Month: March 2007

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION’S PASSIVE TACTICS IN 2003 ELECTIONS BLUNDER

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2007

YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. The Armenian opposition’s passive position
in the 2003 elections was erroneous, Chairman of the Democratic Party
of Armenia (DPA) Aram Sargsyan told reporters.

He pointed out that the opposition will actively participate in the
election campaign because the 2007 parliamentary elections are of
crucial importance for the country’s life. According to Sargsyan,
in 2003 the opposition boycotted the elections, and the election
results were "drawn".

"We will not make the same mistake again as the oauthorities will
have an excellent opportunity to show the world that the Armenia
opposition does not want to struggle," Sargsyan said.

In this context he reported that he intends to make an effective
proposal for preventing election rigging to foreign observer missions.

Without going into details, he pointed out that it is the observers
that must first of all discuss the proposal.

ASFNR TO PRESENT RESULTS OF RESEARCH ON MEETING LABOR CONDITIONS IN ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 21 2007

YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. On March 22, the Armenian Center for
Strategic and National Research (ASFNR) will present results of
research on meeting minimal criteria of labor conditions in commercial
agreements and protecting the environment.

The ASFNR expert in chief Stepan Safaryan said that during the
event the third report will be presented which is compiled by the
organizations "Worldwide public onion" and "Chicago Council on world
issues" based on the results of research in 18 countries.

The ASFNR presents Armenia based on the interviews conducted with
1,300 respondents in November-December 2006.

"It is well-known that not only in Armenia but also in developed and
developing countries the criteria of labor conditions and environmental
protection are not voluntarily executed. At the present stage of
development the obtrusion of similar standards becomes more and more
necessary," Safaryan said.

He pointed out that this issue should be discussed in Armenia "because
sooner or later such demands will be made."

KEMAL ATATURK: "BLESSED BE WHO CONSIDERS HIMSELF A TURK"

AZG Armenian Daily
22/03/2007

More than two months have passed since the murder of "Agos"
editor-in-chief Hrant Dink. Although the case is not discovered by
now, it gave new impulse to discussions of the 301st article of the
Turkish Penal Code. Prime Minister Erdogan’s readiness to revise
the article was an unpleasant surprise for the Turkish nationalists,
who are considered involved in Dink’s murder. As article 301 makes
possible the existence and activity of nationalist parties in Turkey,
based upon the ideas of Kemal Ataturk, doubting the convenience of the
301st article also makes dubitable the timeliness of Kemalism. Taking
into consideration public discussions of the 301st article, shattering
the positions of Kemalistic nationalism makes clear why a number
of nationalistic Turkish parties (such as "National-Republican" and
"Motherland") and single politicians declared Prime Minister Erdogan
a traitor to the nation.

It is noteworthy that during a discussion on the Turkish TV,
February 13, National-Republican party leader Baykal rued that the
present republican system of Turkey, nationalism, the activity of
Ataturk, religion and ethnic origin are argued. To his words replied
"Motherland" party leader Erkan Mumcu: "They are coping to alter the
301st article. Is there anything special in it? It just says that
defaming the statehood and the nation is a crime. So, all they want
is that the crime to be punishable no more".

The next day Yasar Buyukanit in the following words supported Baykal
and Mumcu: "Since 1923 Turkey had never faced such risk, threats
and problems.

Nevertheless no man or no institution can alter the Constitutional
order of Turkey. Turkey is a republic established by Ataturk and
shall forever exist by the same order. They who think otherwise will
be disappointed".

Putting together those 3 statements makes clear that the reason for
unwillingness to revise the Penal Code is not defamation of Turks or
Turkey, but eagerness to save the Turkish statehood, founded on the
ethnic territory of other nations, and to preserve the negligence
of other ethnic groups in Turkey so as to insure the identity and
integrity of the Turkish nation.

Moreover, abolition of the 301st article of the Turkish penal code
will encourage some intellectuals to speak openly about the Armenian
Genocide. Revising the modern official approach of Turkey to the
issue of the Genocide, also implies revising the history of the
years of foundation of the Turkish republic, as Kemal Ataturk and
all his companions were active members of Teskilat-i Mahsusa secret
organization. In that case their active participation in organizing
eth Armenian Genocide will be revealed. That will mean putting under
doubt the appropriateness of the foundations and principles of the
Turkish statehood.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MP VAHIT ERDEM BELIEVES "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE" WILL BE DROPPED FROM U.S. CONGRESS AGENDA THIS YEAR AS WELL

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 22 2007

Member of Parliament, head of the Turkey Group at the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly Vahit Erdem, who visited Washington to call
for abortion of the so-called alleged "Armenian genocide" bill,
is interviewed by APA.

-Who did you meet within the scope of your visit to Washington?

-We met 25 members of Congress and had a gathering with 15. The
meetings were a success. During our stay, two congressmen withdrew
their signature and some promised that they will not favor the draft
bill. Prior to us, Turkish Foreign Minister and Armed Forces Staff
Chief had also pushed for this. I think everything is in positive
direction and I believe that the alleged draft bill will be struck
off the Congress agenda this year as well. We briefed congressmen
that the draft would harm the relations between Turkey and the United
States and is of no importance for any.

We tried to persuade them that the draft is wrong in context and
would likely cast shadow to the image of Congress. Our mission was
very important. The draft, it seems to me, will be dropped from the
agenda this year too.

-Can the U.S. side with Armenia against Turkey? Is it possible?

-U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert
Gates have called on the House of Representatives not to endorse the
pending Armenian genocide resolution. This message was relayed in a
strongly worded letter sent to congressional leaders.

All these magnetized the compass to point to Turkey.

How is it expedient to pass the draft against the strategic cooperation
between Turkey and the US, continuing process in the Middle East,
collaboration in other projects? Turkey has great influence in the
Middle Asia and the Caspian region. We try to explain Americans that
on the one hand they give us huge missions to implement, on the other
hand, they want to pass decisions against us.

The double standards are against the interests of the United States.

-Did you touch on occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories by Armenia
during your meetings?

-We explained that on the one hand, they seek to pull Armenia towards
the West, on the other hand, they direct Armenian against Turkey and
drive it to the embrace of Russia. Armenia has been pursuing hostile
policy against both Azerbaijan and Turkey. Azerbaijan enjoys access
to the West while Armenia has a door – it is through Turkey. So,
the U.S. should pass positive decisions. By the way, Turk-American
Friendship Society will meet next week, a delegation under Minister
of State Ali Babacan will have some work there. The delegation will
also include representatives from the Armed Forces, Chambers and
Bourse Union. Another mission will leave fro the U.S. in mid April.

It is not enough to postpone the false draft, it should be deleted
completely. Turkey should set target to strike this off the political
agenda completely.

ARMENIAN GOVT. TO SELL 10% IN ARMENTEL TO RUSSIA’S VIMPELCOM

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 22 2007

MOSCOW, March 22 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia’s government said Thursday
it would sell its 10% stake in Armentel for 38 million euros ($48.9
million) to Russian mobile phone operator VimpelCom [RTS: VIMP],
making it the sole owner of the Armenian telecommunications group.

Last November, VimpelCom acquired 90% of Armentel’s stock from Hellenic
Telecommunications Organization SA (OTE) for 341.9 million euros
($440 million).

A spokesmen for the Armenian government said the price quoted for the
10% stake accounts for one-ninth of the amount VimpelCom paid to the
Greek company for the 90% stake in Armentel.

The Armenian government first proposed selling the remainder to
VimpelCom last year, on condition that the company does not try to
monopolize the post-Soviet South Caucasus nation’s telecoms market.

Under the deal, VimpelCom will also take on Armentel’s debt, totaling
around 40 million euros ($51 million).

Armentel is Armenia’s landline phone monopoly, which also offers
Internet connection to providers and end-users. In addition, it is
one of the two Armenian mobile phone operators, with about 400,000
subscribers across the country.

VimpelCom is Russia’s second-largest mobile phone services provider,
best known for its Beeline brand. It also operates in the former Soviet
republics of Kazakhstan, Georgia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

GEORGIA’S SAAKASHVILI IN ‘PRIVATE’ TALKS WITH KOCHARIAN
By Karine Kalantarian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
March 22 2007

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili arrived in Armenia Thursday
on what President Robert Kocharian’s office described as a "private"
visit initiated by the Armenian side.

Kocharian’s press secretary, Victor Soghomonian, told RFE/RL that the
two leaders were meeting in the Armenian ski resort of Tsaghkadzor
in the afternoon and will stay there until Friday. He declined to
disclose the agenda or any other details of the talks.

Soghomonian was quoted by a Georgian news agency as saying Saakashvili
and Kocharian will "rest together and ski" in Tsaghkadzor. They had
met in similar circumstances in the Georgian ski resort of Gudauri
about two years ago.

Saakashvili’s previous trip to Armenia, which took place in August
2005, also had an informal character. He spent two days with Kocharian
at the latter’s summer retreat on the shore of Lake Sevan.

ARMENIA’S YEZIDIS SPLIT OVER ELECTIONS
By Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
March 22 2007

The approaching elections seem to be deepening divisions within
Armenia’s sizable Yezidi community whose often competing leaders have
pledged allegiance to three different parties running for parliament.

The country’s largest ethnic minority, which numbers an estimated
40,000 members, has been increasingly courted by some Armenian
parties in recent years. Three of them are particularly active in
doing that, having included prominent Yezidis on the lists of their
election candidates.

A newspaper report last month said that Samvel Babayan, the former
military leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, has been named an honorary member
of a Yerevan-based organization that claims to represent Yezidis
scattered around the world. Its chairman, Aziz Tamoyan, confirmed the
report on Thursday, but insisted that the World Yezidi Union did not
thereby endorse Babayan and his Dashink (Alliance) party for the May
12 parliamentary elections.

"If I make an endorsement of a particular political leader, I will
spread feud within our community," Tamoyan said. He said he knows
which party most Armenian Yezidis, some of whom consider themselves
non-Muslim Kurds, will vote for but will refrain from naming it.

However, the fact that Tamoyan’s son, Surik Hajoyan, is 13th on
Dashink’s electoral list is hardly accidental. Also, a community
newspaper edited by Tamoyan recently ran a front-page article about
Babayan that cast the retired Karabakh Armenian general in a highly
positive light.

Another Yezidi leader, Yerevan’s former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Tital
Jndoyan, is running for the National Assembly on the ticket of the
Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), one of the election frontrunners
supporting President Robert Kocharian. "I think that most members
of our Yezidi community will vote for the Prosperous Armenia Party,"
Jndoyan told RFE/RL.

Two other Yezidis, one of them also a community leader, are high on
the proportional representation list of another populist party led
by Tigran Karapetian, the owner and top host of the ALM television
station. Karapetian often invites Yezidi children and youths to sing on
his live folk shows that are popular with rural residents of Armenia.

Tamoyan admitted that he and many other Yezidis hold the ALM boss in
great esteem. But he said this does not mean they will necessarily
vote for Karapetian’s People’s Party in large numbers.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN YEZIDIS HAVE DECIDED WHO TO SUPPORT IN ELECTIONS

ARMENPRESS
Mar 22 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS: The leader of Armenia’s biggest national
minority group refuted today media reports claiming that he will ask
his fellows to cast their ballots in favor of the Dashink (Alliance)
party of a former commander of Nagorno-Karabakh defense army Samvel
Babayan in parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 12.

Aziz Tamoyan, who heads the 42,000-strong Yezidi community of Armenia,
said to a news conference his fellows have made their decision which
political party to support, but refused to reveal their names.

Tamoyan said he denied proposals to run for parliament in a
single-mandate constituency because he had done so in 2003 but his
attempt proved a failure.

Tamoyan, who is also chairman of the World Yezidi Union, said the
ballot is secret, but he hopes that his fellows will support the
candidate that has won the entire community’s approval.

He said the list of candidates of the People’s Party has two Yezidis,
while the Prosperous Armenia and Dashink have one Yezidi in their
lists each.

Yezidis belong to the Kurdish race of the Indo-European family
and speak a northern dialect of Kurdish (Kurmanji). They adhere
to a distinct religion that is influenced by Zoroastrian beliefs,
Christianity and Islam. Though the language spoken by Yezidis is
Kurdish, they tend to regard themselves as distinct from Kurds.

In Armenia, Yezidis are predominantly a pastoral community, with
villages concentrated in the central highlands and along alpine
meadows in the upper elevations of the country.

Yezidi shepherds make annual migrations in the spring to the upper
elevations of mountains, camping in caravan-style tents and tending
their sheep and goat flocks until the first snows of the autumn,
when they return to their villages.

GOVERNMENT SELLS MINORITY SHARE IN ARMENTEL
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
March 22 2007

Ending months of speculation, the Armenian government announced on
Thursday the sale of its minority stake in ArmenTel to a Russian
company that acquired 90 percent of the national telecommunications
operator late last year.

The government said VimpelCom, a leading Russian mobile phone operator,
will pay approximately $50 million to get the remaining 10 percent
of ArmenTel’s stock. A government statement issued after a weekly
cabinet session did not give reasons for the move. It only cited a
November 13 memorandum of understanding signed by VimpelCom and the
Armenian Ministry of Transport and Communications.

VimpelCom, the first Russian firm listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, purchased the commanding share in one of Armenia’s largest
companies from the Greek telecom giant OTE in a $500 million deal
announced on November 3.

Media reports at the time said the government offered the Russians
to buy its largely symbolic share on the condition that they will
give up ArmenTel’s controversial legal monopoly on Armenia’s Internet
communication with the outside world. Armenian officials and VimpelCom
executives did not confirm those reports.

On December 18, VimpelCom unilaterally relinquished the Internet
monopoly and pledged to scrap ArmenTel’s remaining exclusive rights to
other telecom services by the end of this year. The move was strongly
welcomed by local Internet service providers and their customers
that have long complained about the poor quality and high cost of
the service.

KOCHARIAN CONDOLES DEATH OF TENS OF RUSSIANS IN TWO EMERGENCIES

ARMENPRESS
Mar 22 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian sent
yesterday a message of condolences to Russian counterpart Vladimir
Putin to convey his and Armenians’ sorrow and grief in connection
with two successive emergencies in the Russian Federation that claimed
tens of lives.

An explosion in the Siberian coal mine on Monday claimed over 100
lives and in another emergency in the southern Russian home for the
elderly the fire killed at least 63 people on Tuesday night.

Kocharian’s message says, in part. "Please, convey our sincere words of
sorrow and support to the beloved and relatives of the killed people."