Author: Antonian Lara

ANC FINDS OBVIOUS BREACHES IN ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
25.05.2009 20:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "During its session held on May 21, RA Central
Election Commission (CEC) ignored our authorized representative
Patvakan Hovakimyan’s letter on putting stamps in voters’
passports. Avoiding to discuss the issue, CEC made decision not to
use any stamps during elections, although under RA Electoral Code,
elections to Elders’ Council should be held in compliance with the
norms envisaged for Parliament elections," ANC Press Secretary Arman
Mousinyan told a news conference today. According to the opposition
activist, stamps in passports somehow prevent falsifications, and
CEC’s inaction in this case paves way for electoral wrongdoings.

"The Commission’s next wrongdoing is the approval of lists violating
15% requirement for women’s representation," Mousinyan said, adding
that RA Cassation Court reasons ANC representative’s claim by
arguing that an authorized representative is not entitled to apply
to court. "The same court recently accepted the same representative’s
claim on another issue. It committed gross violation because in case
of accepting this claim, it would have to make decision on CEC’s
breach of RA Electoral Code," Mousinyan said.

ANC Press Secretary also added that their party is studying the
voters’ lists, and although they are in the middle of the process,
there are already perplexing results. "Voters’ lists contain names
of 2038 individuals not having residence permits. Besides, there are
300 names and surnames repeated several times," he noted.

"Such obvious violations are additional proof that authorities use
all resources to disport the real picture," Mousinyan confirms.

The Jamestown Post Journal, NY
May 24 2009

How Are You Going To Take Care Of Your Family?

It’s been some time since we discussed gun-control issues and with
recent developments coming out of Albany, the sharing of some facts is
long overdue.

This past week a nice little piece came across my desk. The following
has no author and I took some liberties in changing a few items to
make it more updated.

– – –

My people have asked me why I enjoy shooting, hunting and carrying a
gun. Here are some reasons that might be the same as yours.

I carry a gun to avoid being killed; I don’t carry a gun to scare
people.

I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place; I
don’t carry a gun because I’m paranoid.

I am not evil because I carry a gun; I carry a gun because I have seen
more evil in this world to make me smarter.

I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of the governments;
I don’t carry a gun because I am angry.

I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of the life
hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my own bed
surrounded by family and loved ones, not alone on some street or
sidewalk.

I don’t carry a gun because I am a cowboy; I carry a gun because I
want to go to heaven and be a cowboy.

I don’t carry a gun because it makes me feel like a man; I carry a gun
because I am the man of house and it’s my responsibility to protect my
family and loved ones.

I don’t carry a gun because I love it; I carry a gun because I love
life and want to live it to the fullest.

And finally, I carry a gun because I am too young to die and too old
to get my butt kicked.

– – –

Here are few facts about gun control in other countries that are worth
refreshing our memories with. The following is a little history about
world events.

In 1911, Turkey established gun control and from 1915-1917, 1.5
million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and
exterminated.

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945 a total
of 13 million Jews and others that were unable to defend themselves
were rounded up and killed.

From 1964 until 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend
themselves, were rounded up and killed.

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979 300,000
Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and killed.

Roughly over a year ago citizens in Australia were forced to give up
their guns. In the roundup, 640,381 personal firearms were destroyed
by their government, at the price tag of over $500 million. The
first-year crime results have been recently made public. In Australia
homicides are up 3.2 percent while assaults are up 8.6 percent and the
biggie, armed robberies, are up 44 percent.

Sounds like that half a billion dollars was money well spent – for the
criminals.

In the last month news from Albany has leaked out that our governor
wants to lead the charge on gun control in New York State. Now I am
not the best political mind in the room, but it looks like our
government has its hands full with the economy. It’s everything from
high unemployment to skyrocketing fuel prices, and from monster
businesses and every other small business closing and leaving their
financial mess for the average tax payer to pay off.

I would think that our elected officials have more important items to
take care of than taking our 12 gauge shotguns and .50 caliber
muzzleloaders away.

If our governor has his way, how are you going to protect your family?

SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION GROWS

armradio.am
20.05.2009 11:14

H. Res. 252, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, reached another
milestone with the bi-partisan support of 125 cosponsors, reported
the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). Congressmen Bruce Braley
(D-IA), Peter Defazio (D-OR), Bobby Rush (D-IL) and John Yarmouth
(D-KY) are the latest Members to lend their support to this human
rights initiative.

"Reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide will not be sidelined in the
111th Congress," stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "The
Assembly will continue to educate Members of Congress on the importance
of H. Res. 252 and, through its activists across the nation, energize
the community on the local level to contact their Representatives
directly," adding that "by passing the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
we can further the cause of genocide prevention."

H. Res. 252, a congressional resolution which reaffirms the historical
record of the United States on the Armenian Genocide, was introduced by
Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA) and Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and
Mark Kirk (R-IL) and is modeled after H. Res. 106, which passed the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs during the 110th Congress.

SERZH SARGSYAN REAFFIRMS ARMENIA’S LOYALTY TO EUROPEAN VALUES

Noyan Tapan
May 18, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Reaffirming Armenia’s loyalty to
European values, RA President Serzh Sargsyan at the May 18 meeting
with EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby
recorded with satisfaction that the Eastern Partnership Summit held
lately in Prague is a successful start for giving a new content to
the Armenia-EU cooperation and for expanding further contacts.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA President’s Press Office,
S. Sargsyan and P. Semneby gave assurance that frequent meetings and
discussions are evidence of the expansion of Armenia-EU partnership
agenda, as well as give a possibility to quickly respond and to give
solutions to emerging problems.

They positively assessed stipulation of balanced approaches on
the Nagorno Karabakh problem in the final statement of the Eastern
Partnership Summit.

At the meeting S. Sargsyan and P. Semneby also touched upon the
Armenian-Turkish political dialogue, prospects of Nagorno Karabakh
peaceful settlement, and further deepening of democratic reforms
in Armenia.

S. Sargsyan reiterated that Armenia sees Nagorno Karabakh conflict’s
peaceful settlement only within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group,
on the basis of Madrid proposals, all principles of international law
and of basic documents, self-determination right, exclusion of use
of force, and principles stipulated by the OSCE Foreign Ministers’
Helsinki statement. He emphasized Armenia’s readiness to normalize
relations with Turkey within the framework of reached agreements
and in fixed time constraints. S. Sargsyan said that any attempt of
intervening into the Nagorno Karabakh settlement process by Turkey
can only have a negative impact on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement
negotiations process.

ARMENIAN DATACOM COMPANY REDUCED ITS MONTHLY FEES FOR INTERNET OFFICE MINI

Noyan Tapan
May 17, 2009

Yerevan, May 17, Noyan Tapan, Armenian Datacom Company CJSC (ADC)
has reduced its monthly fees for Internet office mini services,
a broadband Intenet access specially designed for small and medium
sized businesses.

As ADC’s public relation department reported, signing a one-year
contract between May 13 and June 12, corporate customers will be able
to pay heavily reduced monthly fees during the whole year, and will
benefit from the advanced fiber-optic Internet connection without
traffic limitations.

"Monthly service fees are quite affordable for small and medium
companies and traffic capacities are relevant to their requirements,"
ADC’s management assures.

Internet office mini service delivery is based on a last mile
connection from the nearest node of ADC network to the customer
premises via optical fiber cable including installation of relevant
end-point equipment.

Besides, end-to end professional fiber-optic connection, customers
will benefit from: 24 hours availability of all Internet applications
(including unrestricted VPN connections), Data/Voice/Video traffic
priority system, 24/7/365 support, which is a best combined offer in
the market.

"I believe by the early summer of this year the company will have
started providing services to apartment subscribers," told recently
ADC Chief Commercial Officer Avetik Kalantaryan in an interview to
Noyan Tapan.

Established in April 2006, the Armenian-Norwegian joint venture ADC
has already invested USD 3.4 million in the venture. Since the early
2009 Dubai-based Delta Partners has become a stake holder in ADC.

The company operates a large fiber-optic network in Yerevan and
has a significant business subscriber portfolio: banks, hotels,
supermarkets, drugstore networks, state bodies and other multiple
organizations, requiring virtual private LAN services. Market survey,
conducted in late 2007, revealed that the company managed to gain a
strong foothold in the market of data transfer: 50 to 54 per cent of
the market of data transmission lines and 6 to 6.5 per cent of the
market of Internet service provision.

ADC’s network is based on state-of-the-art IP/MPLS technology with
total infrastructure length exceeding 400 km. The company’s investment
strategy is to continuously develop and extend services in line
with market demand and the network continues to be extended both
geographically and in terms of its service portfolio capabilities,
ADC’s press office reported.

AZERBAIJAN ACCUSED OF NIXING ARMENIA VOTE IN EUROVISION

MosNews
May 18 2009
Russia

Armenian Public Television has submitted a complaint to the
organizational committee of the Eurovision 2009 song contest accusing
Azeri contest officials of gross violation of the contest rules,
RIA Novosti news agency reports.

The Azeris were virtually deprived of the possibility to vote
for Armenia’s song in the final tournament, Armenian website
PanARMENIAN.Net reports.

According to a group of Azeri Internet users, during broadcasting
of the Eurovision contest, the part of the screen with the phone
number to call and vote for the song of the Armenian performers was
hidden. The voting results showed that Azerbajan has not given Anush
and Inga Arshakian a single point, PanARMENIAN.Net points out.

Anush and Inga Arshakian, who represented Armenia at the Eurovision
international contest, are reported to have taken tenth place.

It is worth mentioning that Armenia gave 1 point to the song of the
Azeri participants, Aysel Teimuradze and Arash, who scored 207 points
and took third place.

The Azeris’ biased attitude towards their Armenian counterparts
was also noticeable during the preparation for the song
contest. PanArmenian.net reports that Azerbaijan urged the Eurovision
2009 organizational committee to remove the We and Our Mountains
monument in Nagorno Karabakh from the video representing Armenia.

At the same time, the showing of the Iranian Maqbaratoshoara (mausoleum
of poets in Tebriz) in the video representing the Azeri contestants
was not considered inappropriate by the Azeri participants.

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN VISITS "NAIRIT" FACTORY TO GET ACQUIANTED WITH THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ACCIDENT

ARMENPRESS
May 15, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 15, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
visited today "Nairit" factory accompanied by the Energy and Natural
Resources Minister, Health Minister, Emergency Situations Minister,
Yerevan Mayor and other officials.

The president walked in the burnt territory, got acquainted with the
circumstances of the accident. The president was informed that works
are being carried out to find out the causes of the explosion and
the fire broken out as a result of it. Serzh Sargsyan underscored
the necessity of finding out the causes of the accident to exclude
them in future.

The president also expressed his condolences to the families of
the victims.

TURKEY WILL NOT OPEN BORDERS WITH ARMENIA UNTIL ARMENIAN TROOPS WITHDRAWN FROM KARABAKH – PM

Interfax
May 13 2009
Russia

Turkey does not intend to open its borders with Armenia until Armenia
withdraws its troops from occupied territories of Azerbaijan, said
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"We closed our borders after Nagorno-Karabakh’s occupation. As long as
the occupation continues, we will not open the borders," Erdogan said
following talks with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Wednesday.

GEAGEA: NO CRISIS WITH INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES AND NO VETO ON BOUEIZ

NaharNet
May 14 2009
Lebanon

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea denied Thursday reports of a crisis
between LF and independent candidates in the second Kesrouan list.

In an interview with al-Markazia News agency, he described the
relationship as "excellent" with some of the contenders, "acceptable"
with others and "normal" with candidates such as former MP Mansour
Ghanem al- Bon.

Geagea denied to asked independent candidate to join a Christian
gathering as a pre-condition for being part of the list. He also called
on all independent runners to check the veracity of such reports.

Regarding the delay in the formulation of the Kesrouan list, Geagea
said: "everybody waited for the closure of candidacy registration
door and for the formation of another Kesrouan list before starting
the actual work on a new ticket that includes independents and March
14 members."

"The Kesrouan list will be unveiled in a matter of days and not weeks,"
he added.

"There is no veto on anyone even former minister Fares Boueiz," the
LF leader said, denying "evil" rumors that Boueiz was conditioned to
join Geagea’s bloc before being endorsed in the ticket.

As for the Beirut 2 constituency and negotiations with MP Saad Hariri
over the Armenian-Orthodox seat, Geagea said that "negotiations with
Armenian parties are ongoing.

"The meetings so far held with MP Hariri focused on other matters as
well," he added.

As for the failure of the Cabinet to approve key administrative
appointments on Wednesday, Geagea said "this is the experience of
the veto power." He added: "I hope the Lebanese would stop at the
meaning of this concept."

Geagea commended security forces for uncovering Israeli spy rings
saying "the government and the official bodies were able to accomplish
an excellent work."

"The majority of these rings were uncovered in Hizbullah’s area of
operation," he added.

CONFLICT BETWEEN GEORGIA AND RUSSIA WAS UNAVOIDABLE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.05.2009 18:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Conflict between Georgia and Russia was unavoidable,
as the states support opposite positions. I believe, that no political
force would agree today to the existing status quo," Head of Caucasus
Studies at the French Institute of Anatolian Research, Tornike Gordadze
told at international conference entitled "South Caucasus security
reconsidered: regional conflicts, stability and transformation". "One
of Georgia’s goals is creation of a national state of European type,"
he noted.

"Here we’re up against a paradox. On one side, Russia is trying to
reconsider its role, but still create an empirelike state. Georgia
is trying to create a national state – two19 century categories,
still relevant in the region."

"There’s also a major ideological confrontation. After Russia
established itself as a strong power, upholding principles of
democracy, western democracy appeared like geographical and historical
property of Euro Atlantic territory. When a state located next to
Russia tries to base its policy on principles of western democracy,
Russia gets irritated," Tornike Gordadze concluded.