Month: May 2008

RA CEC REGISTERS RPA MEMBER SUKIAS AVETISIAN AS NA DEPUTY

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Sukias Avetisian from the electoral
roll of the Republican Party of Armenia was registered a deputy of the
RA National Assembly at the RA Central Electoral Commission’s May 13
sitting. The decision’s basis was stopping of the deputy authorities
of Armen Danielian appointed RA Deputy Prosecutor General, as well as
applications of withdrawal of Karine Petrosian and Alina Haroutiunian
from the RPA electoral roll.

It should be mentioned that 49-year-old S. Avetisian was a deputy of
NA of previous three convocations (1995-1999, 1999-2003, 2003-2007).

ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHK SHOULD BECOME A FACTOR OF ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN FRIENDSHIP, SHIRAK TOROSIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Today Georgia is carrying on policy of
driving Armenians away from Javakhk and Armenia does not use its all
possibilities to oppose to that policy. Shirak Torosian, a deputy of
the RA National Assembly, the Chairman of the Javakhk compatriotic
union, stated at the May 13 press conference. He considers that if
Armenia carries on more active policy aimed at solving the problems of
Armenians of Javakhk, the situation may change abruptly. S. Torosian
affirmed that we should not sacrifice interests of Armenians of
Javakhk for the sake of Armenian-Georgian friendship, but we should
make Armenians of Javakhk a factor for strengthening that friendship.

He said that Armenia provides educational and health assistance to
Javakhk, while it comes across serious obstacles in customs points
when transporting the charity cargoes. Therefore, in deputy’s opinion,
Armenia should sign an agreement with Georgia, under which the Armenian
side will stipulate its rights of assistance, aid to Armenians of
Javakhk, and the Georgian side its commitments of ensuring them.

According to S. Torosian, the problem of language remains the most
serious one in Javakhk. In his words, the Georgian authorities forcing
knowledge of Georgian to Armenians at the same time do not secure
conditions for studying that language. Besides, according to him, the
Georgian side declines Armenia’s proposal to open an Armenian-Georgian
University in Javakhk without any serious motivation.

S. Torosian affirmed that unless steps are undertaken in the direction
of solving the problems of Armenians of Javakhk, it is possible
that the Armenians of Javakhk will gradually leave Javakhk. Or,
in his words, "patience of Armenians of Javakhk will be exhausted:
Javakhk will burst and will start resisting"

MAXIMUM 4 ARMENIAN DEPUTIES CAN APPEAR IN NEW PARLIAMENT OF GEORGIA, SHIRAK TOROSIAN PREDICTS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. From two to four Armenian deputies will
be elected in the new Georgian parliament, the elections of which will
be held on May 21. Shirak Torosian, a RA National Assembly deputy,
the Chairman of the Javakhk compatriotic union, made such a prediction
at the May 13 press conference. According to him, the new law hinders
having more Armenian deputies in the Georgian parliament. According
to that law, even candidates by the majoritarian system are to be
nominated by some party. "Under these conditions people concerned
with socio-economic problems of Armenians of Javakhk failed to be
candidates for parliamentary elections, as no political force dared
to nominate them on its part," he said.

S. Torosian also touched upon the latest speech of the Envoy of
Georgia to RA characterizing it as not diplomatic. In his words,
without going deep into the details of the phenomena the Georgian
diplomat just calls or we can say demands that Armenia vote for the
document to be introduced by Georgia in UN, which demands recognizing
Georgia’s territorial integrity. While, as the deputy mentioned, some
days ago Georgia voted for the document of almost similar content
introduced by Azerbaijan. S. Torosian hopes that those responsible
for Armenia’s foreign policy will make a right decision and will vote
proceeding from Armenia’s interests.

ACCORDING TO FRENCH ARMENIAN LAWYER, ONLY TESTIMONY OF POLICEMEN CANNOT BE PROOF

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. A group from the Union of Armenian
Advocates and Lawyers of France consisting of 6 people was in
Armenia on a 5-day visit. It had come especially for the purpose of
assisting their Armenian colleagues in connection with the elections
and in particular, the March 1 events. Gerard Cholakian, a member of
Union’s Administrative Board, told Noyan Tapan correspondent that they
have an impression that tension is felt in the work of lawyers and
justice structures: "At the moment it seems to us that the lawyers
have been refused to be informed about the details of the case, the
investigation," the French Armenian lawyer said. It was also mentioned
that they are "mainly concerned with the difficulties of lawyers they
have when defending the defendants during these cases." The group
has met with local lawyers, some imprisoned people, as well as with
RA Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian. "We feel that rather strong
pressures are exerted, some judicial and examination procedures have
not been respected.

We would be able to give a more detailed and concrete answer if we
were able to get acquainted with the case more in detail and were
able to take part in legal proceedings."

On the last day of the visit the French Armenian lawyer was present
at the judicial enquiry on the case against former freedom-fighter
Khachik Gasparian accused of using not dangerous violence to a power
representative.

"It is impossible to imprison a man unless there is concrete evidence
in his cases," Cholakian said emphasizing that in all countries only
testimony of policemen is not considered proof.

It is envisaged that the organization will make a report on the
visit’s results by late May. Cholakian did not exclude that French
lawyers will return with representatives of NGOs to be present at
tne judicial enquiries.

AS RESULT OF FIRING OF AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES INHABITANT OF BAGHANIS VILLAGE INJURED

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The Azerbaijani armed forces fired the
fighting fulcra of the Armenian armed forces located on the border
line of the Baghanis village of the Tavush region of the Republic of
Armenia at about 11 o’clock on May 11. According to the message of
the Press Service of the RA Ministry of Defence, as a result of the
firing herdsman Lorik Mesrop Avagian (born in 1957), an inhabitant
of the Baghanis village, has been injured and the Armenian armed
forces were able to take him away from the fire zone only at about
12:40. L. Avagian has been moved to the city hospital of Ijevan,
where he was operated on. His condition is of middle seriousness.

GAS FILLING STATIONS TRY TO USE COMPETITIVE PRICES

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of the proceedings
initiated in order to indentify a possible anticompetition agreement in
the gas filling market, in the past two days the RA State Commission on
Protection of Economic Competition conducted monitoring and revealed
that the price of gas sold at the country’s gas filling stations
has declined.

The Commission was also informed about it in writing by the economic
entities providing gas filling services. According to the Commission’s
press service, various prices are currently used for filling 1 cubic
meter of liquefied (natural) gas in Armenia, including in Yerevan:
130 drams (a filling station in the city of Hrazdan), mostly 150 drams,
prices of 160, 162 and 170 drams have been registered as well.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

2007 BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS FOR PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED BY GOVERNMENT STAFF ALMOST COMPLETELY SPENT

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Out of 11,6 bln drams (about 38 mln
USD) envisaged by the 2007 state budget for the Armenian government’s
staff, 11.4 bln drams was actually spent, the RA chief treasurer Atom
Jnajughazian announced at the May 13 joint sitting of the RA National
Assembly standing committees.

According to him, allocations of 1.7 bln drams to education and
allocations of 190 mln drams to health care, which were envisaged
under the 3rd program of the Social Investment Fund with the
assistance of the World bank, were almost completely used. The 400
mln-dram allocation for holding events of Year of Armenia in France
was completely spent. Assistance of 37 mln drams was provided to the
information and analytical center of economic reforms, while ethnic
minorities received assistance of 30 mln drams. The WB-sponsored city
heating program’s expenditures were exceeded by 30.4%, with 1.9 bln
drams being spent instead of envisaged 1.5 bln drams.

Out of 2.9 bln drams envisaged for pedigree stock breeding, seed
growing and other projects under the Millennium Challenge grant
program implemented with the assistance of the U.S. government, 2.2
bln drams was spent. Out of 1.2 bln drams for industry, agriculture
and environmental protection by the same grant program, 330 mln drams
was spent. 317.7 mln drams was envisaged by the Millennium Challenge
Program for road improvement, while actual expenditures made 517
mln drams.

Armavia airline received compensation of 116 mln drams for transporting
people and humanitarian aid from the border war zone of Israel and
Lebanon.
From: Baghdasarian

2007 BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STAFF PARTLY SAVED

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Out of 2.9 bln drams (about 9.5 mln USD)
envisaged by the 2007 state budget for the RA National Assembly staff,
about 2.6 bln drams was used, the RA chief treasurer Atom Janjughazian
stated at the May 13 joint sitting of the National Assembly standing
committees.

According to him, 2.3 bln drams was envisaged for the activities of
the staff and deputies, while 2.08 bln drams was actually spent. 406
mln drams envisaged for construction of administrative facilities
was fully used.

Besides, the NA implemented a program of joining international
organizations, with 71.8 mln drams allocated for this purpose being
fully spent.

The head of the NA staff Hayk Kotanian said that the 2007
budget-envisaged sum was saved by about 12% due to the fact that
expenses on business trips and representative expenditures were
reduced because of the elections. The sum for repairs of the NA hall
of sittings was also saved because the start of the repair work was
delayed. As for the new building of the National Assembly, the 2007
sum for its construction was fully spent.

2007 BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS FOR PRESIDENTIAL STAFF COMPLETELY USED

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. 2.8 billion drams was envisaged by the
2007 state budget for the RA president’s staff, and this sum was almost
completely used, the RA chief treasurer Atom Janjughazian said at the
May 13 sitting of the RA National Assembly standing committees. Out of
the indicated sum, 2.53 billion drams was envisaged for maintenance
expenditures and about 450 million drams – for major repairs of some
administrative facilities. However, during 2007, a necessity arose to
make redistribution and increase the expenditures on major repairs of
the administrative facilities by reducing the current expenditures,
and 726 million drams envisaged by the corrected program for this
purpose was completely used.

Besides, the president’s staff allocated 112.8 million drams to the
Institute of Political Studies, 100 million drams – to the anti-smoking
program and 100 million drams – to the program of state assistance
to NGOs.

TENDER TO CHOOSE THIRD MOBILE PHONE COMMUNICATION OPERATOR POSTPONED

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The rules of the tender to choose a
third mobile phone communication operator in Armenia have not been
approved yet.

The head of the telecommunication unit of the RA Public Services
Regulatory Commission Gevorg Gevorgian stated on May 13 that there
is a necessity to hold additional discussions on these rules, as a
result of which the tender has been postponed.

G. Gevorgian failed to say when exactly the tender will be announced
and which companies intend to participate in it. According to him,
information about the tender will be published by famous foreign mass
media, including the Financial Times.