Author: Andres-Papazian

PROSECUTOR GENERAL AND “103 THIEVES”

Haik Aramyan
Comments – Tuesday, 01 October 2013, 18:01

As we had predicted, the next prosecutor general’s appointment was
marked with a new act of national unity. 103 members of parliament
voted for him, three voted against him. Two members of parliament
did not know how to tick off their choice. The other 22 members of
parliament were absent. The RPA has a reason to love Gevorg Kostanyan.

Not just because the RPA is not a “pack of wolves” and does what
their leader tells them to do. Simply it is hard times, and nobody
knows from where the wind will blow. And if the wind blows, the RPA
parliamentary group may lose their immunity altogether. The PAP has
voted for Kostanyan. If we assume that 22 absentees were from the PAP
parliamentary group, half of this parliamentary group, nevertheless,
voted for the nominee. And it is no surprise. The contingent that
did not get a placement in the RPA has found a refuge in the PAP,
and if the wind blows, it will find itself in a similar situation. The
Congress, ARF and Heritage go without saying. It happened that these
three parties catch up with their “senior colleagues” in terms of
hypocrisy. This is how it should be, and it is no surprise. The final
stage of degradation of Armenia’s political system is underway, and
this is the only positive aspect of the decision on joining the Customs
Union. It turns out that the problem of power can be resolved by way
of giving the country away to Russia. One only needs to be the first
to do it. The system is unable for more but so far it has covered
its essence with demagogy on change of government, constitution,
bourgeois-democratic revolution and other things. After September 3 it
is totally naked, and has realized that the only thing to do is not to
anger Putin. Therefore, everyone who promised something this fall has
frozen their plans due to “change of situation”. Moreover, something
terrible has become clear to the political system. After September 3
Putin does not need them any longer. And the most terrible thing is
that even Serzh Sargsyan does not need them. Only perhaps for unanimous
affirmation of Gevorg Kostanyan but not more than that. Meanwhile, hard
work is awaiting Gevorg Kostanyan at the National Assembly. If he is
genuinely committed to the rule of law, he must solicit the parliament
for at least 103 times for stripping members of parliament of immunity.

From: A. Papazian

AZERI STUDIES EXPERT: AZERI PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ARE A SHOW

13:44 01/10/2013 ” REGION

Azerbaijan is making a show of its presidential elections. Many
candidates are registered for the elections with the aim of showing the
world that there is freedom of expression and alternative elections
are being held in the country, Azeri studies expert Sargis Asatryan
told a press conference in Yerevan.

According to the expert, most of the presidential candidates have no
sufficient resources and opportunities to rival Ilham Aliyev.

“Ilham Aliyev tries to divert the public attention to minor problems in
order to benefit from the situation. He clears his way for reelection
to presidential office,” the Azeri studies expert said.

“In all probability, Aliyev will be reelected as President. His
military rhetoric is predictable for Armenia, besides, he is unlikely
to go for an adventure,” Mr Asatryan said when asked which of the
Azeri presidential candidates is beneficial to Armenia.

Source: Panorama.am

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA AGENT OF FOREIGN FORCES’ INFLUENCE – MP

22:00 ~U 01.10.13

Armenia itself allowed the two poles – Russia and the USA – to settle
their political issues in its territory, Chairman of the Heritage
parliamentary group Ruben Hakobyan stated in Parliament on Tuesday.

“In this context, Armenia has become an agent of two forces’
influence. We refused to initial an Association Agreement with the
European Union without even knowing what the document is. Armies
‘pro’ and ‘con’ the Association Agreement are forming in Armenia,
but they do not even know the content,” Hakobyan said.

“Which political figure may say with confidence that Armenia will join
the Customs Union?” He noted that the Customs Union member-states are
representing Azerbaijan’s interests and it can hardly bring benefits
to Armenia.

Addressing Armenia’s political majority, Hakobyan said he had the
impression that the majority tried to convince itself that the Customs
Union is an excellent alliance.

“Let us not anticipate and not become an agent of the nations’
influence,” Hakobyan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIANS BENEFIT FROM IRAN’S DEVELOPMENT: IRANIAN-ARMENIAN JOURNALIST

15:23, 1 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The election of Hassan Rouhani as a
president heralded the launch of the period of reforms in Iran.

Iranian-Armenian journalist Roubik Minasian stated this at the
course of the press conference held on October 1. Roubik Minasian
noted that there is a popular opinion in Iran after the presidential
elections according to which it became obvious at the course of the
recent two weeks that Iran is on the path of changes. As reports
“Armenpress” Roubik Minasian stressed: “The Iranian President had a
phone conversation with the U.S. President, after which the Iranian
schoolchildren stopped walking on the American flag. Currently there
are rumors about the Tehran-Washington flight.”

Among other things the Iranian-Armenian journalist emphasized that
Armenia has a strong partner and friend in the face of Iran and it’s
high time to take steps to build the second gas transmission pipeline.

In addition Roubik Minasian mentioned that the Iranian-Armenian
relations may also have a positive impact on the development of
business.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

From: A. Papazian

EDUARD SHARMAZANOV: SECURITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF ARTSAKH CANNOT BE AN OBJECT OF POLITICAL COMPROMISE

by Marianna Lazarian

ARMINFO
Tuesday, October 1, 23:16

Armenia’s striving to become an observer in the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization will allow it to expand and diversify its international
political and trade relations, Eduard Sharmazanov, Vice Speaker of
the Armenian National Assembly said on October 1.

Moreover, at the recent session of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization in Sochi, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan addressed
specific messages to both the local and foreign audience. In
particular, further strengthening of the relations with the CSTO stems
from the positions of sovereignty and security of Armenia. Armenia’s
task number one is to ensure the security of Artsakh and its
international recognition. In addition, Armenia does not admit some
CSTO member states’ unilateral position about the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement. “It is indisputable that the security and
independence of Artsakh cannot be an object of political compromise”,
said Sharmazanov.

From: A. Papazian

DOES THE SOUTH CAUCASUS HAVE A CHANCE?

Carnegie Moscow Center
Oct 1 2013

by: Lilia Shevtsova
Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Does the South Caucasus have a chance? I mean a chance for a real, not
fake independence and an open society? This is a natural question when
one starts to deliberate on the forthcoming presidential elections
in Azerbaijan (October 16) and Georgia (October 27). The Armenia
case does not give much ground for optimism. Armenians went through
their presidential elections in February, demonstrating how electoral
authoritarianism works, with its key axiom being “uncertain rules of
the game and a certain outcome.” The incumbent Serzh Sargsyan was
the winner-who would have doubted! Several presidential candidates
withdrew, one was shot, and the 60 percent turn-out resembled the
Soviet times. Armenia also proved to be a litmus test indicating the
extent of freedom for maneuver that the South Caucasus has. Yerevan
was immediately punished for its attempt to court the EU: Moscow showed
its displeasure by providing a $4 billion arms supply to Azerbaijan.

Could the October presidential elections in Azerbaijan and Georgia
change the pattern? These elections seem to mean different things for
those two countries. In the first case, there is a continuity of Ilham
Aliev rule that is moving toward sultanism. No need to discuss the
outcome of the forthcoming Azeri elections which is already known. One
could only debate how repressive the same sultan will be during his
new tenure.

In Georgia, one could observe the end of one epoch and the beginning
of another. The era of Saakashvili’s modernization “from the top”
and an open pro-Western vector is definitely over. Its greatest legacy
was a peaceful transfer of power. But there is no guarantee that this
legacy will become a new tradition in Georgia. The current balance
of forces and even more importantly, the changes in the Georgian
constitution orchestrated by the current ruling team-that give key
political resources to the prime minister and the government-create
a new power monopoly which could acquire taste for reproducing itself
indefinitely. In any case, one could safely bet that the representative
of the ruling Georgian Dream party Giorgi Margvelashvili will get
the presidential job, that has become more of a decoration. The real
power will remain with Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Will he fulfill his promise to leave politics as soon as Saakashvili
moves out of his presidential palace? I would not bet on that. Anyway,
Georgian politics is hardly moving toward an open society paradigm.

Could Tbilisi and Baku succeed with their foreign policy project-to
have a cozy relationship with both Russia and the West? Recent history
shows that some leaders of the new independent states were pretty
successful in riding two horses in opposite directions. I have in
mind Kuchma, the former leader of Ukraine, Shevardnadze of Georgia,
and Aliev father. Alas, the times of duality and uncertain loyalty are
gone. Firstly, because of the paralysis of the EU that has failed to
give energy to its Eastern Partnership, and the failure of the Obama
America to lead the West. Secondly, because the Putin’s Kremlin has
endorsed a new foreign policy strategy-“those who are not with us are
against us” and openly declared the goal of building in the post-Soviet
space a new galaxy, with Russia as its pole and satellites around.

Sadly, the South Caucasus remains the hostage of geography. This
could be anticipated in times when civilization built on values is
retrenching…

From: A. Papazian

ANOTHER SELLER OF KARABAKH

Country – Tuesday, 01 October 2013, 13:39

The head of the Employers Association of Armenia Gagik Makaryan is
ready to sell the “territories surrounding” NKR to Azerbaijan but
at a very high price. Makaryan made this “sensational” statement
during a news conference, stating that if membership to the Customs
Union requires a BCP on the border between Armenia and NKR, it is
not something that should be treated negatively because then the
fact that NKR is not part of Armenia but an independent state will
be recognized. The most horrible thing is that Gagik Makaryan is not
alone in his geopolitical analyses. Recently one can hear in Armenia
frequent calls to give away Armenia to “live like humans”. Those who
have never been in Karabakh change their opinion as soon as they look
at the map. However, this will not help people who are used to selling
everything. The government of Karabakh should sue Gagik Makaryan who
would easily give away land liberated at the cost of lives of thousands
of people which, as he says, are part of an independent state. Gagik
Makaryan had better sell his own house to Azerbaijan and use the money
to trade with the Customs Union. Karabakh considers itself part of
Armenia for already many years while the majority of the population
of Armenia still cannot get used to the idea that the territory of
their country is 42,000, not 29 thousand square kilometers. And if
there is someone who links his welfare with the sale of those lands,
he had better leave those lands.

From: A. Papazian

UN STUDY: ARMENIA BEATS RUSSIA, UKRAINE IN TREATMENT OF ELDERLY

October 1, 2013 – 17:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Sweden is the best place in the world to be old
and Afghanistan the worst, according to a UN-backed global study,
BBC News reported.

The Global AgeWatch Index examined the quality of life of the elderly
in 91 countries.

It warns that many countries do not have adequate support in place
for their ageing populations. By 2050, older people will outnumber
children under 15 for the first time, with most of the elderly in
developing countries, it said.

The Global AgeWatch Index was complied by the UN Population Fund and
advocacy group HelpAge International, and released to mark the UN’s
Day of Older Persons.

Researchers used 13 different indicators – including income and
employment, health provision, education, and environment – in what they
said was the first study of kind to be conducted on a global scale.

The study’s authors say countries across the world face an ongoing
challenge from the rapidly ageing global population.

“The continual exclusion of ageing from national and global agendas
is one of the biggest obstacles to meeting the needs of the world’s
ageing population,” says Silvia Stefanoni, the interim chief executive
of HelpAge International.

“By giving us a better understanding of the quality of life of women
and men as they age, this new index can help us focus our attention
on where things are going well and where we have to make improvements.”

While Sweden came top, and Afghanistan was placed last, the top 20
was dominated by countries from Western Europe and North America,
along with Japan, Australia and Chile.

But some large fast-developing countries fared worse than others,
with Russia (78), India (73) and Turkey (70) receiving a low rank,
while Brazil (31) and China (35) were considered more favourably by
the researchers.

Out of ex-CIS countries, Estonia did best, taking the 29th spot.

Georgia was placed 37th, Latvia, Lithuania took 45th and 50th spot
respectively. Researchers ranked Armenia, Tajikistan, Belarus 51st,
62 nd and 60th; Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Moldova were placed 63rd,
66th and 76th respectively.

From: A. Papazian

POLICE USED EXCESSIVE FORCE IN KOMITAS STREET CLASHES – OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE

11:34 ~U 01.10.13

The Armenian Ombudsman’s office has found the police operations
in the recent protests in Yerevan Komitas street unlawful and
disproportionate.

In a statement it says that the police used excessive force in the
clashes with the crowd protesting against the construction activities
near the Komitas 5 building.

“Taking into consideration the European Court’s case law, we
conclude that the police acted disproportionately during the clashes,
demonstrating impatience and intolerance. Besides, having studied
separate incidents, we find that the police violated the rights and
freedom of individuals,” says statement.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian

Emirates News Agency (WAM), UAE
September 29, 2013 Sunday

Ministry of Foreign Affairs discuses cooperation with Armenia

ABU DHABI, 29th September, 2013 /WAM/ — The Director of the
Economic Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
/MoFA/, Jassim Mohammed Al Qasimi, has discussed with Gegham
Gharibjanyan, Armenian Ambassador to the UAE, ways to develop
cooperative relations between the two countries and to prepare for
the meeting of the Joint Committee meeting between the United Arab
Emirates and the Republic of Armenia.

During the meeting the parties also reviewed a number of topics of
mutual interest between the two countries.

From: A. Papazian