Month: April 2007

GYUMRI MAYOR WOUNDED IN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

ARMENPRESS
Apr 03 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS: Vartan Ghukasian, the mayor of Armenia’s
second largest town of Gyumri and his deputy were wounded yesterday
at about 10.20 pm by unknown gunmen in a bold highway attack that
also killed three men who were in his car convoy.

The attack occurred between the capital, Yerevan, and Gyumri, near
the village of Parpi.

Vartan Ghukasian, who was returning home after his Republican Party’s
conference in Yerevan, was hospitalised in serious but stable condition
after the attack on his two-car convoy.

Ghukasian’s driver and two bodyguards were killed.

Another bodyguard was hospitalised in serious condition, a spokesman
for Armenian police said.

ARMENIA-MONGOLIA COMPETITION

A1+
[12:30 pm] 03 April, 2007

RA National Hokey team, headed by chief coach Douglas Dechezari
is getting ready for the World championship, held on April 6. The
Armenian hokey players are involved in C group. They are going to
compete with the national team of Republic of Mongolia, New Zealand,
Luxembourg, Ireland as well as with that of South Africa.

Karen Khachatryan, chairman of RA Hokey Federation has informed
‘A1+’ that the sportsmen will do their best to acquire the permit of
competing with B group teams.

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA SAYS THAT ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON MAYOR OF GYUMRI WAS AIMED AGAINST THE PARTY

Arminfo
2007-04-03 15:26:00

Republican Party of Armenia says that assassination attempt on mayor
of Gyumri was aimed against the party

It is quite possible that the assassination attempt on the mayor of
Gyumri, member of the Republican Party of Armenia Vardan Ghoukassyan
was aimed against the party, the RPA spokesman, Eduard Sharmazanov,
said during a press-conference today.

Sharmazanov can’t say who might seek Ghoukassyan’s life but he does
not agree with the opinion of the leader of the United Communist Party
Yuri Manukyan that the attempt was organized by external forces. He
expects the police to solve the crime as soon as possible.

To remind, the mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghoukassyan and his escort were
attacked on the Yerevan-Gyumri highway on Monday at 10:30 PM. Three
bodyguards were killed, Ghoukassyan, his driver and vice mayor of
Gyumri Gagik Manukyan are in hospital in a grave condition. Witnesses
say that the attackers were in a gray Jeep without numbers. The
investigation is underway.

Ghoukassyan was returning from Yerevan where he had taken part in a
meeting of the board of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia. The
board met to discuss the RPA candidacy for prime minister.

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA DENIES INFORMATION ABOUT CONFLICT BETWEEN DEFENSE MINISTER AND TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION MINISTER

Arminfo
2007-04-03 15:52:00

The rumors that a conflict happened between the acting Defense
Minister, the Chairman of RPA Council Serzh Sargsyan and the acting
Minister of Territorial Administration, the member of RPA Board Hovik
Abramyan, do not meet the reality.

To note, according to the information of some mass media, during
a session of the Council, S. Sargsyan made a condition against
H. Abramyan to leave the RPA before he returns from Brussels.

According to this information, S. Sargsyan’s indignation was allegedly
caused by the fact that H. Abramyan, being a member of RPA, had been
working in favor of the main rival of the republicans, the "Prospering
Armenia" party.

MONKS OF MOTHER SEE LEAVE FOR JERUSALEM

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 03 2007

ETCHMIADZIN, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Primate of the
Shirak Diocese Bishop Mikayel Ajapahian, primate of the Armavir diocese
Bishop Sion Adamian as well as Archimandrite Tadeos Zirekiants,
Archimandrite Hovakim Manukian and Friar Gabriel Sargsian from
the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin left for the Jerusalem Armenian
Patriarchate on April 3, with blessing of Karekin II Catholicos of
All Armenians. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by the Information
Services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The Mother See monks
will participate in Jerusalem in the ceremonies of the Holy Week and
Jesus Christ’s Resurrection Holiday.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF YEREVAN HISTORY MUSEUM TAKES PLACE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 03 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN. "It is a museum appropriate for a city
having history of millenniums. I am sure that continually collecting
evidences of the history of our capital, it will be one of the most
visited centers of Yerevan." RA President Robert Kocharian made such
a writing in the honourary guests’ register of the Yerevan History
Museum the official opening of which took place on April 3. Yerevan
Mayor Yervand Zakharian mentioned that the museum, after having
functioned for many years in territories having minimal conditions,
finally found its constant and final refuge in the newly-built building
of the Mayor’s Office. He stated that one exhibition-hall of the museum
has already functioned in the Mayor’s Office building since 2005. In Y.
Zakharian’s words, serious and voluminous works were done during 2
years in the museum having in total 87 thousand exhibits. 71 mln drams
(about 200 thousand U.S. dollars) were given by the state, owing to
what all the exhibition-halls were completely furnished and designed.

