Month: March 2007

A1+

THERE ISN’T HARSH OPPOSITION IN ARMENIA
[07:44 pm] 02 March, 2007

`Justice’ bloc sees its mission fulfilled’, Grigor Haroutyunyan,
Secretary of `Justice’ faction, announced today during the NA
briefings.

Does it imply that the constitutional order is restored in Armenia as
the bloc was aimed at recovering the constitutional order?

`No, it doesn’t’, said Mr. Haroutyunyan and added that his friends had
suggested continuing the activity of the bloc but their offer was
rejected.

Hrayr Karapetyan noted that the failure of the oppositional forces was
determined by their ambitions and lack of determination. If the
opposition really wanted to hold power they were to sacrifice certain
things; they shouldn’t have rested for months, and then appear with
the intention of initiating coup d’etat. `That’s why Armenia lacks
harsh opposition nowadays’, he says.

The United Labor Party is neither discouraged nor delighted by the
fact that the oppositional forces have been unable to unite. `It is
not our fault that the attempts of the opposition have failed’.

A1+

"WE WANT TO COMPETE WITH RUSSIA, UKRAINE OR SPAIN"
[06:39 pm] 02 March, 2007

The correspondent of `A1+’ held an interview with Rouben Nazaretyan,
chief coach of `Adana’ and Armenian footzal (mini football) team. The
sides spoke of the team’s victories and losses in the selection phase
held in January, 2006. To note, Armenian team enjoyed one victory and
was twice beaten.

Mr. Nazaretyan finds the results normal as, in his words, we don’t
have normal championships in Armenia today and the choice of the
footballists is rather limited. At the same time, he notes that the
team consists of young players who displayed excellent participation
during the January meetings; they scored goals thus attracting the
attention of the European countries. The next meetings of the
selection phase are scheduled in October. Rouben Nazaretyan says that
he have already submitted the working plan to the federation under
which they are to hold 2-3 meetings by October. In May we shall hold
friendly meetings with one of strong teams of Russia, Ukraine or
Spain. `We haven’t made arrangements yet but I voice hope that the
federation will endorse our proposal and the meeting will be arranged’
said Mr. Nazaretyan.

P.S.

`A1+’ urges its readers, especially those living abroad, to send
letters to the website [email protected] in case you have any information
about the Armenian football players.

A1+

JOURNALISTS RIGHTS TO BE LIMITED
[07:21 pm] 02 March, 2007

`The rights of journalists will be confined’, says Ashot Melikyan,
head of the Committee protecting the right to expression. On March 2,
he met the representatives of mass media in the `Yerevan hotel’.
Mr. Melikyan urged all the Armenian journalists to struggle for their
rights rather actively.

The report was made by the legal service of `Internews’. Lawyer Olga
Safaryan and David Sandukhchayn, head of the legal department,
presented the incidents hindering journalists’ legal activity in 2006.

According to the statistics, there were 16 cases in 2006 and most of
them remained unpunished.

`Journalists are not protected as the people breaching their rights
don’t bear punishment’, says Olga Safaryan.

To note, the violation of journalist’s activity is considered a crime
under the Penal Code and is forbidden by law.

A1+

PETER SEMNEBY GOT NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM ARMENIA
[07:04 pm] 02 March, 2007

`I come to Armenia as often as I can talk on the regional issues,
like Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, implementation of the European
Neighborhood policy, as well as the relations of Armenia with its
neighbors. This time I am here in connection with the upcoming
parliamentary elections which are, of course, of great importance’,
Peter Semneby, EU special Envoy for the South Caucasus told A1+ today.

As for the current pre-election campaigns in Armenia and the fact that
the Opposition is deprived of air-live broadcasting, Mr. Semneby said,
`It is important that these elections are conducted according to all
the rules, i.e. they are free and fair. It is important for both
Armenia and the European Union as Armenia is a part of European
neighborhood policy. I am aware that the opposition is deprived of
broadcast and I know that there are many complaints on this score. I
am discussing also bringing up all those issues with government
officials but fundamentally it is up to election observers to make
judgments on these issues.’

Panorama.am

17:46 02/03/2007

HERITAGE PARTY TAKES A DECISION

Today’s session of Heritage (Jarangutiun) party board announced that
they party will run in elections on its own. The session also
announced the proportional list. The first person in the list is
Raffi Hovannisian, party chairman, followed by Larisa Alaverdyan,
ex-ombudswoman and Vardan Khachatryan, party board council chairman.

