Month: June 2005

Official Kremlin Int’l News Broadcast
June 10, 2005 Friday
RADIO INTERVIEW ON RUSSIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH IGOR CHUBAIS,
DIRECTOR OF THE RUSSIA STUDIES CENTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FRIENDSHIP
OF PEOPLES RADIO OF RUSSIA, 10:30, JUNE 10, 2005
Anchor: Dear friends, I welcome everybody who is listening Radio
Russia. I am Vitaly Ushkanov, and this is persona grata. Perhaps,
some of you do not know that the Sunday is a holiday, Day of Russia.
Please, don’t feel hurt by what I say, but I am not at all sure that
everybody has heard about this day. And I am absolutely sure that
many of my fellow citizens will not be able to give the correct name
of the holiday: either it is Independence Day or Day of Russia.
Doctor of Philosophy Igor Chubais, who is the Director of the Russia
Studies Center at the Russian University of the Friendship of
Peoples, is persona grata on Radio Russia. Welcome to our studio,
Igor Borisovich.
Chubais: Thank you and good day.
Anchor: Good day. Is June 12 a real holiday for you?
Chubais: I think it’s largely artificial, even though if we recall
our past and the year when this holiday was proclaimed, the
sentiments were quite different. So, it was all clear and reasonable.
But we tend to forget our history very quickly, especially our recent
history. This is why there is so much artificial about it. But I do
not think that the holiday must be scrapped. I would say it must be
filled with meaning; it must be a day when we should think about our
country, its problems and difficulties, about how to solve these
problems. If I could, even though many people will not agree with me,
I would leave only one of 10 entertainment television shows and make
the nine of them intellectual shows, I would also proclaim June 12 a
Day of Intellectual Quest, a Day of Dialogue Between Authorities and
People, a Day of Meditation, a Day of Search for Solutions.
There are so many problems, there is so much tension, and there is
such a big potential for discontent in the country and outside it.
Sometimes I look at forecasts made by Western analysts, and I see
that they are very negative, even I don’t believe them. But they are
very negative. So, we must think about it, and concentrate on solving
our problems.
Anchor: But one day will not be enough for that.
Chubais: You are right, problems cannot be solved in one day, but at
least it will be a day when we can speak about it in full voice and
discuss our problems. I repeat, a dialogue between authorities and
society — we have seen dialogues between the president and people in
the streets, which the press said were well rehearsed, but we need a
genuine dialogue with real questions and real answers on this day. I
think that would be very appropriate.
Anchor: Actually the press didn’t say it was also rehearsed. I
personally participated in the preparation of these live broadcasts
with the president, and you can trust me.
Chubais: I do, but I also trust what I read. By the way, I have
recently spoken on Voice of Russia, and the topic was Russians
outside Russia and hoe to help them. I said that Russia’s position,
authority, strength and might were the main factor of our help to
these people outside Russia. We should come up with claims not
against Latvia — I mean probably we should, but it’s not a top
priority at the moment. Our priority is the revival of the country.
Perhaps, we need an international conference, a world congress of
Russian thinkers and intellectuals. WE must understand what is
happening because this crisis has been around for 90 years, and the
time has come to put an end to it.
Anchor: How many years?
Chubais: Ninety years.
Anchor: In other words, it didn’t begin with Gorbachev’s perestroika.
Chubais: Of course not. I can explain.
Anchor: But why ninety?
Chubais: It’s a well known figure even though it was dug up from
archival documents not so long ago. At the beginning of the century,
from 1900 to 1916, and to be more precise from 1890 to 1916, Russia
showed the highest economic growth rates. But Russia was shot in
midair, while it was on the rise. That’s when the ill- known events
happened.
It was the year 1917. It was the first disintegration of our state.
Communists say that they created the biggest state in the world. But
in the year 1917 Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
separated. Lenin gave away part of Armenia, and part of Georgia to
Turkey, and so on. We can often hear that China has its Taiwan.
Russia doesn’t have Taiwan. In his well-known essay “The Island of
Crimea” Vasily Aksyonov showed what would have happened if Wrangel
had stayed in the Crimea.
But we do have our own Taiwan, or sort of. I mean Finland, because
Finland was called Chukhnya in 1917, and life in Finland at that time
differed little from life in the rest of Russia. Many Finns still
know Russian. So, what I want to say is that by the time of the
Soviet Union’s disintegration in 1991, the Soviet-Finnish border had
become the most contrast border in Europe. There are no other two
countries that are located next to each other, and at the same time
live in two different worlds, economic, cultural, financial and so
on.
I personally have no complaints against our people, our fellow
citizens who have gone through hard trials, repressions, hunger, wars
and deficiencies, trying to rebuild the country. But if they failed,
if no communism was built, it was not built not because the people
were bad but because authorities were incapable and because they made
a lot of mistakes.
So, the year 1991. We can go into long discussions about communism
and the Soviet Union, but simply go to Helsinki and then come back.
And that will be an answer to communists. But the problem is even
worse and bigger. The Soviet Union broke up in 1991, losing Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania and others. Today, 15 years on, the
Russian-Estonian border, the Russian-Lithuania border are becoming
contrast borders. These countries do not have oil, gas, forests or
natural resources. And yet they are ahead, the average salary in
Lithuania is $300.
Anchor: But maybe they are ahead because they have no oil.
Chubais: I don’t think so. I think it depends on how well a country
is run. Because if a person has huge resources, but he doesn’t use
them, then it is this person, not the resources, who takes the blame.
Fact sheet: Igor Borisovich Chubais is the Director of the Russia
Studies Center at the Russian University of the Friendship of
Peoples. He was born in Berlin on April 26, 1947, graduated from the
Department of Philosophy at Leningrad University and completed a
course of post-graduate studies at the Academic Institute of
Sociology. He taught at the Mukhina Art School and Institute of
Theater Art.
At the beginning of the 1990s, he was an active participant in the
democratic movement and one of the leaders of Moscow’s Perestroika
and Perestroika-88 clubs. He was a member of the Coordination Council
of Democratic Platform in the CPSU, he published the Novye Vekhi
almanac. He has been analyzing the philosophical aspects of social
and historical processes in our country since 1992. He introduced the
term “philosophy of Russia”. In 1996 he published his first monograph
on this issue titled “From the Russian Idea to the Idea of a New
Russia”.
The monograph won a contest at Harvard University, it was then
translated and published in the US. He is the author of the “Course
of Lectures on Dialectics”. He is currently working on a new
monograph called “Fathomed Russia”. In the year 2000 he proposed to
begin a search for a modern Russian idea. He initiated the
introduction of a new subject, Russian Studies, in the national
system of education, and he was one of its authors.
Chubais is a core author and executive editor of the textbook on
Russian studies for senior grades in secondary school. He has a
doctorate degree in philosophy. Chubais is a Professor at the
Department of Social Philosophy at the Russian University of the
Friendship of Peoples and a member of the Board of the Union of
Literary Workers of Russia.
He is married, his daughter has graduated from the Law Department of
the Institute of Economics and Law. Igor Chubais says his biggest
hobby is his work.
Anchor: Twenty years ago, in April 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to
power. So, it’s a jubilee, even though it passed calmly and
unnoticeably. Gorbachev touched the Russian landscape, and this
triggered titanic geopolitical changes. Now we are living in a
different country. Has there been anything during these 20 years that
