Month: June 2005

Nagorno-Karabakh holds parliamentary election
By Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
June 19, 2005 Sunday
YEVERAN, June 19 — Residents of the mostly Armenian populated
Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh hold on Sunday a parliamentary
election. This is the fourth parliamentary election in the unrecognized
republic, which proclaimed its independence in 1991.
All polling stations opened at 08:00 a.m., local time, on Sunday. One
polling station was organized in Yerevan. According to the chairman
of the republic’s central electoral committee, Sergei Nasibyan,
89,500 voters have been registered.
A total of 106 candidates are contesting 33 seats. Observers believe
the ruling Democratic Party of Karabakh, the opposition bloc of
the nationalist Dashnak Party and the Movement 88 organization have
the biggest chances. The Democratic Party is led by the minister of
education and culture, Ashot Gulyan.
Over 120 international observers and reporters from Armenia,
Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, France and the USA have arrived in
Nagorno-Karabakh to monitor and cover the election.
The president of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkady Gukasyan, said on Saturday
that the authorities will do everything to ensure that the election
is just, objective and transparent. Azerbaijan has dubbed the Sunday
voting illegitimate.

The Calgary Herald (Alberta)
June 19, 2005 Sunday
Final Edition
The many sightings of Noah’s Ark
In the context of a new Noah’s Ark expedition to eastern Turkey,
Baptist Press News offers some sightings from Ron Stewart’s book,
Noah’s Ark:
A Scientific Look, Past And Future.
Among Stewart’s list of 100:
475 BCE — A Chaldean priest reports seeing the Ark’s remains at the
bottom of a mountain glacier.
30 BCE — Egyptian historian Hieronimus says the Ark’s remains can be
seen on Mt. Ararat.
50 CE — Nicholas of Damascus and Flavius Josephus both report the
Ark’s remains are preserved in their time.
560 — St. Isadore reports seeing the wood of the Ark on Mt. Ararat.
620 — After conquering Armenia, Byzantine Emperor Heraclius
reportedly climbs Ararat and sees the Ark.
1269 — Explorer Marco Polo reports seeing the Ark after a three-day
climb in “the snowy reaches” — at the bottom of the summit, not its
peak.
1647 — Explorer Adam Olerius reports seeing its petrified remains.
1829 — Frederick Parrot reports Ark relics in a church at Ararat’s
base, later destroyed in an 1840 earthquake.
1832-1850 — Expeditions from Russia, Turkey and England fail to find
it.
1856 — Two British scientists climb Ararat to disprove the Ark, but
report a “chest-like” shape of petrified wood at 15,000 feet on
Ararat’s northeast side.
1887 — Indian explorer John Nouri locates the Ark and recommends
recovering it for the 1900 World’s Fair.
1917 — Ark photos and measurements are taken by a Russian
expedition, but lost when the czar topples.
1945 — A Turkish pilot claims to have photographed the Ark.
1949 — Aerial photos show a formation resembling a ship with
dimensions fitting the Bible story.
1990 — Laser enhancement of satellite photo reportedly shows a
boxlike shape, broken in half.

National Post (Canada)
June 18, 2005 Saturday
National Edition
Correction
As the result of an editing error, a chart in yesterday’s National
Post incorrectly identified Armenia as a secular Muslim democracy. It
is in fact a predominantly Christian country made up of Armenian
Apostolic Christians, 94%, and other Christians, 4%, with Yezidis
(Zoroastrian/animist) accounting for 2% of the population.
The Post regrets the error.

Parliamentary voting begins in Azerbaijan’s breakaway region
Regnum, Moscow
19 Jun 05
The parliamentary elections have opened in the self-proclaimed
Nagornyy Karabakh republic, Russia’s Regnum news agency has reported.
International observers and representative of other self-proclaimed
republics are monitoring the polls.
Monitors are expected to give a news conference in the evening,

Parlamentswahl in umstrittener Region Berg-Karabach
SwissInfo, Deutsch
19 Juni 2005
STEPANAKERT – In der international nicht anerkannten Republik
Berg-Karabach ist ein neues Parlament gewählt worden. Bei dem
Urnengang in der zwischen Armenien und Aserbaidschan umstrittenen
Region zeichnete sich eine hohe Beteiligung ab.
Nach Behördenangaben gaben bis drei Stunden vor Schliessung der
Wahllokale 60,5 Prozent der etwa 90 000 mehrheitlich armenischen
Wahlberechtigten ihre Stimme ab. Aserbaidschan bezeichnete die Wahl als
“illegal”. Sie sei von Armenien betrieben worden, um seine “Besatzung”
des Gebiets zu legalisieren.
Bevor nicht hunderttausende aserbaidschanische Vertriebene zurückkehren
dürften, sei jede Wahl in der Region unrechtmässig, erklärte die
aserbaidschanische Wahlkommission. Es ist das vierte Mal, dass in
der Region eine Parlamentswahl stattfindet. Sieben Parteien und 185
Kandidaten bewarben sich um die Gunst der Wähler.
“Präsident” Arkadi Gukassian hatte vor der Wahl erklärt, der Urnengang
müsse nach europäischen Standarts ablaufen, um das Bild Berg-Karabachs
in der Welt nicht zu beschädigen. Dies sei wichtig für den “Prozess
der friedlichen Einigung” mit Ascherbaidschan.
In der international nicht anerkannten Republik Berg-Karabach,
die sich auf aserbaidschanischen Gebiet befindet, leben 145 000
Einwohner. Die meisten von ihnen sind Armenier. Seit Anfang der 90er
Jahre kontrolliert das armenische Militär die Region.
Im Krieg um Berg-Karabach von 1992 bis 1994 wurden etwa 25 000 Menschen
getötet. 1994 schlossen die Kontrahenten einen Waffenstillstand,
aber die Krise schwelt weiter. Internationale Vorschläge sehen eine
Selbstverwaltung des Gebietes vor.
–Boundary_(ID_Zfm6vwrxN53nJh5UCJBnuw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Malaysia Star, Malaysia
June 20 2005
System of a Down – Mesmerize
System of a Down
Mesmerize
Sony/BMG
IT’S been almost three years since Los Angeles-based heavy metal
quartet System of a Down (SOAD) released any new material. Their
official second album, Toxicity, came out in 2001 while the “outtakes”
record, Steal This Album!, hit the racks in 2002. Now they’re back
with not one but a double album.
Mesmerize, being the first part of the album, is packed with 11 tracks
of enamel-ripping metal mayhem and that is a very good thing, unless
of course, you’re not a fan of metal music.
Not to be confused with the nu-metal bunch out there, SOAD is very
much rooted in old school death metal music. Also when the band
members consist of American Armenians, it lends a totally different
flavour where mainstream metal is concerned. And in this case, it
is heavy, riff driven, dynamic and progressively laced with socially
and politically conscious lyrics.
On top of that, the unique vocals of singer/keyboardist Serj Tankian
and guitarist Daron Malakian make histrionics look like a walk in
a park.
Make no mistake; Mesmerize is a visceral assault on the senses and,
funny enough, musical at the same time. Opening with the sombre
short intro Soldier Side, SOAD suddenly shifts into full metal gear
with B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bombs) with Malakian screeching, “Why
do they always send the poor?” An anti-war song reminiscent of Black
Sabbath’s War Pigs, lyrically at least. Where the music is concerned,
SAOD is adept at odd metre changes, vocal harmonies and employing
dynamics in the most unbelievable manner.
And they seem to have an endless supply of musical ideas with notable
tracks like Revenga, Cigaro, Radio/Video, Question!, Sad Statue and
Lost in Hollywood. SOAD’s tunes are short, pounding, take unexpected
twist and turns and, interestingly enough, void of guitar solos.
SOAD is undoubtedly a unique metal band and it keeps the metal flag
flying high, and to think that there is still more to come later in
the year with part two of the album, Hypnotize.
This is a very good year for metal indeed! – By RIZAL JOHAN

Parliamentary polls in Nagorno Karabakh enclave
The News International, Pakistan
June 20 2005
STEPANAKERT: Voters went to parliamentary polls on Sunday in the
self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno Karabakh, a mostly ethnic
Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan, amid strong opposition from
Azeri authorities. Seven parties and 185 candidates were vying for
places in Nagorno Karabakh’s fourth parliament, with two thirds
of the parliament’s 33 seats to be elected directly and one third
under a proportional system. Nagorno Karabakh’s authorities have
said the vote is a chance to prove to the world the territory’s
independence. “I voted for stability, independence and prosperity,”
Nagorno Karabakh’s leader, Arkady Gukasyan, said after casting his
ballot. It was essential, Gukasyan said earlier, that the vote come
up to European standards in order to avoid harming Nagorno Karabakh’s
image and “the process of peaceful settlement with Azerbaijan”.