Faculty members, scientists and public figures are in the
list. Fifteen years ago, the same day, the Armenian flag was raised in
front of UN building in New York when Hovannisian was the first
foreign minister of Armenia and the party chairman believes it is a
symbolic day. He announced that there will be no one running on
majority list from their party.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #040, 03/03/2007

Armenia-Turkey Relations

AKHTAMAR’S SURB KHACH (THE HOLY CROSS) CHURCH TO BE OPENED BY PRIME
MINISTER ERDOGAN ON MARCH 29

Akhtamar’s Surb Khach (The Holy Cross) church to be opened by Prime
Minister of Turkey Erdogan on March 29, reports "Hurriet"
newspaper. The opening ceremony was planed on April 15, but due to
Ergodan’s official visit to Hanover, Germany, it was moved on March
29. The newspaper also referred to other possible reasons of opening
the church sooner than it was planned, which are spoken about in the
backstage of official Ankara. Three main causes are pointed out –
first, in April 2007 the Turkish "Justice and Prosperity" party is
expected to announce the name of its candidate for president’s office,
and second, the discussion of the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the
US Congress and aiming to have positive impression on the Senators on
the eve of voting for the resolution.

"Hurriet " says due to the aforementioned reasons a large delegation
is to arrive to the ceremony, consisting of "Justice and Prosperity"
party members, representatives of the Turkish Governmen and the
Armenian Diaspora, outstanding politicians and intellectuals. It is
also reported that Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Koc is to send
a special invitation to Ms. Hasmik Pogosian, the Ministry of Culture
of Armenia.

It is noteworthy that an important detail, the church’s cross, was not
was not preserved in its place after the reconstruction. In connection
with that Mr. Koc said that it was not made on any evil purpose. If
the church had a cross in origin, it will be placed back on its
place. Turkish Culture Ministry historical monuments restoration
expert Yakub Hazan explained that the Akhtamar church has had a cross
(as any church should), but the restoration commission decided to omit
that detail due to lack of information about its authentic look. "We
had only one photograph of the church, which was made from afar and
the cross can hardly be seen."

H. Chaqrian

Panorama.am

19:09 02/03/2007

SEVEN PARTIES APPLY TO CENTRAL ELECTORAL COMMITTEE TODAY

Seven political parties applied to Central Electoral Committee
today. The Progressive Party of Armenia submitted a 7-person list,
headed by party chairman, Tigran Urikhanyan. The United Working Party
(MAK) submitted a list, headed by Gurgen Arsenyan, followed by Grigor
Ghonjeyan and Sergei Sarajyan. There are 83 candidates in MAK
list. Armenian People’s Party, headed by Stepan Demirchyan, Armenian
National Libratory Party, Social Democratic Hnchak Party, National
Democratic Party and Marxist Party also submitted their lists.

Source: Panorama.am

Panorama.am

20:17 02/03/2007

NEW WEEKLY PANORAMA.AM OFFERS RUSSIAN LANGUAGE ARTICLES TO READERS

Ask from shops Panorama.am, the new Russian language weekly! The new
edition includes articles on the following and not only: – National
Assembly adopts amendments in Law on Citizenship. Commentaries by
David Harutunyan, minister of justice. – 17 years of parliamentarism
in Armenia. Political majority renewed in National Assembly every two
years.

– Gor Grigoryan, major of arsenal, and Yegor Glumov, renowned showman
in the Armenian broadcast, in one person. -Analyses of political,
legal and educational spheres; questions and answers interesting for
the youth; people and events, cinema, sports and games….

You will find these and not only these in the first edition of
Panorama.am.

Source: Panorama.am

Panorama.am

17:36 02/03/2007

LEVON TER-PETROSYAN NOT TO NOMINATE HIS CANDIDATURE

`Ter-Petrosyan will not nominate his candidature,’ Ararat Zurabyan,
Chairman of Pan-Armenian National Movement (HHSh) board,
assured. Zurabyan said he will run on majority list, too. `Now we are
checking the election centers where opposition will run. We will try
to avoid competition with the opposition,’ he said.

In his words, HHSh board March 3 session will take a final decision on
who will run on majority list. Zurabyan said there will be no people
in the list `who do not have organic link with HHSh.’

Source: Panorama.am

The Hindu, India
March 3 2007

Armenian church to resume service

Susan Muthalaly

CHENNAI: The Armenian church on Armenian Street here will possibly
resume worship service by next year, after a decade-long interregnum.
The oldest surviving church of its kind in India is set to be
renovated and restored with an estimated Rs.1.5 crore grant from the
Armenian Church Trust in Kolkata, and guidance from the Indian
National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

The Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II,
from the Holy Etchmiadzin , on a personal visit to India, dropped by
on Friday, and expressed his desire to restart the service.

The Armenians were once a rich community that made significant
contributions, economic and cultural, to the city. Now there are only
275 registered Armenians in India.

They originate from the southwest Asian country of Armenia.

The Catholicos suggested that students from the Armenian College and
Philanthropic Academy, Kolkata, be distributed across the country
once they finished their studies.

Photo: AWAITING RENOVATION: The Armenian Church at Parrys Corner in
north Chennai.
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