Month: October 2006

KARAPETYAN STILL HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CRASH

A1+
[07:05 pm] 25 October, 2006

The RA authorities try to consign to oblivion the May 3 crash of
airplane A-320, leader of New Times party Aram Karapetyan claims.

The leader of New Times party announced today that he is going to
ask a number of questions to RA Public Prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan in
order to find out which one of the versions of the crash circulating
in Armenia and Russia correspond to the reality.

Aram Karapetyan himself has his sources in the National Security
Service. According to his sources, the first telegram received by
the Armenian Aviation Service immediately after the crash was the
following, "It disappeared from the radar screen". One question to
Aghvan Hovsepyan is: "Did they pay attention to the fact that this
expression is used when the plane explodes?"

The specialists with whom Mr. Karapetyan talked claimed that the
content of the telegram does not exclude the possibility of explosion.

The second question: Did the criminal grouping in the plane try to
force the pilots to make a landing in Sochi and not to return to
Yerevan? Was the pilot beaten up? Aghvan Hovsepyan also has to answer
if there was much money, gold and precious stones on board. He must
also answer why the plane did not return to Yerevan when the Sochi
dispatcher warned that it was impossible to land. Who forced the
pilot not to obey the warning of the dispatcher?

Aram Karapetyan also wonders if the workers of the airport security
service checked the luggage of the VIP passengers. In case they
did, were there weapons or explosives there? Are the protocols of
check-ups kept?

It is true that the International Aviation Committee took only six
of the necessary 40 parameters from the French?

These were the main questions which according to Aram Karapetyan
could pour light on the reasons of the May 3 air crash.

By the way, Mr. Karapetyan’s source in the National Security Service
also informed him that once in every three months a similar plane
takes a luggage of gold and drugs to Sochi. It also informed that
the Armenian A-320 plane which burnt in a hangar in Brussels a day
later contained the whole technical pack concerning the crashed plane.

WHO CAN CHEAT RAFIK PETROSYAN?

A1+
[07:14 pm] 25 October, 2006

"It is impossible to cheat Rafik Petrosyan", announced the head of the
NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs during the discussion
of the draft on "Alienation of property for state and public needs".

In this case the one who failed to cheat him is the RA Government which
took out an article from the draft according to which the residents
who have received compensation can no more appeal previous decisions.

Rafik Petrosyan claims that now the Government has introduced a new
complicated article who on the whole is the same.

Minister of Justice David Haroutyunyan persuaded the deputies to
adopt the draft which has thrice been rejected. The Minister even
blamed the Parliament noting that today the citizens suffer because
of the absence of the law.

V. Lazarian from "Justice" faction who has introduced a 9-page pack
of offers about the draft announced that not the NA is guilty for not
adopting the law but he Government which does not introduce a draft
worthwhile adopting.

The discussion will continue tomorrow.

WILL SERGE SARGSYAN SIGN THE AGREEMENT OF PEACE?

A1+
[07:38 pm] 25 October, 2006

Hardly had the time of questions and answers with the Government
started when Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan left the session hall. The
group of journalists ran after the Minister asking him questions
while he was walking towards the end of the corridor to have a smoke.

– You signed the agreement of ceasefire. It is possible that you will
sign the agreement of peace too? , asked the correspondent of Radio
station "Freedom". Serge Sargsyan answered reluctantly,

– I think that maybe the President of Armenia…

– Will you be President by then?

– I don’t know; if you help us to organize free, fair and transparent
Parliamentary elections in 2007, then we shall see.

– Do you think you will be elected President if the elections are
free and fair?

Serge Sargsyan failed to answer this question as another one sounded
at that very moment; the Minister said he cannot answer two questions
at a time.

"ARMENIAN ARMY MUST GET THERE FIRST"

A1+
[04:49 pm] 25 October, 2006

"The Armenian press sees only the dark and light sides of the
Russian-Georgian relations. The press is flooded by either pro-Russian
or pro-Georgian issues", politician Levon Meliq-Shahnazaryan
thinks. But the attitude of Armenia, Azerbaijan and other countries
towards the Russian-Georgian relations is not less important.

"In the Russian-Georgian relations the approach of Armenia must
be moral, that is we must try to soothe tension; as for direct
interference, it must be restricted only within the framework of
the interests of our compatriots". Mr. Meliq-Shahnazaryan is truly
concerned about who will occupy the areas after the Russian troupes
leave them. "If Turkish troupes are to be allocated there, it means
Armenian army must get there first", he said.

