Month: February 2012

OPPOSITIONIST ARAM MANUKYAN ON VARTAN OSKANIAN’S INTENTION TO JOIN PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY

epress.am
02.15.2012

Armenian National Congress (HAK) member Aram Manukyan today called
former foreign minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian’s recently stated
intention to join the Prosperous Armenia party (BHK) “a result of
Oskanian’s late blooming” and “a flippant move.”

“It’s regretful that a man matures at 60 years old and realizes that
he belongs to the [political] force. To be in politics for 20-25 years
and then realize that you belong to the party is not normal. The same
happened also in [Armenian Prime Minister] Tigran Sargsyan’s case,”
he said, referring to Sargsyan joining the ruling Republican Party
of Armenia.

Asked whether Oskanian wanting to become a BHK member is at the behest
of former president Robert Kocharian, Manukyan urged the journalist
not “to mention his name” (referring to Kocharian).

“It’s doesn’t matter who gave the directive – I don’t want to know.

What’s important is that a man is a toy, if a person needs to have
an owner. There’s a saying: what should the slave owner do if the
slave wants to remain a slave?” he said.

BHP TO BECOME A CENTRAL FORCE
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:41:05 – 15/02/2012

The coalition parties made a joint statement a few days ago on
competing with one another in the upcoming election in a civilized and
tolerant atmosphere. Does this mean the coalition parties are going
to compete with the other parties in an uncivilized and intolerant way?

The point is that the civilized methods of campaign should not be the
result of agreements between parties but the result of respect for
laws by the same parties. No Armenian law provides for “uncivilized”
methods of the election campaign.

Proceeding from this, it is necessary to state that the coalition
parties have just announced about the “division of property” in a
“civilized” way. Though the BHP representatives still affirm the
coalition memorandum is in force, we can state there is no ruling
coalition in Armenia.

This does not mean that after the election the parties will not be
allowed to enter into a new coalition but it will just be principally
different. Now the coalition does not have an ideological basis, it
is just a conglomerate of parties which were brought together around
Serzh Sargsyan’s candidacy at the last election. No one can say what
the ideological orientation of the Prosperous Armenia party is and
what path it proposes.

Apparently, it has been decided to clarify the ideological platform
of the political tops of Armenia and to come up with a natural or
artificial political specter where every party will have its own niche.

Most probably, the Bargavach Hayastan Party intends to occupy a central
place which would allow it, on the one hand, not to go far from the
radical opposition “highness” and on the other hand, to differ from
the Republican Party which is getting less popular. Vardan Oskanian’s
membership to the BHP is evidence that this party is adopting an
ideology.

Unlike other members of the party, including its leader Gagik
Tsarukyan, who have not proposed their programs of development,
Vartan Oskanian has worked out a political program both on domestic
and foreign affairs. Since his retirement, he has been criticizing
the present government moderately, without supporting the radical
opposition claiming full liberalization, as well as without walking
closer to the radical left-social trend.

The BHP program will most probably be based on this ideology. It will
announce about the necessity of de-monopolization of the economy, at
the same time, strengthening the social guarantees. Such an ideology
may receive the support of the larger part of the population since
radical lefts insist on the social policy at the expense of democratic
norms, and the radical rights insist on the development of a nation
state at the expense of the social policy.

On this arena, apart from the arena loyal to Robert Kocharyan,
the ARFD, which is a social party, may also form a block with the
BHP. And if this block succeeds entering the parliament together with
the Republicans and the Armenian National Congress, it can take the
vacant central niche.

Perhaps, the Western forces want to see a parliament with three
ideological poles in Armenia in return for assistance to Armenia.

Russia will not disagree with this either, which is “friends” with all
the three poles. Alas, the society does not propose anything better.

Anyway, the civil activists have not yet expressed an intention to
enter into politics and spell out their demands.

In this situation, the central force which will express readiness to
represent civil claims might earn a lot of political dividends.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YOUNG ARMENIAN SINGER FROM TURKEY TO PERFORM IN NY

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 15, 2012 – 15:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Young Armenian singer from Turkey, Sibil, will make
her debut in the New York Metropolitan Area on March 31.

