YEREVAN. – In its second hearing, Armenia’s National Assembly (NA) passed the bill on the Legal Regime of the State of Emergency. The Government’s coalition forces voted in favor of the draft law, whereas the parliamentary opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Heritage factions did not participate in the voting. 

The bill on the Legal Regime of the State of Emergency was adopted with 68 votes in favor. The coalition was able to obtain quorum, at the Sessions’ Hall, and put the law proposal to vote.

Prior to the voting, however, ARF asked for a 20-minute recess, thereby attempting to block the bill’s passing, but it was unsuccessful. 

The draft law’s second-hearing voting was to be conducted on Tuesday, but NA Speaker Samvel Nikoyan, who was hesitant that it would pass on that day, had postponed the voting until Wednesday.

In its first hearing, the controversial draft law passed with a vote of 67 for, 1 against, and with no abstentions.   

The opposition considers this law proposal to be unacceptable, noting that the latter curtails the parliament’s power, and that a precedent is set for using the armed forces in domestic politics, which is inconsistent with the country’s Constitution.