An Ethics Committee will be established in Armenia’s National Assembly, with the parliamentary majority and the opposition represented by an equal number of members, National Assembly Speaker Ruben Rubinyan said during a briefing with reporters.
Rubinyan recalled that the committee’s creation became possible following amendments to the Constitutional Law on the National Assembly’s Rules of Procedure adopted during the final sitting of the previous parliament, Armenpress reported.
“An Ethics Committee will indeed be established. This is the result of the amendments we introduced to the Constitutional Law on the National Assembly’s Rules of Procedure during the final sitting of the previous parliament.
The first chairperson will come from the parliamentary majority, while the deputy chairperson will represent the opposition. After six months, they will switch positions, and this rotation will continue. The committee will serve on a temporary basis for two years, after which it will be reconstituted,” Rubinyan said.
He added that once the committee is formed, the parliamentary factions will nominate their representatives.
“I believe this is a positive reform. Previously, whenever different issues arose, people constantly called for the creation of such a committee. Now the committee will exist, and if questions arise, they will be discussed there,” he said.
According to the speaker, the committee’s very existence could help improve lawmakers’ conduct and have a preventive effect.
“The mere fact that lawmakers know an ethics committee exists, and that if they violate ethical rules an appropriate complaint may be filed, can itself become a factor of public accountability. The expected attention from journalists and public assessment may help us advance a culture of civility,” Rubinyan said.
The National Assembly adopted the law establishing the new regulations governing the Ethics Committee on July 3, 2026. It entered into force on August 2, the opening day of the first session of the ninth convocation of parliament. Under the law, the first Ethics Committee of the newly elected parliament must be formed during its first session.