Voters go to polls in Nagorno Karabakh enclave
Tehran Times
June 20 2005
STEPANAKERT, Azerbaijan (AFP) – Voters went to parliamentary polls
Sunday in the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno Karabakh, a mostly
ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan, amid strong opposition
from Azeri authorities.
Seven parties and 185 candidates were vying for places in Nagorno
Karabakh’s fourth parliament, with two thirds of the parliament’s 33
seats to be elected directly and one third under a proportional system.
Nagorno Karabakh’s authorities have said the vote is a chance to
prove to the world the territory’s independence.
“I voted for stability, independence and prosperity,” Nagorno
Karabakh’s leader, Arkady Gukasyan, said after casting his ballot.
It was essential, Gukasyan said earlier, that the vote come up to
European standards in order to avoid harming Nagorno Karabakh’s image
and “the process of peaceful settlement with Azerbaijan”.
But Azerbaijan, which claims the territory, said any vote in the
region would remain illegal until hundreds of thousands of Azeris
banished from Nagorno Karabakh and seven surrounding regions were
allowed to return.
“Armenia is zealous to legalize the occupation… elections and
referenda on the occupied territories must be conducted only after
the territory’s restoration to Azerbaijan,” Azerbaijan’s election
commission said in a written statement on Saturday.
Nagorno Karabakh is widely seen as propped up by Armenia, which fought
a war with Azerbaijan over the territory in 1993 and 1994 that left
an estimated 25,000 people dead and forced a million people from
their homes, three quarters of them Azeri.
On Friday, Turkey, long at odds with Armenia and a staunch supporter
of Azerbaijan, joined its ally in criticizing the poll.
No foreign governments have sent observer missions, reflecting the
territory’s unresolved status.
But as voting got under way Sunday, monitors from non-governmental
organizations reported a number of minor violations.
Supporters of Araig Horutyunyan, a candidate closely linked to Nagorno
Karabakh’s leader, “were actively proselytizing” near polling stations,
said Antranig Kasabarian, local representative of the Tufenkian
foundation, a New York-based aid group.
Earlier, Gukasyan had rounded on opposition parties, accusing them of
“insinuations” and “libel” after they accused senior Karabakh officials
of abusing their positions in order to win support.
“False rumors were circulated that the authorities sanctioned pressure
on the electorate, threatened people… this didn’t and couldn’t
happen,” Gukasyan said.
Turnout was steady, with 21.8 percent of voters casting ballots by
11:00 am (0600 GMT), according to elections chief Sergey Nasibyan,
bringing the turnout close to the 25 percent threshold for the results
to be declared valid.
The unrecognized Nagorno Karabakh Republic has a population of
145,000. It is spread over eight regions of Azerbaijan including
Karabakh itself and comprises 14 percent of Azerbaijan’s overall
territory.
Preliminary poll results are expected late Monday or early Tuesday.
The parliament is elected for a five-year term.

Haut-Karabakh: forte participation aux législatives
Edicom, Suisse
19 Juin 2005
EREVAN (AP) – Quelque 90.000 electeurs etaient appeles aux urnes
dimanche a l’occasion de legislatives dans l’enclave armenienne du
Haut-Karabakh en Azerbaïdjan qui a proclame son independance.
Le Parti democrate de l’Artsakh, principale formation qui soutient le
gouvernement du president Arkadi Goukassian, et le parti d’opposition
Dachnak, devraient obtenir la majeure partie des 33 sièges. Artsakh
est le nom armenien du Haut-Karabakh.
Plus de 73% des electeurs ont glisse leur bulletin dans l’urne,
soit bien plus que les 25% requis pour que le scrutin soit valide,
selon le responsable des elections, Sergueï Nassibian.
Un cessez-le-feu proclame en 1994 a mis fin a une guerre de six
ans contre le pouvoir central azerbaïdjanais et a conduit a une
independance uniquement reconnue par l’Armenie. Le conflit a fait
30.000 morts et a entraîne le deplacement d’un million de personnes.
Aucun règlement politique n’a ete conclu en depit des efforts deployes
par la communaute internationale pour que les gouvernements armenien
et azerbaïdjanais trouvent une solution. La menace d’une reprise
des hostilites demeure donc. L’Azerbaïdjan estime que l’enclave,
qui lui avait ete rattachee lors du trace des frontières internes
a l’URSS dans les annees vingt, lui appartient pour toujours et que
seule une autonomie interne peut etre negociee. Les Armeniens, quant
a eux, qu’ils soient du Karabakh ou d’Armenie, jugent totalement
inenvisageable tout retour dans le giron de l’Azerbaïdjan.
AP
–Boundary_(ID_/USWyrWt17M1toL9aleQtQ)–

Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] leader says Karabakh’s future not with “totalitarian” Azerbaijan
Regnum, Moscow
19 Jun 05
19 June: Voting is under way in the unrecognized Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic [NKR] for the National Assembly of the fourth convocation.
Voters are remarkably active, a Regnum correspondent reports.
The president of Nagornyy Karabakh, Arkadiy Gukasyan, has already
carried out his civic duty. After he cast his vote he told journalists
that he voted “for independence, democracy and freedom of Artsakh
(Karabakh)”.
Commenting on Azerbaijan’s statements that the elections are illegal,
the president said that “for the time being, the attention of people
and observers is drawn to processes in Karabakh which directly relates
to NKR’s future independence”.
Gukasyan dismissed Baku’s statements on the need to adjust contacts
between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the republic
as flippant, adding that “by that, Azerbaijan is dragging out
the solution of its own problems”. “By proving that Karabakh is a
democratic entity, we shall once again show that our country has no
place in a totalitarian Azerbaijan,” Gukasyan said.
Replying to a question about the possibility of forming a coalition
government in Karabakh after the elections, he advised us to wait
for the outcome of the voting.
The Regnum correspondent reported that by now more than 200 voters
had their voting rights restored through courts.