Month: February 2015

LEVON TER-PETROSYAN, RAFFI HOVHANNISIAN ARE AS GUILTY AS GAGIK TSARUKYAN – PETROS MAKEYAN

15:30 / 24.02.2015

Sharp developments took place in Armenia as a result of clashes between
two forces, leader of Democratic Homeland party Petros Makeyan told
the reporters on Tuesday, referring to the political developments in
the country.

In his words these developments may be described capitulation of
the bourgeois-democratic revolution. “I think the reasons of such
situation are much. The idea of the bourgeois-democratic existed still
in 2011 and its architect was Levon Ter-Petrsoyan. In reality the huge
pan-national movement started collapsing since 2008. In 2012 we were
saying that in the situation created in Armenia an oligarch cannot
go against the authorities and that time many considered us people
of the authorities but we saw what we saw. In fall 2014 the processes
seem to move forward in favor of the opposition. But after two rallies
with the order of Serzh Sargsyan the rallies stopped,” Makeyan said,
adding that they had stated before that if the three forces decided
to continue the rallies the developments may lead to change of power.

Makeyan said that when on 14, 15 the three political forces
failed to make any steps it became clear that the authorities are
having privileges. “On February 18 when Gagik Tsarukyan accepted
the capitulation, Levon Ter-Petrosyan addressed a letter where he
indirectly accused the PAP. I think the PAP has its share of guilt,
when saying that they will mobilize all, when saying that their word
is work he should have known with who he was dealing with. They failed
to make calculations,” he said, adding that the accusations voiced in
the address of Gagik Tsarukyan are ungrounded. “Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
Raffi Hovhannisian are as guilty as Gagik Tsarukyan,” he said, adding
that the coup failed because of the leaders who did not have the plan
of actions.

Nyut.am

CENTRAL BANK FORECASTS 30% DECLINE OF PERSONAL TRANSFERS IN 2015

by Karina Melikyan

Tuesday, February 24, 12:53

Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) has forecasted a 30% decline of personal
transfers (in terms of US dollar) in 2015, and a growth of transfers
in Russia rubles with certain slackening.

According to the monetary policy program of the CBA for Q1 2015, net
flow of non-commercial personal transfers via the banking system of
Armenia fell 30.5% in Q4 2014. Russia accounts for over 80% of total
money transfers to Armenia. The decline is forecasted given such
factors as the sudden devaluation of the Russia rubles against the
US solar in Q4 2014 and the anticipated economic decline in Russia
in 2015. In particular, a 2%-3.8% economic decline is anticipated in
Russia in 2015 and the downward trend will continue in 2016. In 2017,
it is forecasted that the economic activity will be recovered and
will experience up to 1% growth by the end of 2017.

According to the CBA, in 2015 the economic growth in Armenia will
slacken and make up 0.4%-2% versus 3.5%-3.5% in late 2014. According
to the World Bank forecasts, the economic growth in Armenia will total
3.3% versus 2.6% in 2014. In 2016, GDP of Armenia may reach 3.7% and in
2017 – 4.1%. The draft budget of Armenia for 2015 is based on a 4.1%
growth of the real GDP and 2.34% deficit. In nominal terms, GDP will
total 4.867.5 billion drams. According to the National Statistical
Service of Armenia, economic activity of Armenia for Jan-Dec 2014 as
compared to the same period of 2013 grew 3.9%.

EUROVISION-2015: VAHETBILISYAN FROM ETHIOPIA HAS BECOMETHE THIRD MEMBER OF THE BAND “GENEALOGY”

by Karina Manukyan

Monday, February 23, 18:15

Vahe Tbilisyan from Ethiopia has become the third member of the band
“Genealogy” to represent Armenia at Eurovision-2015.

During his music career Vahe was a member of bands such as “The
Motley Singers” (as the leading tenor),251 Band (as the backing
vocalist), Eshee Havana. In 2011 he reached the finals of the show
“Big Brother Africa”. In 2012 his single “Don’t Stop” was presented
at the competition “Armenian Pulse Music Award” and came in the third
place according to the online voting results.

