Month: March 2007

10 FROM 173 CANDIDATES FOR DEPUTY NOMINATED AT NA ELECTION ACCORDING
TO MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM PRESENT WITHDRAWAL

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. As of March 26, 10 from 173 candidates
for deputy beforehead nominated at the 41 district electoral
commission according to the majoritarian electoral system officially
presented withdrawal. Tsovinar Khachatrian, the Central Electoral
Commission (CEC) Press Secretary informed the Noyan Tapan
correspondent about it. Member of the Youth Party of Armenia Tigran
Nalbandian and member of the "Bargavach Hayastan" (Prosperous Armenia)
party nominated on the civil initiative Nshan Vagharshakian refused
the nomination at district electoral commission No4, "Orinats Yerkir"
(Country of Law) party member Sonya Gevorgian at district electoral
commission No8, Chairman of the Progressive Party of Armenia Tigran
Urikhanian at district electoral commission No9, member of the
Progressive Party of Armenia Armen Martirosian and non-partisan Garik
Hakobian at district electoral commission No13, non-partisan Armen
Ghazarian at district electoral commission No18, non-partisan Karen
Vardanian at district electoral commission No21, non-partisan Grisha
Badalian at district electoral commission No22, non-partisan Victor
Hakobian nominated by the "Dashink" (Alliance) party at district
electoral commission No 23. The deadline for presenting documents
necessary for registration of candidates for deputy nominated at the
May 12 parliamentary elections according to the majoritarian electoral
system is 18:00, March 28.

AKHALKALAK REGIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAIRMAN SENDS MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE TO
ANDRANIK MARGARIAN’S RELATIVES

AKHALKALAK, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Akhalkalak
Regional Assembly Chairman Khachik Ayvazian, on behalf of the Regional
Assembly and personally himself, expressed condolence to Prime
Minister of Armenia, Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia
Andranik Margarian’s family and relatives on the occasion of his
premature death. As Javakhk-Info states, Kh. Ayvazian will
participate in Andranik Margarian’s funeral on March 28.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ARMENIA MOURNS FOR ANDRANIK MARGARIAN’S
LOSS

ONTARIA, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Liberal
Democratic Party of Armenia expresses its deep condolence on the
occasion of RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian’s premature
death. The message of condolence submitted to Noyan Tapan by the LDPA
Central Board, particularly, reads the following: "Andranik
Margarian’s modern patriotism was explained with numerous devoted
services to the Saint Fatherland and Armenian people. We mourn for his
irrevocable loss with his family members, the state authorities of
Armenia and our people. Let’s late Andranik Margarian’s soul always
remain light and his memory remain bright in hearts of all those known
him."

CE REPRESENTATIVE MENTIONS NECESSITY OF HOLDING FREE AND FAIR
ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. "The May 12 parliamentary elections
are unequivoccaly considered in Armenia as a unique possibility for
development of democracy." Bojana Urumova, the Special Representative
of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to Armenia stated
about it at the conference entitled "Free and Fair Elections as
Foundation-Stone of Democracy" taken place on March 27. She reminded
that holding of free and fair elections is one of the obligations
undertaken by Armenia in front of the CE. In B. Urumova’s words,
perhaps, correspondence of the coming parliamentary elections with the
European standards of free and fair elections would be a considerable
progress for Armenia. "Expectations and hopes of the international
community to see considerable results in this sense are very high,"
the CE representative mentioned. She also mentioned that the CE,
attaching importance to the elections to be held in Armenia, did a
considerable work with the corresponding instances.

PRELIMINARY VERSION OF RA MILITARY DOCTRINE MUST BE PREPARED BY APRIL
17: LAST INTERVIEW OF ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER ANDRANIK MARKARIAN TO
"NOYAN TAPAN"

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Below is the RA Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian’s answer to to NT’s question concerning the RA
National Security Strategy. The answer was given two days before the
death of the prime minister. NT: Mr. Prime Minister, the RA National
Security Strategy was adopted by the February 7 decree of the Armenian
president. The same decree also contains a assignment to the Armenian
government to "ensure … the development and approval of programs
envisaged by provisions of the national security strategy." Has the
current government initiated or will it initiate development of the
indicated programs, or it will be done by the future government to be
formed after the parliamentary elections on May 12? Andranik
Margarian: The government has started developing programs envisaged by
provisions of the national security strategy. A short time after
adoption of the RA president’s Decree on Approval of the National
Security Strategy of the Republic of Armenia – on February 13, 2007,
the RA prime minister assigned the RA defence minister Serge Sargsian
to ensure the fulfilment of the assignment of Point 2 of the
presidential decree. According to the Feruary 26 order of the RA
defence minister, a commission was created to coordinate the work on
development of the draft military doctrine and its appendices on the
basis of the RA National Security Strategy. The commission must
present the preliminary version of the draft by April 17.

DEVELOPMEMT OF JAVAKHK POSSIBLE ONLY IN CASE OF ITS AUTONOMY, MEMBER
OF "UNITED JAVAKHK" STATES

AKHALKALAK, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Georgian
authorities intend to restrain, through representatives of local
bodies, all the newly established organizations and all those who act
today in Javakhk under the leadership of the "United Javakhk" people’s
aliance and try to display activity in political issues. Artur
Poghosian, activist of "United Javakhk", expressed this opinion during
an interview to "Javakhk-Info" information and analytical
center. According to him, the major problem of Javakhk’s Armenians is
that of local bodies which give wrong information to the Georgian
authorities in order to keep their posts. "These bodies have been
secret representatives of the authorities for nearly two decades and
are on a fishing rod of these authorities, preserving only their
familiy names from their grandfathers," A. Poghosian said. "When
thinking about oneself, one should remember that higher values exist:
the problem of Javakhk’s prosperity must be a concern to us, Armenians
of Javakhk." In his words, the development of Javakhk is only possible
if Javakhk with its seven regions – Akhalkalak, Ninotsminda,
Akhaltskha, Aspnjak, Tsalka, Adigen and Borzhom receives
autonomy. "What is promised to Abkhazia and Ossetia must be promised
to Javakhk as well so that we will be able to live and create in our
land, while time will show how we will reach this goal," Artur
Poghosian stated.

ACCORDING TO CAPS STUDY, ARMENIA MAY BE COMPETITIVE IN SPHERE OF
ENGINEERING SERVICES PROVISION

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Scientists working in Armenia’s
industrial engineering sector have enough experience to be used in the
domestic industry. Chairman of the Union of Manufacturers and
Businessmen of Armenia Arsen Ghazarian stated this at the March 26
seminar "Innovation Technologies in Industrial Sector of Armenia"
organized by the Enterprise Incubator Founaftion (EIF) jointly with
its US partner – the Civilian Research and Development Foundation
(CRDF). According to EIF Director Bagrat Yengibarian, it is one year
since they started implementing with CRDF a joint program on
establishment of links between the science and industry of
Armenia. Within the program’s framework, an attempt is made to form
tradition of holding venture and innovation conferences.

B. Yengibarian expressed a hope that the seminar will help so that
business proposals to be presented by "scientific group-enterprise"
couples within the next two months will allow to hold the 2nd venture
conference in October 2007. Cliff Barton, expert of the USAID
Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS) program assisting with
development of Armenia’s IT and tourism sectors, presented the study
"The Opportunities of Armenian Companies’s Participation in the
Globally Extending Market of Engineering Design Services". According
to the study, in 2004, current expenditures on engineering services
made 750 billion dollars, in 2020, these expenditures will make 1.1
trillion dollars. It was noted that Armenia has managed to maintain
its powerful capacities in the fields of sceintific technical
education, research and development. At the same time, according to
the study, "the current success in chip design and electronic
infrastructure sectors shows once again that Armenia can still be
competitive in the world’s engineering service provision sector."
During the seminar, representatives of several Armenian companies
engaged in various sectors of engineering design presented their
experience.

"ELECTIONS TO BECOME LITMUS PAPER FOR FURTHER RELATIONS BETWEEN EU AND
ARMENIA," AMBASSADOR OF GERMANY STATES

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Though one of the main obligations
undertaken by Armenia when entering the Council of Europe was holding
of free and fair elections, all the previous elections in Armenia did
not correspond to the democratic demands. Heike Peitsch, the
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Armenia
stated about it at the March 27 conference dedicated to issues of
holding free and fair elections. "We attach very much importance to
the May 12 elections at the National Assembly of Armenia," the
Ambassador of the country presiding at present at the European Union
stated. In her words, the EU expects that the coming elections in
Armenia will be a progress on the way of democracy. "The elections
will become a litmus paper for the further relations between the EU
and Armenia. It will become clear after the elections if there is will
for democracy in Armenia or not," Heike Peitsch stated. She stressed
that the country authorities must secure fair elections. "Everything
depends on the political will of the authorities and parties, mass
media and, of course, of voters," the Ambassador of Germany
concluded. To recap, the conference was organized by the Council of
Europe Yerevan Representation.

TALKS ABOUT FAIR ELECTIONS DO NOT CORRESPOND TO REALITY, RAFFI
HOVANNISIAN FINDS

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. "The most important issue is that
citizens of Armenia are free in their choice and are not confused by
the authorities’ actions or any political circumstances." Raffi
Hovannisian, the Chairman of the "Zharangutiun" (Heritage) party,
former RA Minister of Foreign Affairs stated about it at the March 27
conference entitled "Free and Fair Elections as Foundation-Stone of
Democracy." He expressed sorrow on the occasion that Armenians, always
used to live in unequal conditions in the Ottaman and other Empires,
are today again put in unequal conditions in their own country, in
holding a struggle for etsbalishment of democracy, national interests,
protection of the population’s rights, etc. In R.Hovannisian’s words,
it is important to find out today if all the participants of the
pre-electoral campaign will have equal qualitative and quantitative
conditions in three spheres, particularly: – if mass media will
display balanced approach towards different political forces, – if an
equal approach will be displayed towards all participants of the
pre-electoral race in giving rooms for organizing meetings with
voters, – if the "financial limit" affirmed by the law will be
kept. "It is obvious that today talks about fair elections and reality
do not correspond to one another," Raffi Hovannisian stated. In his
words, the main task is that "words about holding fair elections do
not part with the deed," and it is not only the opposition’s task but,
first of all, it is also the task of the authorities, pro-ruling
political forces, mass media and the whole society.

AKHALTSKHA TO BE PRESENTED WITHOUT ARMENIAN CULTURAL TRACE

AKHALTSKHA, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Akhaltskha
Mayor’s Office has decided to turn town’s oldest district, Rabat, into
a tourism zone. However, according to the A-Info, they will make an
attempt to present it without Armenian cultural trace. Rabat district
is known to have been founded by Armenians as early as in the Middle
Ages and the only functioning Armenian church of Akhaltskha is in that
district. While the special signboard about the tourism zone includes
two mosques, one orthodox church, the Jewish synagogue, the fortress
and in addition to this, it is mentioned that Akhaltskha is a symbol
of tolerance.