Month: March 2007

ARMENIAN PRO-GOVERNMENT PARTIES LEAD IN PARLIAMENTARY RACE – POLL

Arminfo
13 Mar 07

Yerevan, 13 March: A poll conducted by the Armenian Sociology
Association has revealed that 26.4 per cent of the respondents have
not yet decided who they would be voting for in the 12 May National
Assembly [parliament] election; 17.3 per cent have said they planned
to vote against all the political parties and blocs.

According to the poll conducted between 10 and 24 February, the
Prosperous Armenia party of oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan leads with 18.2
per cent, followed by the Republican Party of Armenia [member of the
ruling coalition] with 10.6 per cent.

Another 6.7 per cent are ready to vote for the Orinats Yerkir party
[of ex-Speaker Artur Baghdasaryan]; 5.1 per cent for the People’s Party
of Tigran Karapetyan; 4.8 per cent for the ARFD [Armenian Revolutionary
Federation- Dashnaktsutyun]; 3 per cent for the National Unity Party
[of Artashes Geghamyan]; and 2.6 per cent for each People’s Party of
Armenia of Stepan Demirchyan and the Heritage Party [of ex-foreign
minister Raffi Hovhannisyan]. According to the Armenian Sociology
Association, the results of the other parties were less than 1
per cent.

The poll was conducted among 2,000 people in 20 towns and 64 villages.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN DIASPORA REP SAYS US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT "INCORRECT"

Arminfo
13 Mar 07

Yerevan, 13 March: Aram Hambarian, [the executive director of
the Armenian National Committee of America] of the ARF [Armenian
Revolutionary Federation] – Dashnaktsutyun has dismissed as incorrect
the recent US State Department report on Armenia.

Speaking at a news conference in Yerevan today [13 March], Hambarian
said that the report’s provision regarding "the occupation of Nagornyy
Karabakh and adjacent regions by Armenia" is the result of Azerbaijan’s
constant "claims" of "occupation." He said that Armenia’s task was
and is a bit different: to maintain the current status quo, solve
the issue of Nagornyy Karabakh’s status and social issues. This way
or another, the State Department’s report is incorrect, he said.

HILDA TCHOBOYAN: THE BILL CRIMINALIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL WILL BE PROBABLY PUT ON SENATE AGENDA IN AUTUMN

ArmRadio.am
13.03.2007 17:34

Most probably, the bill criminalizing the negation of the Armenian
Genocide adopted by the French National Assembly will put on the
Senate agenda in October after the parliamentary and presidential
elections in the country. During today’s press conference Charwoman
of the European Armenian Federation Hilda Tchoboyan said it hardly
possible for the resolution to be put on Senate agenda immediately
after the parliamentary elections. "Most probably, it will be included
in the autumn agenda. We shall do everything possible to have the
bill be included in the Senate agenda," she assured, not excluding
that there will be strong resistance.

According to Hilda Tchoboyan, after the adoption in the French National
assembly the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide met strong
resistance in France, especially on the part of historian. "They were
protesting that politics should not be mixed with the historic reality,
which left its trace in the formation of public opinion. Definitely,
Turkish lobbyist organizations and interested forces stand behind
the creation of such atmosphere," said Hilda, adding that a new wave
has escalated, which counters the first one. "Some intellectuals
stand behind this new wave, according to which the genocide is not
a historic reality: it is a heavy and irreversible all-human crime."

The Chairwoman of the European Armenian Federation noted also that the
three strong presidential candidates of France do not deny the fact
of the Armenian Genocide. According to her, no one in France denies
that there was genocide and everyone agrees that France must adopt a
law on the Armenian Genocide, but the question today is the issue of
punishment. "Although the Socialist candidate has not addressed the
law personally, it can be supposed that he will not stand against the
bill authored by his party. Nevertheless, positions differ before and
after elections, therefore, we cannot assert anything definitely. UMP
candidate Nicola Sarkozy personally opposes Turkey’s accession to the
European Union, and in general his stance is beneficial for us. Nicola
Sarkozy has not directly expressed his position on the criminalizing
the Armenian Genocide denial, but he says genocide denial should
be punishable. President of the center-right party minds Turkey’s
accession to the EU, but opposes also the ratification of the law,"
Hilda Tchoboyan mentioned.

