Speaker Sahiba Gafarova chaired the concluding plenary sitting of the spring session of the Milli Majlis on 31 May.

Adoption of a six-item agenda was followed by a discussion of the issues du jour. The MPs Fazil Mustafa, Ganira Pashayeva, Hikmat Mammadov, Azay Guliyev, Bakhtiyar Aliyev, Elman Nasirov, Elshan Musayev, Elshad Mirbashir oglu, Bahrouz Maharramov, Javid Osmanov and Zahid Oruj highlighted several matters.

The Bill ‘On the Town of Shusha, the Cultural Capital of Azerbaijan’ was tabled for the third reading. The House had heard the relevant information supplied by Chair of the Culture Committee Ganira Pashayeva. Then, the MPs Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Fazail Agamali and Aydin Mirzazade shared their opinions and suggestions. Chairman of the Defence, Security and Counter-Corruption Committee Ziyafet Asgarov shed light on some components of the Bill that had captured the MPs’ attention. Ganira Pashayeva, meanwhile, answered their questions. Then, the item was put on vote and the Bill ‘On the Town of Shusha, the Cultural Capital of Azerbaijan’ was approved in the third reading.

The overview of the Bill ‘On Employment of Renewable Energy Sources in Electricity Generation’ (in the third reading) was given by Chairman of the Natural Resources, Energy and Ecology Committee Sadig Gurbanov. The 5-chapter, 20-article Bill was then voted through the third reading.

Kamal Jafarov of the Law Policy and State-Building Committee gave a presentation regarding the third-reading Bill ‘On the Civil Service’. The MPs Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Sabir Rustamkhanli and Siyavush Novruzov took part in the discussion following which the Bill was put on vote and adopted in the third reading.

Also, three Bills were considered in the second reading.

Chairman of the Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising Committee Tahir Mirkishili tabled his committee’s opinion statement on the Bill ‘On the Utilisation of the State Budget of the Azerbaijan Republic in 2020’ (in the second reading). First, Mr Mirkishili said that 2020 was the year of Azerbaijan’s remarkable military, political and economic victory over the Armenian invaders, and touched on the global-scale problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Military spending, stepping up the care of the families of shahids, soldiers and officers, implementation of social relief programmes, reinforcement of the health care system, restoration of the de-occupied territories and aiding the business enterprises harmed by the pandemic had been the chief goals in the 2020 State Budget’s utilisation, Mr Mirkishili pointed out.

He went on to tell the meeting participants that the 2020 State Budget’s revenues amounted to AZN 24,681.7 mn as against the projected AZN 24,124 mn, that is to say, the actual revenues exceeded the forecast ones by 2.3%. The State Budget expenditures added up to AZN 26,416.3 mn having fallen 3.9% short of the projected AZN 27,492.2 mn. The resulting budget deficit was 2% lower than forecast. The external and local borrowings did not exceed the established limits last year.

Mr Mirkishili told the House that the 2020 State Budget’s utilisation had had a positive part in the undeterred adherence to the development and promotion course set by the President of Azerbaijan as much as it had in carrying out the principal state and social tasks, improving the social protection of the population, maintaining macroeconomic stability in the country, addressing defence and security matters and stimulating the national economy.

The subsequent deliberations had the MPs Fazil Mustafa, Ali Masimli, Ganira Pashayeva, Fazail Agamali, Gudrat Hasanguliyev and Etibar Aliyev offer their considerations and let the attending government officials hear their suggestions.

The Bill ‘On the Utilisation of the State Budget of the Azerbaijan Republic in 2020’ was adopted in the second reading eventually.

Anar Mammadov of the Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising Committee tabled the draft amendments (in the second reading) to the Law ‘On the Credit Unions’ and the MPs found it proper to approve the amendments in that reading.

First Vice Speaker and Chairman of the Law Policy and State-Building Committee Ali Huseynli covered the last agenda item. He said that the amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences he was tabling in the second reading were inseparable from the Item 5 of the sitting’s agenda. It is proposed to institute fines for failure to submit credit register and credit union information.

The Parliament listened to Mr Huseynli and approved the presented Bill in the second reading.

Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova concluded the sitting, saying,

‘The last sitting of the spring session is taking place today. 81 MPs have applied to me for convention of an extraordinary session in accordance with Article 88, Part II of the Constitution. I have signed a relevant order, and we are going to have an extraordinary session in June.’

Madame Speaker spoke of the outcomes of the spring session, too.

She said, ‘The spring session of 2021 has had 14 sittings of the Milli Majlis. As many as 88 laws and resolutions including 1 constitution law have been enacted. The Milli Majlis has discharged its constitutional legislative powers in full. Every arrangement has been made in support of the far-sighted domestic and foreign policy of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Mr Ilham Aliyev.’

At the spring-session sittings, the Milli Majlis has heard the annual performance reports of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Chamber of Accounts, the presentation made by the National Co-ordinator on Combatting Human Trafficking as well as the annual accounts by the Human Rights Ombudsman and the state body responsible for the administrative supervision of the municipalities’ activities.

Going further, Madame Chair stressed that the normal modus operandi and working environment of the Milli Majlis had been preserved despite the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that the whole world is living and fighting currently. Most of the committee and commission meetings have been held virtually. Besides, the deeds related to promotion of the international relations have been done successfully.

Madame Speaker concluded her speech by declaring the spring session 2021 of the Milli Majlis completed.

The National Anthem of Azerbaijan was wounded and the spring parliamentary session was over.

The Press and Public Relations
Department The Milli Majlis