Month: April 2007

RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DELEGATION TO LEAVE FOR STRASBOURG ON APRIL 15

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation headed by the RA
National Assembly Speaker, Head of the Armenian delegation in the
PACE Tigran Torosian will on April 15 leave for Strasbourg in order
to participate in the work of the PACE’s April session. According
to a press release submitted to NT from the RA National Assembly PR
Department, the delegation is composed of Armen Rustamian, chairman
of the NA Standing Commitee of Foreign Relations, Hermine Naghdalian,
member of the NA Standing Committee of Financial, Credit, Budgetary
and Economic Issues, and Stepan Demirchian, leader of the NA "Justice"
faction.

RA PRESIDENT INSTRUCTS LAW ENFORCEMENT BODIES TO DISCLOSE THOSE GUILTY OF EXPLOSIONS AT BARGAVACH HAYASTAN’S OFFICES

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Robert Kocharian
instructed law enforcement bodies to undertake all necessary measures
to disclose as quickly as possible those guilty of explosions that took
place at Bargavach Hayastan Party’s offices, as well as to prevent
such crimes in the future. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by RA
President’s Spokesperson Viktor Soghomonian.

"All conditions are created in the country for carrying out a civilized
political struggle. Strictly condemning this crime, we estimate it
as an attempt to destabilize the situation, to form an atmosphere of
intolerance on the threshold of elections. Manifestations of extremism
cannot damage the resolution to hold democratic elections in Armenia,"
President’s Spokesperson said.

BARGAVACH HAYASTAN CALLS ALL POLITICAL FORCES FOR CARRYING OUT EXCLUSIVELY CIVILIZED STRUGGLE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The Bargavach Hayastan Party demands
that law enforcement bodies disclose and punish with all severity
of the law those guilty of explosions committed on April 12 in
party’s territorial offices in Yerevan’s Avan and Kanaker-Zeytun
communities. Party Political Board’s April 12 statement read this.

"We strictly condemn this inhuman act committed against the party,
which could result in many victims. As we estimate, this crime is
aimed not only against Bargavach Hayastan, but also against the whole
country. On the days of agitation campaign of parliamentary elections
this is an attempt to destabilize the situation, to move the political
struggle to another plane," the statement read.

The Bargavach Hayastan Party calls all political forces for carrying
out exclusively civilized struggle and declares that "all attempts
to make the party deviate from the way chosen by it, to sow fear in
the party, including such extremist attempts are doomed to failure."

THE HIGHER IS TURNOUT AT ELECTIONS, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT WILL BE TO FALSIFY RESULTS OF ELECTIONS, NDP CHAIRMAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. This time the issue of power will be
solved at the parliamentary elections and the presidential elections
will be only their derivative. RA MP Shavarsh Kocharian, Chairman of
National Democratic Party (NDP), gave assurance at the April 12 press
conference. Therefore, in his words, the forthcoming parliamentary
elections essentially differ from the previous ones. As S. Kocharian
affirmed, these elections can become a turning point for Armenia. The
evidence of this is the fact that the Council of Europe sends a big
monitoring group to Armenia, which is the first of this structure’s
missions, which also conducts preelectoral monitoring.

In S. Kocharian’s words, the circumstance that the authorities take
part in the elections with two wings is not consequence of agreement,
but real competition, which is accompanied by growing tension. In
his words, in the power camp they have not reached an agreement on
distribution of future posts.

In the words of NDP Chairman, those speaking about the election
results’ being predetermined willy-nilly serve the goal of the
authorities, i.e. reproduction. As S. Kocharian affirmed, the
authorities are interested in low turnout at elections, as the higher
is turnout, the more difficult it will be to falsify the results
of elections. At the same time he said that the prevailing majority
of electors, whom it is impossible to bribe of frighten, do not go
to polls.

Answering the question about his having a pro-Western position
S. Kocharian said that though he is a supporter of European
integration, nevertheless, he considers that this should not be at
the expense of Armenian nation’s identity and national values. In
his words, NDP considers unacceptable betraying national values to
please the West, in particular, speaking about concessions in the
Nagorno Karabakh issue.

For each person the first and foremost is his social condition, but
for solving the social problems and creating jobs a country needs
democracy and rehabilitation of economy. S. Kocharian expressed
such opinion commenting upon the statement voiced in Prime Minister
Serge Sargsian’s interview to Financial Times British newspaper that
"Armenia considers economic growth more primary than improvement of
human rights."

CHOICE IS YOURS NGO’S OBSERVERS TO COME UP WITH PRELIMINARY STATEMENT ON MAY 14

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The goal of Choice is Yours NGO, Unison
NGO on support to people with special needs, Against Legal Wilfulness
NGO accredited at CEC for implementing monitoring mission at May 12
parliamentary elections is one: to assist with holding of free and fair
elections. NGOs’ heads stated this at the April 12 meeting organized
at the Hayatsk club. It is noteworthy that in difference to Choice
is Yours organization implementing monitoring mission since 1999,
another two NGOs will observe electoral processes for the first time.

In the words of Haroutiun Hambartsumian, Chairman of Choice is Yours
NGO, 2292 observers accredited by the organization will be at all
of 1923 polling stations on the day of voting. It was also mentioned
that from April 8 the organization observes the preelectoral process
at all of 41 electoral districts, the results of which will be summed
up and published once in every 10 days.

The NGO will present the preelectoral situation in the whole territory
of Armenia at the press conference to be held four days before
the voting. The monitoring mission will come up with a preliminary
statement on May 14.

As H. Hambartsumian forecast, more falsifications will be committed
during the agitation campaign than on the day of voting. In his words,
though the sanctions envisaged for electoral falsifications have
become stricter, "the point is that there is the law, but no one is
punished for falsifications."

In the words of Armen Alaverdian, Head of Unison organization, one
of main goals of NGO’s 18 observers is also to find out accessibility
of polling stations for disabled people in consideration of the fact
that according to official data, there are 148 thousand disabled in
Armenia, the prevailing majority of which are of electoral age.

Mikayel Aramian, Chairman of Against Legal Wilfulness NGO, said
that on the day of elections nearly 50 members of NGO will implement
monitoring mission.

In his words, the main goal of the organization is to assist with the
process of power shift in the country exclusively through elections.

PRESENTATION OF ELECTIONS AUTOMATED SYSTEM TAKES PLACE AT RA CEC

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Presentation of Elections automated
system took place on April 12 at RA CEC. The system will be first
used during the May 12 parliamentary elections. It will enable to
receive district electoral commissions’ protocols on voting results
by electronic variant, to enter data into tables and to immediately
reflect them on the monitor placed at CEC, as well as on CEC’s
web-site. The system also enables TV companies to be connected to CEC
internal network and to provide live broacast of received information.

YEREVAN SHANGHAI CLUB TO ASSIST DEEPENING OF ARMENIAN-CHINESE RELATIONS, ARAM G. SARGSIAN IS SURE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The main goal of the Shanghai
Club functioning in Yerevan is to form a public opinion about
the necessity of deepening the Armenian-Chinese relations. Aram
Sargsian, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA), a
founding member of the club stated about it in the interview to Noyan
Tapan. In his words, their final goal is involvement of Armenia in
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In A. Sargsian’s opinion,
film director Tigran Khzmalian, Chairman of the "Hayrenik and Pativ"
(Fatherland and Honour) party Garnik Margarian, former Deputy Prime
Minister, former RA Deputy Minister of Defence Vahan Shirkhanian are
among the club members.

The DPA leader mentioned that after psychologically preparing the
Armenian society, the RA National Assembly will make a decision to
join the SCO, but it will be in the case if the DPA and forces which
are of the same opinion with it in the mentioned issue will make the
parliamentary majority.

In A. Sargsian’s opinion, China will day by day have greater role
in the geopolitical developments. At the same time, in his words,
China strives for having good-neighborly relations with Armenia. So,
in A. Sargsian’s opinion, there are all preconditions to move the
relations with that country to a higher field.

UN APOLOGIZES TO RWANDA OVER POSTPONED GENOCIDE EXHIBIT: ENVOY

Agence France Presse — English
April 11, 2007 Wednesday 9:19 PM GMT

The UN has apologized for postponing the opening of an exhibit marking
the anniversary of the 1994 Rwanda genocide over Turkish objections to
a reference to the killing of Armenians in Turkey during World War I,
the Rwandan ambassador said Wednesday.

"We were contacted by UN Under Secretary General (for public
information Kiyotaka Akasaka) who told me they are reviewing the
text (of the exhibit)," Rwanda’s permanent UN representative Joseph
Nsengimana told AFP. "He apologizes. The exhibit will (officially)
open very soon."

The exhibit, which was to have been inaugurated by UN chief Ban Ki-moon
Monday, is meant to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the Rwandan
genocide during which Hutu extremists killed some 800,000 people,
most of them ethnic minority Tutsis.

Farhan Haq, a UN spokesman, said the controversy arose when a Turkish
diplomat walked by the exhibit as it was being put up last week
and complained about a reference to the killing of several hundred
thousand Armenians in Turkey during World War I.

He said the reference was on a small panel with a quotation from
Raphael Lemkin, the Polish-born Jewish lawyer who coined the
word genocide in 1943, had earlier shown interest in the Armenian
"genocide" and campaigned in the League of Nations to ban what he
called "barbarity" and "vandalism."

Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, categorically denies
claims of genocide and says thousands of Turks and Armenians were
killed in civil strife during 1915-1917 when Armenians took up arms
for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with Russian troops
invading the crumbling empire.

Much to Turkey’s ire, many countries have recognized the killings
as genocide.

Haq said a review panel made up of officials of the UN departments
of public information and political affairs as well as those with
expertise in genocide affairs would now look over the photographs
and the text of the exhibit ahead of the inauguration.

"This is what they were supposed to have done," he said. "I am hoping
it will be very quick."

The exhibit is partly organized by Aegis Trust, a British-based
international organization lobbying to prevent genocide worldwide.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CRIMINAL CASES INSTITUTED ON FACT OF EXPLOSIONS IN TWO PREELECTORAL HEADQUARTERS OF BARGAVACH HAYASTAN PARTY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. On April 12, at 03:55, citizen
H. Asatrian informed Kanaker-Zeytun department of RA Police that at
about 03:20 the same day an explosion took place near the entrance
of central headquarters of Kanaker-Zeytun community of Bargavach
Hayastan Party located in the territory of Big Fountains LTD. Glasses
of entrance doors and windows were entirely damaged in consequence
of the explosion.

As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA Prosecutor General’s Office,
a criminal case was instituted on the occasion of the incident at
Kanaker-Zeytun’s Investigation Department by the signs of point 1 of
part 2 of Article 185 and part 1 of Article 235, RA Criminal Code.

The same day a signal was received on explosion that took place at
Bargavach Hayastan Party’s territorial organization located on the
ground floor of 16-storeyed residential house in Narekatsi 39, Avan
community. The investigation group, which left for the scene, found
out that a shop worked on the ground floor of the above mentioned
residential house, and Bargavach Hayastan’s territorial office
is located in one of its rooms. The explosive was placed at shop’s
entrance, which was put into exploitation on April 12, at about 05:30,
in consequence of which shop’s pavilions, glasses of some apartments
of the residential house were damaged.

A criminal case was instituted on the incident at the Police
Investigation Department of Nor Nork by the signs of point 1 of part
2 of Article 185 and part 1 of Article 235, RA Criminal Code on.

AT PRESENT ARMENIAN MEDIA ARE MORE NEUTRAL IN COVERAGE OF POLITICAL PROCESSES THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS, ALEXANDER ISKANDARIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Broadcasts on political subjects
of 2007 preelection period of Armenian TV and radio companies are
more neutral than those broadcast in the same period in previous
years. Political scientist Alexander Iskandarian, Director of
Caucasian Media Institute, expressed such opinion at the April 12 press
conference taking as a basis the results of the monitoring conducted by
the Institute. He said that starting February 5, political broadcasts
of 6 TV companies (H1, Armenia, Shant, Yerkir Media, Kentron, ALM)
and 2 radio stations (Public Radio, Radio Liberty) were observed
during the monitoring. According to A. Iskandarian’s observation, the
majority of the above mentioned media report without any commentary
that, for instance, some party gives out fruits and vegetables in
some districts of Yerevan. In that circumstance, in his words, a TV
viewer is given a possibility to analyse the fact on his/her own.

In the political scientist’s opinion, in general, few time is given
to materials on parties in Armenia. And among these few broadcasts,
according to his observation, broadcasts on Republican Party of Armenia
prevail. In particular, as A. Iskandarian said, 46% broadcasts and
information programs of Radio Liberty’s Armenian editorial office are
dedicated to RPA. In his words, the picture is the same in another
media with the exception of ALM and Kentron. A. Iskandarian said
that 78% broadcasts of ALM is dedicated to President of ALM holding
and Chairman of People’s Party Tigran Karapetian and 48% Kentron’s
broadcasts to Bargavach Hayastan’s activity. He added that Yerkir Media
comparatively distinguishes itself by variety of political broadcasts.