Month: June 2005

Car pool The oilfields of Azerbaijan
The Guardian – United Kingdom
Jun 04, 2005
A dilapidated car lies abandoned in an oilfield near Baku. Thanks to
the new 1,094-mile Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which opened last week
and can transport a million barrels of oil a day, the impoverished
country is set to boost its income to almost pounds 4bn a year by
2007 Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

“KOCHARYAN HAS BEEN FLEXIBLE”
A1plus
| 20:11:39 | 03-06-2005 | Politics |
Armenia has taken upon the commitment to send the COE Venice Commission
the RA Draft Constitution adopted by the first reading in which the
offers of the Commission experts will be added till June 20. After
that on June 23-24 the same draft will be discussed in Strasbourg.
Let us remind you that the demands of the Venice Commission experts
consist of 3 points, which refer to the principle of sharing power,
independence of the judicial power and the electing of the Yerevan
mayor. “If everything is fine, I would like the Constitutional
referendum be organized not later than in October”, announced Venice
Commission secretary Gianni Bukikio while concluding the two-day work
during today’s press conference.
Evaluating the meetings of the past two days Mr. Bukikio mentioned,
“The meetings were vary useful. We have had good results. The COE
expects a good Constitution from Armenia, which is very important
for the realization of further programs, for example the program
“New Neighbors”.
Gianni Bukikio evaluated the meeting with Robert Kocharyan as
“very interesting”. According to the Commission secretary Robert
Kocharyan realizes the importance of having an independent judicial
power. As for the other two demands, Kocharyan’s opinion was not
unequivocal. While speaking about the principle of sharing power,
Kocharyan has tries to convince Bukikio that “especially in this
region people need powerful leaders”. Bukikio has answered that
“one can achieve it in case of semi-presidential system too”.
As for the demand to elect the Yerevan mayor, in this case, according
to Bukikio, “Kocharyan was flexible”. He offered the Commission
secretary to exclude the point about the Yerevan mayor from the
draft and to create instead a new law on Mayors. Even in case of
this “flexibility” Bukikio stood his ground “that the mayor must
be elected”.
After staying in Armenia for two days and having meetings, the Venice
Commission secretary Gianni Bukikio has been convinced that the RA
authorities are ready to accept their offers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NOT POLICEMEN, BUT LEGISLATORS ARE RESPONSIBLE
A1plus
| 19:41:10 | 03-06-2005 | Politics |
The Venice Commission experts find the acceptance of their offers on
the law on the freedom of assembly not more important than the way
the law will be put into practice.
According to Venice Commission secretary Gianni Bukikio much depends
on the Armenian policemen. The COE is going to organize trainings
for them. NA deputy President Tigran Torosyan does not agree with
him. According to him, the policemen are the least responsible,
and the first are they – legislators.
By the way, Mr. Torosyan thinks that the amendments must be adopted
as soon as possible and there is no need to wait for new offers,
as best ideas can be born every day.

WHO CAN DISMISS PRESIDENT?
A1plus
| 15:39:04 | 04-06-2005 | Politics |
The Armenian President can be dismissed for treason or other grave
crime. In this case the National Assembly on the basis of the decision
taken by the majority of the deputies appeals to the Constitutional
Court for conclusion. Then on the basis of the positive conclusion
adopted by the 2/3 of the CC, the NA is to take a decision with
at least 2/3 of the votes. The coalition’s draft says, “If the
Constitutional Court concludes that there is no ground for the
dismissal of the President, the issue is removed from the NA agenda”.
The Venice Commission has already expressed discontent with the
coalition’s draft constitutional amendments adopted in the first
reading by the NA. the draft does not take into account the proposals
of the Commission, especially the ones referring to the balance between
the President and the parliament (what provides for greater role of
the NA), independence of the juridical system and the elective post
of the Mayor.
This week we asked 100 citizens about the possibilities of dismissing
the President. 22% consider that the President can be dismissed by
2/3 of the NA and 2/3 of the CC. 33% hold the opinion that if the
majority of the deputies decide to dismiss the President the issue
should be resolved via referendum. 26% think that the President
should be dismissed by the people. 19% found difficulty in answering.
Karine Asatryan

WE CAN’T SPEAK ABOUT DEMOCRACY TODAY
A1plus
| 15:06:40 | 04-06-2005 | Politics |
Why the opposition does not take part in the elections of the local
self-government? The reason lies in the acting Constitution. The
government can dismiss the head of a community any moment. “Suppose,
we will get involved in this struggle. We are ready. But the government
can dismiss the opposition Mayor or head of a city community even
after a week of his appointment and declare re-election”, People’s
Party chairman Shavarsh Kocharyan says.
In his words, the country can’t be progressive without real
self-government. In our country the region (marz) governor represent
the whole self-government. However he should only be the person
to watch the process of self-governing. The President instead of
the people appoints the mayor of the capital. It is natural that
the Mayor will serve not to the people but to the person, who has
the power to dismiss him. And last but not least, according to the
acting Constitution a community head election by the community can
be dismissed by the government.
“The principle of power division is badly violated. The division of
power means that every power branch should have its place. Thus,
the government – the executive power works out and exercises the
foreign policy, the legislative power controls the activities of the
executive one, that is the parliamentary majority can dissolve the
government or dismiss the Prime Minister. And what is happening is our
country? The President nominates the Prime Minister and the composition
of the government, which is formed by the Premier’s presentation. The
President can replace any minister or dismiss the Prime Minister
independently of the support or disagreement of the parliamentary
majority. The principle of power division is infringed. The President
presides over the sittings of the government and its decision do not
come in power without the President’s signature. It is quite obvious
that the idea of President-arbiter provided by the semi-presidential
government system is roughly violated”, Shavarsh Kocharyan says.
“The juridical system should be completely independent. Its members
should form its supreme body and judges should be appointed by
this body. Presently appointment, career growth, subjection to
administrative responsibility, dismissal and other issues are decided
by the President. As for the Office of Prosecutor General, it should
not be the President’s bodyguard guided exclusively by the will and
orders of the President”, he adds.
As for the dismissal of the President, in Shavarsh Kocharyan’s opinion
the possibilities are extremely complicated. “The problem is that the
President has such great authority that it is impossible to speak of
democracy”, he said.
Diana Markosyan

TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD
A1plus
20:22:49 | 03-06-2005 | Official |
On June 5 the delegation with RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
at the head will leave for Tokyo on a 5-day official visit. Within
the framework of the meeting the Prime Minister will take part in
the World Exhibition “Expo-2005” in Aichi region.
The delegation is rather large. On June 7 they will take part in the
events devoted to the National Day of the Republic of Armenia taking
place within the framework of the exhibition “Expo-2005”.
After the visit to Japan the delegation of the RA Prime Minister will
leave for Thailand on June 9-13 on the invitation of the Kingdom of
Thailand PM. There he will meet PM Taxin Shinavatra and President of
the National Assembly Chamber of Representatives Bhokin Balakula.

AN ATTEMPT OF PROVOCATION DURING THE MEETING THE JUSTICE BLOC
A1plus
| 21:05:05 | 03-06-2005 | Politics |
Today the long-expected meeting of the representatives of the Justice
bloc and the residents of Vanadzor took place. From the member-parties
of the bloc only Viktor Dallakyan and deputies of the People’s Party
had arrived in Vanadzor. Especially Viktor Dallakyan was warmly
greeted by the people. But the impression was not such for a long time.
A woman who had come to the hall with the secretary of the mayor
who is member of the Republican Party, realized the planned scene,
“We, residents of Kirovakan live well enough. What do you want,
Viktor? Our streets are well lit, and I am mother of a dead soldier,
I do not want change of authorities so that there will be no war”. She
had not finished her speech yet when a wave of discontent passed
through the hall and the women left the hall.
Dallakyan said in his speech that “Armenia has become a country
of prostitution and begging. Today the most defenseless person in
Armenia is the Defender of Human Rights upon whom the methods of 1937
are implemented. The authorities will soon appear in the Noubarashen
isolation ward in striped clothes”.
The deputies referred to the fuel problems, “A1+”, the return of
the deposits, the Karabakh conflict, mentioning that there can be
no conversation about compromise when Azerbaijan says that they will
give no land to Armenia, and that Nagorno Karabakh is the inseparable
part of Azerbaijan. Deputy Grigor Haroutyunyan said that “They say
everything is fine in Armenia and they force people to go to the
round dance. Nothing is fine in Armenia.
“In Armenia the change of authorities is the most urgent problem in
the agenda”, announced the members of Justice. The people applauded
and the meeting finished.

