures only upon the agreement of the Government and shall pass such legislation by a majority vote of the total number of Deputies.

The Government may raise the question of a vote of confidence in conjunction with its proposed legislation. If the National Assembly does not adopt a vote of no confidence against the Government as provided by Article 74 of the Constitution, then the Government’s proposed legislation will be considered to have been adopted.

The Government may not raise the issue of a vote of confidence in conjunction with a proposed legislation more than twice during any single session.

Article 76. The National Assembly shall adopt the state budget upon its submittal by the Government. If the budget is not adopted by the start of the fiscal year, all expenditures shall be incurred in the same proportions as in the previous year’s budget.

The procedure for debate on and adoption of the state budget shall be prescribed by law.

Article 77. The National Assembly shall supervise the implementation of the state budget, as well as of the use of loans and credits received from foreign governments and international organizations.

The National Assembly shall examine the annual report on

the realization of the state budget and adopt the report based on the findings of the National Assembly’s Oversight Office.

Article 78. In order to ensure the legislative basis of the Government’s program, the National Assembly may authorize the Government to adopt resolutions that have the effect of law that do not contravene any laws are in force during a period specified by the National Assembly. Such resolutions must be signed by the President of the Republic.

Article 79. The National Assembly shall elect its President for the duration of its full term by a majority vote of the total number of Deputies.

The President of the National Assembly shall chair the sittings, manage its material and financial resources, and shall ensure its normal functioning.

The National Assembly shall elect two Vice Presidents of the National Assembly.

Article 80. Deputies are entitled to ask questions to the Government. For one sitting each week during the regular sessions of the Assembly, the Prime Minister and the members of the Government shall answer questions raised by the Deputies.

The National Assembly shall not pass any resolutions in conjunction with the questions raised by the Deputies.

Article 81. Upon the recommendation of the President of the Republic, the National Assembly:

I) may declare an amnesty;

2) shall ratify or revoke the international treaties signed by the Republic of Armenia. The range of international agreements which are subject to ratification by the National Assembly shall be prescribed by law;

3) may declare war.

The National Assembly, upon the determination of the Constitutional Court, may suspend the execution of the provisions of Sections 13 and 14 of Article 55 of the Constitution.

Article 82. The National Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Government, shall determine the administrative-territorial divisions of the Republic.

Article 83. The National Assembly:

I) shall appoint the Chairman of the Central Bank upon the recommendation of the President of the Republic;

2) shall appoint the Chairman of the National Assembly’s Oversight Office upon the recommendation of the President of the National Assembly and members and the President of the Constitutional Court from among the members of the Court.

If within thirty days of the formation of the Constitutional Court the National Assembly fails to appoint the President of the Constitutional Court, the President of the Constitutional Court shall then be appointed by the President of the Republic;

3) may, upon the determination of the Constitutional Court, terminate the powers of a member of the Constitutional Court the Assembly has appointed, approve such member’s arrest, and authorize the initiation of administrative or criminal proceedings against such member through the judicial process.

Article 84. The National Assembly may adopt a vote of no confidence toward the Government by a majority vote of the total number of Deputies. The National Assembly may not exercise this right in situations of martial law or under circumstances provided by Section 14 of Article 55 of the Constitution.