Author: Andres-Papazian

LES PARTIS D’OPPOSITION NEGOCIENT POUR FORMER UNE COALITION
Laetitia

armenews.com
lundi 6 fevrier 2012

Le leader de l’opposition, Raffi Hovannisian, a annonce vendredi que
son parti, le Zharangutyun (Heritage, est tente de rejoindre d’autres
groupes d’opposition pour les elections.Hovannisian a confirme les
negociations en cours avec le parti d’opposition Free Democrats
sur la creation d’une possible coalition electorale. Il a dit que
le parti Zharangutyun prendra une decision definitive lors de son
congrès organise le 2 mars prochain.

” Nous sommes en train d’en discuter “, a-t-il dit lors d’une
conference de presse.” A ce jour, je ne peux pas dire si une alliance
se mettra en place ou pas. ”

Le parti Free Democrats est dirige par plusieurs politiciens de
l’opposition qui ont quitte l’annee dernière le parti d’opposition,
Armenian National Congress (HAK).

Zharangutyun avait deja ete sur le point de s’allier a d’autres partis
d’opposition lors de la campagne electorale pour les elections de
2007. Les negociations avaient pourtant echoue a cause des desaccords
sur la liste des candidats. Parmi ces partis, seul le Zharangutyun
a reussi a gagner des sièges au Parlement.

Les leaders du parti Zharangutyun affirment que le parti remportera
a nouveau au moins 5 % des votes et sera donc represente dans la
prochaine Assemble Nationale s’il participe aux elections seul. Pour
les coalitions, le seuil minimum d’entree au Parlement est actuellement
fixe a 7% des votes.

Hovannisian, qui a deja ete ministre des Affaires Etrangères, affirme
qu’il ne cherche pas a s’imposer a la tete d’une possible coalition
d’opposition.” Nous croyons que l’Armenie fait face a des defis plus
serieux, qui exigent la consolidation des forces et des ressources,
a-t-il dit. Nous croyons que la Republique d’Armenie est en train de
changer et que le Zharangutyun doit faire partie de ce mouvement de
changement du système. ”

From: A. Papazian

WHY HAS ARMENIA’S CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS DROPPED?

news.am
February 06, 2012 | 16:18

YEREVAN. – In line with the publication of the National Statistical
Service of Armenia, the country’s construction business has dropped
by 11.5 percent in 2011, in comparison with the previous year.

Construction by the state budget, the communities, and the Armenian
Apostolic Church has increased. But the primary reason for the
drop is the reduction in the volume of construction financed by
the international organizations, and of the construction by private
organizations, and individuals.

The organizations account for nearly 45 percent of all construction
in Armenia, but there is 13.5-percent drop here. The second largest
financer of construction in the country is the state budget, which
has increased its funding by 15.2 percent. But the greatest growth is
recorded in the communities, with 5.9 times. And the community-financed
construction virtually equaled the international organization-financed
construction.

All international donors have considerably reduced their construction
financing, except for the German Development Bank (KfW) which has
secured a 2.2 more growth.

The volume of Armenian Apostolic Church-financed construction has
increased by 13.8 percent, but the residents’ construction activities
have considerably dropped by nearly 30.5 percent.

From: A. Papazian

JUDGE SCHNEIDER: ANTI-TRUST LEGISLATION CAN’T BE ENACTED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ENGAGED IN BUSINESS
Grisha Balasanyan

hetq
00:20, February 6, 2012

Hetq speaks with Mr. Markus Schneider Presiding Judge at District
Court of Hamburg (Enforcement), and a specialist in unfair economic
competition issues.

What dangers do monopolies pose for small nations like Armenia and
what are the primary measures to be taken to combat it?

While I am not an expert in monopolies, in Germany there exists
an anti-trust structuure that primarily deals with preventing such
manifestations. But I can say that monopolies can pose both economic
and cultural problems for a country.

Monopolies are problematic from a democratic perspective, as well
from a human and political stance. It all comes down to just how
strong the anti-monopoly agencies are in your country and whether
they can prevent the creation of monopolies. The German anti-trust
body is quite severe when dealing with such issues.

But aren’t such anit-monoply measures purely for show, when you have
government official and MP’s who are engaged in business activities?

In Germany, the courts deal with such questions and the courts enjoy
the highest degree of independence. A minister or other government
official cannot exert any influence on the courts. The anti-monopoly
agency also enjoys a fair degree of independence regarding its actions,
but the main question of import is whether the entire sector is being
regulated legislatively and to what degree are the laws being applied.

If there are laws on the books but they remain on paper, then it’s
a tragedy. In Germany, without doubt, the laws must be applied.

Presently, the process of oligarichization is taking place throughout
the world and is progressing at a fast clip in Armenia. Naturally,
given this situation, the role of anti-monopoly structures takes on
heightened significance.

Now, if government officials and MP’s, that’s to say the ones who are
responsible for enacting anti-trust legislation and other measures, are
also involved in business, then there’s a very entrenched problem here.

But I must say that based on what I have seen from your State
Commission for Economic Protection my impression is that their work
isn’t just for show.

Take for example the recent sour cream scandal. The Commission took
the correct decision. Naturally what I have witnessed is just a tiny
fragment of the entire picture you have amassed.

What about the fact that the owner of the sour cream company found
violating the law is an MP? Then again, the company of another MP
has been churning out knock-off vodka for years and the Commission’s
decisions have no real effect?

This is a question dealing with legal culture. In the case where a
real legal culture exists, the violating business owner should not
be able to continue operating in such a manner if fined or shut down.

If a business continues to flout the law after being fined then I am
at a loss how to describe the situation. The fines levied must be
so prohibitive as to halt such behavior. They just can’t be at the
level of another business expense.

From: A. Papazian

REPORT FROM FRANCE: “LEGAL EXPERTS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE LAW IS PERFECTLY LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL”

Times.am
06.02.12, 10:18

Report from France: “Legal experts have confirmed that the law is
perfectly legal and constitutional”

Times.am received a letter and a photo of map from Armenian-French
journalist Jean Eckian.

“This map shows the French departments. The numbers shown are those
MPs who have requested referral to the Constitutional Council in
goal to repeal Armenian law adopted on January 23, 2012 by the French
Senate. The areas in orange are those where a large Turkish community
living”, the letter says.

“About the possible unconstitutionality, several legal experts have
confirmed that the law is perfectly legal and constitutional. Armenian
community is awaiting the verdict by the Sages of the Council. Probably
on beginning of March”, the message concludes.

On December 22, 2011, the bill on criminalization of Armenian Genocide
denial was adopted by the French National Assembly. The bill will
impose a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France
who denies this crime against humanity. France has recognized Armenian
Genocide and Jewish Holocaust. Jewish Holocaust is never tried to be
denied so the bill is about Armenian Genocide which was committed by
the Ottoman Empire on 1915.

After the bill was accepted in French National Assembly on December
22 Turkish Ambassador to France Tahsin Burcuoglu was called back.

But after some time he was sent back and he was ordered to prevent
the bill acceptance at the Senate. He did not manage to do it and
French Senate adopted the bill on January 23 as well and now he had an
order to gather signatures for application. Now some French Senators
consider that the bill is anti constitutional and they appealed it
at the Constitutional Court of the country.

From: A. Papazian

DINK’S ASSASSIN HAD CONNECTIONS WITH ERGENEKON – PAPER

Tert.am
06.02.12

Turkish nationalist Erhan Tuncel, a suspect in Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink’s murder case, has unveiled new details of the
plot after being detained and subsequently released by a court ruling.

He has recommended studying the list of those who visited the
perpetrator, Yasin Hayal, in prison. According to the Turkish
newspaper Radikal, Tuncel suspected Hayal of having connections with
the ultra-nationalist organization Ergenekon.

Tuncel, who was released from jail 19 days ago, was quoted as telling
Star newspaper on Sunday that Hayal did not have any intent to kill
Dink before being detained over a bomb plot in a Trabzon McDonalds. He
was reportedly taken to a psychiatric hospital from prison cell,
but the court never had any access to the list of people who visit
him in that period.

According to the Turkish paper, the plaintiffs in the Dink
assassination trial demanded that retired General Veli Kucuk, who is
now in detention over the Ergenekon plot, visited Hayal in prison.

Tuncel further claimed that Yasin often visited the Trabzon police.

If the then chief of police, Rechad Altay, fails to give any
explanation in court, Dink’s murder will be never resolved because
he followed Hayal together with the local intelligence officers for
seven months running, says the paper.

From: A. Papazian

ICRC REPRESENTATIVES VISIT AZERBAIJANI POW IN NKR

Panorama.am
06/02/2012

Representatives of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
have visited Azerbaijani prisoner of war kept in Nagorno-Karabakh
Mammadbagir Akhundzade, ICRC Baku Office Spokesperson Shahla
Gahramanova told Trend.

The POW has been delivered a letter from parents and handed in a
letter to ICRC representatives.

Junior sergeant of Azerbaijani Armed Forces Mammadbagir Akhundzade
was captivated near the Yukhary Chayli village on the contact line.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry also confirmed the fact.

From: A. Papazian

BRING THE GODDESS HOME: EDUCATION MINISTER LAUNCHES INITIATIVE ON RETURNING DIVINE ANAHIT TO ARMENIA
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow
06.02.12 | 15:18

Minister of Science and Education Armen Ashotyan took the initiative
of returning the fragments of Armenian Pagan Goddess Anahit’s bronze
statue from United Kingdom (UK) to Armenia through the Facebook online
social network. A great number of Facebook users have welcomed the
initiative.

Enlarge Photo Minister of Science and Education Armen Ashotyan

“UK has appointed two ambassadors to Armenia. I suggest all of us
to unite and appeal to the British Embassy to Armenia sending them a
letter with our signatures and demand to return the fragments (head
and hands) of Goddess Anahit’s well-known statue, kept at British
Museum, to Armenia. There is an experience of returning cultural
values from UK to their homelands; particularly Egypt has succeeded
in this respect several times. What would you say?” Minister Ashotyan
addressed to his friends.

The head and hand of the bronze statue referred to Anahit, who was
goddess of fertility and war, according to the website of the British
Museum, was found in 1872 by a peasant accidently when he was digging
the land in Satagh, south-eastern Turkey.

“The head made its way via Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and
Italy to the dealer Alessandro Castellani, who eventually sold it to
The British Museum. The hand was presented to the Museum a few years
later. Despite rumors that the whole statue had previously been found,
the body has never come to light,” the website writes. A copy of the
statue is kept at the History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan.

Ashotyan also suggests jointly drafting a common text of the letter
addressed to the UK Secretary of Culture, the British ambassadors,
and the management of the British Museum, as well as starting a
signature collection at higher educational institutions of Armenia,
on Facebook and elsewhere. The minister also reports that a number
of students and NGOs have already turned to him, and it will better
for them to start the collection of signatures for returning the
fragments of Goddess Anahit’s statue to Armenia.

From: A. Papazian

CONGRESSMEN WOLF AND CHU COMMEMORATE SUMGAIT AND BAKU POGROMS

news.am
February 04, 2012 | 13:31

U.S. Representatives Frank Wolf and Judy Chu marked the anniversary
of the Sumgait and Baku pogroms by speaking out this week in the U.S.
House of Representatives in condemnation of Azerbaijan’s aggression
and ongoing threats against Nagorno-Karabakh, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).

In his remarks, Rep. Wolf noted that, “shortly after the break-up
of the Soviet Union, Armenians in Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh
endured great hardship, including pogroms in Sumgait (February
1988), in Kirovabad (November 1988) and in Baku (January 1990),” and
went on to quote a recent alarming report from Bloomberg News that,
“Azerbaijan is buying up modern weaponry to be able to regain control
of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.” “Such acts of aggression,”
stressed the Virginia legislator, “would have a devastating impact.”

Congresswoman Chu, in her speech, reminded her colleagues that,
“Between 1988 and 1990, the Armenian population was the target of
racially motivated pogroms in Azerbaijan. Hundreds of Armenians were
murdered and more wounded during three violent attacks in Sumgait,
Kirovabad, and Baku.” She added that she remained concerned that,
“the sentiments that sparked this violence still remain,” and that
Azerbaijan is building up its arsenal to renew its aggression against
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

From: A. Papazian

LE SECTEUR DU TOURISME EN HAUSSE DE 13,5% ENTRE JANVIER ET SEPTEMBRE
Stephane

armenews.com
samedi 4 fevrier 2012

Au cours des dix premiers mois de 2011 le nombre de touristes etrangers
visitant l’Armenie a augmente de 13,5% sur un an atteignant 551 635
a annonce le ministre armenien de l’economie Tigran Davtian.

S’adressant aux journalistes en marge d’un rassemblement des agences
de voyages locales, il a declare que le chiffre est très susceptible
d’atteindre un million dans quelques annees.

Selon le ministre, l’industrie du tourisme n’a cesse de croître
depuis de nombreuses annees et n’a pas ete affecte par la dernière
crise economique mondiale.

Selon les donnees du Service national de la statistique, le nombre
de citoyens armeniens voyagent a l’etranger en tant que touristes a
augmente de 15,1% a 546 167 personnes.

From: A. Papazian

GENOCIDES : DéBAT ORIENTé ?

Sud Ouest

3 fév 2012
France

Envoi d’Harris Donelian

Dans le raz de marée qui a suivi l’adoption de la pénalisation des
génocides, nous avons étés choqués par la présentation plutôt
“orienté” qu’en a fait notre journal.

Le déséquilibre en faveur des oppositions aux valeurs républicaines
d’Egalité trés fortement représentés et l’absence de traitement
ou d’explication de fond.

Nous avons pus lire ainsi:

un éditorialste de Sud Ouest,un professeur d’histoire enseignant
a Bordeaux et en Turquie, le président de France Turquie, un chef
d’entreprise commercialisant en Turquie, prés d’une demi page
d’interview de bordelais d’origine Turque,des écho de l’avis de mrs
Badinter,Madrelle etc. face a un entre-filet d’un avis de soutien.

Que tous ces détracteurs se fourvoient ou veulent détourner le débat
est une chose, mais que Sud Ouest leur serve de caisse de résonnance
au mépris de la parité et de la réalité de l’information est
choquant.

Ainsi vous auriez put publier les avis des véritables spécialistes
dela question:

Altug Taner Akcam sociologue, historien et auteur turc professeur au
Centre pour l’étude de l’Holocauste et des génocides de l’Université
du Minnesota.

Il a publié une variété de livres et d’articles en anglais,
allemand et turc au sujet des relations turco-arméniennes.

L’ouvrage qui l’a le plus fait connaître, Le génocide arménien et
la question de la responsabilité turque, a été salué par Orhan
Pamuk, prix Nobel de littérature.

Akcam est l’un des premiers universitaires turcs a reconnaître et
a discuter ouvertement du génocide arménien de 1915.

S’appuyant en effet sur les minutes des débats parlementaires,
la correspondance privée des organisateurs du génocide arménien
et sur les procès-verbaux des soixante-trois tribunaux militaires
jugeant en 1919 les dirigeants du CUP, (Comité Union et Progrès,
le parti au pouvoir), Taner Akcam démontre de facon irréfutable
la planification du meurtre collectif par l’Ã~Itat turc, son
administration et son armée.

Yves Ternon spécialiste internationalement reconnu pour ses ouvrages
concernant les génocides et plus particulièrement le génocide
Arménien.

le président de France Arménie,Bernard Henri Lévi, Michel Onfray,
Erol Ozkoray… ou tout au moins informer du communiqué du Conseil
de Coordination des Organisations Arméniennes de France.

mais surtout informer que cette loi qui est une application d’une
directive Européenne,contre la Discrimination, le Racisme et le
Négationisme appliquant l’Egalité Républicaine dans le traitement
des Génocides reconnus par la France.

Cette loi permet enfin de ne plus avoir de justice a deux vitesses…

Réponse de Christophe Lucet, éditorialiste, responsable de la
rubriqe internationale

Vous avez écrit au journal pour regretter ce que vous pensez être
une couverture un peu partiale de cette affaire. Si je comprends bien,
nous serions dans “Sud Ouest” trop peu conscients de l’importance de
cette loi pour la reconnaissance des souffrances du peuple d’Arménie.

Permettez-moi de modérer votre critique. Il est vrai que “Sud Ouest”,
comme une bonne partie de la presse francaise, a souligné l’aspect
“électoraliste” de la loi, au risque de passer a côté du fond. Mon
dernier éditorial, dont je crois que vous reconnaissez la justesse,
vous montre cependant que le journal que je représente ne suggère en
aucun cas de négliger l’impérative nécessité d’apurer le passé. Il
se trouve simplement que l’approche des élections a “pollué” la
discussion. J’ajoute que faire ce débat au moment où la France et
la Turquie tentaient de se rapprocher pour augmenter les chances de
peser sur la situation en Syrie était particulièrement maladroit:
vous me direz qu’il n’y a jamais de “bon moment” dans ce cas-la et
je pourrais vous donner raison, mais tout de même…: Alain Juppé,
vous le savez, était assez consterné.

Je pense donc que le débat public dont “Sud Ouest” s’est fait l’écho
était un peu faussé, et c’est ce qui explique votre légitime
frustration.

From: A. Papazian