Levon Meliq-Shahnazaryan does not provoke war. He has no doubts that
after the Turkish troupes come to replace the Russian ones in Javakhq,
all the Armenians will leave the territory. "If there are countries
which are ready to launch war to protect the interests of their one
or two citizens, we have more reasons to protect the Armenians of
Javakhq", the politician said.

THE KARABAKH ISSUE IS IN THE 12TH PLACE

A1+
[05:16 pm] 25 October, 2006

International sociological organization "Gallop" has realized
interesting surveys the results of which are already made public. The
surveys were organized among RA citizens in August of the current year.

Asked the question "What must the RA Government do in order to get
the support of the people" the majority answered that they must create
new workplaces. The raise of the level of democracy is in the second
place and the raise of pensions and salaries is in the third. The
necessity to unite Karabakh with Armenia is only in the 12th place.

86% of the participants of the survey see Azerbaijan as an enemy, 80%
see opponents in Turkey, 19% find enemies in Georgia, and 12% – in
the USA. Russia is considered to be a friend by 85%, and enemy – by 5%.

Asked the question if Armenia must open the borders with Turkey if they
recognize the Genocide 39% answered positively and 57% – negatively.

As for the main problems of Armenia, 43% think it is unemployment, 26%
think it is the development of economy, 13% think it is corruption,
11% think it is democracy and human rights, 8% – immigration, 6% –
foreign affairs, and 4% – the recognition of the Genocide.

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF VISITED MILITARY BASES

A1+
[06:09 pm] 25 October, 2006

RA President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Robert
Kocharyan visited a number of military bases near the border of
Armenia on October 23-24.

The aim of the visit was to get acquainted with the military and
technical preparedness of the bases.

The President visited the training halls, followed the course of
trainings, talked with officers and soldiers and got acquainted with
their life.

During the two-day visit the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
had the possibility to learn the level of discipline of a number of
military bases and the level of military, strategic and psychological
preparedness of the officers.

CDU LEADER SAYS AZERBAIJAN MAY BECOME A NATURAL PARTNER OF RUSSIA

Panorama.am
14:52 25/10/06

Georgia gets out of Russian sphere of influence and the role of Armenia
as a strategic partner diminishes, Khosrov Harutunyan, chairman of
Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told a discussion today. In his
words, Russia will start looking for new ways of realization of its
strategic goals and in this sense Azerbaijan becomes the most natural
partner. "In the process of realization of its programs in the South
Russia will look at Azerbaijan and Iran as its possible partners,"
he said.

Speaking about the tension in Russian-Georgian relations, Harutunyan
pointed out that Georgian authorities clearly uttered their disposition
inclining towards NATO trying to oust Russia from South Caucasus. In
the words of Harutunyan, Russia was not ready for this conflict and
today Russia loses its rating in the international community – she
it looked at as a non-democratic country.

CONTEST OF YOUNG LAWYERS HELD IN YEREVAN

Panorama.am
14:56 25/10/06

The final phase of the scientific conference "Constitution on the
way of becoming a civil society" was held today in Yerevan. Young
lawyers took part in the conference who submitted written essays on
the topic. The Association of Young Lawyers of Armenia supported by
the Center of Public Development and Dialogue organized the event. The
conference aimed to raise legal awareness on constitutional reforms
and respective legislative amendments. The jury selected 6 out of 19
submitted essays. All the essay writers are students of state and
private universities. In the second phase, the finalists expressed
their opinion on the constitutional reforms in terms of their
contribution to civil society development.

ARMENIAN DEPUTY SAYS GEORGIA SLAPS IN THE FACE OF RUSSIA

Panorama.am
14:58 25/10/06

‘The behavior of Georgian authorities may be described as a slap in the
face of Russia," Hmaiak Hovanisyan, independent deputy of the National
Assembly, told a discussion today. In the words of Hovanisyan, Georgian
threatens Russia, which is a superpower in the Caucasus. "Current
Georgian authorities try to pave their way to NATO by means of a clash
with Russia," the political scientist thinks. However, Hovanisyan
thinks that NATO is more interested in good relations with Russia
than with rapid membership of Georgia in the Alliance.

Speaking about the position of Armenia in the context of
Russian-Georgian conflict, Hovhanesyan pointed out that our country
must consider its own interests in order not to appear in the situation
of Sahakashvili.

CHAMBER OF ADVOCATES ISSUES CERTIFICATES TO ADVOCATES

Panorama.am
15:08 25/10/06

The chamber of advocates of Armenia handed over certificates to
149 advocates today. The chamber held the first ever exams for the
qualification of advocates this year. Ruben Sahakyan, chairman of
the chamber of advocates, thanked the government of Armenia and
justice minister David Harutunyan who contributed to the conduct of
the examinations. USAID and ABA/CEELI also supported the examinations.