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At the initiative of several lawmakers of Armenia’s ruling majority, the National Assembly has convened a special sitting on Wednesday.

At the beginning of the sitting, My Step faction MP Sisak Gabrielyan informed that 14 issues are on the agenda, instead of the 15 items unveiled initially.

"One bill calling for changes in the law on the National Assembly Rules of Procedure has been pulled out of the agenda at the request of its authors. We have bills that we need to debate in the second reading within 24 hours after the first reading,” the MP said.

Gevorg Gorgisyan from the opposition Bright Armenia Party questioned the need to hold an emergency meeting in conditions when some My Step lawmakers have contracted the novel coronavirus, while others are contacts of the confirmed cases and have not self-isolated for 14 days.

“Now we have all gathered here to debate draft laws that are not so urgent. What is the reason for this special sitting? We could have discussed those bills in September, making sure that we no longer had any infections, or that they were isolated and would not infect others,” he said.

In response, Gabrielyan said some draft bills on the agenda require urgent adoption.

"The parliament is not on vacation yet, so I don't see a problem in inviting the deputies to the sessions hall additionally. If you have information that someone is sitting here, but should have self-isolated instead by the decision of the commandant, can you please speak up?” Sisak Gabrielyan said.

Gorgisyan argued that there are deputies who have confirmed that they have caught Covid-19, but have attended today’s sitting without a 14-day break. In addition, the lawmaker reminded, those having been in contact with coronavirus patients must self-isolate for 14 days. "I think your entire faction should have self-isolated, but it has failed to do so. Or if you say there are pressing issues, let's only debate them,” he said.

Gabrielyan, in turn, said the Bright Armenia faction has also introduced a draft law, which is to be discussed today.

"If you think it is not urgent, you should have retracted the bill from the agenda, telling the MP of your faction that it isn’t an urgent issue,” he said.

Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan, interfering in “the very interesting dialogue”, as he put it, stated that those deputies who had been told to isolate or self-isolate, have complied with the safety rules.