Opening the scheduled plenary sitting of the Milli Majlis on 24 November, the Chair Sahiba Gafarova told of the situation in the country aggravated by the spread of the recently emerged new coronavirus strain. The speed at which the virus spreads is higher than before; and there are more people who have contracted the disease than before. Several colleagues at the Milli Majlis, too, have been infected, Mrs Gafarova remarked before wishing them all soon recovery and asking everybody present to take a good care of themselves as there is an important business to attend to way ahead.

‘It is necessary to discuss and pass the State Budget and the other documents contained in the Budget Package. Therefore, I ask and insist that you should carry out all the cautionary recommendations and instructions including the strict observation of the sanitation and hygiene rules,’ Mrs Gafarova said.

Addressing herself to the mass media people covering the sitting then, Mrs Gafarova asked them, too, to follow rigorously the rules that are meant to curb the spread of the disease and protect them from the infection.

The struggle against the coronavirus is a national cause and we should all take part in it, Madame Speaker added.

Then were declared the 6 items on the agenda. The agenda was passed, and the sitting proceeded as planned.

As the first order of business, the First Deputy Chair of the Milli Majlis and Chairman of the parliamentary  Committee for Law Policy and State-Building Ali Huseynli presented the second reading of the draft amendments to the Law ‘On Founding the Orders and Medals of the Azerbaijan Republic’ concerned with the establishment of the ‘For the Victory in the Patriotic War’ orders and medals, and the Bill on the introduction of the ‘Patriotic War Hero’ title.  

Mr Huseynli said that both Bills had been drawn up and were now being tabled before the Parliament upon the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan. The Head of State had emphasised the significance of the matter whilst visiting the servicemen taking treatment – he had said then that new orders and medals would be instituted in the Azerbaijan Republic for decoration of the servicemen who had fought in the Patriotic War.

Having pointed at the high quality of both Bills, the Vice Speaker stressed their entire compliance with the legislative practice of the land concerning orders and medals. The charters and descriptions of the new decorations encompass all the Azerbaijani statehood, Garabagh history and national attribute elements, according to Mr Huseynli.

Each of the Bills was put on vote and approved in the second reading.

Kamal Jafarov of the Committee for Law Policy and State-Building spoke about the draft amendments to the Law ‘On the Civil Service’. Having mentioned the extensive information about the document already supplied by him, Mr Jafarov pointed at the absence of whatever proposals and comments on its subject matter in the second reading. The drafts essentially consist in ensuring proper performance assessment for civil servants and identifying their potentials with the subsequent development and expedient employment of such potentials.

MP Fazil Mustafa who spoke on the subject said that each MP had been consulted with regards to the amendments whilst the document itself was flawless.

The Bill was then approved in the second reading.

Then was the turn of the second reading of the draft amendment to the Law ‘On the Institution of the Orders and Medals of the Azerbaijan Republic’ connected to the intended foundation of the jubilee medal ‘The Centenary (1920-2020) of the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University’. The First Deputy Chair of the Milli Majlis and Chairman of the Committee for Law Policy and State-Building Ali Huseynli told the assembly of the essence and proposed external look of the medal. It follows from the medal charter that the jubilee medal ‘The Centenary (1920-2020) of the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University’ would be awarded for outstanding academic and educational achievements as well as for such achievements in the oil sector and industries, and for special contributions to the advancement of all those areas as well as for active involvement in social and cultural progress. With this medal will be decorated citizens of the Azerbaijan Republic, overseas nationals and apatrides who either are or have been employees, and/or are graduates of the organisation defined by the appropriate executive authority and who have special merits in implementing the state policies for sciences, education and international co-operation as well as in furthering the progress of that organisation defined by the appropriate executive authority.

The parliamentary committee chairmen Siyavush Novruzov and Ziyafet Asgarov spoke during the deliberations.

The Bill was approved in the second reading.

Madame Speaker remarked then that the next two items on the agenda the President had sent to the Milli Majlis in one submission containing two interrelated Bills.

The Chairman of the Committee for Natural Resources, Energy and Ecology Sadig Gurbanov told of the proposed amendments to the Law ‘On Protection of the Natural Environment’. He mentioned the fact that the document, being tabled in the second reading, had been drawn up on the basis of President’s ‘Plan of Minimising the Adverse Environmental Impacts of Discarded Plastic Packaging in Azerbaijan during 2019-2020’. The Bill envisages the prohibition, to be in effect starting on 1 January 2021, to import, produce and trade in polythene bags with film thickness of up to 15 microns as well as to sell and issue such bags to consumers at public catering and other service outlets. At the same time, effective 1 July 2021 will be restricted corporate importation, production and trade in disposable plastic swizzle sticks, forks, spoons, knives, plates and cups as well as selling or issuing them to consumers at public catering and other service outlets.

According to Mr Gurbanov, the amendments had been discussed in great detail with the ministries of ecology and natural resources, of economy and of justice, and had eventually been found to be expedient.  

The committee chairman Musa Guliyev and the MPs Razi Nurullayev and Aydin Huseynov expressed their views of the document, made proposals and asked their questions about it.

After Mr Gurbanov had answered the MPs’ questions, the Bill was put on vote and approved in the second reading.

The First Deputy Chair of the Milli Majlis and Chairman of the Committee for Law Policy and State-Building Ali Huseynli who presented the second reading of the draft amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences pointed at their harmonising nature as well as on their being based on the already-enacted amendments to the Law ‘On Protection of the Natural Environment.’  

The new Articles 275.4 and 275.5 of the Code envisage heavy fines for officeholders and legal entities violating the ecological security. They also stipulate the administrative penalty for such an offence committed within one year by a party already penalised for it administratively.

MP Sabir Rustamkhanli express his ideas about the document.

The Bill was approved in the second reading.

Thus, the plenary sitting of the Milli Majlis was concluded.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis