Month: April 2007

SALARY DEBT OWED TO "ARMENIAN AIRWAYS" FORMER EMPLOYEES IMPOSSIBLE TO PAY IN FULL

Noyan Tapan
Apr 16 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Debt of the total amount of 169
mln 297.9 thousand drams (about 457 thousand USD) owed to 331 former
employees of Armenian Airways airline is impossible to pay in full. NT
correspondent was informed at the RA Civil Aviation Main Department
that the employees will receive their salaries according to their
place in the list, and their demands will not be completely met
because the bankrupt airline’s assets made only 28 mln drams after
the last auction. Besides, debt of 1.7 ln drams is owed to 109 persons
recceiving benefits from the airline.

According to the same source, the salary and final payment-related
liabilities to 462 employees of the airline initially amounted to
240 mln 980.9 thousand drams. 71 mln 683 thousand drams of this sum
was paid to former US representative of Armenian Airways K. Arustamian.

DARCHINYAN DISAPPOINTED WITH ARCE

East Side Boxing
April 17 2007

TOTOWA, NJ (April 17, 2007) — "Jorge Farce should have been arrested
for indecent exposure after the performance he put on Saturday
night." spat out a disgusted and disappointed VIC DARCHINYAN, after
watching Jorge Arce lose a lopsided unanimous decision to WBC super
flyweight champion Cristian Mijares. "I knew he was a fraud from
day one which is why I wanted to be the one to beat him. To expose
him to the world as a farce of a fighter. But he was so busy looking
over his shoulder running away from me, he didn’t see the brick wall
ahead of him and he ran smack into it in Cristian Mijares."

Darchinyan (28-0, 22 KOs), from Australia, by way of Armenia, has
reigned as IBF/IBO flyweight champion since 2004. He was hoping to
land a monster fight against Arce inasmuch as both HBO and Showtime
had offered the fighters career-high purses.

"Bob Arum was so busy reading his own clippings he actually began to
believe the pulp fiction he was selling on Farce," said Gary Shaw,
Darchinyan’s promoter. "Bob claims Vic can’t put asses in one hundred
seats. That may be true, but I guarantee you that Vic can win more
rounds against any opponent Farce has ever lost to. And by the way,
Vic has lost to no one."

"Farce is a bigger sucker than the lollipops he sucks on," continued
Darchinyan. "In fact, I’d like to get those lollipops tested for
substances that have clouded his judgement. After the way he fought
on Saturday night, I suggest Farce make all his future ring entrances
on a jackass…that is if the jackasses don’t mind slumming with him.

He’s a fraud and a complete disappointment to the Mexican boxing fans."

TURKS REJECT IDEA OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Angus Reid Global Monitor, Canada
April 17 2007

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – A large number of people in Turkey
disagree with an initiative of the United States Congress to recognize
the death of thousands of Armenians as a state-sponsored extermination
campaign, according to a poll by Terror Free Tomorrow.

77.7 per cent of respondents oppose the "Armenian Genocide" resolution.

Relations between Armenia and Turkey are still tense due to historical
factors. In 1915, the government of the Ottoman Empire-formed by
members of the Turkish nationalist Committee of Union and Progress
(ITC)-ordered hundreds of thousands of Armenians to relocate from
the Caucasus to Mesopotamia.

The state-sponsored deportation campaign led to a high number of
Armenian fatalities, estimated at anywhere from 200,000 to 1.8
million. While some scholars believe the campaign was a deliberate
attempt to exterminate Armenians, Turkey has never formally accepted
the use of the term "genocide" to describe the event.

In March 2005, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called
for an impartial investigation of Armenian claims, saying, "We do not
want future generations to live under the shadow of continued hatred
and resentment."

On Mar. 28, a U.S. Senate panel condemned the murder of a
Turkish-Armenian editor, Hrant Dink, who had urged Turks to acknowledge
the mass killings of Armenians. The U.S. Congress is now considering
a resolution that would recognize the events as "genocide."

Following the Senate panel resolution, Foreign Relations Committee
chairman and Delaware senator Joe Biden said he would not back down
under Turkish pressure, saying, "A relationship that rests on a
requirement of a denial of an historical event, is not a sound basis
for a relationship."

In October 2006, France’s National Assembly approved a bill that makes
it a crime to deny that the state-sponsored deportation campaign
undertaken by the Turkish government from 1915 to 1917 actually
constituted a genocide.

Polling Data

The U.S. Congress is considering a resolution, which will recognize-I
will now read to you its exact words: "the Armenian Genocide." Do
you strongly favour, somewhat favour, are neutral, somewhat oppose,
or strongly oppose this resolution?

Strongly favour 4.2%

Somewhat favour 3.2%

Neutral 8.5%

Somewhat oppose 11.4%

Strongly oppose 66.3%

Don’t know / No answer 6.3%

Source: Terror Free Tomorrow Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with
1,021 Turkish adults, conducted from Jan. 27 to Feb. 8, 2007. Margin
of error is 3.1 per cent.

useaction/viewItem/itemID/15415

ANOTHER AMERICAN SENATOR SPEAKS FOR RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 16 2007

WASHINGTON, APRIL 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Barack Obama,
Senator from the state of Illinois spoke during a public speech on
April 12 for the importance of the Armenian Genocide recognition. The
Armenian National Committee of America states about it.

The statement was made during the weekly "morning briefing" when two
senators of the state, Obama and deputy head of the Senate majority
Richard Durbin had possibility to respond voters’ questions.

Karine Birazian, the Executive Director of the U.S. Eastern Region
of the Armenian National Commitee participated in the briefing. She,
taking the opportunity, expressed her gratitude to Senator Durbin
for presenting the resolution concerning the Armenian Genocide and
called on Senator Obama to assist that resolution.

In response Senator Obama stated: "I want to say for everybody who
is not aware that the one committed against the Armenian people was
a genocide. It is also a situation where we obviously see the Turkish
government’s constant denying position towards the happened. It became
a painful side of diplomacy."

19 NGOs AND 4 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ACCREDITED FOR CARRYING OUT MONITORING MISSION AT RA NA ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. As of April 17, 19 local NGOs
and 4 international organizations were accredited at RA Central
Electoral Commission for carrying out monitoring mission at the May
12 parliamentary elections. Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed
about it by Commission Spokesperson Tsovinar Khachatrian.

To recap, according to the Electoral Code, the NGOs, the regulations
of which include issues of democracy and human rights and who do not
support the candidates or the parties, have the right to carry out
monitoring mission.

The international organizations can carry out monitoring mission only
in case of invitation of RA President, National Assembly, government
or Central Electoral Commission. Among the invited international
organizations, the Council of CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, CIS
Executive Committee, PACE, OSCE ODIHR have been accredited at CEC
for the present.

PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS PROPOSE PARTIES PARTICIPATING IN ELECTIONS TO ASSIST DEVELOPMENT OF NGOS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. A joint discussion of representatives
of public organizations and political forces participating in the
National Assembly elections was organized at the Yerevan hotel
on April 17, on the initiative of the "Professionals in the Name
of Civil Society" NGO. The goal of the event was to draw parties’
attention to problems of NGOs.

The package of legislative amendments worked out by organizers was
presented for the discussion. It was particularly proposed by it
to raise the level of financial independence of NGOs, allowing to
involve in the latters’ property sources the resources appeared as
a result of commercial activity of companies founded by them or with
their participation.

As Artak Zeynalian, a member of the heading body of the "Hanrapetutiun"
(Republic) party mentioned, problems arisen by NGOs are indirectly
involved in the pre-electoral list of the party. The party,
particularly, proposes to re-instruct some functions of the state
to NGOs. The same principle is also fixed in the program of the
Liberating-Progressive Party of Armenia which refused nomination at the
parliamentary elections by the proportional electoral systems. "Nor
Zhamanakner" (New Times), in the words of party board member Hrachia
Sargsian, attaches importance to future working out and adoption of
the law on security of functional role of NGOs in the civil society.

Participants of the discussion, attaching importance to the role of
NGOs in formation of the civil society, mentioned at the same time
that a small part of about 5 thousand of NGOs registered in Armenia
promotes active activity.

To recap, only 7 of the parties participating in the coming NA
elections responded the invitation to participate in the discussion.

U.S. PRESIDENT SENDS CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO RA PRIME MINISTER

Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. U.S. President George Bush sent
a congratulatory message to Serge Sargsian on the occasion of the
latter’s being appointed RA Prime Minister. According to the report
provided to Noyan Tapan from RA government Information and Public
Relations Department, the congratulatory message of U.S. President,
in particular, read:

"I congratulate you on the occasion of assuming the commissions of
RA Prime Minister.