According to The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, she will perform at the
Bergen County Academies in Hackensack. The evening is being sponsored
by Constantinople Armenian Relief Society (CARS). Co-chairs of the
event are Tamar Kayserian and Hilda Nisanyan.

“It is a major undertaking that requires a lot of organization and
planning. That evening, Sibil will be accompanied on stage by musicians
both from Turkey and the United States. Members of the Shushi Dance
Ensemble will also appear on the stage to interpret the songs through
dance and to enrich the evening’s program,” said Kayserian, president
of CARS. “Bergen County Academies’ Auditorium has 1,192 seats and we
are confident that we will have a sold-out evening.”

Sibil was born in Istanbul with a family name that was changed from
Torosyan to Pektorosoglu. She was named after the well-known Armenian
writer Zabelle Asadour, whose penname was Sibil. Her father, Garbis,
a goldsmith, was born in Istanbul while her mother, Mari, has a
Sepastatsi/Tokatsi background.

The first music notes that Sibil was exposed to were the prayers
and hymns of the Armenian Church, since her father would take her to
church every Sunday morning as a child. Her talent and love for music
were discovered by her parents when Sibil would come home and sing
and recite the prayers she had just heard during the church services.

NA MEDAL OF HONOUR TO FRANTIÅ¡EK MIKLOÅ¡KO

14.02.2012

On February 14 the RA NA Speaker Samvel Nikoyan awarded František
Mikloško, first Speaker of the National Council of Slovakia, NA
Medal of Honour.

In his word, Mr Nikoyan has reminded those present that on November
30, 2004 the National Council of the Republic of Slovakia adopted a
Resolution on Recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey
in 1915, proving with it that the crime aimed at the annihilation
and forced deprivation of Motherland of a whole nation has not time
limitation, and the justice, thought with difficulty, paves its way,
as there are political figures, countries and international structures
fighting for it and accepting its inevitability. Mr Mikloško presented
that proposal as a deputy in the parliament.

“About a year ago in the National Assembly of Armenia we hosted one
more political figure, Pavol Hrušovský , former Speaker of the
National Council of Slovakia, a fervent supporter of the Resolution
condemning the Armenian Genocide from the Slovakian Parliament. Today
our guest are you, honourable Mr Mikloško, and in the name of you we
see dignified sons of the friendly Slovak people, figures classifying
beyond political interests the fairness and truth and simply honest
people, who are not indifferent towards the destiny of the peoples
of the same faith and gravest crime perpetrated against human,”
the NA Speaker noted.

In Samvel Nikoyan’s word, today the civilized world gradually gets
convinced that the crime, even not condemning the people’s genocide,
can give birth or become an occasion for new ones, if the criminal
feels himself free and without punishment. According to the NA Speaker,
the Slovak counterparts with their adopted Resolution are among the
people, who are sure that today’s Turkey is not only responsible for
the crime, but they should knock at Europe’s door cleansed and also
later with the sincere guarantee of abstaining from crimes.

“Dear Mr MikloÅ¡ko, I am glad that you are also among them with
your all-human way of thinking, observing the truth as priority and
considering it above everything. All this once again proved that as
European observer, taking part in the elections held in the sovereign
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, which had paved the way of justice with
its own efforts, not hearing the extortions of some people conditioned
by political interest and Azerbaijan’s threats,” the NA Speaker said.

Thanking Samvel Nikoyan for high award František Mikloško expressed
his warm liking towards the Armenian people, which, being the first
nation adopting Christianity as a state religion, has the right to be
proud of both by its built history and cultural heritage. According
to Mr MikloÅ¡ko, it’s a miracle that the Armenian people subjected to
the Genocide in Ottoman Turkey, today outliving continues to build its
independent statehood, and the whole Slovakia thinks like that. He
is convinced that the European community should review its pages of
the 20th century. In Mr MikloÅ¡ko’s word, in the last century three
anti-human realities have taken place: the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman
Turkey, communist dictatorship and the establishment of fascism in
Germany. In Slovak figure’s opinion, Europe should realize that the
precedent of all this was the Armenian’s Genocide perpetrated just
by Turkey.

According to Mr Mikloško, Europe should also adopt a decent position
in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem, as a nation lives
here, which is inflexible to stand for its country, history, Christian
and democratic values.

DELEGATION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS VISITS TSITSERNAKABERD

14.02.2012

On February 14 the Belarus delegation of the Inter-Parliamentary
Committee on Cooperation of the National Assemblies of the Republic
of Armenia and the Republic of Belarus (RB) led by Viktor Guminsky,
Co-Chair of the Committee, Deputy Speaker of the RB NA House of
Representatives being in Yerevan and Hrayr Karapetyan, Co-Chair
of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the
RA NA and RB NA, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense,
National Security and Internal Affairs visited Tsitsernakaberd and
laid flowers and a wreath to the Memorial Complex perpetuating the
memory of the 1915 Armenian Genocide victims, honored in silence and
bow the memory of one and a million innocent victims.

The high-ranking guests have been in the Genocide Museum-Institute,
got acquainted with documents ensuring the Armenian Genocide.

The Deputy Speaker of the Belarus Parliament left a note in the
Commemoration Book.

“It’s hard to speak about this fact, it reminds us the years of the
Great Patriotic War, when in Belarus three million people died. I
thank all the people, who built this Memorial Complex, in order to
perpetuate the memory of the Armenians, who were perished in Ottoman
Turkey in 1915. There is such Memorial Complex in Khatyn of Belarus.

We should pass the memory from generation to generation in order
such tragedies not to be repeated,” presenting his impressions,
noted Viktor Guminsky.

Touching upon the issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide
by the Belarus Parliament, Mr Guminsky opined that the time would
come and they would refer to that issue. “But it is very serious,
we should approach it in a balanced way and make a decision worth to
our country,” he noted.

ARFD: SINGLE-MANDATE SYSTEM AIMS TO OUST OPPOSITION FROM ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT

arminfo
Wednesday, February 15, 15:29

The single-mandate system of parliamentary elections in Armenia leads
to creation of an inherently apolitical structure, Ruben Hakobyan,
Vice Chairman of Heritage Party, said during the parliamentary
hearings on transition to the100% proportional electoral system,
Wednesday. He said that such technical issue on the threshold of
elections is an obstacle to effective organization of the ideological
election campaign. Hakobyan is sure that the single-mandate electoral
system affects the efficiency of the National Assembly. He highlighted
that 29 out of 41 single-mandate parliamentarians has not approached
the parliamentary tribune for the last 5 years.

For his part, parliamentarian, representative of the ARFD Supreme
Body Armen Rustamyan said that the experience of formation of
the National Assembly of all the 4 convocations showed that the
single-mandate system aims to oust the opposition from the parliament
and reproduce the incumbent authorities. “The previous elections
proved the fact that the single-mandate system is anti-people and
anti-democratic. We remember that in the parliament of the 3rd
convocation the parliamentary opposition represented by the Justice
Bloc, National Unity and United Labor parties failed to advance
single-mandate candidates. Afterwards, the opposition’s results were
reduced from 39% to 22%. In the parliament of the 4th convocation ARFD
and Heritage opposition parties received 26% of the seats, but thanks
to the single- mandate candidates, that figure was reduced to 18%,”
Rustamyan said. He stressed that there have been no free and fair
parliamentary elections in Armenia within the entire period of the
country’s independence.

For his part, David Haroutiunyan, a member of the ruling Republican
Party faction, Head of the Parliamentary Commission for State and
Legal Affairs, said transition to the 100% proportional electoral
system will lead to the party dictatorship and torpedo establishment
and development of parties in the country.

To recall, on Jan 12 Heritage and ARFD factions in the parliament
made a joint legislative initiative putting into circulation in the
parliament a package of amendments to the Laws on Election Code,
Regulations of the National Assembly, the Law On the Constitutional
Court. The amendments imply transfer to the 100% proportional
electoral system. According to the current electoral system,
41 of the 131 parliamentary seats are single-mandate, while 90 –
proportional. The opposition says that lots of “neighborhood leaders”
get into the parliament due to this system.

MAYORAL ELECTION IN RAZDAN REMIND OF KAFKA’S AND HUGO’S PLOTS

arminfo
Wednesday, February 15, 15:27

The mayoral election in Razdan on 12 February by their unprecedently
shameful organization reminded of Gorkiy’s, Kafka’s and Hugo’s plots,
an observer of the election in Razdan from the Armenian National
Congress, the head of the Armenian Pan-National Movement board,
Aram Manukyan, said at today’s press-conference.

“In Razdan I came across poverty, injustice and bribery. Many disabled
people, the birth date of which was not fixed in their passports, and
which were not involved in the voters’ list, were taking part in the
election. I was most of all surprised by a girl which took all her
crazy brothers and sisters to the ballot station and got money for
their votes. But I did not see criminals in such people but victims
of the ruling regime. The hunger gained a victory in such citizens
and the authorities make use of it, grounding their reproduction on
poverty, bribery and illegality”, – Manukyan said.

“Nevertheless, 11500 people or 46% of all the voters in Razdan gave
their votes for Sasun Mikaelyan. They followed their duty, as a citizen
has not yet died in them”, – he said. Asked why the ANC did not file
a protest against the results of the election, Manukyan replied it
is impossible to fight the mass and all-round bribery.

MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM: TOOL FOR THE AUTHORITIES

yerkir.am
13:42 – 15.02.2012

Member of ARF fraction Armen Rustaman considered the announcements
that it is late to pass to electoral system nonsense.

He reminded that it was during the last sessions that the Coalition
tried to adopt a bill concerning the elections.

Armen Rustamyan believes that “consensus minus one” is created in
the Parliament and that 1 is ANC.

“Majoritarian electoral system has become a tool in the hands of the
authorities giving them right to kick the opposition out. There is
no need to prove that”, announced the ARF figure and stressed that
it is impossible to hold democratic elections without proportional
electoral system.

FRENCH SENATORS EXPRESS INDIGNATION AT BEHAVIOR OF TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 15, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: French senators Luc Carvounas and
Philippe Kaltenbach expressed their indignation at the behavior of
Turkish ambassador to France Tahsin Burcuoglu, the statement released
by the senators runs.

“We consider the attempts of the Turkish ambassador to affect the
legislative processes ongoing in our country unacceptable,” the
senators have stated.

Tahsin Burcuoglu addressed letters to the members of the National
Assembly and Senate of France calling upon them to boycott the bill
criminalizing the denial of the genocides. “We register with pain
that 77 senators and 65 MPs heard the call of the Turkish ambassador,”
the socialist senators stressed.

Carvounas and Kaltenbach insist that the calls of the Turkish
ambassador were accompanied with threats that the adoption of the bill
will have negative impact on the future of Turkish-French relations.

“Contrary to such behavior of the Turkish ambassador we once again
express our support to the bill and reiterate that it fully fits
the Human Rights Concept adopted by us,” the senators wrote in their
statement.

Carvounas and Kaltenbach voiced hope that the Constitutional Council
of France will recognize the bill constitutional.

BERNARD SLADE’S ROMANTIC COMEDY TO BE STAGED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 15, 2012 – 14:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Bernard Slade’s tragic comedy, Romantic Comedy,
will be for the first time staged at Yerevan’s Hrachya Ghaplanyan
Drama Theatre (artistic director Armen Khandikyan) on March 25.

Zhan Nshanyan will be the director of the performance; Guzh Manukyan,
people’s artist of Armenia and Evelina Shahiryan, honored artist
of Armenia will play the leading parts. Vahagn Tevanyan will be in
charge of stage designer.

The play was first staged on November 8, 1979 in Ethel Barrymore
Theatre, starring Mia Farrow, Anthony Perkins, Carole Cook and others.

Director Arthur Hiller produced a movie in 1983 in U.S. basing on
the play, with Dudley Moore, Mary Steenburgen and others.