1. What is the procedure for granting the RA citizenship and terminating it?

The application to obtain or terminate the RA citizenship is submitted by the applicant personally, except for the cases stipulated by the RA law on the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. If physically present in Armenia, the applicant submits his/her application to the Police (Passports and Visas Department), if the applicant is abroad, the application is to be submitted at the RA diplomatic or consular post in the given country. The RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs will redirect it to the RA Police.

The Police prepare recommendations and submit them to the Interagency Commission on Citizenship which comes up with the final recommendation and, along with the recommendations of the Police, within one month submits them to the Office of the Prime Minister.

After receiving recommendations of the Interagency Commission on Citizenship, within one month, the Prime Minister submits to the Office of the President his recommendation to grant or terminate citizenship of the applicant or recommendation to deny the application on granting or terminating the citizenship and attaches a draft of the presidential decree.

In some cases, stipulated by the law, the Prime Minister may submit a proposal to the President of the Republic on granting citizenship without the recommendation of the Interagency Commission on Citizenship.

2. What is the procedure of granting pardon to the convicts?

The Article 135 of the Constitution stipulates that the President, in the cases envisaged by the law and through due procedures is entitled to grant pardon to convicts. According to the RA Law On Pardon, the President is executing his constitution right on granting pardon only based on the recommendations submitted by the Prime Minister on granting pardon or denying pardon to the applicant along with the draft of the presidential decree on granting of denying pardon, personal file of the applicant, and recommendations of the Consultative Commission on Pardons (if applicable).

Any convicted person has the right to appeal for pardon only after the court sentence has entered into force. To review the pardon application, the RA Ministry of Justice compiles a personal file of the applicant and submits it to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister refers the personal file of the applicant to the Consultative Commission on Pardons to receive recommendations on the pardon application. Upon receiving recommendations of the Consultative Commission, the Prime Minister submits to the President recommendations on granting pardon or denying pardon, along with a draft of the presidential decree on granting or denying pardon, the personal file of the applicant and recommendations of the Consultative Commission (if applicable). Upon receiving recommendations, the President signs the draft decree on granting or denying pardon or returns it to the Prime Minister with the amendments.

3. When and how the President of Armenia bestows orders, medals, and honorary titles?

According to Article 5.3 of the Law on State Awards and Honorary Titles of the Republic of Armenia, the President bestows state awards and honorary titles within three days based on the recommendations of the Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, Chairman of the Constitutional Court and Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council. Upon receiving recommendations on bestowing a state award or honorary title of the Republic of Armenia, the President may within three days return the draft of the presidential decree on bestowing a state award or honorary title to the mediator with his/her objections. If the mediating body does not accept the President’s objections, the President either signs the decree on bestowing a state award or honorary title or within three days files an appeal with the Constitutional Court.

According to Article 52 of the RA Law on Public Service, the President bestows the highest ranks upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, Chairman of the Constitutional Court and Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council within three days.

4. How to get a job at the Presidential Administration?

Members of the Presidential Administration are public servants; they are hired in accordance with the RA Law on Public Service. Working relations with other employees, who are not public servants, are regulated through the RA Law on Public Service and the RA Labor Code.

5. Who and how decides on the President’s salary?

Salary of the President is regulated through the RA Law on the Wages of the State Administration and State Service Employees. The Appendix 1 of the mentioned law defines the quotient of the high-ranking state, political, and other officials. The coefficient of the RA President’s salary is 20. The coefficient is multiplied by the basic salary which is defined each year by the state budget.