We share your grief in connection with the premature death of former
RA Prime Minister, your good friend and colleague Andranik Margarian.

We are waiting for the May 12 parliamentary elections and expect you to
make a contribution to the issue of holding the elections in line with
international standards, freely and fairly, which will be a serious
stimulus for development of relations between our two countries."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THEY HINDER ZHARANGUTIUN PARTY FROM FIXING AGITATION POSTERS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The Zharangutiun (Heritage) Party,
the representatives of which have already visited Armavir, Kotayk,
Aragatsotn and Tavush regions, estimates the process of agitation
campaign as effective. As Hovsep Khurshudian, Party’s Spokesperson,
said at the April 17 press conference, judging by the reception of
population it can be supposed that electors will be very active. And
Zharangutiun will have an absolute majority in the parliament in
case of equal conditions and relative majority in case of unequal
conditions.

Emphasizing that the main three criteria of holding democratic
elections are accessibility of media, non-exceeding of the maximum
barrier of expenditures and creation of equal conditions for meetings
with electors, the Party’s Spokesperson said that in spite of some
improvement, there are still some problems in this respect. In
particular, they have obstacles when fixing agitation posters. For
instance, for fixing posters in Yerevan’s Malatia-Sebastia community,
in all electoral districts except kindergarten N 34, they demanded to
introduce a permission from Mayor’s Office, which, in H. Khurshudian’s
words, is violation of law.

In H. Khurshudian’s words, currently media are much more accessible
than before the agitation campaign. At the same time, he stated that
some TV companies demand payment for covering Zharangutiun’s activity
in their information broadcasts.

Answering journalists’ questions, Zharangutiun’s Spokesperson said
that from 60 mln drams envisaged by the law the Party has already
spent 9 mln drams (nearly 24.4 thousand USD). It was mentioned that
Party’s expenditures are well-calculated so as not to exceed the
barrier established by the law.

OYP NOT GIVEN POSSIBILITY TO USE EXTERNAL POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT

Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The Orinats Yerkir (Country of
Law) Party is not given a possibility to use external political
advertisement. OYP Chairman Artur Baghdasarian stated this on April
17. In his words, for getting a permission to paste advertisement
posters they have applied to the respective bodies, including the
Central Electoral Commission, but they have not received any answer
by now. At the same time, A. Baghdasarian said that some prefectures
allotted places for OYP’s advertisement only on walls of buildings. And
external advertisement posters in Yerevan, in his words, mainly belong
to parties representing the power.

As A. Baghdasarian affirmed, in case of holding free and fair elections
the pro-governmental parties will not make majority in NA. And OYP,
in his words, has no problem of appearing in NA: the party has 107
thousand members and naturally, it will not only get over 5% barrier,
but also expects to receive much more votes. In A. Baghdasarian’s
words, OYP takes an active part in the agitation campaign and has
already visited Lori and Kotayk regions.

SOCIAL DEMOCRAT HNCHAKIAN PARTY PROPOSES USING PROFESSIONAL POTENTIAL OF ITS MEMBERS FOR "CRYSTALLIZING" LAW "ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP"

Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The idea of dual citizenship "is
acceptable for the whole Armenian people," but the adoption of the
bill on dual citizenship being in circulation at present may generate
serious problems. Lebanese Armenian Sedrak Achemian, Chairman of
Central Board of Social Democrat Hnchakian Party, stated at the April
17 press conference. He said that once he had a meeting with late
Andranik Margarian and proposed using the professional potential
of members of Social Democrat Hnchakian Party to "crystallize" the
bill. In Achemian’s words, though his proposal found no response at
that time, nevertheless, it continues to remain valid today, too.

Touching upon the subject of parliamentary elections, S. Achemian said
that Social Democrat Hnchakian Party has always expressed discontent
with imperfection of elections held so far. He qualified the estimation
of international organizations about previous parliamentary elections
"as a sad phenomenon."

According to S. Achemian’s observation, for not repeating the
anti-democratic picture registered in their reports the political
forces taking part in the electoral struggle currently should reach
an agreement with one another "about not falsifying the electoral
process."

By the way, in S. Achemian’s words, to have an office in the
independent Armenia is the dream of the Party members, and they are
going to fulfil it.