Month: February 2012

DUTCH OFFICIAL HAILS ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES FOR THE RESOLUTENESS TO IMPLEMENT REFORMS

armradio.am
15.02.2012 12:17

Secretary of the Armenian National Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan
received the delegation headed by Klaas van der Tempel, Special
Representative for the Eastern Partnership at Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Netherlands.

The parties discussed the possibilities of joint programs and
initiatives within the framework of the process of implementation of
reforms in Armenia in accordance with EU standards.

According to Arthur Baghdasaryan, the rich agenda of Armenia-EU
cooperation is reflected in the new Action Plan for 2012-2013. The
Secretary of the National Security Council attached importance to
the necessity of implementing separate programs with EU member states
including the Netherlands and come forth with new initiatives.

Mr. Tempel appreciated the resoluteness of the Armenian authorities to
implement reforms in different spheres, which has been reiterated in
different spheres. He also emphasized the importance to the activity
of the EU Advisory Group and expressed willingness to get involved
in that process.

A broad framework of regional and international issues was discussed.

ARMENIA’S MAJORITY ELECTION SYSTEM IS ANTIDEMOCRATIC – OPPOSITION MP

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 11:50

YEREVAN. – The majority election system functioning in Armenia is
antidemocratic, opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party MP Armen Rustamyan
stated during the National Assembly (NA) hearings devoted to changing
to a 100-percent proportional election system in the country.

He added that in all of independent’s Armenia’s parliaments the
majority election system had obstructed the expression of the will
of the people, as the opposition forces, for whom the people voted,
had a very small representation in NA.

As per Rustamyan, the majority election system has always served
for the reproduction of the authorities, and the ousting of the
opposition. ARF MP proposed to at least be honest and to auction off
the majority election seats.

The other keynote speaker, opposition Heritage Party’s Deputy Chairman
Ruben Hakobyan, noted it is not a secret that the main voting fraud
is committed in the majority election system. “There is a simple
business deal between the authorities and the candidates who enter NA
through the majority [election]. The authorities turn a blind eye to
the falsifications and violations, and the MP elected by the majority
[election] brings votes for the authorities,” Hakobyan maintained,
and added that more than half of the 41 MP’s who were elected by the
majority election have not come to NA in months.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN CHURCH TO RECEIVE NEW PRIVILEGE

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 11:09

YEREVAN. – The legalization payments will be exempt for Armenia’s
churches and church structures which the individual benefactors had
built, but without the appropriate formalities.

The State Committee of Real Estate Cadastre presented such draft
decision for the Government’s approval. And this matter is included
on the Government’s session on Thursday.

This decision refers to the buildings constructed by, or donated to,
and the plots of land donated to the Armenian Apostolic Church (the
Holy See of Saint Etchmiadzin).

This proposal concerns the legalization of buildings that were
constructed without an authorization.

From: A. Papazian

WILL ARMENIAN MINISTER BRING GODDESS ANAHIT’S STATUE HOME? – NEWSPAPER

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 10:18

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan
seems to be determined to bring to Armenia the pagan goddess Anahit’s
bronze head from the British Museum in London, Haykakan Zhamanak
daily writes.

“The Minister expressed such wish in his Facebook account. He
proposed to his [Facebook] friends to join him and to petition-with
corresponding signatures under a joint text-to the Great Britain’s
Embassy in Armenia, asking that the head and the hands of Goddess
Anahit’s statue be returned to Armenia. Through his spokesperson,
Ashotyan informed that his call had received a huge response,
especially from the youth and university students. And they launched
a signature campaign, and Minister Armen Ashotyan will likewise
join them at the end [of the campaign, and they will petition to
Great Britain’s Embassy. The latter responded to Ashotyan’s call,
likewise on its Facebook account. Ambassador Cathy Leach wrote:
“For long years the British Museum has provided its unique items for
worldwide display. It will be marvelous if such exchange program
be carried out between the British Museum and the State Museum of
History of Armenia.” In this way the Ambassador alluded not to the
possibility of returning of the statue, but, instead, to its sending
for a temporary display,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes.

AZNAVOUR SAYS HE DOES NOT WANT ANY TERRITORY FROM TURKEY

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY
YERVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS: One day, sooner or later, Turkey will
come into terms with its past, world famous singer Charles Aznavour
said in an interview to France 2 TV channel, Armenpress reports.

“We do not want territories, don’t be afraid,” the singer said
addressing to Turks. As an example he brought forth French-German
relations and noted that today Germany is not demanding from France
either Elzas or Lotharingia. “Many Armenians do not agree with me in
this issue,” Aznavour said.

Referring to the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian
Genocide, Aznavour said he was very delighted with the adoption of
the bill by the Senate and sent a letter of gratitude to the President
of France Nicolas Sarkozy.

MAJORITY ELECTION SYSTEM HAS BECOME HOTBED FOR CRIMINAL OFFENSES – ARMENIAN OPPOSITION MEMBER

news.am
February 15, 2012 | 12:43

YEREVAN. – The cause for the present-day situation in Armenia is the
criminal-oligarchic system established in the country, the opposition
Armenian National Congress Central Office Coordinator Levon Zurabyan
said during the National Assembly hearings devoted to changing to a
100-percent proportional election system in the country.

According to Zurabyan, “as a result of the defective electoral system,
the people’s future is put in danger, [and] the authorities are
perceived as a group of occupants.”

“The majority [election system] has become a hotbed for criminal
offenses. Elimination of the majority system will crush the most
serious ring of corruption,” Levon Zurabyan noted, and, addressing
the authorities, he said: “Today we have a unique chance to take the
road of agreement. Don’t lead the country toward confrontation! Make
the right decision, since you still have that chance.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARFD MEMBER: REPRODUCTION OF AUTHORITIES LEADS TO USURPATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 15, 2012 – 12:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – At a parliamentary hearing on full shift to
proportional electoral system set forth by the opposition, ARF
Dashnaktsutyun MP Armen Rustamyan noted that majority of political
forces back the proposal.

“Majority system in Armenia has become a tool for election violations.

Reproduction and not reelection of authorities leads to usurpation,”
he stated.

In his speech Mr. Rustamyan, one of the initiators of the proposal,
cited figures of previous elections, noting that opposition gains
much fewer seats in the parliament due to the majority system, the
latter facilitating authority candidates’ victory.

PREMIER OF TURKEY FORGETS THE CORE OF OSCE MINSK GROUP’S MANDATE

arminfo
Wednesday, February 15, 12:55

Having adopted the bill criminalizing the denial of genocides, France
has actually turned into one of the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in his
interview with ANS TV channel, 1news.az reported.

“Several months ago French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Armenia
and if you heard his statements there, you have no doubt that he openly
supported Armenians and thereby supported one of the parties to the
conflict. Certainly, after these actions, France must leave the OSCE
Minsk Group. In case France leaves the OSCE MG, the dominating role
in this peace process will pass to the United States and Russia,
and I suppose that the UN Security Council should also interfere
with this matter and take a decision”, Erdogan said and added that
nobody has the right to torture Azerbaijan so long. “Now everybody
is waiting for the resolution of the conflict, and we hope that the
relevant decision will be taken and all the hardships of the region
will remain in the past”, he said.

According to the Azeri sources, the Turkish premier expressed his
content with Azerbaijan’s stance on the French Senate’s adoption
of the bill criminalizing the denial of genocides. “Azerbaijan and
Turkey should always support each other not only in this but also in
many other issues”, he said.

In the meantime, the political observers in Armenia think that
Erdogan is making politically tactless statements, because he knows
that tackling the issues of recognition of the Armenian Genocide in
Ottoman Turkey is not in the line of the OSCE MG.

AZERBAIJAN PLAYS THE FOX OFFERING ARMENIA A HAND IN RESTORING YEREVAN’S HISTORICAL CENTER

arminfo
Wednesday, February 15, 12:53

Azerbaijan is ready to provide the Armenian authorities with the
maps of the ancient Yerevan so they can restore the historical look
of their capital, Azeri presidential representative Fuad Akhundov
told Interfax-Azerbaijan.

“If they really want to restore the historical look of Yerevan, we
are ready to kindly provide them with the old city’s maps. There are
also a number of Russian and European paintings picturing the Erivan
Fortress (XVI) the way it was in the 19th century,” Akhundov said.

He believes that the Armenian authorities are trying to mislead the
world community and to give Yerevan a look it never actually had in
the past.

He said that the Erivan Sardar Palace, one of the gems of the Caucasus,
was destroyed in 1964 instead of being turned into a museum.

“Yerevan claims that it is an ancient city but it has no historical
center. And to blame for this are those vandals who destroyed the
Erivan Fortress just because it was a masterpiece of Azeri art,”
Akhundov said.

But Mr. Akhundov forgot to say that the Azeris could not have art at
that time just because they were not a nation yet.

Akhundov’s interview is just one more attempt to fake history and it
is aimed against not only the Armenian cultural-historical heritage
but also the legacy of the Muslim Persia-Iran. So, once again they
are playing the fox.

GREEN ACTIVISTS “STORM” PRESIDENT’S E-MAIL

arminfo
Wednesday, February 15, 13:02

Green activists protesting against the new law “On the Environmental
Impact Assessment” have announced a new protect action.

The activists and environmentalists decided to “storm” the president’s
email. On February 15 starting from 9:00am till 11:30pm they will be
emailing to Serzh Sargsyan demanding revision and elaboration of the
new law by the parliament. Within the first 1.5-hour of the action,
15 people had already emailed to the president.

The Armenian parliament passed the above law on February 6. Activists
say the law will allow large-scale felling without environment impact
assessment and public hearings. In addition, the law restricts the
public involvement in decision-making.

Another action of protest was held in front of the presidential
residence on February 14. Environmentalists were demanding the
president not to ratify the law.