New Amendment to Increase Powers of Yerevan Mayor

The National Assembly has discussed on October 27 during its regular sessions the bill on amendments to the law on "Financial Equalization" for the second reading. According to the press service of the RA National Assembly, the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Vache Terteryan informed that it is proposed to extend the duration of the current wording of the already adopted law until 2024, while operating under the logic of the law for the years 2022-2023 as it has been until now.

Mathevos Asatryan presented the positive conclusion of the permanent commission of the National Assembly on territorial administration, local self-government, agriculture, and environmental protection. He proposed to vote in favor of the draft.

Next, the parliament began discussing the draft law on amendments to the law on "Local Self-Government in Yerevan City" for the first reading. According to the draft, based on Article 110, Part 1 of the law on local self-government in Yerevan, it is established that Yerevan is considered the legal successor of the district communities of Yerevan city, but the issue of legal succession of decisions made by the Yerevan Mayor, who has the status of governor, has not been addressed. With the 2005 amendment, the constitutional status of Yerevan city has changed. After the formation of the local self-government body (community head) defined by the law on local self-government in Yerevan, the Yerevan Mayor ceased to exist as a territorial administration body.

Due to this and several other legal issues, citizens have faced obstacles in registering property rights, accepting inheritance, and resolving other similar legal relations. As a result of these considerations, it has become necessary to delegate the authority to annul acts adopted by the Yerevan Mayor, the district councils of Yerevan, and their executive bodies, retaining their legal force, to the Yerevan Mayor, stating that, if necessary, the state authorized body in the field of territorial administration will provide professional support to the Yerevan municipality.

The discussion of the issue will continue on October 28.