In her words, in general, the Armenian community stands against
Turkey’s accession to the European Union. Therefore, it will support
the candidate whose opposition to this accession turns out to be
the strongest.

"POWERFUL STATE WITH DEMOCRATIC ELECTION" PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED IN MARZES OF SYUNIK AND VAYOTS DZOR

Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2007

KAPAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The Kapan Youth Scientific-Cultural
public organization holds a course-training for youth of the marzes
of Syunik and Vayots Dzor, juveniles at the pre-recruiting age and
more passive voters, within the framework of the "Powerful State with
Democratic Election" grant program.

7360 people will be informed till May 12 about the electoral right,
proportional and majoritarian electoral systems, order of vote. To
recap, course participants are given copies of those decisions of
the Central Electoral Commission which relate to the voters’ rights
and order of vote.

TURKISH HISTORIAN CONTRIVED HISTORY WITH EXCAVATION OF GRAVE OF MASS BURIAL OF ARMENIANS: EMINENT HISTORIAN OF ARMENIAN DIASPORA

Arminfo
2007-03-13 13:38:00

"There was never a discussion of excavating gravesites in Harput. This
pretension is contrived and spread in the Turkish Mass Media by the
Head of the Turkish Historical Society Yusuf Halacoglu", the Director
of Komitas Institute in London , an eminent historian of the Armenian
Diaspora Ara Sarafyan told ArmInfo. Commenting on the information,
spread in the Turkish press, about his alleged initial agreement and
then a refusal to participate in the excavation of gravesites in Harput
in Turkey, A. Sarafyan repeated that "there was never a discussion
of participation in this nitiative". "We proposed to undertake a
joint study with two parts, one concerning Ottoman deportation and
resettlement records and the other concerning other records, most
notable English, German and Armenian language materials", the Armenian
historian said, having noted that the Komitas Institute had asked
the Turkish Historical Society to give the archive materials about
the deportation of Armenians in 1915, in particular, from the Harput
plain. However, Y. Halacoglu made a statement about the non-existence
of the Ottoman records. "Nevertheless, "the non-existent" records
are directly related to two Ottoman decrees which Turkish official
historians have claimed regulated the deportation ad resettlement of
Ottoman Armenians in 1915. These were the May 30, 1915 regulations on
deportations and the June 10, 1915 regulations on the resettlement of
deportees, the liquidation of their properties and their compensation
in their places of exile. He added that it is not clear why the
Turkish historian could make such a categorical statement about the
non-existence of the Ottoman records we asked for, taking into account
the fact that there are many Ottoman archives in Turkey and not all
Ottoman records in these archives are catalogued.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HAYK ISRAELIAN CHARGED WITH EXLODING SHAHEN HOVASAPIAN’S CAR BY USING REMOTE CONTROL PANEL

Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Based on evidence obtained during the
investigation of the criminal case on murder of Shahen Hovasapian,
head of the operative investigation department of the State Tax Service
adjunct to the RA government, the Investigation Department of the RA
Prosecutor General’s Office made on March 10 a decision on involving
Hayk Israelian, 32, resident of Yerevan, as the accused. He is charged
with expolding the car of Shahen Hovasapian by using a remote control
panel – in accordance with Article 104 Part 2 Points 6, 7 and 8,
Article 34-104 Part 2 Points 1 and 7, and Article 235 Part 1 of the
RA Criminal Code. According to a press release of the RA Prosecutor
General’s Office, necessary measures are being taken to reveal all
circumstances of the case.

THE BLOW IS STRONG WHEN THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS CONDEMNED BY THE STRONGEST WORLD POWERS

ArmRadio.am
13.03.2007 17:58

Speaking about the future of the Armenian resolution in the US House
of Representatives at today’s press conference, Chairman of the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Aram Hamparian again
expressed the optimism of the Armenian community about the adoption
of the bill. Despite the activeness of Turkey, the threats of this
country never turn real. It’s enough to remember Turkey’s threat to
cut the economic ties with the United States.

As for the resolution condemning the assassination of Hrant Dink,
Aram Hamparian says that after the delay of consideration of the
resolution in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, an attempt may
be made to expel the word genocide from the document, but American
Armenian organizations will struggle against it.

If the US Congress adopts the resolution denouncing the Armenian
Genocide, this will be the third similar document. What is the
importance of the third document? Armenian-Turkish relations are
the issue of not only the past but also the future, Aram Hamparian
responds.

"For our people the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is a moral
and security issue. Unless the Genocide is recognized, life in Armenia
cannot be safe. It’s hard to change Turkey from inside, we must change
Turkey’s position from the outside," Aram Hamparian states, adding
that the aim of adoption of another bill on the Armenian Genocide is
to promote the isolation of Turkey from the outside world. "The blow
is strong when the Armenian Genocide is condemned by the strongest
world powers."

WEEK OF NATO STARTS IN ARMENIAN REGIONS, TOO

Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2007

KAPAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of Week of NATO in
Armenia, the Atlantic Association of Armenia NGO with the support of
RA Foreign Ministry and U.S. Embassy in Armenia organized NATO-Armenia
youth cognitive tour dedicated to NATO and Armenia-NATO cooperation. On
March 13-16, representatives of Association will visit Kapan, Sisian,
Yeghegnadzor, Vanadzor, Tavush, Shirak where they will have meetings
with local youth. The first meeting took place on March 13 at the
Cultural Palace of regional center of Syunik, Kapan.

Students of town’s secondary and higher educational institutions,
representatives of youth non-governmental organizations took part
in the meeting. They were familiarized with the activity of NATO and
Atlantic Association of Armenia, as well as were provided information
about Armenia-NATO cooperation.

NATO ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL AND RA FOREIGN MINISTER ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO SOCIETY’S INVOLVEMENT IN RA-NATO DIALOGUE

Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Minister of Foreign Affairs
Vartan Oskanian received on March 12 Jean Fournet, the NATO Assistant
Secretary General for Public Diplomacy. Jean Fournet mentioned the
importance of holding the NATO week started in Armenia on March 12
from the viewpoint of spreading corresponding information about the
Alliance, especially emphasizing usefulness of the discussions on the
promoting dialogue, NATO place and role for the Alliance as well. The
interlocutors attached importance to the society’s involvement in
the Armenia-NATO dialogue, which is not limited only by the security
problems and involves a wide circle of public interests. They touched
upon implementation of the Indivudual Partnership Actions Plan of
the Armenia-NATO cooperation as well. According to the information
submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and
Information Department, the official opening ceremony of the NATO
information center in Yerevan, with participation of Minister Oskanian
and J. Fournet, followed the meeting.

CAR OF "UNITED JAVAKHK" CHAIRMANSHIP MEMBER KHACHIK SAHARIAN BLOWN UP: LATTER IS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 13 2007

YEKATERINBURG, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Lexus
car of Khachik Saharian, a member of the United Javakhk democratic
alliance chairmanship, businessman, was blown up in the city of
Yekaterinburg, Russia. Saharian was taken to one of the local
hospitals with different bodily injuries. As Javakhk-Info agency
states, Kh. Saharian was born in the village of Kumurdo, the region of
Akhalkalak, Samtskhe-Javakhk. It is not clear yet if the encroachment
was connected with his political or business activity. According to
the information of the "Bagin" information center, Khachik Saharian’s
relations were not "good-neighborly" with the heads of the "Virahayeri
Miasnutiun" (Unity of Georgian Armenians) organization settled in
Yerevan and the "Hzor Hayrenik" (Powerful Fatherland) party.