Armenian parliament considering procedure for awarding state orders and titles
06.03.2018,
16:41
Armenia's parliament is discussing a set of changes to the law on state awards and honorary titles in the first reading.
YEREVAN, March 6. /ARKA/. Armenia's parliament is discussing a set of changes to the law on state awards and honorary titles in the first reading. The keynote speaker - First Deputy Minister of Justice Artur Hovhannisyan – said the passage of the amendments stems from the constitutional reforms, passed in 2015. According to him, at present the authority to award state orders and honorary titles is vested in the president of the country.
He said the proposed changes envisage that the heads of parliament, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Judicial Council and the prime minister will have the right to petition the president to award state orders and titles. After receiving the petition, the president awards the order or the title in due course.
According to Hovhannisyan, there was also a proposal to consider the title "National Hero" as an honorary title.
"This issue needs to be discussed again. I would also like to note that under the proposed changes, the president and prime minister of Armenia can not be awarded while in office," Hovhannisyan said.
On March 2 by a vote of 90 to 10 and one invalid vote Armenia’s ambassador to UK Armen Sarkissian was elected today by parliament as the 4th president of the country. Sarkissian is elected for a period of seven years and will be sworn into office as president on April 9 when the incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan ends his second and final term.
Sarkissian was nominated for the post by the ruling Republic Party of Armenia. He served also briefly as prime minister from November 1996 until March 1997.
In April Armenia is switching from the semi-presidential form of government to a parliamentary republic. The post of president becomes largely ceremonial, while the real executive power will be vested in the prime minister. -0-
He said the proposed changes envisage that the heads of parliament, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Judicial Council and the prime minister will have the right to petition the president to award state orders and titles. After receiving the petition, the president awards the order or the title in due course.
According to Hovhannisyan, there was also a proposal to consider the title "National Hero" as an honorary title.
"This issue needs to be discussed again. I would also like to note that under the proposed changes, the president and prime minister of Armenia can not be awarded while in office," Hovhannisyan said.
On March 2 by a vote of 90 to 10 and one invalid vote Armenia’s ambassador to UK Armen Sarkissian was elected today by parliament as the 4th president of the country. Sarkissian is elected for a period of seven years and will be sworn into office as president on April 9 when the incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan ends his second and final term.
Sarkissian was nominated for the post by the ruling Republic Party of Armenia. He served also briefly as prime minister from November 1996 until March 1997.
In April Armenia is switching from the semi-presidential form of government to a parliamentary republic. The post of president becomes largely ceremonial, while the real executive power will be vested in the prime minister. -0-
