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Parliament name (generic / translated) Azgayin Zhoghov / National Assembly More photos  >>> Structure of parliament Unicameral Affiliation to the IPU Yes Affiliation date(s) 1995 - LEADERSHIP President Samvel Nikoyan (M)  Notes Elected on 6 Dec. 2011. Secretary General (vacant)   COMPOSITION Members (statutory / current number) 131 / 131 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN More statistics  >>> Women (current number) 11 (8.40%) Mode of designation directly elected 131 Term 5 years Last renewal dates 12 May 2007 (View details) CONTACT INFORMATION Address National Assembly 19, Marshal Bagramyan Ave. 0095 Yerevan, Armenia (Export mailing lists) Phone (374 10) 51 32 25 51 34 75 Fax (374 10) 52 98 26 52 74 50 E-mail zabela.ghazaryan@parliament.am Website http://www.parliament.am

Parliament name (generic / translated) Azgayin Zhoghov / National Assembly Structure of parliament Unicameral LEGAL FRAMEWORK Electoral law 5 February 1999 Last updated: 07.01.2007 Mode of designation directly elected 131 Constituencies - 41 single-member constituencies - one national constituency (90 seats) Voting system Mixed: Mixed system - 41 seats allotted by simple majority vote - 90 seats allocated according to a party-list system and proportional representation to parties or blocs obtaining at least 5 per cent of the votes Voting is not compulsory. Voter requirements - age: 18 years - Armenian citizenship - disqualifications: insanity, criminal conviction, allegiance to a foreign State CANDIDATES Eligibility - qualified electors - age: 25 years - Armenian citizenship - permanent residence in the country for at least five years immediately preceding the elections Incompatibilities - membership of the government and judicial bodies - membership of the armed forces - employment in the Public Prosecutor's Office or in national security, internal affairs, tax or customs bodies Candidacy requirements - individual or party candidatures allowed - monetary deposit equivalent to one thousand times the minimum salary, reimbursable if the candidate is elected or obtains at least 5 per cent of the vote

