Wednesday,
Armenia’s Former Top Judge Denies Forced Resignation
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia -- Gagik Harutiunian, head of the Supreme Judicial Council, speaks at
the council headquarters in Yerevan, April 10, 2019.
Gagik Harutiunian on Wednesday dismissed as “fairy tales” government claims
that the former Armenian authorities forced him to resign as chairman of the
Constitutional Court last year to make way for a new chief justice handpicked
by them.
Harutiunian headed the court for over two decades, until becoming in February
2018 the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), a newly established
body overseeing Armenian courts. He was replaced in March 2018 by Hrayr
Tovmasian, until then a senior lawmaker representing President Serzh
Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK).
Tovmasian is facing growing pressure from the current authorities to step down.
On Tuesday, an Armenian law-enforcement agency effectively declared illegal his
election as Constitutional Court chairman by the country’s former
HHK-controlled parliament. The Special Investigative Service (SIS) said it was
part of a “usurpation of power” committed by former officials.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s spokesman, Vladimir Karapetian, alleged on
Monday that HHK leaders hastily “forced” Harutiunian to resign in order to
appoint Tovmasian to the post before the entry into force in April 2018 of
sweeping constitutional amendments. Some of Pashinian’s political allies have
made similar claims.
“These are fairy tales,” Harutiunian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “I myself
decided that it is not appropriate to remain Constitutional Court chairman
while being a member of the SJC.”
The amendments introduced a six-year term in office for the head of Armenia’s
highest court. Tovmasian was named to run the court under the previous Armenian
constitution which allows him to hold the post until the age of 70.
Harutiunian, 71, resigned as SJC chairman in May this year after criticizing
protests outside court buildings across Armenia organized by Pashinian. The
latter appealed to supporters to block the entrances to those buildings as he
claimed that Armenian courts remain linked to “the former corrupt system.”
Pashinian’s appeal came one day after a Yerevan court ordered former President
Robert Kocharian released from jail pending the outcome of his trial on coup
and corruption charges strongly denied by him. The court’s decision angered
many allies and supporters of Pashinian. Kocharian was arrested again in June.
Former Parliament Speaker Rejects Coup Claims
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia - Speaker Ara Babloyan at a parliament session in Yerevan, January 15,
2018.
Armenia’s former parliament speaker Ara Babloyan strongly denied on Wednesday
any involvement in a “usurpation of power” alleged by a law-enforcement agency
as he risked being prosecuted on coup charges.
Babloyan claimed that he broke laws while in office only when he helped Nikol
Pashinian come to power last year.
The Special Investigative Service (SIS) said on Tuesday that a “group of
officials” seized power in Armenia shortly before the 2018 “Velvet Revolution”
by installing Hrayr Tovmasian as chairman of the Constitutional Court. It
alleged that Tovmasian’s appointment by the former parliament was accompanied
by serious violations of Armenian laws.
In particular, the SIS accused Babloyan of illegally accepting and announcing
the resignation of Tovmasian’s predecessor, Gagik Harutiunian, before receiving
a relevant letter from the latter. Still, the law-enforcement body stopped
short of indicting the former speaker, saying that it regards him only as a
suspect in the case for now.
“I acted within the limits of the constitution and laws,” Babloyan told
reporters. “I did not violate the constitution. I did not violate any law.”
Babloyan insisted that Harutiunian’s letter of resignation “was on my desk”
when he signed it on March 2, 2018. He said he does not know why the former
Constitutional Court chairman decided to step down at the time.
“I can only answer one question if they identify and raise that question: I
assisted Nikol Pashinian in coming to power. That’s where I committed a
violation,” added the ex-speaker. He refused to elaborate.
Armenia - Parliament speaker Ara Babloyan (L) meets with Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian, Yerevan, 25Dec2018
The SIS announced the coup inquiry on October 17 two days after seven of the
nine Constitutional Court judges dismissed calls for Tovmasian’s dismissal made
by the current Armenian parliament loyal to Pashinian. In an appeal to the
court, the parliament claimed, among other things, that Tovmasian cannot act
impartially because of his past affiliation with the former ruling Republican
Party (HHK).
Pashinian similarly charged in July that Tovmasian “privatized” the
Constitutional Court with the help of the HHK. He implicitly demanded changes
in the court’s composition.
Tovmasian countered earlier this month that the current authorities are seeking
to oust him in order to gain control over the court and be able to make
unconstitutional decisions.
So far the SIS has indicted only one person as part of the probe. It said on
Tuesday that Arsen Babayan, the former deputy chief of the parliament staff,
backdated Harutiunian’s letter of resignation to enable Tovmasian to become
court chairman before the entry into force of sweeping amendments to the
Armenian constitution.
The amendments introduced a six-year term in office for the head of Armenia’s
highest court. Tovmasian was named to run the court under the previous
constitution which allows him to hold the post until the age of 70.
Babayan, who is now an outspoken critic of Pashinian’s government, was arrested
on Monday. He denies the coup charges as politically motivated.
Pashinian Defends Sharp Pay Rise For Ministers
• Susan Badalian
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks during a cabinet meeting in
Yerevan, Armenia October 16, 2018.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Wednesday defended his recent decision to
effectively double the salaries of ministers and other senior government
officials and insisted that it was not made secretly.
The Hetq.am investigative publication revealed on Monday that the ministers,
their deputies and top civil servants have been paid twice the amount of their
monthly wages for the last four months. It said that this is the result of a
“secret directive” issued by Pashinian in July.
Armenian opposition leaders seized upon the report to accuse the government of
a lack of transparency. Some of them also suggested that the pay rise ran
counter to an Armenian law that sets the salaries of high-ranking state
officials.
