Month: June 2005

ARA ABRAHAMIAN: RELEASE OF ARMENIAN PILOTS – OUR COMMON VICTORY
Pan Armenian News
11.06.2005 07:27
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The release of the Armenian pilots is our common
victory, President of World Congress of Armenians Ara Abrahamian
stated at today’s press conference dedicated to the release of 6
Armenian pilots held in jail in Equatorial Guinea. In his words,
Armenia did much for the release. “I cannot say it was easy”, he
noted. According to him, the Armenian government has been negotiating
the pilots’ release for over a year with several officials, including
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, visiting the African country. Ara
Abrahamian himself took the advantage of international contacts. As
result the Pope, UNESCO President and Russian Foreign Minister appealed
to the leadership of Equatorial Guinea. “There are people who think too
highly of my service. It is not true and will do harm not only to me
but also to all Armenian people. All I did was for the consolidation
of Armenian people”, he said. “For the first time we bought to the
Diaspora’s notion that there is a state, which is not indifferent
to the fate of its citizens independently of their location”, Ara
Abrahamian noted. “Though each country has its own laws I am convinced
our pilots are innocent and I am happy they are free now”, he said. At
the same time he added that he has undertaken some commitments to
the leadership of Equatorial Guinea and noted that they will aim at
the solution of social and financial problems available in the country.

CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEE NEEDED FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH?
A1plus
| 13:26:54 | 11-06-2005 | Politics |
Does the draft constitutional amendments adopted in the first
reading guarantee freedom of press? Should freedom of press be
fixed in the constitution? Won’t the Presinent’s absolute right of
forming commissions including the NCTR become sword of Damocles
for TV companies. We asked President of the Yerevan Press Club
Boris Navasardyan and chairman of the Associating of Investigatong
Journalists to comment on the issues.
Boris Navasardyan
The Constitution should create guarantees for any democratic institute.
Freedom of speech is not an exception. I think we will have serious
problems with censure during the next several years. It would not
harm if the Constitution excluded any kind censure. Declarations on
freedom of press should be adopted. The acting Constitution empowered
the President to solely form commissions. It refers not only to press
but to any independent body. The right of the parliament to form
various independent commissions should not be ruled out. The role
of the parliament in the formation of National Committee on TV and
Radio should be primary.
Edik Baghdasaryan
There is not a problem of Constitution and law in Armenia. Who said
that the Constitution should guarantee freedom of speech? Is there
need to fix in the Constitution a clause that would fording spiting
in the street or nibbling sunflower seeds? No. Thus freedom of speech
should be clear as it is.
Mher Arshakyan

CONSTITUTION DOES NOT PROVIDE GUARANTEES
A1plus
| 13:07:56 | 11-06-2005 | Politics |
Article 24 of the acting Constitution says, “Everyone is entitled
for to freedom of speech, including the freedom to seek, receive and
disseminate information and ideas through any medium of information,
regardless of state borders.” This proves that mass media should be
free and independent, however the Constitution does not guarantee it.
“The existence of an independent National Committee on TV and Radio is
not fixed in our principal law. Over this reason the Venice Commission
has may times proposed to fix the order of formation of the body
in the Constitution “, specialist of constitutional rights Vardan
Poghosyan noted. He stressed that the constitutions of all the states
provide for guarantees for independent pass media. “In countries like
Armenia there was never a real public TV or radio company . All the
companies are only instruments for political power. And it is the
acting constitution that forbids the NA to appoint a part of members
of the so-called independent NTRC”, he added.
The coalition’s draft constitutional amendments the following
clauses have been added, “Freedom of mass media and other sources of
information. The state guarantees the existence and activity of public
independent television and radio with a variety of informational,
cultural and entertainment programs. Proceeding form freedom,
independence and variety of information sources the broadcast is
controlled by an independent body, the decisions of which can be
re-considered in the court.” However the authority of the NA underwent
no changes: it cannot appoint NCTR.
“As compared to the acting Constitution only declarative clauses have
been expanded, but mechanisms are absent. Formation of the NCTR without
the NA means that all the members of the Committee will be appointed
by the executive power – either the President or the government”,
Vardan Poghosyan says.
He assures that the guarantees of the independent activity of the
NCTR should be necessarily fixed in the Constitution and at least
half of the members should be appointed by the National Assembly.
Victoria Abrahamyan

WEAK AUTHORITIES DO NOT NEED STRONG PRESS
A1plus
| 01:32:52 | 11-06-2005 | Politics |
The times when intractable journalists were threatned with violence
and pressure. Today they are influenced upon in a “lawful way”.
In the words of National Unity faction secretary Alexan Karapetyan
the draft constitutional amendments adopted in the first reading does
not secure freedom of mass media. “For foreigners Robert Kocharyan
is a democrat but within his country he is a tyrant”, he says.
Though the freedom of speech in Armenia is guaranteed by the
Constitution in reality it is not secured. For example the order
of formation of the National Committee on TV and Radio has not been
changed so far and this function has not been conveyed to the National
Assembly. Alexan Karapetyan is convinced that the new Constitution
provides for too much authority for the President. How should the
independence of TV companies secured? “Amalyan should be replaced and
at least 70% of the NCTR should be appointed by the NA. The chairman
can be appointed while the other members should be elected by the
National Assembly. However Robert Kocharyan does not empower the NA
with any authority”, he says.
National Unity in convinced that the example of NCTR shows that
pseudo-democracy is reigning in Armenia. “How can a person say: I
appoint members of the commission but I have nothing to do with the
activities of the commission? The NCTR is a corrupted organization,
which functions for one person. How can this structure secure
democracy?” he continues.
However not only TV companies are implied in the notion of mass
media. Much importance is attached to newspapers. Alexan Karapetyan
does not blame some newspapers for being financed by businessmen and
oligarchs. The opposition deputy understands that under the present
conditions newspapers should have means to pay for the services of
the printing offices while the population is not able to pay 300-400
drams for a newspaper to secure self-financing. The deputy suggests
the following, “We should create conditions allowing newspapers to
solve their financial problems. For example, a fund financing the
newspaper on a voluntary basis can be formed in the NA. The newspapers
worthy of such financing can be selected via international contests
with the independent commissions securing fairness of the selection”
According to the deputy, weak power wants weak press. However he
considers that there should exists some limitations on the issues
referring to the national security. In other cases the fourth power
should take up the role of “conscience” of the political field and
express the will of the nation.
Lena Badeyan
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS IN ARMENIA DESPERATELY AGGRESSIVE
A1plus
| 01:31:59 | 11-06-2005 | Politics |
Not long ago Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan stated that our press
is free more than it is needed.
Human rights activist Vardan Harutyunyan considers that Serge Sargsyan
confuses two notions – freedom and aggressiveness of press. “Free
press in the press that functions in free society, where each word or
thought finds response. If New York Times writes that a senator has
taken a bribe, it should bear responsibility for the information”,
he said. In his opinion, our press is desperately aggressive.
In his opinion, free press, strong state, free and strong citizens can
exist only in conditions of civic society. It is natural that there
can’t be free press until we have free society. “The authorities should
not complaint of aggressive press, as they do not have will for the
formation of civic society. According to Vardan Harutyunyan, freedom
of press should be fixed in the Constitution. “However implementation
of such a clause can be questioned presently”, he says adding that the
law “On Press” in not a necessity in Armenia. If freedom of speech is
fixed in the Constitution, it is enough. The law exists for introducing
limitations and divisions. I think no limitations should function in
this view.
According to another human rights activit, chairman of the Helsinki
Association Mikael Danielyan, there is no freedom of speech in
Armenia, though there is censure and self-censure, what badly harms the
democratic processes in the republic. Mikael danielyan also considers
that there shoud not be any law on press, since it would limit
constitutional rights. “Free press, no censure. This line is enough
for free press in the country. Any law limits rights”, he resumed.
Diana Markosyan
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 01:29:41 | 11-06-2005 | Politics |
DEPENDENCE OBVIOUS
The freedom of speech in Armenia is guaranteed by the Constitution.
“Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech”, Article 24 of the
Constitution says.
Is press free in Armenia? We addressed 100 citizens with this question
June 4-9.
“Press in not free either in Armenia or any other country”, one of
the respondents said. 52% agreed with this opinion. “Is Armenia a
free state? No. Thus press can’t be free either. When we become
an economically independent state our press will be independent of
authorities and oligarchs”, a man said. 28% of those surveyed consider
that press in partly free. “There are several opposition newspapers and
television sometimes raises urgent issues”, one of them said. Only 2 %
said press is free in Armenia.
18% found difficulty in answering. To remind, according the annual
report by Freedom House international organization press in Armenia
was rated as not free.

