YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly finished on October 5 discussion of the Anti-Corruption Convention started on the previous day. It will be voted at the plenary sitting to start on October 23. The Convention was signed on October 31, 2003, in New York and came into force on December 14, 2005. As of May 18, 2006, it was signed by 140 states and certified by 52 ones. "We can not hide that each of us meet corruption phenomena in everyday life, and it is very sorrowful," Davit Haroutiunian, the main reporter, RA Justice Minister stated. In his words, the convention, of course, can not be the only mean in the anti-corruption struggle and public activeness, legislative amendments and, the most important, political will are necessary as well. The Minister also mentioned that the anti-corruption struggle must be of constant character for legislative, executive and judicial authorities. In D.Haroutiunian's words, especially the executive power is in double state as on the one hand, it must display will, on the other hand, it is known that the corruption is first of all centralized in the executive power." Vahan Hovhannisian, the NA Deputy Speaker, a member of the ARF Bureau, particularly, mentioned in his speech that the government has always supported creation of a professional anti-corruption body independent from the executive power, but as a result of the political sonsensus, it was founded within the framework of the executive power. He expressed a hope that after end of the 1st stage, when 24 guarantees of different international organizations will be implemented, targets of the anti-corruption struggle will be checked at the 2nd stage, and the issue of changing the format of the preventing anti-corruption body will be arisen then. In V.Hovhannisian's words, probably, it will take place in 2007, and the ARF will again propose creation of the independent body.

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