ATTEMPT UPON LIFE OF GYUMRI MAYOR WILL NOT BE DISCLOSED, ARAM MANUKIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 03 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The April 2 attempt upon life of
Gyumri Mayor was a political retribution and this crime will be never
disclosed. Aram Manukian, Board member of Armenian National Movement
Party, stated at the April 3 press conference. In his words, Armenia
has been completely covered by a criminal cobweb. Criminalized elements
only participated in political processes by now, while henceforth
they will strive for becoming their main dictators.

As A. Manukian affirmed, RA authorities do not struggle against merging
of criminal and political worlds or do not wish to struggle. The ANM
Board member said that Armenia was left out of political and economic
stormy processes taking place in the South Caucasian region. "God
forbid that U.S. start military operations in Iran: our country is
not ready for such developments," A. Manukian said. In fact, as he
stressed, today Armenia has lost its immune system, as it cannot
resist either domestic or foreign challenges.

GYUMRI DEPUTY MAYOR INJURED DURING ARMED ATTACK IS ONE OF HEADS OF COMMUNIST PARTY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 03 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Gyumri Deputy Mayor Gagik Manukian
injured during the armed attack that took place on April 2 on
Ashtarak-Gyumri highway is one of the leaders of Communist Party of
Armenia. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by Ruben Tovmasian,
First Secretary of Central Committee of Communist Party of Armenia,
G. Manukian who takes third place on party’s proportional list,
is the First Secretary of Gyumri Town Committee of the party.

In R. Tovmasian’s words, G. Manukian’s visit to Yerevan with Gyumri
Mayor Vardan Ghukasian was not connected with the sitting of RPA
Board. To recap, Gyumri Mayor, Deputy Mayor and persons accompanying
them were exposed to armed attack when coming back from Yerevan to
Gyumri. V. Ghukasian had arrived in Yerevan the same day for the
purpose of taking part in the RPA Board sitting that lasted until
late evening. The First Secretary of Central Committee of Communist
Party of Armenia also said that he visited G. Manukian at the hospital.

The latter’s condition, as doctors say, remains grave after the
operation, but his life is out of danger.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STEPAN DEMIRCHYAN: POLITICAL CONFLICTS AND CRIMINAL SHOOT-OUTS ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PRESENT REGIME IN ARMENIA

Arminfo
2007-04-03 16:45:00

Political conflicts and criminal shoot-outs are the characteristic
feature of the governance system imposed by the present authorities,
the leader of the opposition People’s Party of Armenia, Stepan
Demirchyan, has told ArmInfo.

He says that the Monday assassination attempt on the mayor of Gyumri
has proved that crime is an integral part of the present ruling
regime. "We condemn such crimes, whoever they are aimed against. Such a
situation before the election is quite inadmissible," Demirchyan says.

THERE IS NO SPLIT IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA

Arminfo
2007-04-03 16:42:00

There is no split in the Republican Party of Armenia, and the party is
not divided into old and new wings as it is reported by the mass media,
RPA press-secretary, Eduard Sharmazanov, said at a press-conference,
Tuesday.

According to him, the party follows RPA leader and Armenian Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan’s precept and goes on working cohesively,
decisively and purposefully. "A.Margaryan proved with his life
that politics and morality are compatible concepts," E.Sharmazanov
said. He emphasized that after A.Margaryan’s death the RPA tactics will
change because A.Margaryan, as the RPA leader, implemented the main
function. But the strategy and ideology of the party will not change.

To note, 56 year old A.Margaryan died of infarction on March 25. After
his death, the RPA leader’s duties were assumed by Serzh Sargsyan,
Chairman of the RPA Council and Defense Minister, who was nominated
for prime minister yesterday evening.