Month: October 2005

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER PREDICTS ILHAM ALIYEV PARTY’S VICTORY IN ELECTIONS

Armenpress
Oct 11 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS: Armenian defense minister Serzh
Sarkisian prophesied today Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev’s New
Azerbaijan party’s victory in November 6 parliamentary elections,
but declined speculations that Aliyev and his allies could win the
elections only through massive vote-rigging. “Elections cannot be won
through vote-rigging, though there are international organizations
to assess the polls and besides there will be so many assessments
that our voice will be inappropriate,” he said to journalists.

OUTSPOKEN MP BLAMES OPPOSITION LEADERS FOR THEIR AMBITIONS

Armenpress
Oct 11 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS: An outspoken opposition parliament
member blamed today the opposition’s failure to set up a joint
office for coordination of their campaign to reject a package of
constitutional amendments, proposed by president Kocharian and his
ruling coalition, on opposition leaders’ ambitions. Arshak Sadoyan,
the leader of a tiny party, said none of the major opposition forces
has committed to assume the hard job of steering the ‘no’ campaign.

NKR MFA AND OSCE TO PROMOTE COOPERATION FOR PEACE AND STABILITY IN KARABAKH

Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 23:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 10, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic Masis Mayilian received head of the OSCE High Level
Planning Group, Colonel Tomaso Strgar (Slovenia), reported the NKR
MFA Press Service. T. Strgar, who is visiting Nagorno Karabakh for
the first time, presented the activity and prospective plans of the
High Level Planning Group in the region to the Deputy FM. In his
turn, M. Mayilian told the prehistory of the relations between the
NKR MFA and the OSCE, noting the effectiveness of the cooperation
established. At that the interlocutors stressed the importance of the
further strengthening of the interaction for establishing lasting peace
and stability in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict region. Field Assistants
of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Olexandr
Samarsky (Ukraine) and Harry Eronen (Finland) attended the meeting.

ARMENIA CANNOT STAY INDIFFERENT TO EUROPE’S PROBLEMS: ARMENIA’S DM

ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. As a country seeking to integrate into
Europe Armenia cannot stay indifferent to its problems just like
Europe cannot be indifferent to ours, Armenia’s Defence Minister Serzh
Sargsyan said while awarding the first group of Armenia peacekeepers
in Iraq today.

Sargsyan thanked the peacekeepers for successfully fulfilling their
hard mission. “By your effective actions you have raised the prestige
of our Fatherland,” he said.

Concerning the Karabakh conflict Sargsyan said that during the Karabakh
war the Armenian army asserted Karabakh’s right to be independent
and secure and now by its high fighting capacity it should ensure the
peaceful resolution of the conflict. Now the situation is much like
early 90 – inspired by oil profits Azerbaijan is beginning to sing
the old song about getting Karabakh back but in early 90 we already
proved that this is a myth, Sargsyan said noting that his words are
well-grounded – “our ground is our army, its effective troops, you
and your service on our borders and within international missions.”

CITIZENS WHO DIED IN THE 1960S WERE INCLUDED IN THE ELECTORAL LISTS IN 2005

ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. The head of “Your Choice” social
organization Harutiun Harutiunian said that during the local government
bodies elections new methods of falsifications were invented.

According to Mr. Harutiunian, the citizens’ right for secret vote
was violated almost everywhere. The bulletins were checked and often
falsified by the electoral committees. Cemetery voting occurred
in Ararat region, where over 220 citizens who died in the 1960’s
were included in the electoral lists. Numerous citizens of Nor Hachn
region, registered in the preliminary lists, were not admitted to the
elections. In that region, in result of falsifications was re-elected
Armen Keshishian, who had murdered the head of local electricity
network. In electoral ditricts 27/7, 27/05, 27/02, 27/03, and in
some regions of Abovian, Biuregavan and Eghednadzor the members
of electoral committees accompanied the electors to the cabins and
intervened in voting. Sometime the voters were conducted to fill two
or more voting bulletins.

The report of the “Your Choice” social organization will be presented
to the Central Electoral Committee. Mr. Harutiunian added that there
is nothing to change in the Electoral Code of Armenia and assured
that the Venice Commission did not comment on it just by chance.

Harutiun Harutiunian also denoted the decision of the Central
Electoral Committee, made on the initiative of Artashes Abovian, a
representative of “Orinats Erkir” party. According to that decision,
in case an electoral committee member violates the Electoral Code, the
violator will be dismissed from the office, and not the organization
he represents, as it was before.

The head of the Electoral Committee, Garegin Azarian, promised Mr.

Harutiunian that the suggestions of the “Your Choice” organization
will be taken into consideration when discussing the amendments to
the Electoral Code at the Parliament.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MILITARY BUDGET OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN WILL NEVER MAKE ARMENIA TO YIELD

ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. The difference between the military
budget of Armenia and Azerbaijan will never make Armenia to yield,
Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan told journalists.

He said the quantitative factor transforms into a qualitative factor
any way, however, it is unknown when it will happen. ‘Undoubtedly,
one can worry about the large military budget of an enemy, rival or
a neighbor. But, the budget must be used effectively,’ the minister
said. He brought cases when Armenia and Azderbijan bought the
same ammunition for different prices. “Indeed, we are aspiring for
comparable financial resources,” Serge Sargsyan said. As the military
budget depends on the percentage of the GDP no sharp increase in
the budget is expected so far, the minister explained. The minister
disagreed with the opinion that the threat of war is higher today
than before. He connects the bellicose statements of Azerbaijan with
the pre- election hysteria. The minister said that the situation on
the frontline is much calmer than 7 months ago. The situation cannot
be called pre-war as it does not correspond to reality, the minister
said. It can be thought so only from the point of view of Azerbaijan.

SADOYAN APPEALS TO OSCE AND COE MISSIONS TO ARMENIA AND NATIVE BUSINESSMEN FOR FINANCING

ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. Armenian parliamentarian representing
the opposition bloc “Justice,” Arshak Sadoyan, has appealed to the
international organizations in Armenia (OSCE, CE) and local businessmen
for financial assistance.

Speaking at today’s press-conference at the office of his party,
“Bloc of National Democrats,” Arshak Sadoyan has levered harsh
criticism at oppositionists for passivity and indifference to the
national referendum of November 27. He thinks it necessary that all
the 17-20 parties which are against the Constitutional reforms be
represented at all the 1,865 polling stations. It will be an “army of
35-40,000 people.” As 90% of the population will either neglect the
voting or vote “against” the draft, the authority will have to stuff
the ballot-boxes. Only the opposition can control over the voting.

However, it requires funds. For this purpose, the party intends to
open a special account with one of the native banks.

Asked why the well-off oppositionists do not fund the campaign,
Sadoyan said : “to avoid ambitions.” ” We cannot agree who will
head the counter-agitation campaign, each opposition party acts
independently,” Sadoyan complained. He also criticized Secretary of
Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio who “once stated that being on
leave, he could not read the draft, then he stated that he has read
the draft and agreed with it. Later he stressed some progress of the
draft Constitution. Then he said that the draft fully meets European
standards and the omissions can be filled through evolution.” Sadoyan
accused the parliamentary majority for not inviting him to the meeting
of G. Buquicchio with Armenian parliamentarians.

ARMENIAN DM DOESN’T THINK STRANGE RE-ELECTION OF MAYOR CHARGED WITH MURDER

ARMINFO News Agency
October 11, 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11. ARMINFO. Armenian Defense Minister Serge
Sargsyan does not think it strange that the incumbent Mayor of the
town Nor-Hachn swept the election to the local self-government. To
note, Nor-Hachn Mayor Armen Keshishyan is charged with murder.

Talking to journalists Tuesday, Minister Sargsyan said the residents
of Nor- Hachn were well-aware that a person charged with murder
cannot occupy the post. So, they voted for A.Keshishyan in order that
additional election is announced in the town, the minister explained.

INTERNATIONAL WATCHDOG SUGGESTS REFERENDUM ON AZERI BREAKAWAY REGION’S STATUS

Mediamax News Agency
Oct 11 2005

Yerevan, 11 October: The International Crisis Group (ICG) has published
a new report on the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict,
which suggests determining the final status of Nagornyy Karabakh in
a referendum on self-determination.

The ICG proposes that the referendum should be held “after the return
of displaced Azerbaijanis to the districts of Nagornyy Karabakh where
they used to be in the majority and after an international conference
establishes that Nagornyy Karabakh meets international criteria of
statehood, including the appropriate protection of the rights of the
minority,” Mediamax news agency reports.

Meanwhile, the ICG suggests that such an assessment be given five
years after the signing of the peace agreement.

The ICG suggests that all the participants in the referendum should be
given an opportunity to “choose among an adequate range of possible
solutions, including merger with Azerbaijan or secession from it,”
Mediamax reports.

The International Crisis Group considers that “the referendum should be
held with the compulsory participation of Armenians and Azerbaijanis
from Karabakh, on conditions determined in negotiations under the
leadership of the OCSE and under the principle that the results of
the referendum should be recognized by all sides”.

The International Crisis Group suggests that Nagornyy Karabakh remain
part of Azerbaijan until the referendum, “although in practice it will
be self-governing and enjoy internationally-recognized transitional
status”.

LES TROIS FAMILLES MENACEES D’EXPULSION REFUSENT DE PARTIR
par Isabelle Le Malefan

Le Telegramme , France
11 octobre 2005

Le coordinateur du dispositif Scohda-Aftam*, Michel Chapin, est venu
constater, hier, le refus des trois familles menacees d’expulsion de
quitter leur logement suite a une ” invitation a quitter le territoire
“.

” Michel Chapin, coordinateur du dispositif Scohda-Aftam, a demande
aux familles si elles voulaient quitter leur logement. Elles ont
refuse. Aucune n’a rendu les clefs de son appartement “, a annonce
Philippe Coulau, president de la section paimpolaise de la Ligue
des Droits de l’Homme, aux personnes mobilisees en soutien aux trois
familles dont deux armeniennes et une georgienne, menacees d’expulsion
de leur logement suite a une ” invitation a quitter le territoire “,
recue en septembre dernier.

Demandes d’asile rejetees

” Le prefet nous a indique que nous n’avions pas la competence pour
accueillir des personnes qui ne sont pas demandeurs d’asile. Ces
familles ont ete deboutees de leur demande le 18 mai dernier. Je suis
venu constater si elles acceptaient ou non de quitter leur logement
“, a explique Michel Chapin.

” J’ai fait une demande d’asile pour ma famille. Elle a ete rejetee
et je ne sais meme pas pourquoi. J’ai deja habite dans trois pays
differents : l’Azerbaïdjan, la Russie et la France. Aujourd’hui,
on n’est plus rien, on n’a pas de papiers “, confie Armen Sarkisian,
menace d’expulsion avec sa famille.

Ce père de famille a demande, fin septembre, le statut d'” a-patrie
“. S’il l’obtient, il pourra, avec sa famille, sejourner en France.

” On ne quitte jamais son pays par gaiete de coeur. Si ces familles
quittent leur logement, où iront-elles ?, s’inquiète Philippe Coulau.

C’est la regularisation de leurs papiers qui reglera le problème. ”

” Avec ma famille, nous sommes partis en mai 2004 d’Armenie. Avec la
guerre entre l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan, nous ne pouvions plus rester
dans le pays car ma femme est azerbaïdjanaise. Nous vivons a Lannion
depuis plus d’un an avec nos deux enfants “, explique Armen Gevorgyan.

” Solidarite financière ”

Depuis que ces familles ont recu leur invitation a quitter le
territoire, les aides financières apportees par le service de
coordination, d’orientation et d’hebergement des demandeurs d’asile
(Scohda) se sont arretees. ” Nous sommes en train d’organiser une
solidarite financière pour permettre a ces familles de vivre “,
a explique Philippe Coulau.

Une manifestation de soutien se deroulera samedi. Le rendez-vous est
fixe a 14 h 30 devant la mairie. A la meme heure, une mobilisation
se tiendra egalement a la prefecture de Saint-Brieuc.

* Scohda-Aftam : service de coordination, d’orientation et
d’hebergement des demandeurs d’asile – association accueil formation
des travailleurs apatrides et migrants. L’association accueil –
formation dite Aftam dispose d’un service d’accueil et d’orientation de
personnes nouvellement arrivees sur le territoire et qui souhaiteraient
faire une demande d’asile.

–Boundary_(ID_AylpS7Vij9saL+RQ+5PBlA)–