Edmon Marukian, the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK),
demanded explanations from Pashinian during the government’s
question-and-answer session in the National Assembly.
Pashinian explained that the monthly remunerations of the officials in question
have doubled thanks to hefty bonuses which he added to their salaries. He said
the pay rise was financed from “bonus funds” which Armenia’s 2019 state budget
set aside for all government agencies.
“You were told about that during the budget discussions [in the parliament] and
you voted for it,” he told Marukian.
Those funds are equivalent to 30 percent of the government’s wage bills for
this year. “The government is free to use that 30 percent at will,” stressed
Pashinian.
The premier also claimed that his controversial decision was marked as
classified by his office only due to bureaucratic “inertia.” He argued that he
could never hide the monthly incomes of ministers because they are obliged to
issue asset declarations, available to the public, on an annual basis.
The salary hike means that members of Pashinian’s cabinet now earn 1.5 million
drams ($3,200) per month, compared with Armenia’s current average monthly wage
of 180,000 drams. The average monthly pension in the country stands at only
41,000 drams.
Pashinian dismissed complaints about the huge disparity between the ministerial
wages and pensions. “Whether or not a pensioner’s pension will rise depends on
the quality of a minister’s work,” he said. “This year we will ensure a 20
percent rise in state revenues and the pensions will rise starting from January
1.”
Ever since coming to power in May 2018 Pashinian has repeatedly stated that
paying the ministers and other senior officials decent salaries will contribute
to good governance and attract skilled professionals working for private firms
to the public sector.
Their salaries were most recently officially raised by the former Armenian
government in 2013. Pashinian, then an opposition parliamentarian, strongly
opposed the measure, calling it a manifestation of government “cynicism.”
Press Review
“Zhamanak” comments on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s newly disclosed and
controversial decision to effectively double the salaries of Armenian
government ministers and their deputies. The paper says that many Armenians
would be unhappy with the decision even if it was not made secretly. “The view
that the problem lies in the form, not essence, is misplaced,” it writes. “The
problem is the essence and it is a serious one because it reflects the
existence of deep social and psychological complexes in Armenian public
circles. The former corrupt regime was harshly criticized when it came to
raising the salaries of ministers, other officials or parliament deputies. The
public complained that ‘they steal and still raise their salaries amid
widespread poverty.’” The paper urges the government to embark on a “frank and
bold” dialogue with the public.
“Aravot” believes that Pashinian was right to sharply raise the salaries,
saying that the measure is needed to discourage corrupt practices among those
senior officials. “The question is why it was done secretly,” editorializes the
paper. “The answer [to this question] is clear. The government is scared of
uproars from populists. It must not be scared of that.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” quotes Eduard Sharmazanov, the spokesman for the former
ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), as saying that Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian would love to achieve the kind of macroeconomic indicators that were
achieved by his predecessor Karen Karapetian. The pro-government paper scoffs
at the remark, wondering why the HHK “fooled a prime minister who registered
such brilliant results and nominated Serzh Sarkisian as prime minister in April
2018.” “What kept Sarkisian from retiring or focusing on his party so that
Karapetian could continue to rule as prime minister and ensure double-digit
economic growth?” it asks. “After all, the HHK owed the results of the [2017]
parliamentary elections to him as well. The answer is obvious. The HHK did not
quite care about economic growth.”
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Month: October 2019
ACNIS reView from Yerevan
Analytical
OCTOBER 19, 2019
Թուրքիան բարդացրել է իր եւ ուրիշների կյանքը
The operation of the Turkish army in northern Syria has radically changed the global arrangement of interests. A crisis has arisen within NATO. Key members of that organization favor the idea of imposing sanctions on Turkey. The US has already begun implementing such sanctions. At the same time, the US president stated that he does not care who will settle the situation in Syria, because the United States does not want to fight for the Kurds. Especially since the Syrian army has come out against Turkey. Donald Trump indirectly pointed at Russia and China. The president of Russia immediately went to work – Turkey invited the president to Moscow. The allied and anti-combat image existing in the world until now has been blurred. Rather, this is an irreversible process. Accordingly, the changes are also irreversible, both at the regional and global level. And now the question is what will happen when the Syrian and Turkish armies come face to face. So far, Russia has announced that it will act as a mediator between the leaderships of Syria and Turkey. And US President Donald Trump said that there is nothing wrong if Syria receives help from Russia. And he described his policy of the last days as a brilliant action.
The concern about how such changes may affect the security of Armenia and Artsakh is completely justified. There are already many reasons to worry. On October 14, the President of Turkey, already “out of sight internationally”, left for Baku to participate in the session of the Council of Turkic States. There was nothing unexpected in it. Only Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Qatar supported Turkey’s actions in Syria. Even the league of Arab countries condemned Turkey. In Baku, President Erdogan openly announced that “Turkey is waiting for the strong support of brotherly countries in the fight against terrorism.” However, there was no joint statement of the members of the Council of Turkic countries. It could be expected, because Turkey had invented a very dangerous game so that it could so easily unite even the “national” countries around it.
But in this case, we are more interested in the fact that the president of Azerbaijan took advantage of the situation to advance his own interests. He recalled his old thesis that “the transfer of Zangezur to Armenia divided the Turkic world from a geographical point of view.” According to him, “from that point of view, the adoption of the decision to create a Turkic Council in Nakhichevan has a symbolic meaning for the entire Turkic world.” Observers immediately noticed that the mention of Zangezur by the President of Azerbaijan on such a political basis is not just a historical excursus. Basically, Ilham Aliyev is returning the Zangezur issue to the political agenda. The signs of this were noticeable At the last CIS summit in Ashgabad, where the president of Azerbaijan discussed the image and nature of activities of Garegin Nzhdeh. After all, it is precisely with the name of Nzhdeh that the preservation of Zangezur in the Soviet Armenia is associated. Aliyev was looking far away.
Already after the session of the Council of Turkic States, the Azerbaijani press began to circulate the idea that “Azerbaijan should use the precedent of “anti-terrorist cleansing” created by Turkey in Karabakh.” Proposals were put forward that “there is a high probability that Azerbaijan will simply take advantage of the precedent created by Ankara”. They recalled the resolutions of the UN Security Council of 1993, even more so the right of self-defense. But, most interestingly, the main topic of debate was whether Russia and the US would support similar hypothetical intentions of Azerbaijan.
The last circumstance is extremely interesting, especially in the context of the recent statement of the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan that “the international situation does not allow starting a war against Nagorno Karabakh”. Well, of course, Azerbaijan understands that it can try to achieve its goals only when the superpowers not only light khouse their programsn:, but also “ktie» Arms of Armenia, as in April 2016. Everyone understands that no statement from the Turkish leadership supportwho belongs to Azerbaijan, cannot be a guarantee for the implementation of the latter’s plans.
At the moment, it can be noted that there are no signs that anyone wants to give Azerbaijan a carte blanche to “try its luck” in Turkey. This can be evidenced by the fact that on the day of the meeting of the Council of Turkic States in Baku, on October 14, at the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the North Atlantic Alliance, NATO main Secretary Jens Stoltenberg announced that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has no military solution. But the most interesting is the following. The Secretary General of NATO said that he met with the Prime Minister of Armenia at the UN and, according to him, “Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan recently announced that the solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be equally acceptable to the people of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan.” That message fully corresponds to the calls of the OSCE Minsk Group to prepare societies for peace. Unfortunately, the other side did not respond to the said statement. Moreover, Aliyev continues his military rhetoric. I have a question in this regard. How can NATO contribute to the fair and stable settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and, in particular, how can NATO support the efforts of the Minsk Group?
This statement is unprecedented. For the first time, unilaterally at such a high international level, Azerbaijan is blamed for its destructive position. Nothing else could be expected when Azerbaijan openly supports Turkey’s actions against the Syrian Kurds. But even without that support, NATO’s position would hardly change. And not only NATO. This is already visible from the Minsk Group’s current visit to the region. conversations are narrowed down to the level of humanitarian issues. In the created international situation, there is no possibility to seriously talk about the settlement of the conflict.
In the created situation, the statement of Konstantin Zatulin, the head of the CIS, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots committee of the Russian State Duma, at the “Cooperation for Justice and Peace” international conference or, in other words, the “Forum of Friends of Artsakh” held in Stepanakert, was also responsive. That famous figure just once again repeated his opinion that “conscience and justice are the side of the people’s struggle for self-determination, the side of Nagorno Karabakh”. And that he sees no prospect of returning Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia with a request to comment on Zatulin’s statement. But without commenting, it is clear that Azerbaijan’s desire to use the precedent of “anti-terrorist cleansing” in Karabakh created by Turkey with the further resettlement of another population is in no way compatible with the interests of the persons from whom it expects to sponsor such programs.
In any case, everyone who is interested in the logic of international relations in the 21st century can learn many lessons from the urgent events described above at the current moment in international politics. Subjects wishing to protect their interests and security should not allow external transactions to take place around their issues. If such a thing is allowed, no one can help them anymore.
Manvel Sargsyan
ACNIS reView from Yerevan #35, 2019_Weekly Update_October 12-19
Weekly Update
19 OCTOBER 2019
- Parliamentary hearings on The Constitutional Law on Parties: Existing Problems and the Framework of Amendments kicked off in the Armenian parliament. The hearing was initiated by the Armenian parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan. In addition to the MPs, the hearings are attended by representatives of various NGOs operating in Armenia reported News.am.
- The EU countries have condemned Turkey’s operation in Syria, the European Council said in a statement released after the first day of the summit in Brussels, TASS reported. “The EU condemns Turkey’s unilateral military action in North East Syria which causes unacceptable human suffering, undermines the fight against Da’esh and threatens heavily European security,” the European Council said adding that “the European Council notes tonight’s US-Turkey announcement on a pause for all military operations.”
- The British government announced two months ago that Alan Gogbashian will replace Judith Farnworth, a fellow diplomat who has served as British ambassador in Yerevan for the last four years. The announcement was welcomed by many in Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora. The government has unexpectedly rescinded its recent decision to appoint an ethnic Armenian diplomat as the United Kingdom’s new ambassador to Armenia informed The Armenian Mirror-Spectator.
- President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian attended the gala dinner of the “Global Innovation Forum 2019: Transforming Intelligence” organized by the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) in Yerevan, the President’s Office told Armenpress.
The event was being held on the sidelines of the Aurora Forum. President Sarkissian thanked the founders of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative – Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan, for their investment in Armenia’s science, technologies, innovation and charity fields. Talking about the Forum and the activity of the FAST, the President considered it as a path to the future.
- Speaking at the 7th summit of the Turkic Council in Baku earlier this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again decried Armenian “occupation” of Karabakh and other “ancient lands” of Azerbaijan. “We will do our best to ensure the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,” he was reported to say. For his part, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev described Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province, also known as Zangezur, as “historically Azerbaijani” territory. Aliyev claimed at the summit that its “transfer to Armenia had led to a geographic separation of the Turkic world.”
According to Azatutyun the Armenian Foreign Ministry condemned Aliyev’s “pan-Turkist” statement as a further manifestation of Azerbaijani territorial claims to Armenia. “Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s distorted perceptions of and approaches to regional security based on racism and discrimination hinder peaceful resolution of conflicts and contribute to instability in and outside the region,” the ministry spokeswoman, Anna Naghdalian, said in written comments.
- Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America, as well as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.
The Armenian PM and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs discussed the peaceful settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In the context of strengthening trust between the parties, the meeting participants highlighted the importance of taking actions to strengthen the ceasefire regime. The officials also touched upon the necessity to prepare populations to peace and the steps directed for this purpose.
- Georgia’s new Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia praised Armenia for recognizing Georgian sovereignty over two breakaway regions during his first official visit to Yerevan on Tuesday reported Azatutyun. “Armenia supports us on the question of our territorial integrity, which is very important for us and for which we are grateful,” Gakharia said after talks with his Armenian counterpart Nikol Pashinian.
- President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Turkey on Monday and demanded the NATO ally stop a military incursion in northeast Syria that is rapidly reshaping the battlefield of the world’s deadliest ongoing war, – Reuters reported. Trump, who gave what critics say was a de facto green light for Turkey’s assault by ordering U.S. forces away from the conflict area, requested the ceasefire in a call with President Tayyip Erdogan. The move was quickly criticized as too little, too late by the top Democrat in Congress. “His announcement of a package of sanctions against Turkey falls very short of reversing that humanitarian disaster,” said U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
On the other side, Reuters pointed that Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Monday that Russia wanted Turkey to ensure its military incursion into northern Syria was proportionate with the situation. Ushakov said the main thing for Moscow was that Turkey’s offensive – which targets Syrian Kurdish militia seen by Ankara as aligned with Kurdish separatists in Turkey – not harm efforts to find a political solution to Syria’s eight-year-old war. “On Monday, Russian-backed Syrian government forces wasted no time in taking advantage of an abrupt U.S. retreat from Syria after the Turkish incursion, deploying deep inside Kurdish-held territory south of the Turkish frontier,” – mentioned Reuters.
- Members of the Constitutional Court on Monday rejected lawmakers’ calls for the dismissal of its chairman, Hrayr Tovmasian, who is increasingly at loggerheads with Armenia’s political leadership. The Armenian parliament appealed to the court on October 4 with a resolution drafted by its pro-government majority and endorsed by Justice Minister Rustam Badasian informed Azatutyun.
It denounced, among other things, Tovmasian’s handling of appeals against the legality of coup charges brought against the arrested former President Robert Kocharian. The resolution also said that Tovmasian cannot make impartial decisions on this case because of his past membership in the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).
Sources: https://www.azatutyun.am/, https://news.am/eng/, https://mirrorspectator.com, https://www.reuters.com/, https://tass.com, .
ACNIS reView from Yerevan
Free chair
OCTOBER 19, 2019
The rapid development of information technologies in our country, especially in the last one-and-a-half years, has objectively matured the need to seriously deal with the protection of intellectual property. This is one of the key issues, the solution of which will allow to protect one’s developments on a legal level and move forward. On October 12, for the first time in many years, the conference on “Intellectual property protection and promotion of venture investments” was launched in Armenia, which in itself was a big step forward. According to Emma Arakelyan, director of “Orion Worldwide Innovation”, Armenia is capable of software licensing to become a regional center. According to him, a package of legislative reforms has been developed by the Armenian Bar Association group, which will allow to issue software licenses not only to domestic or regional, but also to European developers.
However, there are many difficulties and nuances along the way, with which the authors of these ideas must take into account. In a number of countries, computer programs, both source and object, are protected by copyright, the most important advantage of which is simplicity. Copyright protection does not depend on formal procedures, such as registration or assignment of copies for protection in the 151 countries participating in the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. This means that international copyright protection is self-created: it begins with creation since creation. In addition, the copyright holder enjoys relatively long protection, which typically lasts for the lifetime of the author plus 50 years or, in some countries, 70 years after the author’s death.
In order to have any hope of patent protection, an invention must meet several criteria. Five of those criteria are the most important to establish the fact of patentability.
- The invention must consist of a patentable object;
- The invention must be industrially applicable (or useful in some countries);
- It must be new (novelty);
- It must have an inventive step (be non-obvious);
- The disclosure of the invention in the patent application must meet certain standards in form and substance. Since patent law applies indiscriminately to inventions in any field of technology, inventions related to software and practical methods must also meet these requirements to be patentable.
If you want to protect your innovation abroad, you must obtain a patent in each country of interest in accordance with the laws of that country. A patent issued by country X can only be enforced in that same country X, and you cannot prevent your competitors from using your invention in other countries. In some regions, a regional patent office, such as the European Patent Office, accepts patent applications or grants patents that have the same effect as applications served or patents granted in member states of that region. The main difficulty to which you may encounter in your efforts to obtain a license abroad is that national/regional laws and practices vary from country to country and region to region. It is entirely possible that some software innovations are patentable in the US, while the same innovations are not patentable subject matter in Europe or Japan.
Undoubtedly, all these nuances should be taken into account and the ways to overcome them should be calculated. But the mere fact that Armenia has embarked on the implementation of that idea is another step in the direction of introducing information technologies in our country. We wish success to all our compatriots who are engaged in bringing these ideas and legislation to life.
Karapet Kalenchyan
ACNIS reView from Yerevan
Pass of the week
OCTOBER 19, 2019
OCTOBER 19, 2019
N:During the last two days of the weekend, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, was on a working visit to the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabad, where he participated in the session of the CIS Heads of State Council and made a speech. Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Armenia met with the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirzoev. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was also in Ashgabat. Within the framework of the event, Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev discussed for 1.5-2 hours the current situation of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the possibilities to ease the tension. This was announced by the RA Prime Minister’s spokesperson in a conversation with “Armenpress”. Vladimir Karapetyan.
The heads of the foreign political departments of Armenia and Azerbaijan also presented their positions on the settlement of the Artsakh issue at the meeting of the CIS foreign ministers.
…CIS: countrysorry leaders the most scandalous episode of the summit Armenian: prominent statesman and military figure Garegin Take it down about Inspiration Ali:and:in: commentit was In one of the sessions, the agenda of which included the issue of adopting a joint message on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, Azerbaijan the president in his speech the occasion open did not leave of Armenia former and: presentmy to the authorities to criticize fordeclaring that In Armenia makes a hero are fascism: «of Armenia former authorities Er:and:do in the center to stop are fascist butcher and traitor Garegin Take it down the statue, and: it today email her on the spot isAliyev said, describing it as “cynical step»:
Pashinyan, to his credit, responded sharply and harshly to the President of Azerbaijan, who, according to him, distorts the facts – there was a certain tension in the atmosphere of the session. to insert purpose: “Ithe truth it is, that Garegin Nzhdeh in the struggle was Հայաստանի՝ turkish occupation against, in the struggle was of Armenians Genocide against, which organize were the Turks, and: the reality it is, that Garegin Nzhdeh, in: by the way, russian a lot officers with 1918 in the year in management was front line a lot there wasand:that section Armenian:–turkish of war time“, he countered of Armenia the prime minister and in the continuation of speech Nzhdehin comparel: Nobel Prize award winner Alexander: Solzhenitsyn with, who was also there in those years In the Gulag: “Iwhat? is all them, who? convicted are was 1937-1950-mine in years, we համարում we are of the people թշնամինե՞ր։ Եթե այդպես is, then outstanding a lot figures convicted are was and: their of life last the days exactly in prison are finish»,- stated Pashinyan, considering it unnecessary distortion of historythe:
And the funniest thing is that xenophobic insidious murderous ramilsafarov breeder ohand the first face of the country who glorifies them, you don’t know, by what moral right, tries someone else similar chargener “paste”. Just like the thief who shouts the loudest “catch the thief”: Of course, Aliyev can be understood. He knows that this is a sensitive issue for Russia, so he thinks he will kill two birds with one stone. will endear Russia and cause a certain coldness in Armenian-Russian relations. And, apart from that, Heydaroghli thinks that the platform of the CIS summit is the most suitable place to discuss it once again. the questiontrying to belittle the immortal heroism of the Armenian people in the Second World War, which his country lacks.
But this too not everything. Ashgabatin: from what he said on the forum and from receiving the deserved answer then Aliyev, already in Baku, again is refer to the topic of Nzhdeh, noting that «Armenia: need is her the story clean up that from the trail“. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia did not leave his statements unanswered. Anna Naghdalyan, spokesperson of RA Foreign Ministry, told reporters in a conversation with said: “The numbers witness are, or we what? investment we are had Homeland in the war: Միաժամանակ՝ of existence struggle we are to push Turks and: Caucasian Tatars against, and: we respect ohand respect we are our the heroes… The story Aliyev the strongest side not, but story «to discover» unbeatable experience has: We ourselves of xenophobia victim we are, therefore refusal we are it»:
However, why is the statue of Nzhdeh so big?nhan:causes aggression to Azerbaijan, what does that country have against him? Aren’t the “sore spots” of the failed Hamaturan project still grumbling? It didn’t take long to be convinced that this was the case. Just three days after the Ashgabad event, Ilham Aliyev openly admitted at the meeting of the Turkic Council held in Baku. “The transfer of Zangezur to Armenia led to the geographical division of the Turkic world.” I would like to say that it is because of Nzhdeh that the Hamaturan plan failed. Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who was participating in the meeting, had to comfort his younger “brother” or “mwe are possible we will do Azerbaijan territorial completenessn: to provide for»:
This is the Turkey that, instead of cleaning up the “dirt” of its own history, is always ready to poke its nose into the affairs of others.
Gevorg Lalayan commented
At the invitation of Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia arrived in Armenia on an official visit on October 15. After the official application ceremony, there was a private conversation between the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Georgia, then an extended meeting, after which the Prime Ministers of the two countries made statements for mass media representatives. During the visit, Giorgi Gakharia had meetings with President Armen Sarkissian, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. The Prime Minister of Georgia also visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial and paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.
On October 15, Nikol Pashinyan received the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov, Andrew Shofer, Stefan Visconti and the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kaspszyk, who arrived in Yerevan. The prime minister and the co-chairs discussed issues related to the process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem. In the context of strengthening the trust between the parties, the importance of taking steps to strengthen the ceasefire agreement was emphasized. There was a reference to the need to prepare the people for peace and the steps towards it. Yesterday, RA Foreign Minister Zohrab received the co-chairs of the Council of Ministers Mnatsakanyan.
The Constitutional Court decided to reject the investigation of the case regarding termination of the powers of the President of the Constitutional Court (SC) Hrayr Tovmasyan, based on the application of the National Assembly, at the regular session held on October 14. Let’s remind that the decision of the National Assembly was received by the court last Monday, it was sent to the judges for study. The basis of the decision adopted by the Parliament is the apparently significant disciplinary violations committed by Hrayr Tovmasyan during the examination of former President Robert Kocharyan’s application, according to the ruling faction.
ACNIS reView from Yerevan #35, 2019_Editorial_Rejection and the Rejection of Rejection
Editorial
19 OCTOBER 2019
The well known events of 2018, which some argue was a change of power and others as revolution, started with rejection. Initially, it was Serzh Sargsyan who was being rejected, subsequently, the Parliament, later the judges, and now the members of the Constitional Court. Some of the radicals who are looking at the concept of rejection more globally – the Constitutional Court, the National Security Service, the Police, the Prosecutor’s Office … are rejecting a number of laws, the Constitution and so continuously.
Rejection became not only a symbol of the revolution but also its substance. On the other hand, the opposition, for its part, has begun to reject the rejecters, no matter what they reject and for what reason. The important thing is to deny one another. Rejection is transforming from a political category into a psychological phenomenon.
Hence, it is importantat to understand what in general is the psychology of denial, its reasons and its goals.
Rejection in relevant science is defined as a means of psychological protection when it is required to discard something undesirable, to erase it from life, from memory or ignore it. It is regarded as a simple protective measure. “Reject” should be distinguished from “discard.” To discard means to realize it, to analyze it, and to just push it out, changing the reality. Yet, rejection is rather a mechanical process, which has no profound effect on the conscious and does not change the situation. Again, this is the approach of science to psychology on this phenomenon.
Let’s return to our reality. The public was tired of living in illusions. There was no trust in political institutions, the electoral system, the judiciary or in the law enforcement agencies. The social “lift” had ceased to operate, and this situation was best described by Sarah Sargsyan, when he called it a “lukewarm atmosphere.”
The public rejected the apathetic atmosphere, but rejection is not a change of reality. The apathy had to be analyzed in public and its causes understood. The phenomenon had to be assessed politically and legally and a policy and an action plan had to be developed to change it. That is to say, “rejection” should have turned into “discarding.”
Currently, Armenia is divided into two camps, the rejectors of the old system and the rejectors of the new. That does not take us anywhere or more precisely, it takes us nowhere. The euphoris of the revoluvtion is turning into a feast of hatery because the public does not see political solutions which for the sake of brighter purpose will unite the two camps.
RFE/RL Armenian Report – 10/22/2019
Tuesday,
Tsarukian Critical Of Criminal Cases Against High Court Chief
• Astghik Bedevian
Armenia -- Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukian attends a parliament
session in Yerevan, .
Gagik Tsarukian, the leader of the main opposition Prosperous Armenia Party
(BHK), questioned on Tuesday criminal proceedings launched against Hrayr
Tovmasian, the Constitutional Court chairman increasingly at loggerheads with
the country’s leadership.
Tsarukian challenged law-enforcement authorities to present evidence of abuses
allegedly committed by Tovmasian. He condemned them for interrogating the
latter’s daughters.
“Let them present proof that he had committed some crimes,” Tsarukian told
reporters. “We all would support punishing him [in that case.] We are not in
favor of crimes.”
“But as an Armenian, as a family man, seeing a 16-year-old or 18-year-old girl
summoned for interrogation over some abuses is unacceptable to me,” he said.
“With their actions, they [investigators] are embarrassing the prime minister.
If these people want to show something, then they are not fit for their jobs.”
Tovmasian’s daughters as well as father were questioned by the National
Security Service (NSS). The NSS said it suspected that they had not submitted
accurate asset declarations to a state body. It said it is also investigating a
possible misuse of government funds allocated by the Armenian Justice Ministry
at a time when it was headed by Tovmasian.
Another law-enforcement body, the Special Investigative Committee (SIS), is
probing a possible “usurpation of power” by Tovmasian. Both inquiries were
announced two days after the Constitutional Court rejected the Armenian
parliament’s demands to replace its chairman installed by the country’s former
leadership.
The BHK refused to back a corresponding parliamentary resolution drafted by
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s My Step bloc. Tsarukian said on October 2 that
the bloc has come up with “very weak” arguments in support of its bid to oust
Tovmasian.
“Let them bring out evidence of [Tovmasian’s] illegitimacy and we will say he
is not legitimate,” the BHK leader said on Tuesday. He said that so far he has
seen only “empty talk.”
While criticizing the authorities, Tsarukian stopped short of explicitly
backing the former ruling HHK party’s claims that the criminal cases against
Tovmasian are politically motivated.
Pashinian dismissed those claims through a spokesman on Monday. The
parliamentary leader of his bloc, Lilit Makunts, likewise insisted that
Tovmasian is not subjected to “political persecution.”
“I hope that law-enforcement bodies are acting within the bounds of powers and
functions which they are supposed to have, and I hope that they engage [people]
in the investigations on the basis of legal facts and corroborations,” said
Makunts.
Armenian Parliament Attack Ringleader Asks For Parole
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - A screenshot of TV footage of gunmen opening fire in the Armenian
parliament on 27 October, 1999.
The jailed man who led a deadly attack on the Armenian parliament in 1999 has
asked authorities to release him on parole, it emerged on Tuesday.
A spokeswoman for Armenia’s Penitentiary Service said Nairi Hunanian, who is
serving a life sentence, is eligible for parole because of having spent 20
years in prison.
The official, Nona Navikian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that Hunanian’s
application is already being considered by a relevant state body. It will
respond to him within an 80-day period, said Navikian.
An obscure former journalist, Hunanian led an armed group that burst into the
National Assembly and sprayed it with bullets on October 27, 1999. Then Prime
Minister Vazgen Sarkisian, parliament speaker Karen Demirchian and six other
officials were killed in the shooting spree that thrust Armenia’s government
into turmoil.
Hunanian, who will turn 54 in December, accused the government of corruption
and misrule and called for regime change as he held dozens of parliament
deputies and government officials hostage following the killings. He and the
four other gunmen, including his brother Karen and uncle Vram Galstian,
surrendered to police after overnight negotiations with then President Robert
Kocharian. Several other men were also arrested in the following days.
The gunmen were subsequently tried and sentenced to life in prison. Throughout
the marathon trial Hunanian insisted that he himself had decided to seize the
parliament and try to topple the government without anybody's orders. But many
in Armenia still believe that the ringleader and his accomplices had powerful
sponsors outside the parliament building.
Pashinian Under Fire Over ‘Secret’ Pay Rise
• Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian holds a cabinet meeting in Yerevan,
June 27, 2019.
Opposition leaders denounced Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Tuesday for what
appears to be a confidential decision to effectively double the salaries of
Armenian government ministers and their deputies.
Citing information provided by various ministries, the Hetq.am investigative
publication reported on Monday since June the ministers have been paid 1.5
million drams ($3,200) each per month, which is twice the amount of their
salaries set by an Armenian law. It said that deputy ministers have likewise
seen their monthly wages double to just over 1 million drams.
The online publication quoted an Armenian government spokesman as saying that
the sharp pay rises were “carried out under a secret procedure.” It said that
Pashinian issued the “secret directive” in July.
Pashinian’s press secretary, Vladimir Karapetian, did not deny the veracity of
the report when he spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian service on Tuesday. But he
declined to comment further.
The salaries of Armenia’s high-ranking state officials were most recently
officially raised in 2013 through amendments to the law in question. Pashinian,
then an opposition parliamentarian, strongly opposed the measure. “The ruling
elite has decided to raise its wages … against the background of poverty,
emigration and hopelessness,” he complained at the time.
The leaders of the two opposition parties represented in the Armenian
parliament seized upon the Hetq.am revelation to accuse Pashinian’s government
of lack of transparency. They also questioned the legality of the lavish pay
rise.
“I condemn it for the fact that it was done secretly,” said Prosperous Armenia
Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukian. “What did the people do the [2018]
revolution for? The people are ready for everything but they want to be
informed.”
“Public funds belonging to the people cannot be spent through secret procedures
unless we are talking about spending on defense and national security,” agreed
Edmon Marukian of the Bright Armenia Party (LHK).
Artur Sakunts, a prominent civic activist, also voiced concern at the
revelation. “This is incompatible with democratic and accountable governance,”
he said, adding that the government should apologize to the public and explain
the salary hike.
Meanwhile, parliamentary leaders of the ruling My Step bloc sought to deflect
questions about Pashinian’s controversial decision, saying that it is up to the
government to explain it. But they also stressed that paying the ministers and
other senior officials decent salaries will contribute to good governance in
Armenia.
“The wages of employees of state bodies must be raised because often times the
private sector offers better [financial] conditions to specialists needed by
the state … and the state loses in this competition,” said My Step’s Alen
Simonian.
Marukian acknowledged that higher salaries lower “corruption risks” in the
public sector. The opposition leader added, however, that the government should
either increase them by amending the law on high-ranking officials’ wages or
pay those officials bonuses in a transparent manner.
Pashinian’s government has paid hefty bonuses to tax officials as well as the
employees of other government agencies. Their disclosure by Armenian media
caused opposition uproar late last year. The head of the State Revenue
Committee, Davit Ananian, admitted in January that he alone received 14 million
drams ($29,000) in bonuses during his eight-month tenure.
Pashinian essentially defended those payments, arguing that they also benefited
ordinary public sector employees. He also complained that the government has
trouble attracting skilled professionals working for private firms and earning
higher wages.
Appointment Of Armenian Constitutional Court Head Declared Illegal
Armenia -- Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasian reads out a court
verdict on an appeal filed by former President Robert Kocharian, September 4,
2019.
Law-enforcement authorities challenged on Tuesday the legality of Hrayr
Tovmasian’s appointment in March 2018 as chairman of Armenia’s Constitutional
Court after bringing coup charges against a former senior official.
The Special Investigative Service (SIS) said that the former Armenian
parliament elected Tovmasian court chairman as a result of a “usurpation of
power” by a “group of officials.” It claimed that they broke laws to install
him just before the entry into force in April 2018 of sweeping constitutional
amendments.
The amendments introduced a six-year term in office for the head of Armenia’s
highest court. Tovmasian was picked to run the court under the previous
constitution which allows him to hold the post until the age of 70. He was
elected shortly after the resignation of the court’s previous, long-serving
chairman, Gagik Harutiunian.
In a statement, the SIS claimed that the then deputy chief of the parliament
staff, Arsen Babayan, illegally backdated Harutiunian’s letter of resignation
in order to make sure that all legal deadlines for Tovmasian’s swift election
are met. It said that Babayan, who was arrested on Monday, has been charged
with forgery and seizure of power. The former official strongly denies the
accusations, according to his lawyers.
The statement also said that the SIS investigators suspect former parliament
speaker Ara Babloyan of involvement in the alleged coup. Babloyan was
interrogated by them earlier in the day.
The SIS stopped short of indicting Tovmasian, who has been under growing
government pressure to step down. It launched the coup probe on October 17 two
days after seven of the eight other members of the Constitutional Court
rejected the government-controlled parliament’s demands to replace their
chairman.
Former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), with
which Tovmasian was affiliated until February 2018, says the investigation is
part of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s continuing efforts to force the high
court chairman to resign. Pashinian and his political allies deny any political
motives behind it.
Pashinian charged in July that Tovmasian “privatized” the Constitutional Court
with the help of the HHK. He implicitly demanded changes in the court’s
composition.
Tovmasian claimed on October 2 that the current authorities are seeking to oust
him in order to gain control over the court and be able to make
unconstitutional decisions. He said he will not bow to the pressure.
Press Review
“Government fans say that everything in Armenia has changed for the better,
grumblers are sure that nothing has changed, while the government’s opponents
say things have changed for the worse,” writes “Aravot.” “All three groups are
wrong. In Armenia two things have changed for the better: the government was
formed as a result of legitimate elections and it is not corrupt. These two
standards are so important that one can speak of a phenomenal achievement for
Armenia. What could have changed faster but has not changed is hypocrisy and
the ruling team’s obligation to justify everything.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” dismisses claims about the “political persecution” of
former government officials and other critics of the current regime. The
pro-government paper says that law-enforcement authorities are simply trying to
solve crimes committed in the past. It deplores “terrible psychological
pressure exerted on the law-enforcement system” by Armenia’s former rulers.
“This is an overt attempt to paralyze and wreck the state law-enforcement
system,” it says.
“Zhamanak” comments on the recent sacking of Grigori Hayrapetov, who headed a
National Security Service (NSS) division in charge of the personal security of
the country’s top leaders and their family members. It followed the dismissal
of NSS Director Artur Vanetsian and police chief Valeri Osipian. The paper is
worried that these sackings could demoralize lower-ranking law-enforcement
officers and thus undermine the work of the state security apparatus. It says
they deepened a perceived lack of “predictability” within that system.
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org
Economist: because of poorly-educated workforce Armenia is losing amount equivalent to 55% of its GDP
ARKA, Armenia
Oct 22 2019
Culture: Events dedicated to Komitas’ 150th anniversary wrap up Aurora Forum events
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 22 2019
The eventful week of “Aurora” Forum was summed up in one of the most mysterious places in Armenia, 9th century Tatev monastery.
The events held in the monastic complex, being under restoration since 2008 by the IDeA foundation, presented the 150-year-old rich traditions of the Armenian national music school and honoring Komitas, the prominent Armenian composer, teacher, conductor and founder of the Armenian national school of composing.
An exclusive exhibition titled “Komitas: the roads of the genius” was held in Dzithan, which included photos of Komitas in the Caucasus, Europe, the Ottoman Empire and Egypt in different years and textual material about his activity in those places.
The visitors had a chance to listen to the Teacher’s works performed by the string quartet after Komitas.
“It is symbolic that this exhibition was held in Tatev monastic complex, which was home for one of the significant spiritual, educational and cultural centers of Armenia for centuries. Komitas was also a great teacher and educator who spread his knowledge and skills in different parts of the world,” says Hayk Demoyan, PhD in history, curator of the exhibition.
An exhibition of the works of artists and sculptors originally from Syunik was held in the museum section of Tatev monastic complex where restoration has recently been completed on the sidelines of IDeA foundation’s “Revival of Tatev” project. Through paintings and sculptures the artists expressed their infinite love for the homeland.
“This exhibition stands slightly aside from the theme of the day. Today we honor Komitas, who reflects our past, our roots, and is the cornerstone upon which our spiritual present is being built. Thanks to “Revival of Tatev” project the monastery regains its previous look and significance,” says sculptor Manvel Matevosyan.
The participants think the events testify that Tatev, being one of the renowned religious, cultural and educational centers of medieval Armenia regains its respective features.
Along with the exhibitions historical exhibits of the monastic complex were presented, some of which were discovered during restoration and construction work underway since 2008.
Cross- stones, plates, candlesticks, ritual ornaments, fireplace parts, 18th-century plaques with inscriptions, the ancient key of the monastery door, and the historical bell of the monastery of 1304. The exhibits also included duplicates of 4 historical manuscripts of Matenadaran.
In St. Paul-Peter church at Tatev monastic complex, “Hover” choir performed excerpts from Komitas’ “Liturgy”, considered his masterpiece.
“Komitas carried out the work of a whole institute. He listened to the peculiarity of the music of the Armenian land, compiled, studied, performed and passed down to us. Our mission is to realize the value of his legacy. Our mission is to make him heard. That mission is a reward,” says Sona Hovhannisyan, artistic director of “Hover” state chamber choir.
Music: Armenia’s Otri Trio ensemble to perform new program in Yerevan
Panorama, Armenia
Oct 22 2019
Culture 16:46 22/10/2019 Armenia
Otri Trio ensemble of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra will perform a new concert on October 25 at Aram Khachaturian House-Museum. The concert programme will feature “Inventions” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Danse macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns, “Five Pieces for Two Violins” by Dmitri Shostakovich , “Le Stelle” Trio for Flute, Violin and Viola by Vachagan Hovhannisyan, Introduction and Tarantella by Pablo de Sarasate.
As the press service at the State Symphony Orchestra reports, the concert will also feature Elegiac Trio for Flute Viola and Piano by Arnold Bax that will be performed for the first time in Armenia.
It is noted Otri Trio comprising is one of the chamber ensembles of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra ASSO. It was founded in 2016. Unlike classical piano trios this ensemble consists of flute, violin and viola. Trio’s special and breathtaking sound is resulted by the combination of two different types of instruments – woodwind and strings. Otri Trio suggests an alternative version of the classical trio.
Otri Trio is comprised of the musician-laureates of national and international competitions – Ruzanna Tovmasyan (flute), Anzhela Hovhannisyan (violin) and Arevik Kosyan (viola).