Authors of draft meet with representatives of a number of NGOs, listens to their concerns

On September 27, the Chair of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport Sisak Gabrielyan, the Chair of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Vladimir Vardanyan and the deputies of the RA NA Civil Contract Faction met with the heads and representatives of a number of creative unions, the NGOs and the lawyers.

The basis for the meeting were the draft law On Making Addenda to the RA Civil Code adopted in the first reading authored by Sisak Gabrielyan and Vladimir Vardanyan by the National Assembly a few days ago and the guests' concerns regarding the lawsuits filed by the RA General Prosecutor's Office against the NGOs Writers' Union of Armenia, Artists' Union of Armenia and Armenian Deaf Association. The participants of the meeting had certain concerns and misunderstandings related to the danger of losing the properties belonging to their organizations. The guests also presented some arguments related to the ownership of the properties they owned. The attendees informed that during the past decades not all organizations alienated the properties belonging to them. Part of them handed over some properties for rent, as a result of which, they receive certain amount of money, meet the needs of their organizations and beneficiaries.

Some representatives of the organizations considered expedient at least for the time being, the consideration of the Prosecutor's Office lawsuits will be frozen.

The authors of the draft listened to the guests' concerns, gave clarifications, presented the regulations of the bill. "We don't want and we cannot take the right to your property with this draft. There is no such paragraph in this draft. I don't want to agree with your formulation that you lose everything. We protect all beneficiaries of your Union with this draft," Sisak Gabrielyan said, that, according to the draft, clarifying that the organization cannot sell the real estate, if there is no consent of 2/3 of the members of the organization. If there is intention of selling the property, public hearings should be organized.

"I think I won't be mistaken if I say that before most of the painters were displeased with the fact when that property was sold," Sisak Gabrielyan said, addressing the President of the Artists' Union Suren Safaryan.

Vladimir Vardanyan also noted that they are ready to work for reforming the draft, as well as to work with the Prosecutor's Office without interfering into their work.

At the meeting other issues on the activity of the structures were also discussed.