Month: February 2012

HISTORIC MONUMENTS FOUND ON THE SITE OF CONSTRUCTION OF NORTH-SOUTH ROAD CORRIDOR

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 17, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS: The field works of the archeological
excavations in the territories of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
will resume in spring, in a period between March and April. Deputy
Director of the Archeology and Ethnography Institute of the Armenian
National Academy of Sciences Gagik Sargsyan told Armenpress the
archeologists are intending to make excavations in the site of
construction of North-South road corridor to find out whether there
are historic-cultural monuments in the territory before starting
the construction.

The archeologists will mainly focus on Ashtarak-Talin road sector
where they have already found 20-25 historic-cultural monuments. It is
necessary to find out what historic and archeological significance they
have. “If it is revealed that these monuments are really valuable
the construction project relating to Ashtarak-Talin road sector
may undergo certain changes not to harm the monuments,” the deputy
director of the institute said.

AZERI OFFICIAL CALLS FOR CHANGING MINSK GROUP FORMAT

Tert.am
17.02.12

A deputy speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament, Bahar Muradova,
has said her country will voice its opinion on the OSCE Minsk Group
format once the French Constitutional Council issues a ruling on the
bill criminalizing the denial of genocides.

Following the passage of the bill by the French National Assembly
in late December, the Azerbaijani and Turkish media have numerously
slammed France, arguing that the country cannot be a neutral mediator
in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks.

After the bill passed in France’s upper house, several lawmakers
lodged an appeal with eh country’s Constitutional Court, questioning
the constitutionality of the document.

“The Minsk Group’s (US, Russia and France) efforts did not yield
any result in the past 20 years. Azerbaijan is voicing its concerns
in that connection. The recent developments were the last straw,”
Muradova said, referring to the French parliament’s move.

According to the Azeri official, President Ilham Aliyev reiterated
his commitment to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict at a recent trilateral presidential-level meeting in the
Russia’s Sochi resort.

“We’ll continue our efforts in that direction. Neither Azerbaijan
nor its people have a boundless patience, of course,” she said. “The
necessity to change the Minsk mission format is realistic but it is
impossible to say definitely whether the co-chairmanship institution
can be changed. The OSCE member states will decide the procedures of
replacing the countries whose policies do not satisfy us. Once the
question is real, we’ll get our message heard,” she added.

From: A. Papazian

WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPION NAZIK AVDALYAN JOINS PROSPEROUS ARMENIA

Tert.am
17.02.12

European and world weightlifting champion Nazik Avdalyan has applied
for membership in the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP).

Naira Zohrabyan, a PAP MP, confirmed the information.

As to whether the sportswoman will appear on the PAP list, Zohrabyan
said she has no right to either confirm or rule out this possibility.

ARMENIA’S RULING PARTY TO FORM MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT – MP

Tert.am
17.02.12

At his Friday meeting with journalists, Rafik Petrosyan, an MP of the
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), said that the ruling party would
form a majority in Armenia’s new parliament.

The latest local elections are evidence thereof – RPA representatives
won the elections in 31 out of the 39 constituencies.

The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) is sure to be the second. It has
done much work over the past five years. The opposition Armenian
National Congress (ANC) will be the third. The mayor election in
Hrazdan showed this force has an electorate, Petrosyan said.

As regards the Rule of Law party, which is part of the ruling
coalition, is likely to be the fourth, he said.

“The Rule of Law party’s valuable asset is its cooperating in state
government. The RPA, PAP and Rule of Law are not going to wage a
fierce struggle, and the last-named will take advantage of the others’
image,” Petrosyan said.

The MP is sure that, as an old party, the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) will get the necessary 5%.

As regards the Heritage party, it will not get the necessary 5%
if it runs for parliament unallied.

SASUN MIKAELYAN ASSERTS THAT HIS BEING ELECTED ‘WOULD’VE BEEN BETTER FOR SERZH SARGSYAN’

epress.am
02.17.2012

Sasun Mikaelyan, Armenian National Congress member and losing candidate
in this past Sunday’s mayoral election in Hrazdan, won’t be talking
about the upcoming parliamentary elections at this time – he will speak
about those elections at the end of April, said Mikaelyan himself as
he began his press conference in Yerevan today, promising to speak
about and respond to questions only about the Hrazdan elections.

Mikaelyan also explained why he is not preparing to protest the
election results.

“Where should I appeal? I’m supposed to appeal to the administrative
court, which didn’t approve even my proxy Vahe Hovsepyan’s application,
[because] it had to have [the required] stamps. Who should I appeal
to when the entire state was against me? We won, [but] they appointed
Aram [Danielyan] as mayor,” he said.

The speaker thanked all those 11,500 Hrazdan residents who voted in
his favor – not because they voted for him, but because they voted
based on their choice and didn’t succumb to pressure.

“Representatives of the entire state system fought against me – led by
[Armenian President] Serzh Sargsyan. To protest would’ve been to put
on a show. They couldn’t have beat me with money. I don’t understand
what means they used. My nephew, who’s a city employee, was called and
asked whether he was participating in his uncle’s election campaign.

Aram and Kaval made the republic into their own property. They had
to show that Sasun doesn’t have any votes in Hrazdan. Whoever said
hi to me was threatened and taken aside and questioned,” he said.

“I’m Serzh Sargsyan’s army comrade – it doesn’t change with anything.

[My being elected] would’ve been better for Serzh Sargsyan – he
would’ve been relieved of two bribe-takers,” he added.

Asked why he hasn’t congratulated incumbent mayor Aram Danielyan,
Mikaelyan said he would’ve congratulated the winning candidate but
considering the extent of electoral fraud that took place at the
Hrazdan elections, to congratulate Danielyan would mean justifying
and supporting electoral fraud.

From: Baghdasarian

EUROPEAN PARTNERS URGE ARMENIA TO HOLD ADEQUATE ELECTIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 17, 2012 – 16:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – European partners name strengthening of democracy
and holding of adequate elections N1 problem for Armenia, according
to member of Armenian National Assembly and ARF Dashnaktsutyun
parliamentary group.

In this context, Ara Nranyan noted that European partners stress the
need of Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, as well as normalization
of Armenian-Turkish ties without any preconditions.

“Conduction of adequate elections is the only solution for Armenia to
advance its positions through the Eastern Partnership (EaP) project
and have normal relations,” the MP quoted European partners as saying.

According to Mr. Nranyan, European partners’ call was addressed both
to authorities and opposition.

ARMENIA’S CONSTITUTION IS PUBLISHED IN WESTERN ARMENIAN

news.am
February 17, 2012 | 14:34

YEREVAN. – On the initiative of the Center for the Constitutional Law
of Armenia, a comparative Western-Armenian translation of Armenia’s
Constitution is conducted and it is published as a separate book.

The Western-Armenian version of the Constitution is also posted at
, the official website of the Constitutional Court of
Armenia, the latter’s Press Service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

PROTESTERS LIE IN FRONT OF VEHICLE TO BAN ITS MOVE

05:00 pm | Today | Politics

More people are joining the environmental activists who are holding a
non-stop protest in Yerevan’s Mashtots Park against the municipality’s
decision to install dismantled kiosks on the green space.

Deputy Head of Yerevan Police Robert Melkonyan (nicknamed Bazaz)
told the activists that at about 4p.m. representatives from the
municipality would arrive at the park to talk to the group.

The situation is rather tense on the site. Protesters have laid in
front the concrete-mixing transport truck, blocking it from moving
forward.

Some 100 people have gathered in the park.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MR MAYOR, PERFORM YOUR DUTIES

02:44 pm | Today | Social

This is Our City initiative has addressed a statement to Yerevan
Mayor Taron Margaryan on his Facebook page.

The initiative asks the mayor to call back the constructors and police
officers from Mashtots Avenue so as not to aggravate the situation.

“We also ask you to leave the activists protesting against an illegal
construction of kiosks at peace. Please, perform your duties and
pledges given to public. We are looking forward to your early reply,”
the group wrote on the mayor’s page.

THEY PROMISED TO SMASH ONE OF ACTIVISTS’ HEAD

01:53 pm | Today | Social

The tension in Yerevan’s Mashtots Park continues amid
environmentalists’ protest against installation of dismantled kiosks.

A1+’s journalist reports from the ground that the activists blocked
the way of trucks and other vehicles which had arrived on the avenue
to install the kiosks. One of the drivers even threatened an activist
to smash his head with metal rod.

Chief of the Yerevan Police Department Nerses Nazaryan is presently
negotiating with the protesters.

In reply to A1+ how it happened that the he decided to conduct
negotiations personally, Mr Nazaryan said, “I am here to keep public
order.”

Then he said that he had been requested to restore order in Mashtots
Park.

The activists also applied to Mr Nazaryan demanding to prevent
installation of kiosks in the green area which were removed from
Abovyan street.

Lawmakers from the opposition Heritage party have also joined the
environmentalists.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress