Epress.am News from Armenia
On his Facebook page today, National Assembly Chair Hovik Abrahamyan posted a note on the inexcusable absences of Members of Parliament.
“Recently the absence of certain MPs from National Assembly meetings has been reflected in the mass media, as a result of which journalists have contacted me. Let me note that in both the National Assembly plenary sessions and various consultations, I have repeatedly raised the issue of the MPs’ absence from parliamentary plenary sessions and voting.
“I think that considering the fact that the current parliament is professional, each MP should realize that he has been elected by the people to carry out legislative work and that is his main work. Of course, I don’t rule out that there are acceptable excuses for absences and the absences of the deputies in this regard shall be recognized as valid through the RA Law on the National Assembly Rules of Procedure.
“As for invalid absences, then certainly I have a very negative assessment of these and I would like to note that I have already issued instructions that the salaries of those deputies who have been inexcusably absent will be held back for each day of their absence,” wrote Abrahamyan.