At the April 3 sitting of the Government, Vazgen Manukyan was appointed President of the Public Council, pursuant to paragraphs 8 and 9 of Article 8 of the RA Law on Public Council.
Thus, the process of the formation of the new Public Council is over.
The composition of the 45 members of the Public Council is as follows:
- The first 15 members are approved by the Government at the recommendation of the Prime Minister,
- The next 15 members become members of the Public Council, through being elected Chairpersons of the PC committees,
- The last 15 members are elect by the previous 30 members of the PC,
- After which the Prime Minister submits a candidate for the Chairman of the Public Council from the 45 members Public Council’s to the Government for approval.
Notably, the process of formation of the new Public Council started on 6 September, 2018, when the first 15 members of the Public Council were appointed by the
decision of the RA Prime Minister. Further the process of forming commissions, the election of the chairpersons and the selection of the last 15 members took place.
The Armenian Lawyers’ Association also did not remain indifferent to this process.
On 20November, 2018 the sitting of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs of the Public Council took place, the only issue on the agenda was the election of the Chairperson of the Commission. The founder of the iravaban.net specialized media, President of the Armenian Lawyers’’ Association Karen Zadoyan has been elected as commission chairperson from four nominated candidates.
Advocate Marat Atovmyan, Mentors’ Group Coordinator of the EU-funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project was also elected a member of the PC by the 30 30 members of the Public Council
Notably, the Committee on State and Legal Affairs has already convened a session on 16 January and discussed the “Draft RA Anti-Corruption Strategy and its Implementation Action Plan 2019-2022” submitted by the РА Ministry of Justice for public discussion on 19 December 2018.
Below is the new composition of the Public Council.
Council members appointed by the Government
- Vazgen Manukyan, Chiarman of the Public Council,
- Armen Ter-Tachatyan, Lawyer, Head of “Ter-Tachatyan” Law Firm, Chairman of Converse Bank Board.
- Anahit Aghoyan, Deputy Director of the Kotayk branch of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia, Expert on Democracy, Leadership and Gender issues.
- Carlos Ghazaryan, General, 1990-91 Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, 1997-99 Deputy Chief Military Inspector of the RA President,
- Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, YSU Associate Professor, PhD in Philosophical Sciences, President of “Caucasus” Sociological Research Center NGO,
- Gagik Ginosyan, Distinguished Artist of the Republic of Armenia, Founder of “Karin” Folk Song and Dance Group,
- Ashot Hakobyan, Director of the Strong Society Development Fund,
- Hovik Musayelyan – Director of Synopsys Armenia CJSC, PhD in Technical Sciences, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia,
- Babken Pipoyan – Chairman of the “Informed and Protected Consumer” NGO,
- Harutyun Mesrobyan – Management Expert, PhD in Technical Sciences,
- Yuri Javadyan, Director of “Hayjrnakhagits” Institute CJSC, PhD in Technical Sciences, 1978-86 First Deputy Mayor of Yerevan,
- Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, General, military figure,
- Hrant Ter-Abrahamyan, publicist, political analyst,
- Styopa Safaryan, a public-political figure, former MP, ex-member of Yerevan Council of Elders,
- Aram Safaryan, journalist, public-political figure, former MP.
Chairpersons of Public Council committees – members of the PC
- Aida Topuzyan, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Kh. Head of Chair of Vocational Education and Applied Pedagogy at the State Pedagogical University after Abovyan, Chair of the Women’s Republican Council (Chairwoman of Committee on Science, Education of the PC),
- Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, Member of the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia, founder of the iravaban.net specialized media (Chairman of the Committee on State and Legal Affairs of the Public Council),
- Larisa Alaverdyan, public and political figure, 2004-2006 – Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, former MP (Chairwoman of the Committee on Civil Society Development Issues of the PC),
- Vazgen Safaryan, economist, chairman of the Union of Native Commodity Producers NGO, former MP (Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Budget and Budgetary Affairs of the PC),
- Vardan Hambardzumyan, President of the Federation of Agricultural Associations, Director of the Local Government Development Department of “Strategic Development Agency” NGO (Chairman of the Committee on Agricultural Affairs of the PC),
- Karine Danielyan, President of the Association for Sustainable Human Development, PhD in Biology, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Member of the International Environmental Academy, Honorary Citizen of Yerevan (Chairwoman of the Environmental Protection Committee of the PC),
- Levon Grigoryan – Cardiologist, PhD, Director of the Medical Center “Grigor Narekatsi” (Chairman of the Committee on Public Health Issues of the PC),
- Gegham Ohanyan: Retired Colonel of the RA Police, Chairman of the Yerevan Police Veterans Council (Chairman of the Committee on Defense, National Security, Internal Affairs of the PC),
- Koryun Arakelyan is a member of the Writers’ Union, Honored Worker of Culture of Armenia, Member of the National Commission on Television and Radio, former MP (chairman of the Committee on Territorial Administration and Local Self-Government of the PC),
- Gagik Yeganyan: 1999 – 2018 Head of the RA Migration Service, author of a special training on “Migration Management” (Chairman of the Committee on Demographic and Gender Issues of the PC),
- Gevorg Mkrtchyan – President of “Youth” NGO, Deputy Director of the Armenian State Philharmonic Hall (Chairman of the Committee on Religion, Diaspora and International Integration of the PC);
- Gor Vardanyan, Deputy Rector of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the “Polytechnic” Student Charity Foundation, PhD in Technical Sciences (Chair of the Social Affairs Committee of the PC),
- Hovhannes Tadevosyan – Executive Director of “Masis Tobacco”, Member of the Board of Trustees of IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development, Member of the Board of Trustees of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Chairman of the Committee on Entrepreneurship Issues of the PC),
- Armen Baldryan, Chairman of the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Chief and Managing Director of “Unicomp” CJSC
(Chairman of the Committee on Transport, Communication and IT of the PC), - Gagik Manasyan, Director of the Armenian Philharmonic Society, PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Distinguished Artist of the Republic of Armenia (Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs of the PC).
Members of the Public Council elected by 30 members of the Public Council
- Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of External Relations and Protocol Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin,
- Vazgen Yakubyan, President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), member of the Central Board of IDeA Fund,
- Gabriel Jemberjian, philanthropist, president of “Pyunik” charitable foundation,
- Armen Elbakyan, RA People’s Artist, Art director of the G. Sundukyan National Academic Theater,
- Smbat Lputyan, chess player, international grandmaster, founder and president of the Armenian Chess Academy,
- Arsen Ghazaryan, President of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia,
- Eduard Ghazaryan, Physicist, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor, Academician of NAS RA, Former Minister of Education and Science,
- Arshak Sadoyan, political and public figure, ex-MP,
- Artsrun Pepanyan, publicist, political analyst,
- Marat Atovmyan, lawyer, Mentors’ Group Coordinator of the EU-funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project,
- Hayrapet Galstyan, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences, Chief Oncologist,
- Ruzan Ghazaryan, public figure, project manager and consultant for regional development by international and local organizations,
- Anahit Bakhshyan, public-political figure, former MP, ex-member of Yerevan Council of Elders, education expert,
- Hayk Sargsyan, Dean of the YSU Faculty of Economics, Doctor of Economics, Professor,
- Vardan Marashlyan, co-founder and director of the Repat Armenia Fund, former RA Deputy Minister of Diaspora, PhD in Economic Sciences.