In the same year Vahe released his album “Mixology”. This young talent
from Ethiopia has been the leading singer of the Zemen Band for the
past 2 years.

Besides Vahe French singer Essai Altunyan and Tamar Karapetyan from
the USA will perform as members of the band “Genealogy”. The name of
the fourth member of the band will be announced on February 27. Young
performers of Armenian descent from 5 continents will form the band
(Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia), as well as from
Armenia. “Genealogy” will perform the song “Don’t Deny”.

The finals of Eurovision-2015 will take place in Vienna on May 23.

Armenia will participate in the first semi-finals of the competition
on May 19.

From: Baghdasarian

HOW DID THEY CATCH PERMYAKOV AND WHERE IS HE? RELATIVES OF THE AVETISYAN’S GIVE PROSECUTOR TIME

Lragir.am
Law – 24 February 2015, 14:23

Yesterday the relatives of the murdered Avetisyan family went to
Shirak Prosecutor’s Office. They demanded that Raffi Aslanyan to pass
to Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan that they want a meeting with
him. The relatives of the Avetisyan family informed that they have
met with the representatives of the Investigative Committee which
is investigating the case but the Committee has not answered most of
their questions.

The prosecutor of Shirak confessed that they have no information
either.

“The information we have is what we heard. These cannot be official
information. If you want official information, there is an agency that
is investigating the case. Submit a request to them and they will
provide you [with as much information] as is defined by law. Shirak
Prosecutor’s Office does not have any procedural authority regarding
this criminal case.”

The daughter of the Avetisyan family said they have not been able to
obtain any information in Yerevan. She said they will stay at the
prosecutor’s office until the Prosecutor General arrives in Gyumri
and meets with them.

Raffi Aslanyan explained that the sides can become familiar with the
files of the case only after the end of the investigation. As to their
intention to go on a sit-in, he said it was a provocative behavior and
he cannot just telephone Kostanyan and ask him to come to Gyumri. He
advised to write a letter to Kostanyan instead and leave him alone
and let him work because the prosecutor of the region has no control
over the case and is not competent to provide any information about
the case.

“You cannot have anything else more important than this case, can you?

If you want, you can get the information, it means you don’t want to,”
the relatives of the Avetisyan family said.

“The letters of the prosecutor general are a sham. He did not write
anything,” Hasmik Avetisyan’s sisters said.

They are dissatisfied with advocate Yerem Sargsyan as well. They
called other advocates to deal with this case as they want a group
of advocates to deal with this case.

“If our advocate were good, he would be beside us. We need advocates
who will do real work. Our advocate must be beside us but he is not
here now. We ask other advocates to deal with this case. 43 days
passed, and still no information. They say it is being investigated…

what is being investigated without the criminal? We demand that
they find the murderer of our sister’s family. We don’t even know if
Permyakov is here or not, whether or not it was him.”

Rima Poghosyan wonders whether anyone knows if the one held in the
military base is Permyakov, whether anyone has seen his face. “They
didn’t even show how they had found Permyakov. We don’t know anything.

There is no criminal, there is no case. I don’t know what they are
investigating now. Why was Serozh wrapped in the blanket? Maybe they
resisted? Why was Armen lying on the floor…? I don’t know. There
are too many questions and no answers so far.”

And the sister of Hasmik Avetisyan urged Raffi Aslanyan to support
them, even resign if need be but help them. Raffi Aslanyan, however,
put on his coat and left his office.

Policemen entered Aslanyan’s office then. Behind closed doors the
policemen persuaded the relatives of the Aveitsyan family to leave the
building of the prosecutor’s office. The relatives left the building
and said they give Kostanyan two days to come to Gyumri and meet with
them. They rule out coming to Yerevan.

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: GULOYAN UNAWARE OF KENTRON TV SALE

12:19 24/02/2015 >> DAILY PRESS

“I learnt about it from you,” Murad Guloyan, member of Prosperous
Armenia parliamentary faction, owner of Kentron TV, told Haykakan
Zhamanak when asked to comment on the information about the sale of
the TV company. In response to the remark that this information is
circulating in the media, Guloyan only shrugged his shoulders.

Source: Panorama.am

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: MISSING SERVICEMAN HIDING FROM CREDITORS?

11:56 24/02/2015 >> DAILY PRESS

A new scandal is brewing around the 102nd Russian military base in
Gyumri – Armenian serviceman of the military base Arthur Afyan is
reported missing, Haykakan Zhamanak writes. It is rumored that he is
hiding in the military base from his creditors. He left the following
note to his wife: “Lie destroyed my house.”

Source: Panorama.am

ZHOGHOVURD: TSARUKYAN’S GUARDS ARMED AGAIN

11:40 24/02/2015 >> DAILY PRESS

Armenian police are again arming Gagik Tsarukyan’s guards that were
disarmed only a week ago, Zhoghovurd writes. They are again registered
as employees of the state guard department and receive government-issue
weapons. There are entities whose protection is of key importance.

When contacted by the newspaper, police said that as part of the
reforms, the contracts are reviewed and resigned.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

WIVES OF ARMENIA-ACCREDITED DIPLOMATS VISIT KOMITAS MUSEUM

17:58 24/02/2015 >> SOCIETY

Wives of diplomats accredited to Armenia on Tuesday visited the newly
opened Komitas Museum-Institute in Yerevan.

The visit was organized by “Welcome to Armenia” association headed
by Natalia Nalbandian, the wife of Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian.

“Komitas is a figure of universal, global dimension,” Natalia
Nalbandian said.

Prior to entering the museum, they laid flowers at the Komitas’ grave.

They toured the museum and familiarized with the exhibits.

“I am proud of the Armenian nation. They have created a wonderful
museum,” said Yelena Kukhta, the wife of Ukrainian Ambassador Ivan
Kukhta.

At the end of the visit, they listened to music by Komitas.

See the photos here.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION IS LAME IN THREE LEGS – NAGHDALYAN

15:27 24/02/2015 >> POLITICS

The Armenian opposition is lame in three legs, Deputy Speaker of
Armenian National Assembly Hermine Naghdalyan stated in parliament
on Tuesday, commenting on the Armenian National Congress-submitted
draft on the ways to overcome the management crisis.

In her words, this sickness of the opposition cannot be cured in a
short time.

Mrs Naghdalyan noted that there are many serious political, economic,
external and internal problems in Armenia that need to be discussed
and the authorities are discussing them.

She stressed that it is time to admit that opposition does not mean
just criticism and in order to succeed, the opposition must offer a
way to resolve the problems.

ARMENIA MUST OFFICIALLY RESPOND TO US CALLS -LARISA ALAVERDYAN

16:21 * 24.02.15

Now that the relations between the West, particularly the United
States, and Russia are strained space exploration and Nagorno-Karabakh
(Artsakh) are the only areas of bilateral cooperation, Larisa
Alaverdyan, Executive Director of the Foundation against the Violation
of Law, told reporters on Tuesday as she commented on the US Department
of State’s call to the Armenian side “return the two prisoners to
the Government of Azerbaijan.”

According to Ms Alaverdyan, the US is not going to reject its parity
policy.

“The United States is closely following the format of the Madrid
principles,” she said.

Despite criticism, the OSCE Minsk Group remains the key factor
preventing large-scale activities. In response, Azerbaijan commits
acts of sabotage.

“I think that society is expecting an official response. After all,
the United States has made a proposal that needs to be answered. No
matter how weak we are within, we are on the frontline of another
confrontation between civilizations,” Ms Alaverdyan said.

The United State is urging Armenia to make “a humanitarian gesture”
because it expects Armenia to make such a gesture. On the other hand,
the US does not urge Azerbaijan to do the same because it does not
expect Azerbaijan to do it.

“I think we must specify the saboteurs’ status and which points of the
relevant international convention allow their transfer to Azerbaijan
and whether it will be viewed as return of a hostage or extradition
of a prisoner,” Ms Alaverdyan.