Month: February 2012

TERT.AM OWNER TO BE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE: HRAPARAK

epress.am
02.01.2012

Owner of the Shirak football team and Press Stand LLC Arman
Sahakyan will be in the running as the Republican Party of Armenia’s
parliamentary candidate from electoral district no. 34 in Gyumri.

He’ll be competing against Prosperous Armenia candidate Martun
Grigoryan, reports local daily Hraparak, adding that few Republicans
would dare to face off against the skilled-in-thievery and
newly-skilled-in-politics Martun.

In the last elections, a similar attempt was made by Sukias Avetisyan,
who was unsuccessful. Arman Sahakyan’s courage is commendable,
though it’s hard to predict what fate will have in store for him,
writes the paper.

Note, Arman Sahakyan also owns the TV channel “12,” as well as Media
Style LLC, which operates the Tert.am news site and Armsport.am
sports site.

20TH ANNIVERSRAY OF THE ARMENIAN ARMY MARKED AT THE US CENTRAL COMMAND

armradio.am
03.02.2012 16:05

An event dedicated to the 20th anniversray of formation of the Armenian
Armed Forces was held at the US Central Command. About 100 high-ranking
servicemen and civilians from more than 60 countries participated in
the event.

Representative of RA Armed Forces at the UN Central Command, Lieutenant
Colonel A Lazarian presented the stages of formation of the Armenian
Army.

The Chief of Staff of the US Central Command, Lieutenant General
Carl Horst congratulated the Armenian Armed Forces and praised
the participation of Armenian peacekeepers in the security and
stabilization activities in Afghanistan.

THERE IS NO CHILD PROSTITUTION IN ARMENIA – POLICE FORCE

news.am
February 03, 2012 | 14:04

YEREVAN. – In 2011, 54 cases of sexual violence against minors were
recorded in Armenia, Police Force representative, Police Colonel
Nelli Duryan stated during a press conference on Friday.

Also, she did not agree with the assertion that most sexual violence
cases occur among needy families. “It is just that sometimes such
families are ready to speak about it. Our people’s mentality assumes
that such incidents are family affairs,” Duryan noted.

She also informed that in 2011 Armenia’s law enforcement agencies
did not record any cases of child pornography on the Internet.

With respect to the query as to strange-content websites’ accessibility
to children, the Police Colonel said this is under the parents’
responsibility. And in regard to child prostitution, Nelli Duryan
stressed: “We can say that such phenomenon virtually does not exist
in Armenia. But there is another problem linked with the girls’
conduct.” She added that such girls lead an unbridled lifestyle.

GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA DISSATISFIED WITH LOCAL MEDIA

news.am
February 03, 2012 | 13:51

YEREVAN.- German Ambassador to Armenia is not satisfied with the work
of the Armenian media.

“It is important for every journalist to have courage and not hide
behind his chief editor’s back,” Hans-Jochen Schmidt said during a
seminar on unfair competition held in Armenia’s Aghveran.

The Ambassador said media outlets used to quote him wrongly as well.

He stressed importance of covering work of the State Commission for the
Protection of Economic Competition, as this structure is contributing
to development of Armenia’s economy.

PRESIDENT HAD BETTER MEET OPPOSITION PARTIES – HERITAGE LEADER

Tert.am
03.02.12

The leader of the opposition Heritage party, Raffi Hovhannisyan,
believes that the proposal to adopt a 100% proportional representations
system should be discussed jointly with the president.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Heritage leader admitted that
their party’s initiative to start debates over the issue was a
little delayed but said the question can be resolved if there is a
political will.

“Serzh Sargsyan had better meet the Armenian National Congress
(ANC), the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutun (ARF-D)
and Heritage. But the tangible outcome of all this is that it helped
create a new political culture,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of a 100 % proportional voting Hovhannisyan
further said their party is willing to consider possibilities of
creating an alliance with any political force.

“We’ll have meetings with several parties’ delegations, and in case
there are mutual interests, will expand the agenda,” Hovhannisyan said,
adding that Heritage will also meet the ruling political parties if
they wish so.

He further referred to the recent dialogue between Heritage and ARF-D.

“Dashnaksutyun and we are different opposition factions in parliament,
and there is a collaboration based on mutual respect. We are unanimous
in national issues; and the coming period will show whether a close
cooperation is possible. But it is clear already that each party
strives for a straight ticket voting,” he said.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WAS NOT JUST GENOCIDE – RAFFI HOVHANNISYAN

Tert.am
03.02.12

If there is ever any reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey, it
should never be based on foreign countries’ laws, the leader of the
opposition Heritage party has said.

Addressing the French Senate’s recent decision to punish the denial
of genocides, Raffi Hovhannisyan told reporters on Friday that such
reconciliation should be based only on truth and justice.

As for the Armenian Genocide proper, the Heritage leader said its
definition could not be limited simply to an ordinary crime of genocide
as its impact went far beyond.

“The Armenian Genocide was not simply a killing of people; it is not
an ordinary genocide. It is dispossession,” he said.

Hovhannisyan further expressed their party’s respect for the French
lawmakers’ decision.

“We do respect them, and the law [i.e. the bill] which is now being
debated at the constitutional level. We also hail the Turkey based
Armenian public figures who struggle for justice,” he added.

DASHNAKTSUTYUN MIGHT RETURN TO RULING COALITION, FORECASTS SOCIOLOGIST

epress.am
01.12.2012

The possibility of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D) again entering the ruling coalition in
the upcoming parliamentary elections is not ruled, depending on
the resolution of the Armenian Genocide issue and developments in
Armenia-Turkey relations, said sociologist Aharon Adibekyan at a
press conference in Yerevan today.

In his opinion, there won’t be any major shocks in the elections.

“Our forecasts indicate that the Armenian National Congress has a
chance of getting into parliament, and consequently, we will have
a strong opposition in parliament and our National Assembly will
operate in a completely different mode,” he said.

According to Adibkeyan, data from the polls cannot be decisive at this
time; they will be publicized in the coming days, after ascertaining
the monitoring findings.

“Based on today’s polls, only every 6th person will go to the voting
polls and has decided who he or she will vote, while the others have
their doubts,” he said.

INACCURATE PORTRAYAL BY CITY HALL, SAY YEREVAN RESIDENTS OPPOSED TO BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IN THEIR YARD

epress.am
02.03.2012

Yerevan’s chief architect, Narek Sargsyan, instructed by Yerevan
mayor Taron Margaryan, on Feb. 1 met with the representatives of
residents of 106/1 Nalbandyan St. who are protesting construction of
a residential building in their yard.

According to a statement issued by the municipality, the city has
given adequate justification for its decision and described in detail
the need for construction in the given area – from the point of view
of not only urban development and environmental interests, but also
the residents’ interests.

As told to Epress.am by 106/1 Nalbandyan St. resident Grigor Ghazaryan,
the meeting, in fact, achieves neither any positive results nor
an agreement.

“The [Yerevan City Hall] statement doesn’t correspond to the truth.

They are resorting to fraud, so they can give a quick building permit
– without a positive conclusion on the impact on the surrounding
environment,” he said.

Ghazaryan pointed out that there have been five meetings with building
residents at city hall and at every meeting an environmental assessment
was requested, which hasn’t been implemented yet – and beginning
construction on a high-rise building without a positive assessment
is unconstitutional.

“They allowed only two of us to participate in the discussion. Karine
Virabyan, representing our interests, told us that actually, the
meeting was held in a very tough atmosphere. Our representative stated
our point of view. We’re not opposed to a kindergarten being built,
but we’re against construction of a huge, high-rise building,” he said.

Recall, upon the residents’ request, the blueprint for a 16-storey
building was changed to a 9-storey building, but this change didn’t
satisfy residents.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RODIN AND FRENCH SENATE

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:10:05 – 03/02/2012

The situation around the “Armenian law” in France resembles Rodin’s
sculpture in Yerevan.

During his visit to Armenia, France’s President Nicola Sarkozy
presented to Yerevan Jules Bastien-Lepage’s sculpture by Auguste
Rodin’s. Jules Bastien-Lepage’s name is not so famous in Armenia but
the fact that the sculpture is made by Rodin makes us respect Lepage.

The same way, Armenians showed respect towards the Armenian bill
initiated by France.

The sculpture is situated in the center of Yerevan near the Opera
House. The position is of course central but practically it is
impossible to go close to the sculpture because the square is not for
pedestrians but cars pass in a 100 meter-radius of the statue. The
sculpture is not big, so it is covered with the veil of secrecy for
Rodin’s fans.

The Armenian issue, just like Rodin’s sculpture, suddenly appeared
in the focus of the international community, but the absence of clear
explanations on what Armenian benefits from the adoption of the law,
brought about the situation when Armenians look at it from far like
they do in case of Rodin’s sculpture.

Armenians cannot reveal the reason why Sarkozy decided to make the
Armenian issue urgent now – to ensure the votes of the Armenian
community or to repress Turkey on Iran’s issue to solve geo-economic
questions. Anyway, it is not aimed at compensating or consoling the
Armenian tragedy.

But Armenians with intelligent expressions on their faces say the
law is in our favor, they even state that the rejection of the law
by the Constructional Council will be Armenia’s defeat. Everyone says
Lepage is a good painter, but no one can explain what he painted and
why his statue appeared in the center of Yerevan.

The only effect is that the Armenian issue has received international
resonance and Yerevan became the hero of world news. It has almost
the same influence as Rodin’s sculpture in Yerevan – sculpture by a
world famous artist finally appeared in Yerevan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEADER OF HERITAGE PARTY ANTICIPATES THAT ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES WILL ONCE AGAIN PUT PERSONAL AND PARTY’S INTERESTS ABOVE PUBLIC

ARMINFO
Friday, February 3, 15:48

President Sargsyan’s reply to the letter of Heritage opposition
party casts doubt on the readiness of the authorities to conduct
transparent elections, Raffi Hovannisian, Leader of Heritage Party,
told media on Friday.

Earlier Hovannisian sent a letter to the Armenian president suggesting
a number of measures necessary for the free and fair parliamentary
elections. In particular, he urged the president and other statesmen
to refuse their positions of the heads of university trusteeship
councils and stop their politicization. Sargsyan’s reply was quite
harsh. The president called the letter “discrediting electoral process
and poisoning the political atmosphere in the country”.

In this light, Hovannisian shared his concerns with the journalists
saying that the Armenian authorities may once again put personal and
party’s interests above public.

In response to ArmInfo’s question regarding the possibility of
cooperation of the ruling Republican Party and Heritage Party as part
of the European People’s Party (EPP), Hovannsian said the cooperation
of the two parties much depends on the result of the upcoming
parliamentary elections. “As you know 4 Armenian parties applied for
EPP membership. It is a big number for such a small country.

Nevertheless, if all these 4 parties are admitted to the EPP (the
given issue will be discussed this month-ed.), we will study our
combined work. I think that the fair parliamentary elections will
pave the way for effective cooperation,” he said.

To recall, the coalition parties of Armenia, particularly, the
Republican, Prosperous Armenia and Orinats Yerkir, as well as the
oppositional Heritage Party applied for EPP membership.