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05/12/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Communities Unite in Support of ANCA Telethon 2) Orinats Yerkir Leader Confirms Resignation; Avoids Blaming Kocharian 3) Honorary Presidents of 31st Navasartian Games Donate $50,000 to Homenetmen 4) Armenian And Hellenic Caucus Leaders Join Together In Opposing Missile Sale To Turkey 1) Communities Unite in Support of ANCA Telethon (Washington, DC)--Armenian Communities and organizations across the United States are uniting in overwhelming support of the May 21st Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Telethon. In the last several weeks, individual communities have mobilized to build support for the Telethon including early community-level local fundraising initiatives. With less than a week before the Telethon air date, there is a groundswell of widespread interest across the entire spectrum of community organizations coming together with a united purpose of supporting the Armenian Cause, "Hai Tad." With this in mind, representatives of various communities and organizations are planning on appearing live during the Telethon to show their moral and financial support. The Telethon will be on May 21 from 3-9 PM Pacific Time (6 PM-Midnight Eastern Time) and will be broadcast nationally on i Network (formerly known as the PAX network which can be viewed on local cable systems); Horizon TV, which is carried on cable and the DISH satellite network; and will be web cast on <; Viewers can go to the Telethon page of the ANCA website (<;) where they will find a station locator by entering their zip code to obtain local channel details. "Representatives from communities throughout the United States will be traveling to Los Angeles to participate in the Telethon live," said Raffi Hamparian, member of the ANCA National Board and Telethon Organizing Committee. "The Telethon has touched a common emotion and desire in people to support the Armenian Cause in all the different parts of our communities, regardless of organizational affiliations or politics. It is worthwhile to note this very positive development because 'Hai Tad' is a calling that should be awakened in every Armenian. As the Telethon will demonstrate, we all have an important and critical role to play." Representatives from ANCs, community organizations, churches and performing artists from across the nation are scheduled to appear during the Telethon in addition to an unprecedented number of public officials including mayors and representatives from city and state governments; dozens of members of Congress and the Congressional Armenian Caucus; and leaders from the Republic of Armenia. Representatives of ANCA chapters around the nation will show the tangible results of their grassroots advocacy and activism during the broadcast with in-depth documentaries about the many activities on Armenian issues in every community. "We are eager to share the progress we are making in Pennsylvania on key issues of importance to the Armenian community and that's why I'll be making the trip to Los Angeles for the Telethon," said Dr. Ara Chalian, Co-Chair of the ANC of Pennsylvania. "The surge in interest and activism demonstrates we're on the right track and when we put the additional financial resources behind our volunteer work of our grassroots network we will see even greater results. That's what makes this Telethon so critical to our united future." To make a donation in advance of the May 21st ANCA Telethon or find out channel information, call 1-866-402-2622 (ANCA) or go to <; and click on the Telethon logo to make a donation online. 2) Orinats Yerkir Leader Confirms Resignation; Avoids Blaming Kocharian (Combined sources)--Armenians parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian was careful to avoid any attacks on President Robert Kocharian on Friday as he officially announced his Orinats Yerkir Party's departure from the governing coalition and its transformation into an `opposition force.' Baghdasarian dismissed reports that the dramatic collapse of his parliament faction was engineered by Kocharian. He insisted that he decided to resign and pull Orinats Yerkir out of the coalition because of major policy differences with the country's leadership. `It is morally right for me to tender my resignation and for our political team to leave the coalition,' he told a news conference. `All Orinats Yerkir members holding [government] posts must also resign. This is the decision unanimously taken by our political council.' The party's exit was followed with defections of about a dozen Orinats Yerkir lawmakers which caused the party's faction, the second largest in the National Assembly, to shrink by half. According to some senior members of the Armenian coalition, their departure was initiated by Kocharian with the aim of forcing Orinats Yerkir out of his government. Presidential press secretary Victor Soghomonian denied this on Friday. `I don't want to comment on gossip,' he said. `A change in the ruling coalition is an ordinary phenomenon for any civilized country. So in this case, nothing very extraordinary has happened, especially given the fact that there were some disagreements within the coalition and they understandably deepened during the pre-election period.' Baghdasarian said that the defectors had come under unspecified `pressure' to leave Orinats Yerkir and caved in because of `an atmosphere of fear that stifles dissent' in Armenia. `Everything is clear to everyone. Was there pressure? Yes, there was. From all sides,' he said. At the same time, Baghdasarian insisted that the Armenian leader played no part in the process. `There was no such thing,' he said. `We have for months had disagreements on different issues, including with the president of the republic.' Baghdasarian added that those differences have centered on the Kocharian administration's socioeconomic and foreign policies as well as `democratic reforms' which he believes need to be carried out in Armenia. He refused to go into details. The speaker, who was at one point regarded as one of Kocharian's potential successors, and his party have repeatedly criticized the government and had an uneasy relationship with its coalition partners ever since they signed a power-sharing agreement three years ago. Orinats Yerkir's exit from power appears to have been precipitated by Baghdasarian's recent interview with a German newspaper in which he called for Armenia's accession to NATO and implied that Kocharian's reelection in 2003 was fraudulent. `Of course we are becoming an opposition force. There is no question about that,' said Baghdasarian. But he would not specify whether he is ready to align himself with Armenia's mainstream opposition groups that have long challenged Kocharian. Leaders of those groups seem to remain mistrustful of Orinats Yerkir. Stepan Demirchian of the opposition Artarutyun alliance said the bloc will consider cooperating with Baghdasarian's party only if it becomes a `real opposition force.' Another Artarutyun figure, Vazgen Manukian, referred to Orinats Yerkir as a `party artificially created and artificially broken up' by the authorities. Another prominent oppositionist, Artashes Geghamian of the National Unity Party, was even more dismissive of Orinats Yerkir, alleging that it had been created by the influential Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian. `We are confident that what happened will not lead to an internal political crisis,' said Soghomonian. `The so-called divorce took place in an open and civilized atmosphere. Both the government and the National Assembly will continue to work in a normal regime.' `The resignation was tendered voluntarily,' said Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) leader Armen Rustamian. `It was not a punishment. It was a normal political event.' Orinats Yerkir's exit leaves the HHK and Dashnaktsutyun in direct control of only 51 of the 131 parliament seats. But Rustamian was confident that the restructured coalition will rely on other pro-Kocharian factions to push government decisions through the National Assembly. He said none of them will likely get ministerial posts in return for the backing. Rustamian also did not rule out the possibility of Dashnaktsutyun taking over some of the senior positions that have been held by Orinats Yerkir until now. `We have not made such a clear-cut decision,' he said. `But I don't rule out that the discussions will lead to such a reshuffle.' The Armenian parliament is expected to accept its speaker's resignation when it resumes its sessions on May 22. Deputy speaker Tigran Torosian, who is a leading member of the governing Republican Party, will perform Baghdasarian's duties in interim. 3) Honorary Presidents of 31st Navasartian Games Donate $50,000 to Homenetmen Longtime Homenetemen members and supporters Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Elo Boyadjian were appointed Wednesday Honorary Presidents of the 31st Navasartian Games and donated, on this occasion, $50,000 to Homenetmen, said Regional Executive Chairman Raffi Ispenjian. During the ceremony at Note Luna restaurant in Glendale, the couple humbly accepted their appointment as Honorary Presidents and reaffirmed their belief in the role Homenetmen plays in our community and the mission of the organization. `Elo and I will try our best to help out in any way possible and make sure that this year's Homenetemen Navasartian Games are a success,' said Joseph Boyadjian. Joseph Boyadjian has been a member of Homenetemen since his youth in Lebanon, where he played soccer for the organization. He is currently a member of the Pasadena `Azadamard' chapter of Homenetemen. Both Joseph and Elo Boyadjian have consistently been active in the Armenian community and are highly respected within the community for their many contributions. 4) Armenian And Hellenic Caucus Leaders Join Together In Opposing Missile Sale To Turkey --Reps. Bilirakis, Pallone, Radanovich, and Maloney Warn that SLAM-ER Missile Transfer Will Undermine Cyprus Peace Process and Threaten Armenia (WASHINGTON, DC)--The Co-Chairpersons of the Hellenic Caucus, Reps. Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), were joined Thursday by Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Armenian Genocide Resolution lead sponsor George Radanovich (R-CA) in calling on Congressional leaders to reexamine a controversial $162 million US missile sale to Turkey. In letters addressed to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Armed Services and International Relations Committees, the four legislators voiced their "deep concern and opposition to the application currently before your Committee for the foreign military sale to Turkey of 50 AGM 84K Joint Standoff Land Attack Missiles - Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) and associated equipment and services." Noting that Turkey has enforced an illegal blockade against Armenia for the last twelve years, provides support to Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabagh, and refuses to normalize relations with Armenia, they stressed that, "there are no safeguards in place to ensure that the transfer of these advanced new weapons to Turkey will not be used to threaten Armenia." Commenting on the presence of more than 40,000 Turkish military troops in the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus, the legislators argued that the sale would "exacerbate the already existing military imbalance over Cyprus," and "worsen the uneasy, insecure and disadvantaged position of the Republic of Cyprus in terms of its defense and weapons proliferation." They closed the letter by requesting a "thorough reexamination of all factors pertaining to the sale" of the missiles to Turkey. "We join with our friends at the American Hellenic Institute in thanking Representatives Bilirakis, Pallone, Maloney, and Radanovich in calling for a careful review of this ill-advised and destabilizing arms sale to an already over-armed Turkish military," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "Neither US interests nor American values are served by providing advanced offensive weapons to a government that used US arms to invade Cyprus in 1974, transferred weapons to Azerbaijan during the Nagorno Karabagh conflict, regularly invades Greek airspace over the Aegean Sea, and has used American military equipment in committing human rights abuses against its own citizens." The full text of the Congressional letter is provided below. Dear Mr. Chairman: We are writing to express our deep concern and opposition to the application currently before your Committee for the foreign military sale to Turkey of 50 AGM 84K Joint Standoff Land Attack Missiles - Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) and associated equipment and services. Considering the presence of more than 40,000 Turkish military troops in the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus, this particular sale - if materialized - will exacerbate the already existing military imbalance over Cyprus. It will worsen the uneasy, insecure and disadvantaged position of the Republic of Cyprus in terms of its defense and weapons proliferation. We also believe that US approval of this sale will negatively influence the ongoing efforts of the Administration to encourage a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus question. Support for the sale could be perceived as adversely affecting our third-party role in helping to bring the interested parties together. Turkey has also has enforced an illegal blockade against Armenia for the last twelve years, continues to provide support to Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabagh, and refuses to normalize relations with Armenia. There are no safeguards in place to ensure that the transfer of these advanced new weapons to Turkey will not be used to threaten Armenia. This potential sale sends the wrong political message at the wrong time to Turkey and the neighboring countries. In a time of delicate diplomatic balance by the United States in that region of the world, the sale of this particular weapon to Turkey runs the real danger of being seen by the other countries of concern as a politically insensitive move. We therefore request a thorough reexamination of all factors pertaining to the sale of the cruise missiles to Turkey. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Michael Bilirakis Co-Chair, Hellenic Caucus Frank Pallone Co-Chair, Armenian Caucus Carolyn Maloney Co-Chair, Hellenic Caucus George Radanovich Member, Armenian Caucus All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.