YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly on March 17 passed the bills and legislative packages discussed the day before. The bills and packages envisage amendments and additions to a number of laws and codes. In particular, the parliament passed in first reading the package of the government-proposed amendments to the RA Criminal Code, the RA Code on Administrative Infractions, and the RA Law on Currency Exchange Regulation and Control. According to the chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) Arthur Javadian, the purpose of the package is to fight dollarization and the shadow economy. Based on it, it is proposed introducing greater responsibility with respect to those who violate the requirements of the currency legislation. The main speaker, first deputy minister of justice Gevorg Malkhasian said that the amendments (passed in first reading) to the Law on State Registration of Property Rights are conditioned by the necessity to ensure a single approach in the state service system. In particular, it is proposed that the provisions stipulating the grounds for appointment and dismissal of heads of the State Cadastre of Real Estate and its territorial units be recognized as invalid in order to eliminate the possible contradictions with the RA Law on Civil Service. By the current law, citizens under 60 years with higher education can be appointed to these positions, whereas by the law on civil service, persons under 65 can be appointed to positions of the civil service. The only opposition faction - "Heritage" voted against the bill. The faction head Armen Martirosian told NT correspondent that personally he is in favor of eliminating age restrictions in those bodies where no problems of special responsibility arise, but he is against "taloring a law for a person". He explained that according to the circulating rumors which were published in the press, the president of the country wants to appoint former mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakarian as chairman of the State Committee of Cadastre, but the age restriction prevents him from doing so.

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