AZG Armenian Daily #102, 04/06/2005
Culture
FEW PLACES FOR MANY GIFTED
The Routine of Aram Khachatrian Competition
The second stage of violinists’ international competition after Aram
Khachatrian came to its end. 6 violinists, 3 of whom will share 1st,
2d and 3d place, were supposed to enter the 3d stage. But the jury set
apart 7 best musicians saying that during such contests some low-key
participants display great technique at the second stage and it
becomes difficult to choose only 6 best performers for the third stage.
Georgian conductor Vadim Shubladze, the honorable guest of the
competition, said, “Such competitions usually host technically strong
musicians who have already exhausted their potential for further
growth. There are also young musicians who do not perform brightly
but the jury catches the hidden talent which is still to ‘open'”.
The program of the second stage consisted of the works of composers
of the 20th century, including the “Solo-Sonata” of Levon Chaushian
who was among the spectators. The composer delightfully said, “Only
that musician who pants not for displaying his own technique but for
the work’s emotionality can reveal the composer’s idea”.
The violinists who entered the 3d stage will hold rehearsal today
with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia to get ready for the final
stage on June 5.
By Tamar Minasian

Coptic Pope Shenouda III praises Christian-Muslim relations in Jordan, encourages more dialogue
AP Worldstream
Jun 04, 2005
Christians and Muslims enjoy good relations in Jordan, the head
of the Coptic Church, Pope Shenouda III, said in a statement made
available Saturday.
Shenouda made his first visit to Jordan from neighboring Egypt on
Thursday to participate in meetings of the Middle East Council of
Churches held on the Jordanian shores of the Dead Sea.
The council represents some 35 Christian churches from the Orthodox,
Catholic and Protestant denominations of the region.
The pope “praised the brotherly ties between Christians and Muslims
in Jordan and the level of economic development in the country,”
the statement said. Shenouda also called for more “dialogue between
Christians and Muslim and for the honoring of human rights.”
He “encouraged the churches in the Middle East and worldwide to
achieve justice and peace in the region,” the statement concluded.
Jordan’s monarch, King Abdullah II, praised the role of the Coptic
Church in “consolidating Islamic-Christian understanding and dialogue,”
after meeting Shenouda on Thursday.
The Coptic Church was founded in Egypt in the first century after
the birth of Christ and derives its name from the Greek word for
“Egyptian.” It traces its roots to St. Mark, the gospel author who
brought Christianity to Egypt during the reign of the Roman emperor
Nero.
It is part of the family of the Oriental Orthodox Churches of Syria,
Ethiopia and Armenia. Orthodox Christians are similar to Roman
Catholics in their liturgy, but the two groups split in 1054 over
the authority of the pope.
It is unclear exactly how many Coptic Christians there are in the
world; some estimates put their numbers as high as 10 million, most
of whom live in Egypt. There are some 8,000 Coptic Orthodox adherents
in Jordan.

CHILDREN OF GYUMRI ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS LEARN ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS
AZG Armenian Daily #102, 04/06/2005
Education
At present, they emphasize the importance of protecting the human
rights and freedoms everywhere. These two factors are the main for
building a democratic state. Many state structures, as well as various
international and non-governmental organizations unfold activities
in this direction. In this context, lectures are organized for the
teachers of the Gyumri based elementary schools.
“Center for Social-Economic Researches and Analysis” NGO, the initiator
of the lectures, carries out the program thanks to the grant allocated
by the U.S. Embassy to Armenia. Each elementary schools will send a
teacher to the lectures to learn about the rights of the children,
about the consequences of violating them. Afterwards, they will learn
how to teach these knowledge to the children through games. Thanks
to these games, the future citizens will have certain idea about
their rights.
By Aghavni Harutyunian