Author: admin

REPRESENTATIVES OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT URGES ALL HONEST MEMBERS OF THE RULING PARTY TO JOIN THE MOVEMENT OF LEVON TER-PETROSSYAN

2008-02-29 23:00:00

ArmInfo. During today’s rally of supporters of the first president
of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossyan, Member of the board of the Armenian
National Movement Aram Manukyan urged all honest members of the
Republican Party of Armenia and its partner parties, Prosperous
Armenia and Orinats Yerkir, to join the opposition.

He said that there was nothing shameful and bad in returning to
honest life.

Manukyan said that he already had 17 kg of returned cards of members
of the abovementioned parties.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF BURGAS RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 29 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The Community Council of the city
of Burgas (Bulgaria) on February 28 made a special decision on the
recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide with the overwhelming
majority of votes (43 for, 2 against), NT was informed by the RA
MFA Press and Information Department. One of the major points of
the decision is the demand for the National Assembly of Bulgaria to
recognize the Armenian Genocide.

ARMENIAN COMPANY PROVIDES AKHALKALAK WITH GAS

Panorama.am
13:53 29/02/2008

Armenian "Satakha" company provides Akhalkalak and Ninocminda regions
with gas. The information is provided by "A-Info" agency. Now the
Ministry of Economic carries out negotiations with "Satakha" company.

Note that Georgian Ministry of Economic announced a competition
in the beginnings of 2007 to carry out gas network installation in
Akhalkalak and Ninocminda regions. Three companies applied for the
competition: "Arxmshenservis" LLC, "Satakha" LLC, and "SOCAR Energ
Georgia" companies. These companies were intended to invest 11 million
dollars to carry out the installation.

ARAZ AZIMOV: ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITIES OF NAGORNO KARABAKH WILL PARTICIPATE ON CERTAIN STAGES OF DISCUSSIONS

Azeri Press Agency
Feb 28 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku.Lachin Sultanova-APA. "Armenian side taking into account the
stagnation wants to achieve its intention stirring up the water. They
raised this proposal to divert the attention from the main issue.

Araz Azimov, deputy Foreign Minister said while commenting on Armenia’s
proposal on the participation of Nagorno Karabakh Armenians at the
discussions, APA reports.

He noted that, Azerbaijani and Armenian Communities of Nagorno Karabakh
will participate in on creation stages of discussions as it was before.

"The discussions have not reached that stage yet. The issue is
discussed between Armenia and Azerbaijan principally. The concrete
distinguishing factor is that Armenia has occupied Azerbaijani lands.

This fact differentiates the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
from other conflicts," he said. Azerbaijani diplomat noted that the
occupation should be eliminated and the lands should be liberated.

"After that there will be any progress," he said.

PROCESSION PARTICIPANTS EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT FOR GAGIK JHANGIRIAN OUTSIDE PRODECUTOR GENERAL’S OFFICE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 27, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Supporters of the first Armenian
president Levon Ter-Petrosian organized next in turn procession along
central streets of Yerevan on February 27. The procession made its
way along Abovian Street, Republic Square and stopped outside the RA
prosecutor general’s office. Chanting "Jhangirian", the pasrticipants
expressed their support for the former deputy prosecutor general
Gagik Jhangorian, who joined the movement led by L. Ter-Petrosian.

Then the procession participants moved along Paronian Street. Whwn
going by the Russian embassy, they chanted "Levon" and "Serzhik,
Go Away". Then the procession passed Mashtots Avenue and joined the
rally of their co-thinkers in Freedom Square.

ADMINISTRATIVE COURT OF ARMENIA HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY APPLICATIONS CONCERNING THE RESULTS OF VOTE RECOUNT

Mediamax
February 27, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Today, as of 14:00, the Administrative Court of
Armenia had not received any applications or complaints concerning
the results of the vote recount in 135 polling stations.

Mediamax was told about this in an interview by the Chairman of the
Administrative Court of Armenia Tigran Mukuchyan.

He stated that, in accordance with the electoral legislation, the
presidential candidates, their proxies and members of the electoral
commission, who stated special opinion on the results of the elections,
have the right to present applications for the recount of votes up
till 14:00 of the following day after the elections. Tigran Mukuchyan
stated that in the process of ballots recount contradictions can
also arise concerning the actions of the area electoral commission,
which, according to the established order, may be contested in the
Administrative Court.

In case with the presidential elections in Armenia, the deadline for
submitting applications was 14:00 of February 27, however, by that
time no suits or complaints had been received by the Administrative
Court of Armenia, Tigran Mukuchyian stated.

Commenting on the request of Mediamax on the statement of the former
presidential candidate Artur Baghdasarian, according to which on
February 20 he applied for recount the votes in 135 polling stations,
however, the recount was realized only in 38, Tigran Mukuchyan stated
that if, according to the candidate, the given application was not
considered, basing on non-objective reasons, or the requirements of
law were violated, "they had all the legal levers for contesting the
actions of area electoral commissions according to the established
order".

JAILED TER-PETROSIAN ALLIES CHARGED
By Karine Kalantarian and Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Feb 27 2008

At least three of the allies of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian
arrested in recent days have been remanded in pre-trial custody on a
string of criminal charges which the Armenian opposition rejects as
politically motivated.

The Armenian police said on Wednesday that the most prominent of them,
former Deputy Prosecutor-General Gagik Jahangirian, has been formally
charged with illegal arms possession and assault on "state officials
performing their duties."

Jahangirian was arrested along with his brother and two other
companions on Saturday just hours after being sacked by President
Robert Kocharian. The sacking came the day after the former chief
military prosecutor delivered a fiery speech at a Ter-Petrosian rally
in Yerevan in which he called the official results of the February
19 presidential election fraudulent and said the ex-president is the
rightful winner of the vote.

According to the police, Jahangirian and his brother Vartan resisted
arrest, compelling law-enforcement officers to use force against
them. A police statement said one of the officers accidentally fired
gunshots, lightly wounding Vartan Jahangirian and two of his comrades.

Jahangirian was visited on Tuesday in custody by Zaruhi Postanjian, a
well-known lawyer and parliament deputy affiliated with the opposition
Zharangutyun party. Speaking to RFE/RL, Postanjian condemned the case
against the controversial former prosecutor as "political persecution."

Ironically, Postanjian rose to prominence in late 2006 for helping
to secure the sensational acquittal of three Armenian soldiers
controversially accused of murdering two fellow conscripts in
Nagorno-Karabakh at a time when Jahangirian served as chief military
prosecutor. The young lawyer repeatedly accused investigators overseen
by Jahangirian of torturing her clients.

Two other prominent detainees, Smbat Ayvazian and Suren Sureniants,
are senior members of the radical opposition Hanrapetutyun party.

Both men were arrested on Sunday near Yerevan’s Liberty Square where
tens of thousands of Ter-Petrosian supporters have been demonstrating
against the official vote results for over a week. Ayvazian was charged
late Tuesday with resisting arrest, while Sureniants is prosecuted for
"organizing" the unsanctioned the rallies.

Two other jailed activists coordinated the ex-president’s election
campaign in the northwestern Shirak region. Democratic Fatherland
Party leader Petros Makeyan and Ashot Zakarian, head of the regional
chapter of the influential Yerkrapah Union of war veterans, stand
accused of obstructing the work of an election commission in the
regional capital Gyumri. Both men deny the charges, saying that they
simply protested against an instance of fraud in the polling station.

Another prominent oppositionist, Nor Zhamanakner Party leader Aram
Karapetian, is facing prosecution on charges of "false denunciation."

Aides say the accusations stem from a speech in which Karapetian
implicitly blamed President Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister
Serzh Sarkisian for the October 1999 assassinations in Armenia’s
parliament. A court in Yerevan was expected to remand the pro-Russian
politician in two-month custody later on Wednesday.

Ter-Petrosian has referred to his detained loyalists as "political
prisoners," saying that they were arrested as part of a government
effort to derail his vocal campaign for the scrapping of the official
vote results and a re-run of the presidential election.

However, Armenia’s pro-government human rights ombudsman, Armen
Harutiunian, insisted on Wednesday that the cases against the
oppositionists are not necessarily politically motivated. "Legal
mechanisms will show whether all of that was justified," he told
journalists. "I don’t think that anyone wants a wave [of appeals] to
the European Court of Human Rights. True, those individuals are mainly
from the opposition camp but that doesn’t mean those accusations are
unfounded from the legal standpoint."

Harutiunian also urged the Armenian authorities and the Ter-Petrosian
camp to embark on a political dialogue. He praised in that regard
Sarkisian’s stated readiness to form a coalition government with his
political opponents. "Intolerance and extremism has nothing to do
with democracy," he said in an apparent jibe at the radical opposition.

Meanwhile, the arrests of Ter-Petrosian supporters appear to be
continuing. Lawyers close to the ex-president said law-enforcement
bodies arrested late Tuesday two residents of the northern
Noyemberian district. One of them is the older brother of Vano
Siradeghian, Armenia’s fugitive former interior minister close to
Ter-Petrosian. Officers of the National Security Service (NSS) were
said to have detained the 73-year-old Seryozha Siradeghian after
finding an old rifle in his house in the local village of Koti. The
NSS did not immediately confirm the information.

OSCE CIO APPRECIATES THE RESTRAINT DEMONSTRATED BY THE ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES

armradio.am
26.02.2008 16:18

President Robert Kocharyan today received the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva and the delegation accompanying
him, President’s Press Office reported.