DO NOT DRINK JUICE IN THE STREETS
| 13:51:04 | 13-06-2005 | Social |
«The juice sold in the streets in poisonous», said deputy mayor of
Yerevan during today’s briefing and asked the representatives of Mass
Media to asked the residents of the city on behalf of him not to drink
juice in the streets. It turns out that the municipality has no means
to regulate or prohibit the selling of «dangerous» types of meals,
as according to the deputy mayor it is the problem of the communities
and the police.
As for what is poisonous in the juice, the municipality health and
social security administration head Armen Soghoyan commented on
it. According to him, last year the Health Ministry anti-epidemic
administration carried out investigations and found «harmful
viruses» in them. Besides, they are not always clean, and, which is
most important, the people selling juice are not always in good health.
Asked the question if the same juice sold in big markets will cease
to be harmful he answered, «The same juice sold in big markets will
cease to be poisonous as both the food and the shop-assistants are
checked regularly».
Although the municipality in mainly content with the course of the
works against street commerce, still they confess that there much
to do. According to the city mayor, in the streets only flowers and
ice-cream can be sold, and coffins and suchlike staff can be sold
only in the area near cemeteries.
–Boundary_(ID_EQJFxfaKZ9UJPI5EDZz3pg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEGATIVE EVALUATION
A1plus
| 13:39:45 | 13-06-2005 | Politics |
The party «Human Rights and Democracy» organized a survey with
the theme «Elections of the Avan community head» asking questions
to 38 political bodies. 97.0% of them evaluated the organizations
of elections with only one candidate negatively. Let us remind you
that the son of the Prime Minister Taron Margaryan was elected head
of the Avan community.
Asked the question why there was no other candidate in the election of
the Avan community head, 69.0% answered, «Probably the Parliamentary
majority had agreed upon it, the opposition considered it all in
vain, and individuals avoided to compete with the son of the Prime
Minister».
29.0% of the participants of the survey thought that the Prime
Minister has exercised pressure. 68.2% thought that not referring
to the elections the political powered committed a grave political
error. 22.3% thought that they did not consider it proper, as those
who violated the law in 2003 have not been punished yet.
–Boundary_(ID_xH2S9qekZ3p+/Jp/y5SA+g)–

PACE TO WAIT FOR NATURAL CHANGE OF GENERATIONS
A1plus
| 13:50:10 | 11-06-2005 | Politics |
“All rights including the principles of freedom of mass media should be
fixed in the Constitution, but it does not mean that there should not
be any law for regulating the field or creation of some limitations
within the frames of the international documents, specifically the
European Convention on Human Rights and Freedoms”, Vice Speaker of
the Armenian National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosyan stated.
“There is an erroneous opinion spread in Armenia that should be
corrected. Only with the help of documents, Constitution and laws
we will never live a proper life. Is there a mechanism that allows
an individual or media to gain respect and protection of rights? “It
is very important to create a mechanism, which provided punishment
for every violator of human rights. If everything in life could
be regulated by laws and the Constitution it would be perfect”,
T. Torosyan said adding that traditions and culture is no less
important. According to him, during the recent years the preference
was given to the economic reforms, today it is necessary to reconsider
this approach and proceed to public and political reforms
As for the independence of mass media, the order of appointment of
the National Committee on TV and Radio is very important. According
to the legislative amendments made at PACE’s request, the order of
the appointment has allegedly become more transparent and members are
appointed on competitive basis. The President announces a contest and
appoints the winners members of the committee, who later elect the
chairman. According to coalition’s draft constitutional amendments
neither the NA nor any other body has the rights to appoint the
committee members. Thus, as a matter of fact the problem has not
been settled.
To remind, PACE demanded on the basis of the last amendment to the
law on the NCTR to change the composition of the Committee. Thus,
only three members of the committee were elected on competitive basis.
Tigran Torosyan noted that if we lived in a country where unwritten
laws functioned members of the present committee would resign by their
own will, a contest would be announced and new composition formed.
However in our country even written laws do not work properly,
consequently the law and PACE will have to wait until natural change
of generations.
Diana Markosyan

SUCCESSFUL START OF LILIT MKRTCHYAN
A1plus
| 14:45:55 | 13-06-2005 | Sports |
In Moldova the Women’s Chess European Championship has started. From
the Armenian Chess players Lilit Lazarian has made a wonderful start
winning the first two games. Besides her, 20 other chess-players
have also won 2 points, and it is clear that the battle for the first
place will be really hot.
In the third round Lilit Lazarian will play with Firuza
Velikhani. Elina Danielyan has 1.5 points after the first two rounds
and in the third she will play with Eugenia Ovod. The other two players
representing Armenia – Lilit Galoyan and Siranoush Andreasyan, have
won 1 point each.