Bodyguards Will Be Brought Under Law

BODYGUARDS WILL BE BROUGHT UNDER LAW

Yerkir, Armenia
Nov 13 2006

National Assembly adopted on November 9 the bill on Bodyguard Service
in the first reading, and the bill is adopted in full, the bodyguards
acting illegally would be brought to a legal field.

The bill’s co-sponsors are National Assembly Vice-speaker Vahan
Hovhannisian, National Assembly’s Armenian Revolutionary Federation
faction leader Hrayr Karapetian, and National Assembly’s Orinats
Yerkir faction member Mher Shahgeldian. The deputies initiated the
bill following serious complaints in the society about the actions
of the bodyguards of tycoons and several NA members.

Yesterday, the NA assembly also adopted in the first reading the
government-sponsored bill on Alienation of Property for State or Public
Needs that has been turned down by the parliament twice. The bill was
later adopted with 61 votes in favor, 0 against and 11 abstentions
in the first reading. The opposition boycotted the voting, and the
ARF faction cast abstention votes, explaining that the faction was
not given time to present its position on the issue.

Spartak Seyranian of the ARF faction said the faction abstained
because it thinks there is a need for such law, and that the faction
plans to submit principle proposals ahead of the second reading.