The Foreign Minister of Finland highly appreciated RA President
Robert Kocharyan’s contribution to the development of Armenian-Finnish
relations and cooperation with the OSCE.

During the meeting the parties referred to the presidnetial
elections held in Armenai on February 19 and the post-election
developments. Based on the report of the international observers,
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office noted progress was obvious in these
elections. Noting that the preliminary conclusion includes both
positive and criticizing points, he expressed confidence that the
authorities will try to eliminate the shortcomings.

President Robert Kocharyan presented the post-election
developments. Mr. Kanerva appreciated the restraint and responsibility
demonstrated by the authorities today. He expressed confidence that
the Armenian authorities will show rationality and will act in line
with methods accepted in civilized countries.

THE ARMED MAN AND POLITICS
Armen Tsaturyan

Hayots Ashkhar
Tuesday 26 February 2008

During the recent days Levon Ter-Petrosyan tirelessly intimidates
the authorities on behalf of "Yerkrapah" (defenders of the land)
Volunteers’ Union, which is being observed by the former ones as a
unique "alternative force structure".

Similar dangerous developments of course are not new in our reality. We
should remind you that once Armed Forces of Armenia were accused of a
pretension to become similar "alternative force structure". And under
the conditions, still not revealed, in 1990 the famous clash took
place in the very center of Yerevan, for the organization of which
Armed Forces of Armenia were charged, as an illegal armed formation
and disarmed.

The leader of declaring the Armed Forces of Armenia as illegal and
disarming the latter was the same Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

Today LTP has shifted the before mentioned functions of the Armed
Forces of Armenia to "Yerkrapah" Volunteer’s Union.

Otherwise how can they explain the politicization of the leadership
of this social organization, by which "Yerkrapah" has turned into
a military political organization implementing political functions,
which is impermissible?

We should also remind you that in his "historical" speech of December
28, 1994 Levon Ter-Petrosyan accused ARF Dashnaktsutyun party of
having an "underground" military structure. He publicly announced
that similar phenomenon is impermissible and started his persecutions,
which continued for 3 years.

A question arises here why during his presidency LTP considered
impermissible the political activity of all the organizations the
members of which in some way or that had contact with arms, but at
present they can use the same organizations in their post-election
struggle against the authorities.

After all at that time we didn’t have a regular army, or it was in
the process of formation, so the existence of similar organizations
was quite comprehensible. But today when there is absolutely no need
for "alternative force structures", moreover their interference in
the political struggle is strictly prohibited by the law, any time
they can threaten their personal rivals that allegedly the freedom
fighters, particularly "Yerkrapah" Volunteers’ Union will support
them in their struggle.

Is it moral to involve in politics those who had a huge investment in
Artsakh liberation war? "Yerkrapah" that has always backed Armenian
Army, which we will most probably need in our struggle against our
external enemy.

As we know "Yerkrapah" is a social organization, which has joined
the veterans of Artsakh war and is engaged in solving their social
problems.

Once, by Vazgen Manukyan’s instruction this organization has
been clearly detached from the political domain and it has been
decided that those members of "Yerkrapah" who will have desire to be
engaged in politics must be admitted into the Republican Party, which
happened in reality. Who gave the right to the members of "Yerkrapah"
to become an armed political unit? By involving the freedom fighters
in politics LTP and his team will never attain their purpose, but will
harm people’s unity, split the people and deteriorate their will and
determination to confront our exterior enemy in future.

The recent events linked with "Yerkrapah" display that similar
organizations should simply not exist in the condition of an
accomplished state. Why there are still people in our reality who
have personal arsenals and whenever the internal political situation
becomes tensed they deliver arms from this arsenal. And in general
why should they possess these arms?

To protect the land? But for this we have army.

"Yerkrapah" must be disarmed, beyond a shadow of a doubt. The solution
of this or that political issue by the help of arms is excluded,
for the both sides.

KHACHATUR SUKIASIAN’S GUARDS HAD WITH THEMSELVES LARGE QUANTITY OF ARMS AND AMMUNITION

Mediamax
February 25, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian Police stated that it found a large
quantity of arms and ammunition in the three cars, belonging to the
supporters of the Ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian.

Mediamax reports that the statement of the Police press service notes
that, as a result of operative-research measures on February 24, two
Mitsubishi Pajero and one Range Rover cars were found by the police
and the ten people in the cars were detained.

As a result of the search, it was found out that the mentioned people
had in their cars and with themselves automatic fire-arms, cold steel,
body armors and large quantity of ammunition.

According to the information of Mediamax, the arrested people are
security guards of Armenian National Assembly deputy Khachatur
Sukiasian, who is the Head of the Yerevan pre-election headquarter
of presidential candidate of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian.