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Not many people desert from military service

By Karine Mangasarian

Yerkir/arm
October 29, 2004

According to data provided by the Armenian Defense Ministry, only
about twenty people have chosen the option of alternative military
service duringthe last army call-up in Armenia. The government has
adopted decree N940 on â=80=9C Locations for alternative military
service and alternative service uniform’.

According to this decree, those who choose the alternative service
will serve in Syunik, Gegharkunik and Tavush regions working in
psychiatric hospitals, orphanages and clinics. National Assembly
vice-speaker Vahan Hovhannissian presented a draft law that proposes
several amendments to the law on alternative military service.

Before commenting on the amendments, Hovhannissian reminded that his
law had stirred wide public discussions and fears that it might
encourage desertion from the army and increase membership in various
religious organizations.` Judging from the applications we have
received so far, those fears were not justified.

Many National Assembly deputies including some members of the
opposition were suggesting that this law would result in mass
desertion from the army. However, it turned out that they were
underestimating the Armeniansâ=80=99 conscious attitude towards the
army. The twenty applications that we have received sofar are the best
proof for this point,’ Hovhannissian says.

However, time showed that the law needs some amendments. Hovhannissian
believes this is a result of lack of experience in drafting such
legislation. The amendments will specify the rights and obligations of
those choosing alternative service. The amendments will determine the
social security guarantees and the scope of responsibility in case of
violations.

Another issue to be addressed in the amendment is the examination of
the applications for alternative service. Initially it was planned
that each ofthe local army committees would examine the applications
for alternative service. However, it turned out that it would be
impossible to send corresponding experts to all of the local
committees.

The amendment proposes to create a special committee within the
central army committee that will examine the alternative service
applications. `There will be no problems in this respect especially
taking into account that there are not that many applications,’
Hovhannissian concluded.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

We need more determination

Interview by Karine Mangasarian

Yerkir/arm
October 29, 2004

The options for resolution of Nagorno-Karabagh conflict are regularly
discussed by the Armenian political circles. However, a certain
deficit of proposals exists among our political leaders and
analysts. What do our politicians think about the options of
resolution of Nagorno Karabagh conflict?

We asked some of our political leaders the following questions:

1. The status quo is preserved and the negotiations do not seem to
yield any tangible results. What should Armenia do in this context?

2. In case the negotiations result in a consensus and some of the
liberated territories are required in return for Karabagh’s
self-determination, what should Armenia’s response be to this
situation?

3. What if the negotiations end in a deadlock and peace is threatened?
If Azerbaijan starts a war what should Armenia do both at the external
front and in terms of its domestic policies?

We interviewed leader of Republican Party’s parliamentary faction
Galust Sahakian.

1. There can be different ways of resolution of Nagorno Karabagh
conflict. If all our political forces show determination and offer one
solution, then it will be favorable for Armenia. The option we support
is a package solution with a stress on Karabagh’s status. This will
contribute to the speedy resolution of the conflict and establishment
of favorable economic environment in the Caucasus.

After the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is put into exploitation,
Azerbaijan will have significant profits. In this context ensuring
economic equilibrium and security in the region will be connected with
the settlement of the Karabagh conflict, and this will be favorable
for Armenia. We prioritize the determination of our domestic political
forces regarding the Karabagh conflict.

Some political forces completely ignore the Karabagh issue, others
support a stage-by-stage approach as opposed to the package option,
which we cannot accept. This is why I believe our internal unanimity
and determination are so important. Karabagh has never been a part of
Azerbaijan and can never become one.

2. We cannot accept this option and this is why we stress the
importance of Karabagh’s status. The rest of the issues can be settled
through open negotiations. Whenever we speak about mutual concessions,
especially when we speak about them domestically, any such statements
create certain opinions with the international community.

And these opinions hold that concessions can be made connected with
the liberated territories or better say the territories that ensure
Nagorno Karabagh’s security. Well, this might be an option, but I
think concessions can only be made once Karabagh’s status is
specified. We can negotiate on issues like economic relations between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, clarification of customs regimes, use of
roads, etc. But Karabagh’s status is a non-negotiable issue.

As to the question that Armenia must necessarily give up some
territories, first of all, no such proposals have ever been made. This
is an option supported by some forces in Azerbaijan and this is what
confuses some of our political forces. I think the continuous
circulation of this idea in Armenia is very dangerous.

3. There are no reasons for starting another war now because the
Karabagh conflict cannot be solved militarily. No wars can solve
conflicts: in any case, the warring sides end up sitting at the
negotiation table.

War can have unpredictable consequences. It will be disastrous for the
entire Caucasus region. Moreover, none of the states interested in the
Caucasus will accept the option of war. It’s just a theoretical
contemplation. Asto the militaristic statements periodically made by
Azerbaijan, that’s merely Aliyev’s attempt to consolidate his power
domestically.

4. Only determination can contribute to achieving a solution of the
Karabagh conflict that will be favorable for us. De facto, the
Karabagh conflict has been resolved. All we need now is
determination. Some political forces in Armenia do have that
determination. I think the most important thing is that people have
the necessary determination. As to the economic development of the
country, we are experiencing steady economic growth.

By the way, even if Azerbaijan’s budget is larger, I think we, withour
small budget but given the mentality of our people will be in a more
favorable economic situation than Azerbaijan. The international
community, including the European Union, is increasingly concerned
with ensuring economic balance throughout the world. This concern will
contribute to a favorable solution for Nagorno Karabagh conflict.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA OPENS DOOR TO JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

Institute for War and peace reporting (IWPR)
29 Oct. 2004

Official sanctioning of a group seen as alien to Armenian religious
tradition gets stormy public reception.

By Zhanna Alexanian in Yerevan

The long-delayed registration of the Jehovah’s Witnesses as a legal
religious organisation has fulfilled one of Armenia’s international
obligations, but has met bitter hostility from many individuals and
church leaders.

After nine years and 14 applications, the western church finally
received legal status on October 12, in a country where the
three-million-strong population belongs overwhelmingly to the Armenian
Apostolic Church.

By approving the move, the government met one of the civil rights
requirements of the Council of Europe, CoE, which Armenia joined
in 2001. Just a day before the October 8 registration, the CoE
parliamentary assembly passed a resolution calling for speedier
progress on the matter.

Jehovah’s Witnesses – who say they have long faced persecution from
the Armenian authorities, especially the military – welcomed the move.
Hratch Keshishian, the leader of the group within Armenia, said the
government had taken a “courageous step”.

Government officials said the Jehovah’s Witnesses had won the right
to registration. “After studying the documents that were submitted,
we saw that the [previous] grounds for denying registration had been
eliminated,” said Tigran Mukuchian, the deputy justice minister. “This
time they are in full conformity with the law, and the state body
responsible for registration simply fulfilled its duties.”

However, many people, particularly those connected with the Apostolic
Church, remain opposed to the presence of the Jehovah’s Witnesses,
saying that Armenian society and even national security are at risk.

Claiming six million adherents around the world, the Jehovah’s
Witnesses say they have 8,000 baptised members among a total of about
20,000 followers in Armenia. Keshishian said he doubted registration
would lead to any rise in these numbers.

But in a society historically centred around a single faith, the
level of suspicion about proselytising newcomers is high, and the
hostility is expressed in often virulent terms.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have run into trouble both from the established
church, which opposes what it sees as attempts by Christian groups from
the West to recruit among its flock; and from the military, which until
this year was inflexible on the issue of conscription. As pacifists,
Jehovah’s Witnesses are opposed to serving in any country’s army.

The Armenian church leader, Catholicos Karekin the Second, called
the Jehovah’s Witnesses a “totalitarian sect”, while Vahram Melikian,
spokesman for the Holy See at Echmiadzin, the seat of the Apostolic
Church, said they were “anti-Christian”.

Melikian attacked the current law on freedom of conscience and
religious organisations, saying it would “bring disaster” because it
failed to make religious groups sufficiently accountable.

The animosity expressed by senior clerics was echoed by writer Perch
Zeytuntsyan, who said, “Poverty, hopelessness – all the conditions
exist for people to become sect members. However, they should realise
that no intelligent person will turn to a sect. The members are
ignorant people, traitors to the nation.”

Galust Sahakian, leader of the ruling Republican Party, opposed the
decision to register the Jehovah’s Witnesses, saying that adhering to
European standards should not “atomise our national values”, he said.

The Republican Party’s youth wing, Baze, has opened a hotline for
anyone wishing to report alleged illegal activities by Jehovah’s
Witnesses.

The government insists that Armenia has nothing to fear from the group.

“We should not follow the path of banning [them], but should try to
give them a chance. After that we should set conditions, follow them
up, and if they violate the law, we should be able to stop their
activities within the framework of the legislation,” said Prime
Minister Andranik Margarian.

He note that some three dozen other minority religious groups have
been granted permits, including some that are perceived as more
controversial than the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Mukuchian said it bringing the Jehovah’s Witnesses within the legal
framework would make it easier to prosecute if there were any breaches
of the law banning proselytism.

The head of the government department for national minorities and
religion, Hranush Kharatian, told IWPR she did not understand the
fuss. Instead of calling for a clampdown on the Jehovah’s Witnesses,
parliament should “create a legislative basis for introducing
democratic values in our country.

“The point is, they were functioning in the country irrespective of
whether they were officially recognised by the government or not.”

Kharatian denied that pressure from the CoE was the reason why
registration was granted.

“The Council of Europe only makes suggestions. We only have to
say that we are rejecting something for a good reason. But we are
not doing that,” said Kharatian. “If there is proof that Jehovah’s
Witnesses are damaging our national or public or social security,
no international organisation can oblige us to register them.”

Mikael Danielian, chairman of the Helsinki Association of Armenia
and one of the country’s most prominent human rights activists, said
that registration would not mean an end to difficulties faced by the
Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The group’s opposition to compulsory military service is a particular
flashpoint, he said.

“At the very moment of registration, there are members of the
organisation in prisons,” he said. “I believe there will be pressure
upon them.”

Alternative military service was introduced in Armenia in July 2004,
allowing those who refuse to carry arms on religious grounds to apply
to the army authorities for some other form of duty.

Since 1995, about 200 Jehovah’s Witnesses have been detained by the
authorities as conscientious objectors. Keshishian said 11 people
had been given prison sentences, but he hoped that those still in
jail would now be freed.

“The young men declared in the courtroom that they were ready to do an
alternative form of working service, but would not go into the army,”
said Keshishian.

Arthur Martirosian, a spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, denied
that the group forced its members to make the choice, “To go to the
army or refuse to do so, to accept alternative service or not, is a
personal decision for every young man. These matters have nothing to
do with the organisation.”

Zhanna Alexanian is a reporter with the Armenianow.com weekly.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Another wave of film festivals

Taipei Times, Taiwan
29 Oct. 2004

The South Taiwan Film and Video Festival, and the second anniversary
film festival of SPOT — Taipei Film House are coming up
By Yu Sen-lun
STAFF REPORTER

The South Taiwan Film and Video Festival is quenching the thirst of
South Taiwan movie-goers for art-house movies.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TAINAN ARTS UNIVERSITY

November is autumn and the start of Taiwan’s movie season. Raising the
curtain for a string of movie events is The South Taiwan Film and Video
Festival («n¤è¼v®i), and the second anniversary film festival for SPOT
— Taipei Film House (¥úÂI¥x¥_).

Later this month, Nov. 24, there is the annual Taipei Golden Horse Film
Festival (¥x¥_ª÷°¨¼v®i), the biggest film festival of Taiwan. In
December it is the Golden Horse Awards (ª÷°¨¼ú).

The South Taiwan Film and Video Festival starts next Tuesday in
Kaohsiung and is a festival aiming to balance the fact that most
art-house films are from Taipei.

Fifty feature-length films will be touring three south Taiwan cities —
Kaohsiung, Tainan and Chiayi. It can be seen as the largest film event
in Southern Taiwan.

The main feature this year at the festival is its collection of Chinese
independent movies made by young filmmakers, directors even younger
than the so-called Gen Z filmmakers.

Incense (­»¤õ) by Ning Hao (¹ç¯E) tells about a young monk’s journey
raising money in the city to repair an old and damaged Buddha
statue.Good Morning Beijing (¦­¦w¥_¨Ê) by Pan Jianlin (¼ï¼CªL) is about
an abduction one night in the back alleys of Beijing. Tang Poetry
(­ð¸Ö) tells about a thief’s personal transition after finding out he
suffers from muscular dystrophy and is forced to change his
“profession.” Raw quality and low budgets are the main features of
these Chinese independent movies.

The South Taiwan Film Festival will screen documentaries that have
recently made headlines. Canadian director Atom Egoyan’s Arayat, a
drama looking at the historical truth of the Armenian genocide, and
Blackboard, a humorous story about the deficit of education in Iran’s
mountain area, will both come back to the silver screen for southern
Taiwanese movie fans.

Meanwhile, in Taipei, next Tuesday is also the opening day for a film
festival — the My Camera Film Festival (·í§Ú³Û¥X¶}³Á©Ô), celebrating
the two-year anniversary of SPOT — Taipei Film House.

The first feature of the festival is a mini retro screening of director
Cheng Wen-tang’s (¾G¤å°ó) films. Cheng is a filmmaker who gained fame
along with the growth of SPOT in the past two years.

His Venice film festival award-winning dramaSomewhere Over the
Dreamland (¹Ú¤Û³¡¸¨) was premiered at SPOT two years ago. The mini
retro will showcase Cheng’s previous works, when he was a documentary
maker in the 1980s and 1990s focusing on political issues and
environmental protection.

The Days Without the Government (¨S¦³¬F©²ªº¤é¤l, 1987) tells about a
200-day long protest by employees of a chemical factory banding
together because of the dumping of chemical waste into the nearby
river. The Contract with Tso-shui River (¿B¤ô·Ëªº«´¬ù, 1999) is a
documentary dwelling on the past glory days of Taiwan longest river.

Another theme of the festival is to show the winning films of past
winners at Taipei film festivals. Taipei Film Festival serves to
discover talents among Taiwanese filmmakers.

The Taipei Film Awards have in the past two years become a dream award
of young filmmakers seeking recognition apart from the more mainstream
Golden Horse Awards.

But after winning the awards, most filmmakers find it difficult to
screen their films because Taiwan is short of art-house movie theaters.

SPOT, as Taiwan’s first arts movie theater, offers the opportunity for
moviegoers to appreciate the independent spirit of the winning films.

Tickets for both the South Taiwan Film Festival and the My Camera Film
Festival are available from the Web site:

–Boundary_(ID_rU9ilP2BQqxXRlkDG1edQA)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Police Say Crime Again Falling
By Nane Atshemian 29/10/2004 08:36

Radio Free Europe, Czechia
29 Oct. 2004

The Armenian police reported on Thursday a 4.4 percent decrease in
the number of officially registered crimes committed during the first
nine months of this year.

The information contrasted with police figures for the first
half of 2004 that showed a 4.5 percent rise in crime compared
with the same period last year. “The overall rate of crime has
tended to decrease during the first nine months of the year,” Sayad
Shirinian, the spokesman for the national Police Service, told a news
conference. “Also, the percentage of solved cases is higher than it
was last year.”

It was not clear if the police found a major drop in crime during
the third quarter of the year. Presenting the first-half figures on
August 4, the deputy chief of the police, General Ararat Mahtesian,
admitted that the Armenian government’s spring crackdown on the
opposition left his officers with less time and fewer resources to
combat crime. The crackdown involved mass detentions of opposition
activists and a heavy police presence at anti-government rallies.

Mahtesian also blamed the increased delinquency on Armenia’s new,
more lenient criminal code that came into effect in August 2003. It
also led to the earlier-than-expected release from jail of more than
800 convicts.

According to Shirinian, a total of 8,098 crimes, nearly a third of
them “serious,” were reported to the police from January through the
end of September. He said despite the overall drop in the number of
offences there have been more cases of theft, robbery, fraud as well
as illegal arms and drug possession.

The official also said that 172 people, 17 of them children, have died
in 872 road accidents across Armenia this year. “The main causes of
road accidents continue to be speeding and violations of overtaking
rules,” he said.

Shirinian added that Armenia’s overall rate of delinquency remains
low by ex-Soviet standards, with an average of 25 crimes per 10,000
people committed annually. The figure is 143 and 83 in Russia and
Ukraine respectively.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Foreign minister says Muslim countries understand situation in Tak Bai

http, Thailand
29 Oct. 2004

BANGKOK, Oct 29 (TNA) – Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai
Friday told reporters that he received a positive response from his
counterparts in Muslim countries toward Tak Bai incident, in which
more than 80 Muslim men died while in the Thai army’s custody after
a crackdown on a mass demon stration in southern border Narathiwat
province on Monday.

Mr. Surakiart said he had earlier made phone calls to explain the
government action to crackdown on Tak Bai Muslim protesters to foreign
ministers of Indonesia, Morocco, Bahrain,and Dr. Abdelouzhed Belkeziz,
the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Countries or
OIC which has 50 members.

He said Bahrain’s prime minister made a direct phone call to offer
his morale support to Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

”They appreciated that Thailand explained itself quickly to them about
what happened in Tak Bai. They said they understood Thai government’s
action well and promised to explain it to fellow countries. Bahrain
said it would support Thailand as it knew that we are peace and unity
loving people,” said Mr. Surakiart.

The OIC secretary general said he was pleased to hear an explanation
and that Thailand has investigated the deaths of the protesters while
in the army’s custody, he said, the OIC would also explain Thailand’s
decision to Muslim members countries.

He said Morocco would help by explaining Thailand’s situation to
Armenia, Tunisia, and Libya including other Muslim countries in the
middle east like Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

Confident that Thailand has cleared its bad mark among international
communities, Mr. Surakiart, however, acknowledged to the mistake by
the security forces in handling the situation which unnecessarily
caused a lot of deaths.

”I want to stress that we did not want to hurt our Muslim brothers. We
are family. It is worrisome and dangerous if some people have developed
a wrong perception that Thailand are against its own Muslim citizens.”
he said.

Mr. Surakiart said the United States also expressed its satisfaction
over Thailand’s action to investigate into the deaths after it
previously criticized the kingdom for breaching human rights.

”Thailand has respected human rights and constitutional rights but
mistakes could happen. We will leave that to the investigation team
to show us the truth,” he said, adding that the government would
certainly compensate the deaths and would help their families.

Responding to a question, the Thai foreign minister said other Muslim
countries were not worried that the situation would escalate because
of the Tak Bai incident.

”I think Malaysia would understand us and there should be no affect,”
he said.

Several Malaysian tourists were killed in a bomb blast at a bar in
Sungai Kolok District of southern border Narathiwat province last
night.(TNA)-E110

MM Speaker Meets With Charge D’Affaires Of Libya
[October 29, 2004, 17:07:57]

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
29 Oct. 2004

Chairman of the Milli Majlis Murtuz Alasgarov met with Charge
D’Affaires of the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in
Azerbaijan Muhammad al-Jleti Jabir.

The Speaker said that although friendly relations between the two
countries have existed since ancient times, they have not been
brought to a due level, and that no a single sitting of the joint
interparliamentary commission formed three years ago has been held yet.

He expressed satisfaction, however, that despite all the problems,
Libya had supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Our
people appreciate it and, our country has concern in development of
relations with Libya, he said.

Charge D’Affaires Muhammad al-Jleti Jabir shared Mr. Alasgarov’s
opinion stressing the importance of organization of reciprocal visits
of the two countries’ delegations for development of the relations. He
announced that Speaker of Libyan Parliament had invited his Azerbaijani
counterpart to visit the country and handed the letter of invitation
over to Murtuz Alasgarov.

Mr. Muhammad al-Jleti Jabir stressed as well that Libya has always
supported and will support in the future the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan adding that despite the repeated requests from the
official Yerevan, his country has not yet allowed the opening of
Armenia’s embassy in Libya.

The parties then discussed a number of other issues of mutual interest.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

htm

BEAST ON THE MOON
by James L. Seay

When one hears the word, “Genocide,” one almost without fail calls to mind
the Nazi “final solution” to “the Jewish problem” which has become known as
the Holocaust. However, between 1915 and 1923, another Holocaust took place;
one which is today virtually forgotten. On May 16th, 1978, past President
and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Jimmy Carter said, “It is generally not
known in the world that, in the years preceding 1916, there was a concerted
effort made to eliminate all the Armenian people, probably one of the
greatest tragedies that ever befell any group. And there weren’t any
Nuremberg trials.” On May 11, 1918, only two years after the beginning of
the Armenian Holocaust, another past President and Nobel Peace Prize
laureate, Theodore Roosevelt, summed it up, saying, “…the Armenian
massacre was the greatest crime of the war, and the failure to act against
Turkey is to condone it … the failure to deal radically with the Turkish
horror means that all talk of guaranteeing the future peace of the world is
mischievous nonsense.”

After the able bodied Armenian men were “drafted” and killed by the
so-called “progressive” Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire, villages and
towns, now populated only by women, children and the elderly, were
“relocated for their own good” as Turkish Gendarmes “escorted” them in death
marches across Anatolia to the Syrian Desert, Der Zor. An estimated million
and a half people died. Not only was it an Armenian Holocaust, but, somehow,
I could not help but be reminded of the Trail of Tears. Man’s inhumanity to
man seems to know no boundaries.

I must admit, I knew little of the Young Turks and their efforts to
eradicate the Armenian people, a Christian minority in the Ottoman Empire,
except from reading The 40 Days of Musa Dagh by Franz Werfel in an
undergraduate Modern World Literature class B and that was well over 40
years ago! This was my background when I traveled to Normal, Illinois to
witness a play, Beast on the Moon by Richard Kalinoski, at the tiny
Heartland Theatre, hidden away in northeast Normal in what used to be the
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School and sponsored by
Armenian-Americans, George, Carol and Peter Churukian.

Set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the 1920s, the core story deals with Seta, a
sparkling, impulsive young girl, filled with hope and the love of life, who
is brought to America from the “old country” by Aram as a “picture bride.”
Grateful that she has been saved from death, Seta discovers that her life as
Aram’s wife involves a different kind of suffering, as she endures a
soul-chilling servitude to a desperate and wounded man bent on begetting
sons who will replace the empty faces in a faded photograph of his dead
family. The title, we learn, comes from a Nineteenth Century lunar eclipse
during which the Turks ran from their houses and fired guns at “the beast on
the moon,” as the Armenian minority watched. A few years later, the Turks
again ran from their houses with guns, but this time, fired at their
Armenian neighbors.

The aching irony of the play is that both Seta and Aram, who have managed to
escape the atrocities wrought by the Young Turks and their predecessors in
the old country, find a new tyranny in which he attempts to turn his
quicksilver bride into a “proper woman,” obedient, compliant and silent,
while he attempts to become a proper patriarch. The play, in spite of its
historical background, is not so much a story of escape or revenge, but a
graceful fable of transformation, and begs the question, in such a marriage
and in such a world, how can both souls be rescued?

Kalinoski’s play, skillfully directed by Rachel Chaves and featuring
outstanding acting by Dan Irwin, Katy Lacio and Greg McGrath, is overflowing
with a wealth of images and dramatic action. It is funny, poetic,
compassionate and wise. But be warned, it is one of the most emotionally
powerful plays I have seen in a long time. It has all of the terrible impact
of a brick crashing through a plate glass window. And when you look at the
play’s poster of an ancient photograph of a stiffly-posed circa 1900
Armenian family, it will scald your heart. One should remember the words of
Adolph Hitler, who, while persuading his associates that a Jewish holocaust
would be tolerated by the West, stated, “Who, after all, speaks today of the
annihilation of the Armenians?”

Beast on the Moon is presented at the Heartland Theatre Company, at One
Normal Plaza, near the corner of Beech and Lincoln in Normal, Illinois. It
was originally produced as part of the 1995 Humana Festival of New American
Plays at the Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky. In three
weeks, it will open at the Moscow Arts Theatre in Moscow, Russia (made
famous by Constantine Stanislovski) and in March, 2005, it will finally open
in New York. Remaining performances at Heartland Theatre Company are October
28th, 29th & 30th at 7:30 p.m.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia’s speaker defends party colleagues, stresses fight against corruption

Golos Armenii, Yerevan
28 Oct 04

Armenian National Assembly Chairman Artur Bagdasaryan has said
that parliament is leading the fight against corruption in
the executive authorities. Answering questions from readers of
Armenian newspaper Golos Armenii, Bagdasaryan defended his party’s
personnel policy, backing the science and culture ministers who are
members of the coalition government from his Law-Governed Country
Party. Bagdasaryan said that he had no plans at present to stand in
the next presidential elections. He also said that parliament would
have a thorough discussion on sending troops to Iraq. The following
is an excerpt from Lana Mshetsyan and Tigran Mirzoyan’s “hot line”
interview in Golos Armenii on 28 October headlined “An Armenian studies
magazine will be published,’ Armenian National Assembly Chairman Artur
Bagdasaryan said, answering questions from the Golos Armenii hot line”;
subheadings inserted editorially:

Areg Pogosyan, engineer Predictions have appeared recently in the
media that name you alongside the justice minister David Arutyunyan ,
prosecutor-general Aram Tamazyan and defence minister Serzh Sarkisyan
as the most likely contenders in the next presidential elections. What
do you think of these predictions?

No plans to run for president

Artur Bagdasaryan At present I do not have such plans. I am
philosophical about these predictions.

Passage omitted: cooperation needed in parliament to legislate on
compensation for lost investments in the USSR-era Savings Bank;
Bagdasaryan keen to see more young people in politics

Armenian parties lack sufficient professionals

Bagrat Israelyan, teacher Do you think that the personnel policy based
on the coalition principle has justified itself, or should preference
in appointments be given after all to professional qualities?

Bagdasaryan I don’t think it’s correct to oppose the political and
professional principles in the appointment of personnel when it
is a question of political posts, while other structures of power
are apolitical according to the law on state service. Throughout
the civilized world personnel policy is conducted on the coalition
principle. Not local big shots but professional politicians should be
engaged in politics. Unfortunately, not all parties in Armenia have
sufficient personnel potential. This also concerns the Law-Governed
Country Party Orinats Yerkir . Our party is young and, I think,
in time we will have sufficient professional personnel.

Parliament is fighting corruption

Liana Manukyan, musician Why is parliament passive in the fight
against corruption? If you do not agree with this viewpoint, give
specific examples as the basis for your position.

Artur Bagdasaryan I think that it is precisely parliament that is
fighting corruption, because it is no secret that corruption lies
within the executive authorities. Our Audit Chamber is our main
instrument. For instance, last year for the first time in 15 years
parliament did not approve the government’s privatization programme,
because it is not clear to us how a territory of 4,000 sq.m. in the
city centre can be sold for 21,000 US dollars.

Parliament to have thorough discussion on sending troops to Iraq

Karlen Gabriyelyan, construction engineer What do you think of the
prospect of our military being sent to Iraq? Are you not afraid that
this may turn into a threat to the security of our country?

Bagdasaryan The Armenian parliament should thoroughly discuss this
issue when the National Assembly gets the official document. In giving
legal and political assessments we should strictly base ourselves on
this document.

Passage omitted: Bagdasaryan prefers political and psychological
literature

New rules to punish MPs for failing to attend parliament sittings

Mikhail Avetisov, pensioner Parliament sittings take place in an
almost empty hall. Why do the deputies not attend? And what are you
going to do to bring the opposition back to parliament? Why, when they
are not working in parliament and not fulfilling their obligations,
do the opposition (and not only opposition) deputies get their salary
from the taxpayers’ pocket?

Bagdasaryan The question is correct. There are a certain number of
deputies who do not want to take part in the work of parliament at
all. This is very bad. But these deputies were elected and we cannot do
anything about it. As for deputies who are absent without good reason,
we have already discussed this. Soon corrections will be made to the
sitting regulations, according to which a deputy who does not attend
sittings without good reason will be punished financially.

Passage omitted: Bagdasaryan advises refugees to approach his adviser
to solve their problems; Yerevan residents complain about illegal
construction of Thailand’s consulate; Bagdasaryan says he often
meets veterans

Justice minister cannot personally resolve all problems in legal system

Grigoriy Kazaryan, pensioner The judicial system of Armenia is one
the most corrupt in the republic. The latest famous statements of
the Prosecutor-General’s Office are evidence of this. This is one of
the reasons for the population’s emigration. Do you not think that
Justice Minister David Arutyunyan cannot (or may be does not want) to
correct the situation and should retire? Why is your party called the
Law-Governed Country Party when none of its members fights for justice?

Bagdasaryan We are fighting for justice and many examples are evidence
of this. As for the judicial system, I agree that corruption in this
sphere is very high. There is corruption in the law-enforcement
agencies as well. It is necessary to fight this very negative
phenomenon. As for Justice Minister David Arutyunyan, I do not
think that he personally should settle all the problems connected
with the judicial system, that is, to be responsible for all the
judicial sins. Judicial and legal reform has been conducted in our
country, certain specific reforms will be conducted in 2005. I hope
the situation will gradually change for the better, but for this
social legislation should be improved and the living standards of
population should be raised.

Passage omitted: Bagdasaryan stresses his support for science, will
support publication of an Armenian studies journal; says health
council is working within the law

Defends education and culture ministers

Yervand Manasaryan, professor The ministers who are Law-Governed
Country Party appointees figure constantly in scandals: the science
minister Sergo Yeritsyan does not deal with science, the culture
minister Ovik Oveyan moved from a stupid personnel policy in the circus
to a stupid personnel policy in the choreography school, then in the
Chamber Theatre… ellipses as published What’s next? Surely society
shouldn’t have only to suffer from your personnel idiosyncrasies? Do
you at least know how many people are suffering from the actions of
Law-Governed Country Party appointees in more humble posts?

Bagdasaryan We’ll begin by saying that first of all the Armenian
Academy of Sciences should deal with issues of science. I support this
approach. The ministry is called the Ministry of Education and Science,
but does not in reality have the authority to deal with issues related
to science and we should expand the functions of the Armenian Academy
of Sciences.

As for the minister of culture, he is a very famous cultural figure,
the author of many books and screenplays, a dramatist. All his family
are closely linked with the world of the arts, of creativity. As for
the examples listed, these are in many instances artificial scandals,
which play into someone’s hands… ellipses as published

I cannot agree with the questioner. In many other ministries the
situation is much more complex than in those mentioned. I acknowledge
that there are problems, but no more than in other ministries.

It should not be forgotten that science and culture are the spheres
of individuals, bright, outstanding individuals. So it is not at all
simple to get to grips with things here and one should not rush to
draw conclusions and make accusations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri daily downbeat on Karabakh discussions at UN

Zerkalo
29 Oct 04

The UN General Assembly has considered a request by Azerbaijan’s
permanent representative [in the UN] to include the issue on the
situation on the occupied territory in the agenda of its session. A
report on the UN’s official web site said that with a vote of nine
in favour and 14 abstentions, this issue had been recommended to be
discussed at the General Assembly.

The Azerbaijani side insists that the ongoing conflict in Nagornyy
Karabakh has resulted in the occupation of a considerable part of
Azerbaijani territory, in evictions of numerous people from their homes
and in the great damage that was inflicted on its national economy. In
addition, the submitted document says that “the activity of the OSCE
Minsk Group, which deals with the Nagornyy Karabakh problem, has
yielded no results since illegal actions are still being committed
on this territory, in particular, the Armenians are being resettled
there to create a new demographic situation”.

[Passage omitted: France said the discussion in the UN could impede
peace talks; Armenia denies claims on the resettlement]

The OSCE Minsk Group will hardly agree that “the Karabakh issue”
is once again put on the UN agenda. The thing is that immediately
after the decision to set up the OSCE Minsk Group on 26 March 1992,
the UN Security Council decided to refrain from being involved in any
peace-keeping operations in Nagornyy Karabakh but to render support
to the OSCE.

[Passage omitted: the UN have adopted four resolutions on the conflict;
background of the OSCE mediation]

During the entire period of its activity, the OSCE Minsk Group, in
fact, aimed not so much to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
as to prevent a new war, confrontation and tension between the two
countries.

Even if this issue is discussed at the UN General Assembly, decisions
taken there will not be mandatory [for the country].

If the Azerbaijani side makes efforts to be well prepared and during
the discussion stresses the importance of not settling the conflict,
which the UN had delegated to the OSCE Minsk Group, but considering
the situation on the occupied Azerbaijani territories, where illegal
actions are being committed, i.e. migrants are being settled to change
the demographic situation, the international community might demand
that Armenia give up its policy.

[Passage omitted: similar ideas reiterated]

It is noteworthy that Baku has recently made optimistic statements,
despite the fact that the inclusion of “the Karabakh issue” in the
assembly’s agenda will escalate confrontation. Experts believe that
Baku’s move might “bury” pressure exerted on Baku by super powers to
make it sign “an unfavourable peace accord”.

In any case, we should not pin our hopes on the world community
believing that it will solve this problem. All these statements
and resolutions will hardly help Azerbaijan settle its territorial
problem… [ellipses as published].

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress