Babken Ararktsyan, former Speaker of the RA National Assembly, founding-member of the Armenian Democratic Party, has passed away.

Babken Ararktsyan was born on 16 September in 1944. In 1966, he graduated from Moscow State University with the qualification of mechanic-mathematician. In 1966-68, he studied at the post-graduate course of the Institute named after GA Steklov of the Russian Federation. Candidate of Physical Sciences since 1972. He was a member of the CPSU.

In 1968-71, he worked at the Computing Center of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, in 1971-75, in the Department of Mathematics of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, in 1975-77, in the Scientific and Technical Information Institutes of the State Planning Committee of Armenia, in 1977-90, as an Associate Professor, Head of Chair at the Yerevan State University.

Member of the “Karabakh” Committee since 1988, member of the ANM Board, since 1989. On 10 December 1988, he was arrested and imprisoned until 31 May, 1989, with other members of the “Karabakh” Committee.

He was elected a Deputy of the RA Central Committee from the 34th constituency of Arabkir community of Yerevan.

In August 1990 , he was elected the first deputy chairman of the RA Central Committee, in 1991. On December 24, Chairman of the RA Supreme Council. In 1991, he was elected Chairman of the Central Commission of Referendum, in 1994, Co-Chairman of the Constitutional Committee. Head of the Armenian delegations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC, 1993), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (1993), the InterParliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Countries (1993). Chairman of the PABSEC since June 1995.

He is the author of more than 30 scientific works and university textbooks.