Month: March 2007

MAKING USE OF ARTISTS, PARTIES ATTEMPT TO GATHER MORE VOTES, YERVAND
MANARIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Involvement of artists in
proportional lists of parties is not accidental, as by making use of
them, parties attempt to gather more votes. RA People’s Artist Yervand
Manarian expressed this opinion at the March 16 meeting with
journalists. In his words, if an artist becomes anybody’s myrmidons,
he "stops being real artist."

Y. Manarian mentioned that he will not participate in any party’s
propaganda mission as the future majority at the NA is already
decided. "I have no expectations from our parliament as important
issues will in future as well be solved in the way they want," he
emphasized.

Y. Manarian expressed perlexity on the occasion of the fact that the
party created few months ago already has 300 thousand members: "What
an ideology they have that 300 thousand from the population of 3 mln
people are members of that party."

In poet Razmik Davoyan’s words, parties today have only one anxiety,
how to do to gather many votes. And the people follows the party which
promises it well-to-do future. "Our people today submits to everyday
promises and participates in the elections for a small repayment. My
wish is that the people keeps its dignity," R.Davoyan mentioned.

Representatives of ICRC’s Yerevan Delegation Keep on Visiting Samir Mamedov

Arminfo
2007-03-19 12:50:00

The employees of the Yerevan delegation of the International Committee
of Red Cross (ICRC) keep on visiting the Azeri soldier Samir Mamedov
and help him to keep in touch with the relatives via "ICRC messages",
a delegate Jean-Sebastien Blanc.

He noted that the ICRC’s representatives continue the monitoring of S.
Mamedov’s keeping conditions and the moral- psychological
situation. "We also continue a confidential dialogue between the
sides", he said. At the same time, Jean- Sebastien Blanc underlined
that S. Mamedov writes the letters to his relatives in the presence of
ICRC’s representatives.

To note, according to the Azeri Mass Media, the relatives of
S. Mamedov doubt of an authenticity of the letters he sends. According
to them, some letters of the old alphabet are used in S. Mamedov’s
letters which he is unaware of.

NORAYR BAKHTAMIAN COMPLETES 1st TEN AT EUROPE SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIP

DEAUVILLE, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The Europe shooting championship finished
on March 17 in the city of Deauville, France. Norayr Bakhtamian took the 10th
place (578 points, pistol) in the struggle of 79 participants, and Robert
Voskanian took in the 30th place.

Surveillance cameras to be placed in Yerevan streets shortly

Arminfo
2007-03-19 16:16:00

Surveillance cameras will be placed in Yerevan streets shortly, says
the head of the Yerevan police department, Maj. Gen. Nerses Nazaryan.

He does not agree with the opinion that there are no more traffic
policemen in the streets. They continue their work and approach only
cars that have committed violations or have not been properly
parked. "We are used to see traffic police posts in the streets but I
think that the present practice is much more effective," says
Nazaryan. He notes that the traffic police have lots of vacancies and
as soon as they are filled they will become even more efficient.

NATO to use Azeri military facilities

Turan news agency, Baku
16 Mar 07

16 March: Two military units of Azerbaijan will be modernized in
accordance with NATO standards, NATO secretary-general’s special
representative in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Robert Simmons,
said at a news conference in Baku today.

The units will be prepared to ensure their compatibility with NATO
countries’ military structures. One of the units will carry out tasks
as part of the rapid reaction force. The other will be involved in
peacekeeping operations.

Besides, one of the country’s military aerodromes will also be
modernized in line with NATO standards to be used for transfer of
members of the military and cargoes to Afghanistan.

Asked what the status of the aerodrome will be and whether it will be
loaned to NATO, Simmons said that the issue will be tackled at
bilateral level with a NATO country that will help modernize this
military facility.

[Passage omitted: Simmons pleased with the completion of the first
part of the Individual Partnership Action Plan]

FIRST SITTING OF ADVISORY BOARD OF CENTER FOR EUROPEAN LAW AND
INTEGRATION HELD BEHIND CLOSED DOORS IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The first and foremost goal of the
Center for European Law and Integration created in 2006 in Yerevan is
to inform the public about the importance and activity of European
Union (EU) institutions. Board Chairman, RA Justice Minister David
Haroutiunian stated this in his interview to journalists held on March
19, after the first sitting of Center’s Board. In his words, over the
past year the Center has already trained high-quality specialists on
the line of law, international relations and foreign languages.

According to the press release of Center’s Press Service, the funds
provided by EU for founding the Center for European Law and
Integration amounted to 915 thousand euros. The Center located in the
premises of Yerevan State University plans to have a Resource Center
with a library having 2 thousand titles of books. "The library will
provide information and publishing services to researchers, lecturers,
students and other interested people," the press release read.