Parliament name (generic / translated) Azgayin Zhoghov / National Assembly Structure of parliament Unicameral BACKGROUND Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 12 May 2007 Timing and scope of renewal Elections were held for all the seats in the National Assembly on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. Elections were held in May 2007, one month after Mr. Serzh Sargsyan of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) became Prime Minister following the sudden death of the incumbent, Mr. Andranik Margarian. In the last elections held in 2003, which were marred by allegations of electoral fraud, the HHK won 33 seats, while its partners, the Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law Party) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), took 19 and 11 seats respectively. The main opposition Artarutiun (Justice) Bloc took 14. The remainder went to small parties and independent candidates, who won 37 seats under the majority system. A coalition government was formed with the HHK and the Orinats Yerkir. In May 2006, the Orinats Yerkir left the coalition. Its leader, Mr. Artur Baghdasaryan, resigned as Speaker of the National Assembly over growing differences with President Robert Kocharian. In the 2007 elections, 22 political parties and one coalition totaling 1,497 candidates were running for the 90 seats available under the proportional representation system (see note), while 119 candidates contested the 41 seats under the first-past-the-post system. The three main pro-government parties were Prime Minister Sargsyan's HHK; the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) led by a wealthy businessman Mr. Gagik Tsarukian; and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation led by Mr. Hrant Markarian. The three parties pledged to ensure the supremacy of the law, poverty reduction, support for business and an increase in pensions. The opposition remained divided after talks over the formation of an electoral coalition, led by Mr. Stepan Demirchian's People's Party of Armenia (HZhK), collapsed in February 2007. The HZhK criticized the government for failing to improve the quality of life in rural areas and pledged to reconsider the country's administrative divisions. The Heritage Party, led by former foreign minister, Mr. Raffi K. Hovannisian, insisted on the need for further European integration. The opposition parties accused the pro-government parties of collecting voters’ passport data in exchange for bribes or welfare benefits. Approximately 60 per cent of the 2.2 million registered voters turned out at the polls. Fewer violent incidents were reported than in 2003, although several election-related complaints were filed. The opposition parties called for fresh elections, criticizing election irregularities. Six international organizations monitored the polls. These included the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and a joint Observation Mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) - OSCE, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament. The joint mission initially stated that the elections had largely met international standards. However, its final report expressed grave concerns over irregularities related to vote counting and tabulation. Final results gave a comfortable majority to the three pro-government parties. The HHK won a total of 65 seats, the PAP 25, and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, 16. In all, 12 women were elected. The newly elected National Assembly held its first session on 7 June and re-elected Mr. Tigran Torosyan (HHK) as its Speaker. In the meantime, on 6 June, the HHK and the PAP agreed on a collation government and on 8 June, President Kocharian signed a decree appointing Mr. Sargsyan as Prime Minister. Note: Following modifications to the electoral law in 2005, 90 members were elected under the proportional representation system in 2007, instead of 75 in the previous elections. STATISTICS Voter turnout Round no 1 12 May 2007 Number of registered electors Voters Blank or invalid ballot papers Valid votes 2'319'722 1'391'540 (59.99%) 38'002 1'353'538 Notes Distribution of votes Round no 1 Political group Candidates Votes % of votes Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) Prosperous Armenia Party Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutiun) Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law Party) Independents Heritage Party (HP) Dashink Party Distribution of seats Round no 1 Political Group Total of seats PR Majority Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) 65 41 24 Prosperous Armenia Party 25 18 7 Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutiun) 16 16 0 Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law Party) 9 8 1 Independents 8 0 8 Heritage Party (HP) 7 7 0 Dashink Party 1 0 1 Distribution of seats according to sex Men Women Percent of women 119 12 9.16% Distribution of seats according to age 21 to 30 years 31 to 40 years 41 to 50 years 51 to 60 years 61 to 70 years 1 28 59 33 10 Distribution of seats according to profession Engineers/PC experts Economists Scientists and researchers Legal professions Farmers/agricultural workers (including wine growers) Liberal professions (including artists, authors) and sports professionals Medical professions (doctors, dentists, nurses) Educators Military/police officers Media-related professions (journalists/publishers) Business/trade/industry employees, including executives 36 32 17 13 12 7 6 4 2 1 1 Comments Sources: - http://www.elections.am/ - National Assembly (06.06.2007, 10.03.2008, 29.09.2008, 01.01.2010, 11.01.2012) Note on the number of women: None of the five women who contested seats in the first-past-the-post system were elected, while 12 women were elected under the proportional representation system. As at 29 September 2008, there were 11 women.

Parliament name (generic / translated) Azgayin Zhoghov / National Assembly Structure of parliament Unicameral APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE Title Chairman of the National Assembly Term - duration: 4 years (term of legislature); elected on 5 February 1998 after the resignation of his predecessor - reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death, dissolution of the Assembly Appointment - elected by all Members of the Assembly - the election is at the beginning of the first session of the new legislature - after two-thirds of the mandates have been validated Eligibility - any Member of the Assembly may be a candidate Voting system - formal vote by secret ballot - an absolute majority is required for the first round, a simple majority for the second Procedures / results - the most senior Member presides over the Assembly during the voting - an ad hoc vote-counting committee supervises the voting - the ad hoc voting committee announces the results without delay - the results may be challenged STATUS Status - may act as interim Head of State in case of absence - represents the Assembly with the authorities - represents the Assembly in international bodies - in the absence of the Speaker, the Vice-President can assume his/her role and functions Board NA (no information received) Material facilities - allowance + expense allowance - official residence - official car - secretariat - additional staff - domestic personnel - body guards FUNCTIONS Organization of parliamentary business - establishes the agenda which must be adopted by the Assembly - organizes the debates and sets speaking time, in agreement with the Assembly - refers texts to a committee for study - examines the admissibility of request for setting up committees and/or committees of enquiry, proposes or decides on the setting-up of such committees Chairing of public sittings - ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders - makes announcements concerning the Assembly - takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures - checks the quorum - authenticates the texts adopted and the records of debates Special powers - is responsible for establishing the budget - approves the composition of the staff - appoints the Clerk - organizes the services of Parliament - is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments - is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Chamber Speaking and voting rights, other functions - takes the floor in legislative debates - takes part in voting - proposes bills or amendments - transmits laws to the Head of State for promulgation - proposes the names of 5 members out of 9 for the Constitutional Court - is consulted in certain circumstances (dissolution, appointment of the Prime Minister, etc.)

Parliament name (generic / translated) Azgayin Zhoghov / National Assembly Structure of parliament Unicameral NATURE Nature of the mandate · Free representation (Art. 66 (1) of the Constitution of 05.07.1995) Start of the mandate · On the opening day of the first session of the newly elected Parliament (Art. 63 (2) of the Constitution) Validation of mandates · Validation by the Constitutional Court only in case of challenge (Art. 100, No. 3 of the Constitution) · Procedure (Art. 101 (1) No. 3, (2), and 102 of the Constitution) End of the mandate · On the opening day of the first session of the newly elected Parliament (Art. 67 (1) in connection with Art. 63 (2) of the Constitution) (for early dissolution, see Art. 67 (1) in connection with Art. 55, No. 3, and 63 (3) to (5) of the Constitution) Can MPs resign? Yes · Of their own free will (see also Art. 67 (1) of the Constitution) · Procedure: submission of an application of resignation · Authority competent to accept the resignation: the National Assembly Can MPs lose their mandate ? Yes (a) Loss of mandate for incompatibilities (Art. 67 (1) in connection with Art. 65 (1) of the Constitution) (b) Loss of mandate for ineligibility (Art. 67 (1) in connection with Art. 64 and 27 (2) of the Constitution) (c) Loss of mandate for unexcused absences from half of the floor votes during a single session (Art. 67 (1) of the Constitution) STATUS OF MEMBERS Rank in hierarchy · Within Parliament: · Outside Parliament: Indemnities, facilities and services · Diplomatic passport · Basic salary (see Art. 65 (2) of the Constitution): US$ 80 · No exemption from tax · No pension scheme · Other facilities: (a) Postal and telephone services (b) Travel and transport Obligation to declare personal assets No Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability · The concept does exist (Art. 66 (1) of the Constitution). · Parliamentary non-accountability is limited to words spoken or written by MPs and votes cast within Parliament. (Parliamentary non-accountability applies to words spoken and written by MPs both within and outside Parliament.) · Derogations: slanderous or defamatory expressions Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability · The concept does exist (Art. 66 (2) of the Constitution). · It applies to criminal and administrative proceedings, covers all offences and protects MPs from arrest and from being held in preventive custody, from the opening of judicial proceedings against them and from their homes being searched. · No derogations are foreseen. · Parliamentary inviolability does not prevent MPs from being called as witnesses before a judge or tribunal. · Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) can be lifted (Art. 66 (2) of the Constitution: - Competent authority: the National Assembly EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE Training · There is no training/initiation process on parliamentary practices and procedures for MPs. · Handbooks of parliamentary procedure: Participation in the work of the Parliament · It is not compulsory for MPs to be present at plenary sittings and committee meetings · Penalties foreseen in case of failure to attend (Art. 67 (1) of the Constitution): loss of mandate · Body competent to judge such cases/to impose penalties: Discipline · The rules governing discipline within Parliament are contained in the Rules of Procedure. Code (rules) of conduct · This concept does not exist in the country's juridical system but there are some relevant provisions (Art. 67 (1) in connection with Art. 65 (1) of the Constitution). · Penalties foreseen for violation of the rules of conduct (Art. 67 (1) in connection with Art. 65 (1) of the Constitution): loss of mandate Relations between MPs and pressure group · There are no legal provisions in this field.

This page was last updated on 3 February 2012
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