was positive?
Chubais: There have been many positive details and things, and some
of them we don’t even see. The first thing that comes to mind is
this. We always complain about people from the Caucasus. I have a
very clear memory of how we lived before 1991, and I remember that
one couldn’t buy fruits in Moscow even in summer. And if barges of
watermelons arrived, all of the fruits were cracked because they were
no one’s, no one was making money on that, and they were shipped just
for the sake of some plan.
Now beautiful fruits are available in Moscow all the year around. And
we owe this to our Azerbaijani brothers who supply them here. There
are problems, of course, and there are excesses. I know that they buy
cucumbers in large amounts from the Moskovsky state- owned farm. Why
aren’t our own people, Muscovites, doing it? Well, that’s another
question. Bu supplies have improved. Retailing has reached the world
level, the Western level. Although the West may not be the ideal
model, but our retailing has become wonderful. You come to a store,
and you get served, you do not beg the sales attendant who shows you
one and the same pair of shoes and says: You may choose. Just like
you had only one party, the CPSU, to choose from, so you had one pair
of shoes to choose from.
All this is now available, and of course, there are arguments about
democracy. Surely we don’t have a true democracy. I agree with
Alexander Isayevich there. But it is also true that we do not live in
a totalitarian state. And what I tell my students in my lectures —
they can’t even imagine that if they had asked the kinds of questions
they are asking me now 25 years ago the professor was obliged to
report on such students, and both the professor and the students
would have been sent to jail. So, we do not live in a totalitarian
country, but the new opportunities that have arisen have not been
taken advantage of, they just remained opportunities, and what is
more, they are gradually going. The authorities failed to do a proper
job and society proved too weak to put things in order and to bring
about a radical change.
So, I wouldn’t say that 20 years have been wasted, but many
opportunities have been missed and a lot of what could have been done
has not been done. By the way, when they say that 15-20 years is
nothing, that it is too short a time, some serious politicians with
whom I talk from time to time, say that we have to wait 200 years.
But I have already said that early in the 20th century Russia made a
big economic leap with 16 years. And in an earlier era, in the first
seven centuries in Russian history, from the 8th to the 14th
centuries, in fact, Russia was looking for a center around which the
country could be built. They tried Staraya Ladoga, they tried
Novgorod the Great, the tried Kiev, they tried Suzdal and Vladimir
until Ivan Kalita in 1325 — and he ruled Moscow for just 15 years —
he said: This will be the place from where we shall start — Moscow.
And it worked, and he gave a colossal impetus to Russian history
which lasted 500 years. He started adding to our territory 500 years
ago and in 500 years we reached from the Kremlin walls to Alaska, to
Finland and to Central Asia.
This is to say that a lot can be done in 15 years if you only put you
mind to it.
Anchor: For some reason people tend to remember not Kalita, but Moses
who was leading his tribe in the desert for 40 years.
Chubais: One might as well recall Moses. Well, Moses was leading his
tribe in one and the same place. By the way, this is just a myth, it
has been proven to be a myth, while Kalita is true history.
Anchor: Our politicians were fond of remembering it because 15 years
is a foreseeable time span whereas in 40 years these politicians will
be gone.
Chubais: Yes, in that case you absolve yourself of responsibility. By
the way, one of the favorite theses trotted out by Mikhail
Sergeyevich (Gorbachev) when asked about responsibility, he says: “I
talked with Deng Xiaoping some time ago and he said that we could
form a final judgment in about a thousand years. No, assessments must
be made now and we understand what mark should be put to all that has
been done.
Anchor: But you have mentioned that Gorbachev’s assessment in popular
consciousness has changed, it has been much more positive over time.
Is it just because some things tend to be forgotten, or is it because
that from a distance you can see now that Mikhail Sergeyevich had
really accomplished something?
Chubais: I think there are many reasons. To be quite frank, I can
give you an example. For seven years I was very active in civil life
and in politics, I did it daily from the beginning of perestroika and
until 1992. And it was only in 1992, in 1993 that I realized that the
main thing is not who you are fighting against, but who will come to
replace the present leaders because the next man may be worse than
the man you are striving to remove.
Therefore, against the background of what is taking place, Gorbachev
doesn’t look all that bad or feeble as he appeared to be when he was
in power. I think there were some fundamental mistakes and
irreconcilable contradictions in the Gorbachev’s policy. He didn’t
really know the country in which he lived because, to quote Andropov
— one of the few quotable things that Andropov ever said – – the
situation of ideology and censorship dupes not only society but it
dupes the dupers themselves. They are out of touch with what is
happening. He could not take the right decisions. He did not see
where he was. Just like it is known from physics that an invisible
man should be unable to see anything himself. These are just the laws
of physics.
A state based on ideology, that is, on lies and on censorship, cannot
truly understand what is happening. This is the affliction of all the
leaders who are divorced from the people, divorced from society.
Anchor: Okay, in 1991 we were at a crossroads. We faced the question,
which way to go. The question that was hotly debated at the time was,
which road leads to the temple? Do you think that the elite and
society had taken the wrong turn at the time?
Chubais: Yes, I think so. Society is society. There was no unity
between society and the elite, that’s one thing. And secondly, I
don’t think that in 1991 everybody understood the situation and make
a clear forecast and predict what would happen. It was very difficult
at the time.
After 70 years of depressing unity it is hard to understand
everything over night. It was a tall order. So, it’s easy for me to
speak today, but it was not so easy at the time. At the time, many
things were not understood. What we did not understand at the time
could form a separate subject. The democrats were sincerely deluded,
because I was one of them, a participant and a leader of that
process. I organized the first rallies in Moscow and so on.
I would say that the past years were wasted. To me an example is what
has been accomplished in the countries of Central Europe, the former
Eastern bloc countries.
The first step after they freed themselves from tyranny, from the
communist dictatorship, was to restore the constitutions of those
countries that they before the communist takeover. Secondly, having
restored the constitution, the immediately suspended that
constitution and started reworking it to fit into it the situation in
which they were at the time.
Drawing on their own historical experience, not somebody else’s, not
the Western or the Eastern experience, but their very own experience
of history, they modernized their constitutions, reformed them and
adjusted them to accommodate what happened in those countries during
40 years.
I think that — indeed I am convinced though not everyone would agree
with me, but I have published some papers and books and started and
school of thought called “Continuity,” and there are dozens of
scholars who come to the same conclusions, namely, that the way out
of our crisis — although our crisis is deeper and more complicated
than the crisis in Central Europe — is continuity with the 1000 year
history of Russia. We should take the ideas and values of the
1000-year-old Russia and adapt and reform them so that they fit the
present day, bearing in mind what happened in the Soviet Union and
outside the Soviet Union.
But the key problem is to restore our identity. We simply don’t
understand who we are when we argue whether our true holiday is
November 4 or November 7. It is not about November, it is all about
us. It is an argument about whether we trace our lineage to the
1,000-year-old Russia or to the Soviet Union. You cannot move forward
