Month: July 2007

A FRIEND GIVES PETER A HAND WITH THAT PESKY WOLF
By Vivien Schweitzer
Richard Termine for The New York Times

New York Times
July 7 2007

Photo: Kevin Kline and the New York Philharmonic, conducted by
Bramwell Tovey, performing "Peter and the Wolf" at Avery Fisher Hall
on Thursday.

Sometimes the best children’s toys are coveted by adults. During a
performance of Prokofiev’s charming "Peter and the Wolf" by the New
York Philharmonic and Bramwell Tovey at Avery Fisher Hall on Thursday,
it seemed as if a storyteller and his musical accomplice were re-
enacting a favorite bedtime story for a rapt audience that even
included some real kids.

"Peter and the Wolf," which Mr. Tovey called a work for "children of
all ages," has been recorded innumerable times with starry narrators,
including Leonard Bernstein, David Bowie, Sean Connery and Sophia
Loren. The actor Kevin Kline was added to the distinguished lineup
in Thursday’s concert, part of the Philharmonic’s annual Summertime
Classics series. Mr. Kline engagingly relayed the adventures of
Peter and the animals with whimsy and charm, while Mr. Tovey and
the musicians eagerly conveyed the musical ingenuity of Prokofiev’s
picturesque score.

There was plenty of other colorful music by Russian composers during
the concert, "Moscow on the Hudson," which was performed under a
backdrop depicting Red Square. The program opened with an energetic
rendition of Glinka’s ebullient Overture to "Ruslan and Ludmila,"
performed far more frequently (outside Russia) than the opera itself.

The orchestra members, in their summer uniform of white jackets,
seemed to be enjoying themselves, with the sumptuously spun-out cello
melody particularly lovely.

Mr. Tovey, whose personality is as ebullient as this music,
interspersed the works with a lively stream of jokes and anecdotes.

One related the origins of Tchaikovsky’s lighthearted "Capriccio
Italien," written in 1880 (an unusually happy year in the oft-tormented
composer’s life) while he was staying in a hotel in Rome next to a
cavalry barracks. No one likes being waked up at the crack of dawn
on vacation, but Tchaikovsky put his rude awakening to good use and
wove the early-morning trumpet call of his noisy neighbors into the
opening fanfare of the Capriccio, a musical postcard of his sunny
respite in Rome.

There was more sunshine in the stirring Pas de Deux from "Spartacus,"
the ballet by Khachaturian, the son of an Armenian bookbinder living
in Georgia, who moved to Moscow to study in his late teens in 1921.

Like many of his colleagues, Khachaturian ran afoul of the Soviet
regime, but this work, depicting the uprising of repressed slaves
against their wealthy masters, was naturally a hit with the
authorities, and it was awarded the Lenin Prize in 1959.

Then the plot shifted from ancient Rome with Borodin’s programmatic
"In the Steppes of Central Asia," the most subdued work on the
program. The composer provided a detailed written description to
guide his listeners’ imagination, his musical brushstrokes evoking
a caravan of horses and camels slowly crossing the dusty steppes.

"Would you like one more?" Mr. Tovey shouted at the audience at the
end of the concert. They hollered back a resounding "yes" and were
rewarded with a vivacious reading of Khachaturian’s popular "Sabre
Dance" from the Gayane Suite No. 2.

OBAMA SUSPECT LIVED IN FAIRFIELD

Middletown Journal, OH
July 7 2007

Man had knife in his car when arrested at Barack Obama’s Iowa hotel.

FAIRFIELD – The man arrested for having a knife outside the hotel of
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama had local ties.

Davit Zakaryan, 24, of Cincinnati, was arrested Wednesday morning in
Ottumwa, Iowa.

Zakaryan, who is from Armenia, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor
unauthorized use of property in a Hamilton County court in 2005. In
November 2006, he received a traffic ticket and listed his address as
4670 Dixie Highway in Fairfield, which is the Econo Lodge, according
to the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts office.

Ottumwa Police Lt. Mike McDonough said Obama’s security crew became
suspicious as Zakaryan paced outside his car Wednesday morning. They
thought his car looked familiar and may have been at another stop.

Police said an ornamental knife with a blade exceeding 8½ inches
was found in the car. The knife was easily within Zakaryan’s reach,
and the local prosecutor determined it violated a state law banning
blades longer than 8 inches.

Zakaryan was arrested after authorities determined he did not have
a valid driver’s license and the car was not registered to him,
McDonough said. Zakaryan never made a threat against Obama, police
said. A Cincinnati businessman said Zakaryan was in the area to sell
political novelties.

–Boundary_(ID_sKPQHMX60CZ8fJIYyx7AEA) —

ARMENIAN ELECTIONS MOVE FORWARD WITH HELP FROM U.S. GROUP

NewsBlaze, CA
b/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html
Source: U.S. Department of State
July 7 2007

Partnership for a Better Life

The international community is giving Armenia its first positive
marks for an election since the country gained independence in 1991 –
for National Assembly elections held in May.

The U.S.-based nongovernmental organization IFES has worked closely
with several government and community entities in Armenia to help
move the country closer to achieving its goal of having elections
that meet international standards.

The road to fair and free elections in Armenia with help from IFES
began when the organization established its presence in the country
in 1996, providing wide-ranging election assistance to the country’s
legislators, national and local electoral commissions, candidates,
observers, nongovernmental organizations and voters.

In October 2005, IFES began a three-year project funded by the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID), targeting key segments
of Armenia’s electoral system and ways to improve voter registration,
voter information and election administration.

The new voter registry system began with amendments to the electoral
code. Then, the police and its Passport and Visas Department helped
make the registry a reality with IFES assistance for the registry’s
design.

Together, IFES and department officials considered how best to meet
international norms, create a sustainable system, choose the right
technology and promote public acceptance. Finally, Armenian officials
installed computer equipment funded by USAID and verified voter lists.

IFES also produced more than 60,000 copies of posters and leaflets
with nonpartisan messages which were distributed nationwide.

The success of the voter information campaign could be seen at every
polling station on election day. Local television stations ran public
service announcements produced by IFES that encouraged voters to
participate in the election and follow correct procedures. It was
important that voters know they could lose their votes because of a
technicality if they did not follow new rules. The voter education
products also helped combat public apathy.

IFES also sought to raise the level of transparency and fairness in
the process by training more than 50 of Armenia’s election officials,
who then trained more than 17,000 of their colleagues. The training
focused on organizational details, precinct arrangement and the
responsibilities of each commission member – the kinds of details
that often mean the difference between a credible election and one
that is challenged.

Some trainees had excellent knowledge of the law but could not
communicate the knowledge properly. The lessons helped them develop
communication skills through discussions, debates and presentations.

IFES also helped develop training materials that were placed on tables
at every polling site in the country and quick-reference sheets for
polling officers and election managers.

Finally, in collaboration with local disability groups, IFES helped
construct several new ramps allowing voters in wheelchairs greater
access to polling sites. In addition, Armenia introduced special
ballot guides for voters with visual impairments.

IFES formerly was the International Foundation for Election Systems.

More information about IFES is available on the organization’s
Web site.

For more information on how U.S. development aid changes lives,
see Partnership for a Better Life.

PRIVATIZATION SPARKS NATIONALIST UPROAR
ÝbrahÝm Turkmen Ýstanbul

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
July 7 2007

Heavy opposition from nationalist-leaning political parties erupted
when the Privatization Authority (OÝB) sold Turkey’s largest
petrochemicals producer, Petkim on Thursday.

The Kazakh and Russia-partnered TransCentralAsia Petrochemical Holding
joint venture won the bidding war in the privatization of Turkey’s
51 percent stake in Petkim with a $2.05 billion bid against the Azeri
Socar&Turcas-Injaz consortium.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal
claimed the privatization tenders were conducted without the necessary
legal infrastructure, in a hasty manner and with much controversy. "A
comprehension of ‘sell and get money’ is emerging nowadays," he said.

In a broadcast on Thursday on Kanalturk, Baykal said Petkim was
extremely important for Turkey’s economy. "Even the identity of
the winners has not yet been clarified exactly. Completing the
privatization of such an important company just two weeks ahead of the
elections without discussing it deeply with the public and in a way
open to many legal debates is quite a worrisome event," Baykal noted.

Vice General Secretary of the CHP Oðuz Oyan announced yesterday they
will immediately halt the sale process of Petkim and do whatever they
can to stop the transfer of the company. In a written statement,
Oyan accused the sale of being a dubious and suspicious operation
with respect to its timing. "The privatization just two weeks before
the general elections reflects the government’s rush as if they
were trying to salvage things from the fire. The transformation of
privatization into alienation shows the government is lacking the
concept of strategic business," he said.

Faruk Bal, vice general secretary of the Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) claimed in a written statement that the sale of such
a strategically important facility was a mistake. He said the sale
of Petkim in the final leg of the Justice and Development Party’s
(AK Party) term in office had cast suspicions. President of the
Turkish Health Workers Union (Saðlýk-Ýþ) Mustafa Baþoðlu said one
of the businessmen who won the Petkim auction is a Russian citizen
of Armenian origin. "It must be investigated whether this man has
ever provided support to the Armenian diaspora," he insisted. In
a written statement yesterday Baþoðlu said the tender process must
be immediately halted and called on civil society institutions to
arrange massive demonstrations against the sale. Turkey is involved
in a serious dispute with Armenia over its claims that Turkey had
deliberately committed genocide and ethnic cleansing during incidents
in 1915. Besides genocide claims, Turkey’s relations with Armenia
are bitter due to its occupation of a section of Azerbaijan.

The Union of Petroleum, Chemicals and Rubber Workers (Petrol-Ýþ) filed
a lawsuit yesterday in the Council of State, asking for the annulment
of the privatization deal of Petkim. Petrol-Ýþ President Mustafa
Oztaþkýn claimed the tender was by no means serving the interests
of the public. "The sale is obviously not in compliance with the
economic rationale, even not with productivity concerns," Oztaþkýn
said in the statement when they announced their lawsuit to the court.

Minister of Economy and chief negotiator with the EU Ali Babacan
evaluated the sale of the Petkim, saying, "It is very pleasant to see
the interest of many business groups, especially from around the world,
despite such a noisy environment in Turkey just before the elections."

In a live broadcast on Kanal A on Thursday evening, Babacan welcomed
the sale with and pointed out that the final price in the auction was
well beyond the market value of the company as calculated with respect
to the value of its share already traded on the Ýstanbul Stock Exchange
(ÝMKB).

Turkey has been going through an extraordinary period in the last
two months and it is experiencing such developments, which nobody was
expecting to face just before then, he said. "Still, despite all these
resentments in the domestic political arena, interest of foreigners
[in Turkey] hasn’t waned," he said.

The TransCentralAsia Petrochemical Holding Joint Initiative Group
announced on Thursday they were planning to make more investments
in their refinery, port and power plants in Turkey, in addition to
investments to further increase Petkim’s production capacity.

"These investments are an indication of the trust of Kazakh and
Russian investors in the Turkish economy. We also believe the deal will
contribute much to the development of the commercial relations among
Turkey, Russia and Kazakhstan," the group said in a written statement.

Petkim’s shares in the ÝMKB hit the premium ceiling at the early
trading session and rose as high as YTL 10 after a 11.1 percent rise.

But they were sold off by investors who wanted to realize their
profits. Analysts point out that the privatization value of Petkim
corresponds to a YTL 25.4 per unit share. But since the winner will
not use its call option, the shares will not climb to those levels
in the short term, they say.

Erhan Ýpek from Tera Equities said a psychological effect may arise
since the bid is four times higher than the actual value. But the
increase in the price of shares will be contained, he added.

Analysts expect the markets will initiate another upswing to break
new records due to the "great result" of the Petkim auction, after
three consecutive days of extraordinary rallies. Petkim’s shares were
temporarily withdrawn from trade on the ÝMKB on Thursday until the
auction’s details was settled. But the markets retreated contrary
to positive expectations. This was largely because investors were
worried about another deadlock in the presidential elections as
the Constitutional Court rejected the applications of President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer and the CHP to nullify a package amending the
Constitution.

The amendment package, which allows popular elections of the president,
will be given to the public via a referendum on Oct. 21.

Gukhan Uskuay, financial strategy director of Turkish Investment,
predicted the markets will preserve their upward trend unless the
benchmark index (ÝMKB-100) falls below 49,400 points.

The TransCentralAsia consortium consists of Kazak oil company
Caspineft, Kazak-dominated Russian group Investment Industrial
Eurasia and Russia-based Troika Dialog investment bank. Consortium
representative Haluk Ulusoy announced they would immediately start
refinery investments. He also said the consortium will actively use
the company’s seaport, which is one of the largest in Turkey. The
consortium said they had not devised a payment plan yet.

Former managers of Petkim Uður Yuce and Kemal Colakoðlu welcomed the
price given to the company. "It is a good price, we would feel sad
if the company’s [total] value had remained below $3 billion," Yuce
said. Colakoðlu added the price was reasonably fair and he believed
the new owner would boost the company, although he did not know much
about them. However, one of the former managers, Ali Nail Kubalý,
claimed the price would have been higher had Petkim been sold in
pieces rather than a block sale.

The final decision of the committee for tenders on the privatization
deal will go to the Competition Board. After it is approved by the
board, it will return to the OÝB. Metin Kilci, president of the
OÝB, said the entire process will take three or four months until
completion. Kilci also added that the deal requires the winner to
make investments to increase capacity, but not employment. "There are
big expectations that employment will increase at Petkim after it is
turned over to the winner, however. Still, if the existing workers
lose their jobs, they will be placed in other public institutions. It
is impossible for them to become unemployed.

Petkim meets 30 percent of Turkey’s $6 billion demand for
petrochemicals and has great potential since it also one of the
largest such company in the region.

Petkim produces 3.2 million tons of petrochemicals a year and sells
1.9 million tons abroad, which is not enough to meet current demand.

Petrochemical trade is now almost 6 percent of total global trade,
and it is estimated to reach 10 percent by 2010. The company announced
a $180 million loss in 2003, but by 2006 the company posted profits of
$136 million despite high oil prices. Petkim made a YTL 50.1 million
net profit in the first quarter of 2007.

Of the 51 percent ownership sold in the auction, 44 percent belong to
the OÝB and the remaining seven to the Pension Fund (Emekli Sandýðý).

In addition, 38.5 percent the stakes are being traded on the Istanbul
Stock Exchange (ÝMKB).

In June 2003, an 88.86 percent share of the company had been auctioned
off to the Uzan family for $605 million; however, the deal was
unilaterally cancelled two months later after the Uzan family failed
to satisfy the requirements due to financial woes. A second tender
was held in August 2003 for the block sale of the same share, but
that also failed due to lack of investor interest. In April 2005,
34.5 percent of the company’s shares were opened to the public,
which in return raised $267 million.

–Boundary_(ID_6rDY2N9Y6GBGhxQyoiil0A)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASHOT GULYAN: COE SECRETARY GENERAL HAS AN OBVIOUSLY BIASED POSITION ON KARABAKH

armradio.am
06.07.2007 17:35

Commenting on the statement by Terry Davis, the Secretary General
of the Council of Europe, that the international community will not
recognize the presidential elections in Nagorno Karabakh, NKR National
Assembly Speaker Ashot Gulyan told Mediamax that the "high position
of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis had
to hold him back from obviously biased position on the forthcoming
presidential elections in Armenia."

In Ashot Gulyan’s words, "such position is characteristic to
conservative politicians of Europe, who do not wish to notice the
objective trends in the contemporary world." The NKR Parliament
Speaker said these statements are of destructive nature and encourage
the Azerbaijani authorities to prevent the participation of Nagorno
Karabakh in the negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh in full format.

"Being a full party to the conflict, Nagorno Karabakh has to have
legitimate authorities, which can really control the whole territory
of NKR and carry responsibility for the fate of people and the peace
process of the conflict resolution," Mr. Gulyan underlined.

RA PRESIDENT RECEIVED THE PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF HUNGARY

armradio.am
06.07.2007 17:20

President Robert Kocharyan today received the Prosecutor General of
Hungary Tomas Kovach who is paying a working visit to Armenia.

Welcoming the cooperation between the prosecution systems of the
two countries, the President said parallel to the globalization
processes, crimes also expand their frames, making the cooperation
between prosecution systems of different countries more important. He
noted that serious reforms are currently underway in Armenia’s system
of prosecution.

The Prosecutors of Armenia and Hungary informed that they signed a
memorandum on cooperation today. In their words, the document will
enable to activate the cooperation between law-enforcement bodies of
the two countries.

At the same time, Tomas Kovach noted that ever since 2004 Hungary has
been a member of the European Union and they can share the experience
with the Armenian side.

According to Robert Kocharyan, for a long time the judicial system of
Hungary was in the centre of attention of the Armenian side connected
with the cruel assassination of Armenian Officer Gurgen Margaryan,
and the criminal received his due punishment.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KYRGYZ PRESIDENT SAYS SHANGHAI GROUP, CIS SECURITY BLOC COMPLEMENT ONE ANOTHER

RIA Novosti, Moscow
5 Jul 07

Bishkek, 5 July: President Kurmanbek Bakiyev believes that the CSTO
[the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization] and the SCO [Shanghai
Cooperation Organization] operating in the space of Central Asia do
not duplicate one another, but they naturally complement one another.

"Although the two organizations’ main aims differ slightly, the
SCO and the CSTO see their main tasks as being to ensure regional
security. The security issue, as is known, should always be considered
together with other tasks aimed at ensuring stability in regions,"
Bakiyev said in an interview RIA Novosti.

Given that almost one and the same countries are members of these
organizations, except for China in one case [China is not a member
of the CSTO] and Armenia and Belarus in another [Armenia and Belarus
are not members of the SCO], the number of population in the two
organizations [member states] almost total half of the world’s
population, the Kyrgyz president said.

He said the region’s overall potential created conditions more than
ample for the organizations’ member states to carry out mutually
beneficial cooperation with one another in all areas.

"I consider it to be quite natural that two international organizations
– the SCO and the CSTO – which have similar approaches to the fight
against terrorism are simultaneously engaged in creating a single
security space in the Central Asian region," the Kyrgyz leader said.

He also noted that the CSTO and the SCO attached "great significance
to the stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan in full and as
soon as possible, which continues to have negative effect on security
in our region".

Bakiyev believes that the two organizations will be able to have
serious effect on the post-war reconstruction in Afghanistan once
they work jointly.

HOW IS PEOPLE’S DIPLOMACY EXERCISED VARDAN GRIGORYAN

Hayots Ashkharh Daily – Armenia
06 July 07

The atmosphere of shock and the attempts to charge the activists
of educational and cultural sphere with treachery, prevalent in
Azerbaijan, after the visit of Armenian and Azerbaijani intellectuals
to Nagorno Karabakh, Yerevan and Baku are gradually followed by rather
discreet and realistic evaluations.

Moreover, as the rector of the Slovenian University in Baku Kyamal
Abdullah says lots of people call him, expressing a desire to arrange
another visit to Nagorno Karabakh. This means people become more and
more inclined to establishing bridges of dialogue between the two
countries or simply to satisfy their curiosity.

But the latest announcements of Azerbaijani intellectuals and mostly
the state officials that improved the undertaking prove that the
principle achievement of the visit of the delegation headed by Polad
Byulbyulogly and the stipulation to continue this policy is based on
quite different starting point, from the point of view of Azerbaijan.

Firstly it is observed as an attempt of elaborating a new model
of relations with Nagorno Karabakh, which is well known in the
international practice as "mild policy".

It is not accidental that recently Azerbaijani analysts, in detail,
touch upon the fact of the triumph of the USA over the Soviet Union
through economic competition in the " cold war". This exemplary
experience is observed as a wonderful opportunity to be triumphant
in Armenian – Azerbaijani confrontation without blood, taking into
account the increase of oil profits and in general Azerbaijan’s wider
economic opportunities.

The following idea is advanced in such circumstances – the denial of
direct ties with Nagorno Karabakh is not the best method to possess
it, as the isolation barrier interferes with the strengthening of
the so-called pro-Azerbaijani dispositions there. Particularly,
substantiating the inevitability of the visit of Azerbaijani
intellectuals to Nagorno Karabakh from the point of view of solving
the problem of "Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity", Rector of the
Slovenian University in Azerbaijan Kyamal Abdullah underscored,"
We must be informed whether there are powers there, with whom in
future we can speak about the improvement of the life. This is the
main point of the issue."

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamediarov formulated the same
reasoning in a harsher and official "package", "Nagorno Karabakh
belongs to Azerbaijan and the people living there are Azerbaijani
citizens.

Azerbaijani citizens must leave for Shushi and Khankendi, the same
way as they leave for Ghuba and Shamakhi."

That is to say if before Azerbaijan used to do its best to prevent not
only their citizens but also foreigners from entering Nagorno Karabakh,
at present, just on the contrary, they are trying to separate the
political and the humanitarian standpoints.

On the first plane Azerbaijan intends to keep on dealing with Armenia
only, representing Karabakh conflict as a manifestation of territorial
demands from Azerbaijan by the Republic of Armenia.

On the second plane – just the other way about – the latter tries
to transform from isolation policy into gaining the favor of their
"own citizens", that is to say NKR people.

Azerbaijan perceives the latest announcements of international
structures about not recognizing NKR as an independent state, as a
predetermination of Artsakh’s international-legal status that is why
they try to bring back through "mild policy", what they have lost
during the war. Thus the expected new attempts to make the people’s
diplomacy more and more active should be evaluated as a start of a
peaceful attack from Azerbaijan.

And the confrontation of the attack demands clarification of the
format of relations between our countries.

People’s democracy is quite functional as an opportunity to establish
unconstrained relations between the citizens of Azerbaijan and Nagorno
Karabakh and not as a dialogue between the Azerbaijani and "Armenian
citizens" of Azerbaijan on restoring Azerbaijani SSR.

CONSTITUTION – GUARANTEE FOR PROGRESS
Harutyun Gevorgyan

Hayots Ashkharh Daily – Armenia
06 July 07

Interview with the member of RPA council and parliamentary faction
Armen Ashotyan.

"Mr. Ashotyan 12 years back, on July 5 Armenia having regained its
independence had its own Constitution. On November 27 2005 amendments
were made in the Constitution through referendum. What legal, political
and social significance has the Principle Law of the country got in
the context of the present day developments?"

" The constitutions of all the countries tend to express the political
ratio an balance of the present and the near future. We can state
with confidence that our Constitution tends to the future and the
referendum of November 27, 2005, on the amendments to the Constitution
was aimed at regulating and guiding the future developments.

The Constitution clearly demarcates individual – society – state
relations, provides mechanisms of counterbalance among the wings
of the authorities, creates legal foundations to set up legislative
domain and emphasizes what kind of society we should have in future."

"Our opposition used to be against constitutional amendments. Is it
a result of shortsightedness or tendencies of personal-benefit?"

"The Constitutional referendum of November 27, 2005, was the "Rubicon"
which the pro-opposition powers of that time didn’t manage to cross
and lost the opportunity of providing their reproduction.

The thing is, even in 2002 the necessity of constitutional amendments
was evident. And it was conditioned not only by the commitments to
PACE, but also internal social-political demands.

If we evaluate the political developments of that time we will see
that the parliamentary opposition failed to perceive the logic of the
political developments and lost their exclusive chance to dictate their
spirit and idea to the political domain of that time. The illogical
"no" of the opposition contradicted the unavoidable international
and social political process.

At present it is more than evident that the constitutional amendments
are a success. It is an indisputable fact that even the most radical
opposition enjoys the freedom and rights provided by the same
amendments in the constitution. Many times they themselves have
unintentionally mentioned that the separation of powers and the
counterbalance system is a present day reality that the domain of
competences of the legislative-representative body that is to say the
parliament has been extended. This is the most evident index, which
shows that constitutional amendments contributed to the development
of political and civil system."

"To what extend does the amended Constitution stipulate the formation
of the civil society in our country?"

"I strongly believe all the social-political developments during the
forthcoming 5-8 years will be first of all conditioned by the amended
Constitution. I consider it necessary to underscore the fact that
the Constitutional Court has the jurisdiction to influence political
processes and to decide whether the results of the civil society’s
votes are valid or not.

Though it is difficult to state whether the Constitution is completely
accomplished in our reality or not, we should be well conscious that
if we want to perceive the value of the Constitution we should have
civil-society.

As regards this I should underscore that today our civilians have
the right to appeal to the Constitutional Court.

Meanwhile it is not right to say that we managed to solve all the
problems due to Constitutional amendments only, as transitional stages
and clear schedules for the realization of the pre-determined programs
are envisaged.

It is not a secret that we should still learn to think, work and act
based on the logic of the Constitution in all conditions. It is a
very difficult task for some bureaucrats. The problem is they are
accustomed to what is obliged by the superior and not the law and
they are the principal obstacles to the amendments.

NEWLY ELECTED PARLIAMENT IS NOT ABLE TO WITHSTAND CHALLENGES FACED BY COUNTRY, ANM VICE-CHAIRMAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Jul 6, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The parliament of current convocation is
not able to withstand the challenges faced by Armenia. Aram Manukian,
the Vice-Chairman of the Armenian National Movement party, expressed
such an opinion at the July 6 press conference. In his words, the
number of people "creating laws" and having a diplomatic experience in
the current parliament does not exceed 15, and more than the half of
the deputies though have been elected for several times, nevertheless,
have never pronounced a single world in the parliament. "A body, which
works by 10%, cannot play a serious role," the ANM Vice-Chairman said.

While, in his words, cooperation among Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey
is deepening at brisk rates in the region. Besides, in case Gabala
radiolocation station is operated by the U.S. and Russia jointly,
Azerbaijan’s international rating will rise. If the U.S. refuses
that proposal, the United States will expand its program in Poland
and Czech Republic, which will weaken the positions of Armenia’s
strategic partner, Russia.

The ANM Vice-Chairman said that the forces defeated in the
parliamentary elections have the last chance to implement a legal
power shift, as a result of which the country will be able to withstand
external and internal challenges. Its only way is to unite and to run
for the presidential elections with a common candidate. A. Manukian
said that the moment has come when the political forces have to unite
in one team, in which the common candidate "will be born."

A. Manukian does not see an alternative to the former RA President
as a common candidate. In his words, there is no other person in the
political field, who is as much experienced as Levon Ter-Petrosian,
who is predictable and will be able to unite various political forces
around himself and register his victory after the elections.

In response to the question of whether Levon Ter-Petrosian agrees
to nominate his candidature, the ANM Vice-Chairman said that no
statement has been made about his refusing to be a candidate for
presidency. In A.

Manukian’s words, for the present, the first Armenian President
is waiting for situation’s development. "Unless there are proper
conditions for his nomination, or if he refuses to be a candidate, we
will find the candidate we can support," the ANM Vice-Chairman stated.