By the way, it is noteworthy that against the same press release,
according to which the event, the first sitting of the Center for
European Law and Integration, was to be open for journalists, was held
behind closed doors. Before the meeting with the Minister the
representative of the Press Service of the Center advised journalists
"to satisfy themselves" with the press release given to them.

INVALIDS TO GET FREE OF PROPERTY TAX FOR CARS GOT FROM SOCIAL SECURITY
BODIES BY LAW

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly adopted on
March 19 in the 2nd reading and completely the draft on making an
addition to the law "On Property Tax." According to it, cars got by
invalids from the social security bodies with privileged conditions
become free of the property tax. The community councilor at present
gives that privilege, in the case if an applicant presents the
documents every year. The goal of defining the mentioned privilege by
the law is to free people of the mentioned category who are in
majority elderly people, from additional documentation.

NUMBER OF REGISTERED CRIMES GROWS BY 12.5% IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY THIS
YEAR IN YEREVAN AS COMPARED WITH SAME MONTHS OF PREVIOUS YEAR

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. 659 crimes have been registered in
2007 January-February in Yerevan, which is more by 73 cases or 12.5%
as compared with the same index of the previous year. Reporting this
at the March 19 meeting with journalists, Police Major-General Nerses
Nalbandian, Head of Yerevan Police Department, explained that the
growth of the number of crimes is conditioned by "consistent policy of
disclosing latent crimes and more complete registration of committed
crimes."

Six aforethought murders have been committed in the first two months
in Yerevan against five murders committed in the same period of the
previous year. Four out of the crimes have been already disclosed.

15 criminal groups with 42 persons have been rendered harmless. 63
cases of crimes committed by them have been already disclosed.

Cases of hooliganism have decreased by 41% and cases of robbery by
33%. As a positive tendency N. Nazarian also mentioned the fact that
the number of crimes committed with fire-arms has decreased by 40%. 18
units of fire-arms illegally kept by people have been confiscated by
Police, including 2 sub-machine-guns, 9 pistols, 3 grenades and over
300 bullets of various calibres.

In N. Nazarian’s words, the growth of indices in fighting narcotism by
24 or 80% is the continuation of the improvement that started last
year. Cases of revealing drug sellers have grown almost twice. 700 g
various types of drugs have been confiscated in the first two months
of 2007.

The growth of cases of apartment thefts is alarming: they have grown
by 24 cases or by 52%. Thefts committed by penetrating into an
apartment through the window prevail among them – 34, the number of
thefts committed by breaking the lock is 16, thefts through an
adjusted key 12, thefts by entering an apartment from through open
doors 8.

A growth of tendency of car hijacking has been registered in the first
two months of current year. 28 cases of car hijacking have been
registered, 9 out of them have not been disclosed yet, 19 cars were
robbed. In 23 cases hijacking was committed in yards of houses, 5 from
streets. 22 out of them were committed at night.

Disclosure of registered cases has grown this year and made 83.9% as
compared with 83.1% in the same period of the previous
year. Disclosure of grave cases made 71.7% as compared with 71.4% in
the same period of the previous year, disclosure of especially grave
cases made 60%.

CONSUMER RIGHTS PROTECTION NGO TO HOLD PRE-ELECTORAL PROPAGANDA

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The Consumer Rights Protection (CRP)
public organization will hold a propaganda mission with the slogan "My
Vote is Decisive" the main goal of which is guarantee of voters’
participation in the May 12 parliamentary elections. Organization
Chairman Abgar Yeghoyan informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent about
it.

In his words, another goal of the propaganda mission will be to
orientate voters in the issue of presence of principles relating the
consumer rights protection in pre-electoral programs of
parties. Besides, with the assistance of the organization the voters
will arise issues relating to the consumer rights in front of the
candidates.

A. Yeghoyan reminded that on the CRP initiative, the Consumer Rights
Protection Deputy Cooperation was founded at the RA National Assembly
on September 28, 2003, in which representatives of the ARF, RPA, EYP
factions and the "People’s Deputy" deputies’ group were involved.

NEW STAFF OF RA CHAMBER OF ADVOCATES COUNCIL AND DISCIPLINARY
COMMISSION ELECTED

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, NOYAN TAPAN. At the March 17 general meeting of the
RA Chamber of Advocates the new staff of the Chamber Council and
Disciplinary Commission was elected. 381 advocates participated in the
vote. 11 people (including 4 ones from the former staff of the
Council) were elected from 33 candidates for the Council members, 9
people (3 from the former staff of the commission) were elected from
25 candidates for the Disciplinary Commission members.

A mistake was found in the ballot-papers in the surname of Gayane
Galoyan, a candidate for the Council membership. It may be disputed
only by the judicial order. It is necessary to mention that G. Galoyan
gathered only 23 votes, in the case when the one gathered the fewest
votes among the Council members got 121 votes. 11 ballot-papers for
electing Council members and 19 ballot-papers for electing
Disciplinary Commission members were recognized invalid as a result of
accounting of the votes.