without realize who you are. This is a fundamental problem. Our
crisis is not primarily economic or military or educational — ours
is a crisis of identify. This is the main problem.
Anchor: But every individual problem has a name, a social status, a
place of residence, he remembers his parents, he has children and he
plans his life. Perhaps, that is enough?
Chubais: Well, first of all, different people take a different view
of their history and their past. Some write to Radio Russia: “Our
Motherland is the USSR.” For me the Motherland is the 1,000- year-old
Russia and not the Soviet Union.
Some say that the break of the Soviet Union was the greatest
catastrophe of the 20th century, but I think that the greatest
catastrophe was 1917 that brought to power the regime and the
ideology which was doomed to experience 1991. The catastrophe of 1991
had its origins in 1917, it was guaranteed. So, we should sort all
these things out. Confusion in people’s heads, dislocation in
people’s heads, but also a kind of renaissance in people’s heads. So,
we should restart intellectual debate first.
Anchor: I see that you have the book on the desk in front of you
entitled “Russian Riddle Solved.”
Chubais: Yes, exactly.
Anchor: Can you claim that you have managed to solve the Russian
mystery?
Chubais: It’s a tricky question because — yes, I have. At the same
time, of course, I haven’t. At least I have started untangling the
mystery. And I think I have offered solutions to some philosophical
things — philosophical problems.
By the way, when Alexander Isayevich Solzhenitsyn recently gave his
interesting interview which everybody watched and he said that the
national idea is still a problem, I happened to drop in on some of
his friends and I asked them to pass on this book to Alexander
Isayevich and I wrote in the dedication: “And still, the problem of
the national idea has been solved, Alexander Isayevich,”
Anchor: And you think you have solved this problem?
Chubais: Yes, of course.
Anchor: And his suggestion that preservation of the people can
provide such a national idea — doesn’t it suit you?
Chubais: It suits me down to the ground. I absolutely agree with
this, but the roots go much deeper. First, the national idea is not
something that has to be invented. To put it in a nutshell, as I
said, Kalita began putting the country together, and Russia existed
for 500 years like an empire that constantly expanded and grew in
size. Even during the troubled times new land acquisitions continued
not because someone in Moscow issued such an order but because it
that’s how people felt about it, they felt the need to acquire new
land. By the way, these new territories never became colonies. And
this is what differs the Russian empire from others. It is absolutely
wrong when people say that Russia should disintegrate because all
empires have disintegrated.
When Novgorod was acquiring new territories, it turned them into
colonies and robbed them. But Moscow didn’t do that, and their
economic position never worsened and even improved. So, this
expansion continued for 500 years, till the second third of the 19th
century. But 100 years ago the time came when it was necessary to
stop the quantitative growth because it led nowhere. The Soviet Union
was an attempt to continue the strategy of growth at the time when it
was no longer feasible. “We will stir a global fire, we will raze
churches and prisons to the ground,” Red Army soldiers sang but never
succeeded. The world communist movement broke apart, just as the
world socialist camp and the Soviet Union did.
So, one of the fundamental values of the revived Russian idea is a
transition from expansion to development, to qualitative growth,
which means taking care of people, directing most of the budget funds
to education, new technologies, culture, science, and communications.
The Academy of Sciences must not be closed. At first they drive
scientists into poverty and then complain that they don’t have new
ideas. But how can they if all of them have gone to the West? Bring
the money back to science because it is our pride, history,
intellect, identity, distinction and intellectual potential. It is
necessary to increase the financing of education and science and to
make the Academy of Sciences an ideal of society. We must advertise
not beautiful legs, which we can see everywhere nowadays, but
scientists. Newspapers should publish photographs of outstanding
scientists who make great discoveries for the country on their front
pages.
Anchor: Let there be both legs and scientists.
Chubais: Let there be legs, too. As I said, there is no need to close
all entertainment shows, but one of ten will be enough.
Anchor: There is a belief that our citizens shun away from such words
as democracy and reform, that they are not pleased with their life.
However, the latest studies done by the Institute of Public
Projecting show that it’s not quite so, that Russians adapt to a new
environment much better than the press says and than we think. What
do you think about these results?
Chubais: You know, words like democracy or socialism are very vague.
I can tell you, for example, that the word ‘socialism’ makes my blood
boil and fills me with hatred, or I can say that the word ‘socialism’
fills me with delight and a desire to go along this road. Because a
different meaning is put into this word. Socialism in the West, in
Western Europe is something different. Socialist International rules
there. The Federal Chancellor in Germany is a socialist, the leaders
of France, Spain, Portugal and Sweden have traditionally been
socialists. But at the same time, Stalin was also a socialist. So, it
is necessary to differentiate between the two.
And when I hear the word democracy, I always wonder what exactly is
meant. And that people adapt to a new life, that’s a very vivid word.
There is no need to adapt in democracy because one has to realize his
potential in democracy. And when I hear or read that the sultan of
Brunei wants to invest in Siberian projects, I want to say: we lose
$20 billion due to capital flight. Maybe we should bring this money
back first. Why do we need Brunei’s money that we will have to
return? Let us first create conditions that will not make our own
money flee the country. Business does not mean madmen or bastards.
That’s not the way to put things. These are sober and
commercially-minded people. If they can’t get dividends from their
profits in this country, they will take it to other places. So, let
us create normal conditions and then we can live without Brunei. And
we may even invest our own money in Brunei. Not me, of course.
Because I have none.
Anchor: Sociologists say that the attitude of Russian citizens toward
private ownership has changed during these past decades and they
respect private property, even though not other peoples but their
own.
Chubais: I think it is so. It is totally wrong to say that people in
Russia hate the rich. It is obvious that Alexander Solzhenitsyn is
not at all poor, but he has so much respect that probably no one else
has because he went through a lot of suffering and hardships to earn
it, he didn’t steal it. However, a noveau riche, who made a fortune
by sucking the money out of the state budget, he certainly evokes
feelings of protest and discontent. So, the wealth itself doesn’t
matter. What matters is where it came from. If a person is rich and
of high social standing but he has built his wealth honestly, we
applaud him. We should study his experience in order to know how he
did it. The only problem is that it’s very hard to do here.
Anchor: In other words, Russian people want to get at the core of the
problems.
Chubais: I think so.
Anchor: I have three short questions. What is your favorite type of
recreation?
Chubais: Actually I like to work. I haven’t had a vacation for three
years. I went away to Turkey for just one week this past May.
Anchor: Who would be your best opponent in a scientific discussion?
Chubais: I like discussions and I like an opponent if his reasoning
is correct, if he does not try to go personal, if he thinks
logically.
Anchor: And the last question. What would you wish to Radio Russia
listeners on the eve of Day of Russia?
Chubais: I will wish them health and good luck, I would wish them to
remember and love their country, and loving means feeling glad for it
and worrying for it when it has problems.
Anchor: We were talking with Igor Chubais, a doctor of philosophy and
the Director of the Russia Studies Center at the Russian University
of the Friendship of Peoples. He was our persona grata today. Thank
you for coming.
Chubais: Thank you.

MehrNews.com, Iran
June 12 2005
Iran to construct first wind power plant in Armenia
TEHRAN, June 12 (MNA) – Based on the accords signed by Iran and
Armenia recently, SANIR Co. will construct four units of wind power
plant in Armenia in the next two months, Ali Kadkhodaii, managing
director of SANIR Co. said on Sunday.
The capacity of the power plant is 2.5 MW experimentally and it is
the first of the power plant that Iran is to construct outside its
borders, he added.
Iran and Armenia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) here on
Saturday to bolster bilateral cooperation in the field of
electricity.
The MOU was signed by Iran’s Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf and
his Armenian counterpart Armen Movsisyan.
Under the MOU, Iran and Armenia reached consensus to implement the
third 400-kW two-circuit transmission line project, valued at 90
million dollars.
The two countries are also slated to implement the second phase of
Iran-Armenia pipeline project valued at 130 million dollars along
with the complementary project of the fifth unit of Harazdan thermal
power plant.
Under the framework of the agreement, Iranian companies of the Iran
Power Plant Projects Management Company (MAPNA) and SANIR are due to
add a new unit of gas power plant, capable of being transformed into
combined cycle, to Armenia. The project is worth 150 million dollars.

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 12 2005
Armenian FM: US Should Be More Active
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan urged the United States
(US) to become more involved in settling his country’s dispute with
Turkey, especially in persuading Turkey to reopen its border and
resume normal trade with its landlocked northern neighbor. Turkey was
one of the first states which recognized independent Armenia. However
when Armenian forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories
and claimed territories from Turkey, Ankara closed the territorial
borders while the air traffic has been free between Yerevan and
Istanbul.
“The United States is active in this, but we would like to see them
more engaged,” Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said Friday
after a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. “I
believe the United States can be more assertive on the border matter.
Not other matters, but on the border.”
However Turkey urged the Armenians to withdraw from Azerbaijan. The
OSCE, the EU and the US named Armenian forces `occupier’ and
Azerbaijan is the only European country which 20 percent of its
territories are under occupation by another European state.
Ankara called Yerevan to set a joint commission to discuss the
disputes yet Yerevan rejected. Dr. Sedat Laciner from ISRO says
`Erdogan Government is really sincere in restoring relations with
Armenia.’:
`However Armenia has many pre-conditions. In fact the side in need is
Armenia. Armenia needs Turkey than Turkey needs Armenia. Both sides
can solve their problems if the Armenian diaspora does not involve
the problems. Armenia should be integrated into rest of the region.
Azerbaijani and Kazakh oil and gas will bring wealth to the region.
Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan are getting integrated. Similarly the
trade volume between Turkey and Russia is rocketing. Armenia should
also join the rapid development. Otherwise the fate of the second
Armenian State will be similar to the first one. Armenians and Turks
should make anything possible to survive Armenian State. If we cannot
survive Armenia, the Armenian nation will become more diaspora. In
another word, more radical and incurable.’

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 12 2005
Armenia wants US help with Turkey border dispute
Armenia’s foreign minister urged the United States to become more
involved in settling his country’s dispute with Turkey, especially in
persuading Turkey to reopen its border and resume normal trade with
its landlocked northern neighbor.
The Turks closed the border in 1993 during Christian Armenia’s
six-year war with another Muslim neighbor, Azerbaijan.
“The United States is active in this, but we would like to see them
more engaged,” Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said Friday after a
meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
“I believe the United States can be more assertive on the border
matter. Not other matters, but on the border.”
Turkey closed the border after Armenian-backed troops from
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mainly Christian Armenian enclave ruled by
Azerbaijan when Armenia and Azerbaijan were Soviet republics, moved
into other parts of Azerbaijan, seized towns and approached the
Iranian and Turkish borders. A 1994 truce largely ended hostilities,
but a final settlement has not been reached.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 12 2005
Turkish MP in Armenia
Turkish MP: ‘I will Defend the Opening of the Border and You will Say
There is No So-Called Genocide’
By Jan Soykok (JTW) with Fatih Ugur, Tuncay Kayaoglu (Cihan)
* The meeting in Armenian between Justice and Development Party (AKP)
deputy Turhan Comez and his Armenian collegue Khachatur Sukiasyan has
produced an interesting dialogue.
* Comez proposed to Sukiasyan, one of the most important businessmen
of the country, ‘Let us go to our parliaments and make a statement
about the opening of the borders and leaving the Armenian genocide
claims aside’. However, the Armenian deputy did not welcome the idea.
While both of the deputies agreed that the problems should be left
aside and theyshould think about the future, Sukiasyan said that the
Turkish-Armenian border remaining closed was something
incomprehensible.
* Upon Comez’s suggestion to prepare a list of the existing problems
and work on them, the Armenian deputy said he did not want to talk
about the problems and repeated that all the problems should be put
aside. Upon this, Comez said, ‘Let’s work together. When I make a
speech about the opening of Armenian border gate in the Turkish
Parliament, you, in your parliament, explain that the events taking
place in 1915 were not a genocide, that this issue should be examined
by the historians and explain your respect for Turkey’s territorial
integrity. This will be a small step but it will be an important
start.”
* Saying that they should not trivialize these kinds of problems,
Sukiasyan said the relations should start without any pre-conditions.
Indicating that the events taking place in 1915 were very painful,
Sukiasyan said: “Even if you step on somebody’s foot, you apologize.’
Upon this, the AKP Deputy reminded of what the Armenian gangs did in
1915 and the diplomats assassinated by the Armenian organization
ASALA.
* Upon these remarks, the Armenian deputy told:
“These things are in the past now. We should not give damage to each
other.” Comez replied, “By establishing civil bridges, we can cope
with many problems. It is very important even to talk about these
problems.”
Saying that the closing of border gates is meaningless, Sukiasyan
emphasized that the public should be taken into consideration and
added: ” The events of 1915 made us hostile to each other. After the
opening of the border gates, we may have an opportunity for joint
growth and development. Armenia has a great and bright future. Let us
act together to make this region grow. There are problems even
between the brothers. The most important problem between us is the
opening of borders. We are neighbors, let us act as neighbors.”
Turkey has recently aimed to restore its relations with Armenia.
However the Armenian occupation in Azerbaijan territories and
Armenia’s ‘irredentist’ official documents prevent any improvement.
Armenian forces occupy 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories. The
Armenian Constitution calls Turkey’s Eastern provinces ‘Western
Armenia’: The Armenian diaspora in particular is against any close
relationship between Turkey and Armenia.

PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected], [email protected]
Website;
June 10, 2005
* * *
HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II, CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS MEETS WITH
GOVERNMENT AND ECUMENICAL GUESTS DURING VIP LUNCHEON IN LA
His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, met with
government and ecumenical guests on June 8, 2005 during a VIP Luncheon
hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Walter and Laurel Karabian. The Luncheon was
held in the Kalaydjian Hall of the Arshag and Eleanor Dickranian
Complex of the Western Diocese in Burbank.
His Holiness was accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese; His Eminence Archbishop
Nerses Bozabalyan of the Mother See; His Eminence Archbishop Vatche
Hovsepian, as well as several Diocesan clergy.
Mr. Richard Mushegain, Esq., former Chair of the Diocesan Council,
served as Master of Ceremonies. Mr. Walter Karabian, Esq. delivered
the opening remarks in which he welcomed His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, to the Western Diocese. Mr. Karabian
introduced his daughter, Madeline Karabian, who in both Armenian and
English, beautifully welcomed His Holiness on behalf of her family,
and gave a perspective on the family’s personal history and
involvement within the Western Diocese.
Over 200 guests including government and religious leaders were
present during the reception. Mr. Karabian acknowledged the federal
and state government and official leaders, as well as judges in
attendance. Local government leaders were introduced by Paul
Krekorian, President of the Burbank Unified School District.
His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western
Diocese, introduced the Ecumenical leaders who were present,
Rev. Fr. John Bakas, Dean of the St. Sophia Cathedral; Rev. Fr. Alexei
Smith, Director of the Ecumenical & Interreligious Office; His
Eminence Mor C. Eugene Kaplan, Archbishop of the Western Archdiocese
of the Syriac Orthodox Church; His Grace Bishop Serapion, Primate of
the Coptic Orthodox Church; Rev. Dr. Paul Lance; Dr. Michael Mata,
Claremont School of Theology; Rev. Dr. Fr. Efstathios Mylonas, Coptic
Orthodox Church; Bishop Dean Nelson, Evangelical Lutheran Church;
Rev. Fr. Justin Rose, Greek Orthodox Church; Rev. Dr. Lloyd Saatjian,
United Methodist Church; Rev. Gregory Bishay, Coptic Orthodox Church;
Albert Cohen, Southern California Ecumenical Council, Rabbi Mark
Diamond, Board of Rabbis, Rev. Fr. Gwynne Guibord, Episcopal Diocese
of LA; Rev. Mark Jauffman, Chaplain of Glendale Memorial Hospital;
Dr. Jay Johnson, Southern California United Church of Christ; Very
Rev. Josiah Trenham, Antiochan Orthodox Church; Rev. Sally Welch,
Southern California Ecumenical Council.
His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians addressed the
attendees, thanking them for their continued support of the Western
Diocese and her missions. He blessed them and conveyed to them his
love from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Government and civic leaders included Supervisor Michael Antonovich,
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor-Elect of Los
Angeles, Mary Boger, President, BUSD; Lisa Kalustian, Chief Deputy
Director, Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; Joyce Streator,
Council Member, Pasadena; Bob Yousefian, Glendale City Council; Greg
Krikorian, GUSD; Katherine Barger Leibrick, Chief Deputy to
Sup. Antonovich; Rafi Manoukian, Mayor of Glendale; Judge Ronald
Sohigian; Prof. Jonathan Kemp, Director, Davenport Institute; Peter
Abajian, Lena Kaimian and Nicole Shahian, Armenian Assembly; Randy
Adams, Glendale Chief of Police; Dennis Zine, Los Angeles City
Council; Dr. Michael Mata, Claremont School of Theology; James
Bozajian, Mayor of Calabasas; Haig Kartounian, District
Representative, Cong. Adam Schiff; Frank Quintero and Ara Najarian,
Glendale City Council; Michael Mahdessian, LA Planning Commission;
Andrew Adelman, General Manager, City of LA Dept. of Building and
Safety; Sarkis Aghazarian, Senior Building Inspector, City of LA
Dept. of Building and Safety; John Boyajian, LA Transportation
Commission; Berj Boyajian and Sarkis Kitsinian, Board Member, Mayor’s
office of International Trade; G. Steve Simonian, Chief, Bureau of
Investigations; Dr. Dean Nielsen, President, Woodbury University;
Congresswoman Lois Capps; Cindy Montanez, California State Assembly;
Laura Chick, LA City Controller; Maria Mehranian, Planning Commission,
La Canada; Linda Shahinian, Planning Commission, Culver City; Armond
Agakhani, Parks and Recreations Commission, Glendale.
* * *
MORTGAGE BURNING AND APPRECIATION EVENT IN VANCOUVER
Under the auspices of, His Grace Bishop Bakrat Galsdanyan the Primate
of the Canadian Diocese of the Armenian Church, and organized by the
Pastor and Parish Council of St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church of
Vancouver , ‘A Mortgage Burning and Appreciation Ceremony’ was held;
on Saturday, June 04, 2005, in the Setrak Kalpakian Hall. After the
banquet dinner, the MC of the day Mr. Arto Tavukciyan, Chairman of the
Parish Council, read a brief history of the start of St. Vartan Church
and community accompanied by a slide show about community events and
members pictures since 1967.
After the remarks of the MC, Archpriest the Pastor Rev. Father Keghart
Garabedian was invited to give his remarks. Father Keghart invited
His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan to give his massage and the
blessing. After the Primate’s remarks, the MC invited Mr. Hasso
Essmailian the general contractor and the building project manager and
Mr. Onnik Isbeceryan, the major fundraise,r to be honored by the
Church for their dedication and efforts in the life of the Church.
His Grace also honored Mr. Ed Hrant Souin by the Golden Cross medal of
the Diocese, on his 70th birthday and his long and devoted service, in
the life of the Armenian Church from East to the West coast.
At the end the MC, Mr. Arto Tacukciyan invited Mr. Vahak Kurkcioglu to
join the the Primate and the Pastor in the memorable Mortgage burning
ceremony.
* * *
FEAST OF HOLY ETCHMIAZIN AND THE BLESSING DAY OF STUDENTS
The feast of Holy Etchmiadzin was celebrated on Sunday June 5, 2005 at
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Cathedral of Montreal. In
September 2003, then newly elected Primate of the Diocese, Bishop
Bagrat Galstanian asked the pastors to perform the Blessing of
Students on the occasion of the feast of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Very Reverend Father Ararat Kaltakjian, Vicar General, of the Canadian
Armenian Diocese, celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Serving on the Holy
Altar, were the deacons and acolytes of the Cathedral. The Komitas
choir of the Cathedral sang the Holy Badarak directed by choirmaster
Varuzhan Margaryan. Hundreds of faithful, together with the students
of AGBU the Director Mr. Robert Kechayan and the school teachers
attended the service. The participation of the students in singing the
Divine Liturgy was highly appreciated.
Following the Divine Liturgy Der Vazgen Boyajyan invited the students
to come forth and receive the blessings of Father Ararat. Around 50
students received the blessing after which Father Ararat highlighted
the importance of Armenian School in the life of our community. On
behalf of the Primate, Father Ararat congratulated the students and
wished them many successes in their future academic work.
As a concrete expression to their love towards the mother Church,
students of AGBU Armen Quebec Alex Manougian school presented, a
miniature of Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, which was made
possible by the collective work of students.
* * *
ARMENIAN PAVILLION DRAWS LARGE CROWDS AND MISSISSAUGA MAYOR
More than 4000 people filled the Armenian Pavillion in Mississauga’s
multicultural festival ‘Carassauga’ last weekend. For the second year
in a row, St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga, introduced the
Armenians and their history and culture to the Mississauga and
surrounding area communities.
Friday evening and Sunday afternoon, delegates from the Diocesan
Council meeting in nearby St. Catharines, led by Canadian Primate His
Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanian and St. Vartan’s Parish Priest Very
Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan, visited the pavillion.
Saturday afternoon and evening were the busiest times, with
standing-room-only when Mississauga’s Mayor Hazel McCallion dropped by
for a visit. She was greeted by Pavillion Mayor Berge Shalvardjian,
Parish Council Chairman Vartegez Simonian, and Pavillion Chair Noush
Tahtadjian, all of Mississauga.
A three-day event, the pavillion managed to raise a substantial amount
towards St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church of Mississauga’s building
fund. St. Vartan is actively looking for property to house its
faithful, as it has been renting facilities since it was established
as a parish in 1990 by Canada’s previous primate, Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian.
The Armenian Pavillion received many favorable comments for its new
painted canvas awnings and other canvas paintings of Armenians in
traditional dress The food and beverage committee was praised for its
selection of delicious Armenian foods like lahmadjoon, kubeba,
beoregs, sarma and shish kebabs.
The dance troupe, The Armenia Folk Dance Ensemble, led by Toronto
choreographer Arpi Meras, once again amazed the crowd, with their
grace, fancy footwork and acrobatic feats. The pavillion also
featured the voice of Nersik Ispirian and his band playing popular and
well-known Armenian music. The lively music created an energetic and
welcoming ambiance for visitors who were encouraged to join volunteers
on the busy dance floor and learn Armenian dancing. It was satisfying
to see how many of them did get up and give it a zealous try.
A huge undertaking, the event depends entirely on the hard work and
enthusiasm of St. Vartan’s faithful who generously volunteer their
time and skills. There were more than 50 men, women, youth and even
children who volunteered at the Armenian Pavillion this year.
Volunteers also manned booths selling Armenian foods from Armenia
including the popular rose petal jam, Armenian artifacts like
khatchkars, paintings by a local Armenian artist, CDs and videos of
Armenian artists, and a popular cultural booth where Armenian history
and culture were explained to visitors.
Admission to the Armenian Pavillion was by passport. There were 22
pavillions participating in this year’s Carassauga. Many Armenians
from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) attended, giving their support to
St. Vartan.
* * *
NEWS UPDATE FROM SAINT VARTAN CHURCH PARISH OF MISSISSAUGA
a) Junior Choir Sings at St. Vartan, Mississauga: The angelic voices
of St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church Junior Choir of Toronto sang
at the last Badarak before summer break for St. Vartan Armenian
Apostolic Church faithful, Sunday, June 5. The 30 boys and girls came
by bus with their Choirmaster Lena Beylerian.
Mrs. Beylerian has been leading the Junior Choir since 1999. Karin
Simonian, daughter of St. Vartan Parish Council Chairman Vartegez
Simonian, is the sole Mississauga member of the choir. The children
sang soprano-alto and included solos.
The church was filled with more than 100 faithful. Following his
sermon, Very Rev. Fr. Hayrik Hovhannisyan blessed the parish’s five
high school graduates and presented them each with a Bible to give
them guidance as they continue their education. Grade 12 graduates
Steven Beler, Danny Hanna, Nairi Kazazian, Lara Sevadjian and Taline
Shalvardjian were wished success in their future.
Members of St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, Oakville, had also been
invited to attend this service. St. Vartan rents St. Cuthbert’s
facilities for its Badaraks. Regular Sunday Badaraks will resume in
September for St. Vartan parishioners.
b) A Memorable Evening: If you missed it, it’s too bad. Friday
night’s Kef Night was a terrific party with high energy dancing and
great food. Hosted by St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga, the
event was held in Holy Trinity Armenian Church’s Magaros Artinian Hall
in Scarborough.
About 100 adults, children and youth enjoyed a memorable evening and
had nothing but praise for the event.
St. Vartan’s volunteers at the Armenian Pavillion at Mississauga’s
multicultural festival Carassauga were thanked by St. Vartan Parish
Council Chairman for their time and effort in making the second annual
event a success on the May 27 weekend. The Kef Night also celebrated
the fifth wedding anniversary of Pavillion Chair Noush Tahtadjian and
her husband Cyril.
The many lottery gifts were provided by High Fashion Handbags Ltd.,
J.C. Appliance Ltd., Dr. and Mrs. Cyril Tahtadjian and Mr. and
Mrs. Berge Shalvardjian. Edmond Ayvazyan of E & A Sound was the disc
jockey for the evening.
* * *
JOIN THE DIOCESAN SUMMER CAMP -AN EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER-
We are pleased to offer this wonderful overnight camp, August 8 – 13,
2005 at Echo Lake, Frontenac County (approximately 50 km NW of
Kingston, Ontario.) This is a Christian-based facility consisting of
several acres of wooded property, together with sandy beach for
relaxing and swimming, a fireside area overlooking the lake and sports
fields.
Come enjoy our overnight summer youth program (open to children 8 to
14 years old), consisting of land and water sports activities, arts
and crafts, music and religious education, and wonderful snacks and
home cooked meals prepared by our In-house Chef. Our new Counselor in
Training (CIT) program provides an opportunity for young adults (15-17
years old) to develop leadership skills and friendships in the context
of Christian camping. Our capable, trained staff of counselors and
staff are sure to make the children’s experience a safe, fun and
memorable one.
The vision of Camp Ararat is to one day have our own camp facility,
where the children of our Diocese from across Canada can come together
and not only create everlasting friendships with one another, but also
where they can strengthen the bonds with the Armenian Apostolic
Church, which is an integral part of their culture and heritage. This
same facility would serve as a central location to be used for various
other Diocesan projects and activities. Come join us in realizing our
vision and making it a reality. The future of our people lies in the
eyes and hearts of our children. Let’s make it happen.

NEF President Featured Speaker at Capitol Hill – Commemoration of
Armenian Genocide – posted Wednesday, April 27, 2005
“Something of a long term benefit has come from the terrible malice
perpetrated in the Armenian Genocide,” Near East Foundation President
Ryan A. LaHurd, Ph.D. noted during his keynote address at the
Congressional Armenian Genocide Commemoration held in Washington D.C.
“The work of the Near East Foundation argues that humanity can respond
to evil with good, to despair with hope, and to destruction with
rebuilding,” the NEF President continued. “Perhaps more than anything,
the Near East Foundation’s continuity recalls that while human beings
are capable of extreme self-interest, we are also capable of great
generosity–and we celebrate the choice of generosity,” he told the
assembly of 200 distinguished guests attending the April 20th
reception and remarks.
They included the second keynote speaker, Henry Morgenthau III, who
shares the name of his grandfather, then U.S. Ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire whose urgent telegram to President Wilson about “the
destruction of the Armenian race in Turkey” prompted the founding of
the Near East Foundation (originally called Near East Relief).
Consequently the Near East Foundation also celebrates its 90th
anniversary this year as America’s first nationwide international
relief and development effort.
Quoting an early NEF leader’s comment–“everything we know we learned
from the orphans”–Dr. LaHurd spoke about the 100,000-plus orphans
among the million refugees who were fed, clothed housed and cared for
in NEF camps and orphanages: “What these philanthropists learned is
that if we are to truly help those in need, we must move beyond relief
into development, building their capacity through education and
supplying technical assistance and resources. In this way they can
build their own better future in independence and self-reliance.”
Near East Foundation’s work with the survivors of the Armenian
Genocide became the model for the Marshall Plan of post-World War II
recovery, Truman’s Point IV Program, the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP), he continued, emphasizing, “Good has come from evil;
hope, from despair.”
In his comments the NEF President also called attention to the Near
East Foundation’s operative philosophy in consonance with “American
commitment to investment rather than spending, understanding the time
and energy needed to help people learn new ways and change old
approaches in a manner that preserves what is most valuable in their
culture. Ironically, this very approach which gave birth to the
U.S. Agency for International Development has largely been abandoned,”
he took this opportunity to tell assembled congresspersons.
“In an effort to streamline their approach and supposedly become more
cost-effective, USAID and other government agencies which fund
international development, now fund almost entirely short term, very
large, tens-of-million dollar projects,” Dr. LaHurd stated, adding,
“This approach has given birth to large contractors whose sole purpose
is to manage such grants, often leaving organizations like ours–with
our hands-on, people orientation–out in the cold.”
Congressional leaders attending included Senators John Kerry and Paul
Sarbanes and from the House, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and
Congresswomen Anna Ashoo of California and Nita Lowey of New
York. Masters of ceremonies were co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus
on Armenian Issues, Congressmen Joe Knollenberg of Michigan and Frank
Pallone, Jr. of New Jersey. Armenian American representatives from
around the country included Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan of the Prelacy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern United States and
Canada, Mary Ann Kibarian of the Children of Armenia Fund, also the
Armenian Ambassador to the United States Tatoul Makarian.
Over the past decade, Members of Congress have joined with civic,
religious and human rights leaders and Armenian-Americans nationally
to solemnly mark the systematic annihilation of over 1.5 million
Armenian men, women and children during the first genocide of the 20th
century. This year’s remembrances were held in the historic Cannon
Caucus Room in the U.S. Capitol. They highlighted the unprecedented
U.S. diplomatic, political and humanitarian response to the Armenian
Genocide and focused on efforts today to properly reaffirm this crime
against humanity.
The introduction of the Near East Foundation was greeted by
particularly enthusiastic and sustained applause. Last year NEF
received the 2004 Freedom Award granted by the Armenian National
Committee of America, Western Region–their most prestigious–“for
your organization’s longstanding history of aiding the Armenian people
and others in their darkest hours.” In February NEF was honored at the
“International Relief, Refuge, and Recognition Tribute” held in Los
Angeles, where Dr. LaHurd also delivered the keynote address. That
event was sponsored by the Armenian Assembly, Armenian General
Benevolent Union and the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 12 2005
Iran’s Asalouyeh gas exports to reach $5 bln
LONDON – Gas exports from the southern energy rich region of
Asalouyeh will earn the country almost $5 bln a year.
Announcing this, Managing Director of National Iranian Gas Exports
Company Roknoddin Javadi told IRNA that his company had finalized
talks with foreign companies to export 20 mln tons of LNG and
contract for exporting an additional 7.5 mln tons will be signed in
the coming days.
Javadi said the deals for exporting gas to the UAE, Azerbaijan and
Armenia via pipeline have been finalized and talks are underway on
three more contracts.
Once the contracts are materialized, Iran’s annual earnings from LNG
exports will reach $3.5 bln to $4 bln and exports via pipelines will
fetch about $1 bln per year.

Zaman, Turkey
June 12 2005
‘I will Defend the Opening of the Border and You will Say There is No
So-Called Genocide’
By Fatih Ugur, Tuncay Kayaoglu, Zaman, Cihan News Agency
Published: Sunday 12, 2005
zaman.com
The meeting in Armenian between Justice and Development Party (AKP)
deputy Turhan Comez and his Armenian collegue Khachatur Sukiasyan has
produced an interesting dialogue.
Comez proposed to Sukiasyan, one of the most important businessmen of
the country, ‘Let us go to our parliaments and make a statement about
the opening of the borders and leaving the Armenian genocide claims
aside’. However, the Armenian deputy did not welcome the idea. While
both of the deputies agreed that the problems should be left aside
and they should think about the future, Sukiasyan said that the
Turkish-Armenian border remaining closed was something
incomprehensible. Upon Comez’s suggestion to prepare a list of the
existing problems and work on them, the Armenian deputy said he did
not want to talk about the problems and repeated that all the
problems should be put aside. Upon this, Comez said, ‘Let’s work
together. When I make a speech about the opening of Armenian border
gate in the Turkish Parliament, you, in your parliament, explain that
the events taking place in 1915 were not a genocide, that this issue
should be examined by the historians and explain your respect for
Turkey’s territorial integrity. This will be a small step but it will
be an important start.”
Saying that they should not trivialize these kinds of problems,
Sukiasyan said the relations should start without any pre-conditions.
Indicating that the events taking place in 1915 were very painful,
Sukiasyan said: “Even if you step on somebody’s foot, you apologize.’
Upon this, the AKP Deputy reminded of what the Armenian gangs did in
1915 and the diplomats assassinated by the Armenian organization
ASALA. Upon these remarks, the Armenian deputy told: “These things
are in the past now. We should not give damage to each other.” Comez
replied, “By establishing civil bridges, we can cope with many
problems. It is very important even to talk about these problems.”
Saying that the closing of border gates is meaningless, Sukiasyan
emphasized that the public should be taken into consideration and
added: ” The events of 1915 made us hostile to each other. After the
opening of the border gates, we may have an opportunity for joint
growth and development. Armenia has a great and bright future. Let us
act together to make this region grow. There are problems even
between the brothers. The most important problem between us is the
opening of borders. We are neighbors, let us act as neighbors.”

Al-Jazeera, Qatar
June 12 2005
Vote under way in key Lebanon areas
Sunday 12 June 2005, 15:05 Makka Time, 12:05 GMT

Sixty-three parliamentary seats are up for grabs in Sunday’s vote

Voters are heading into polling stations in central and eastern
Lebanon to decide nearly half the legislative seats, in the third
stage of staggered parliamentary elections.
A total of 1.25 million people are eligible to vote in the Mount
Lebanon and eastern Bekaa Valley regions on Sunday in the penultimate
stage of Lebanon’s first national election without the presence of
Syrian troops for three decades.

The most heated contests involve Christian leader Michel Aoun and his
allies against a coalition, led by Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, in
the central Baabda-Aley constituency and against a Christian alliance
in the Byblos-Kesrwan district.
Aljazeera’s correspondent in Lebanon, Ghassan bin Jiddo, reported
that tensions in some districts had proven too much for some voters.
Fighting broke out in Bekaa, and some people have been injured.
Mutual accusations among participants have also emerged in the
al-Matn area. Supporters of the Free National Trend alleged that some
alliances have distributed money to voters in public – an accusation
denied by all opposition parties.

About 100 candidates are competing in Mount Lebanon, with seats
allocated to different sects according to Lebanon’s power-sharing
political system.
Thirty-five seats are up for grabs in Mount Lebanon and 28 in the
Bekaa.
Two seats have been won uncontested in Mount Lebanon – Jumblatt and
ally Marwan Hamadeh, both lawmakers in the outgoing parliament.
Seats in the first two rounds of voting, in Beirut and the south, for
the most part were split almost evenly between opponents of Syria and
supporters of the Islamist Hizb Allah resistance organisation.
Unexpected alliances
Anti-Syrian forces need a strong showing in Sunday’s vote in the
central and eastern regions – at least 45 seats for a majority – to
win a firm grasp on the 128-member parliament.
But the campaign has led to some surprising alliances and left some
races too close to call.
The vote in central Mount Lebanon, the nation’s most populous region,
has been billed as the “mother of all battles” as it pits Jumblatt’s
allies against Aoun’s.
Aoun, who fought and lost a war against Syria in 1989 before going
into a 14-year exile, was one of Syria’s main Lebanese foes, but
recently broke with other opponents of Damascus and forged alliances
with pro-Syrian politicians.

Former exiled Christian General
Michel Aoun is hoping for victory

The anti-Syrian opposition also teamed up with Hizb Allah and the
pro-Syrian Shia Amal in some districts.
Aoun says his feud with Syria is over, now that Damascus has
withdrawn from Lebanon. He is campaigning on a promise to fight the
corruption he blames on Lebanon’s economic ills, including a national
debt of more than $30 billion.
In Metn, the former general has forged an alliance with pro-Syrian
politician Michel Murr and Armenian political party Tashnag, against
an anti-Syrian ticket, headed by legislator Nassib Lahoud and Pierre
Gemayel, son of former President Amin Gemayel.

And in Bekaa, a list backed by Saad al-Din al-Hariri, son of
assassinated former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri, is facing off
against pro-Syrian politicians.
Others in the anti-Syrian camp hope the elections, which end on 19
June with voting in the north, will finally end Damascus’s control of
the legislature.
Political tensions have spilled over into violence, and the
government has sent army and police reinforcements to Mount Lebanon,
the historic heart of the country.