AMMUNITION FOUND IN SHIRAK REGION OF ARMENIA
16/04/2013 13:21:00
Oratert News
On April 15 at 13:41 Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia
received a signal that in the village near the school of Pokr Mantash
of Shirak region ammunition was found.
Fire-rescue squad of task force reached the scene.
Fire-rescue workers found a grenade “RG-42” without explosive. Police
brought the grenade to a safe place.
HERITAGE MP LAMBASTES DISTRIBUTION OF CONDENSED MILK FOR VOTES
Narek Aleksanyan
13:29, April 17, 2013
Heritage Party MP Zarouhie Postanjyan lambasted certain political
forces that have been distributing condensed milk to voters in the
run-up to the May 5 Yerevan municipal elections.
Postanjyan called the practice “degrading”, adding that “we are not
naive enough to expect any other behaviour from them.”
The MP said they would follow up with a written statement on the
matter.
“LEVON TER PETROSYAN DID NOT BLOW THE WHISTLE ON ANYONE”
11:46 AM | TODAY | POLITICS
The opposition forces should not be afraid of the Armenian National
Congress (HAK), as the latter’s main target are the authorities. This
is logical, fair and necessary,” says Zoya Tadevosyan, who is second
on the HAK list for the May 5 municipal election in Yerevan.
She says the speech of Armenia’s first President and leader of the HAK
opposition bloc, Levon Ter Petrosyan, at Saturday’s founding congress
of the HAK Party was not an attempt ‘to blow the whistle on anyone;”
it was a political assessment.
“The people the assessment was addressed to should sober up and learn
lessons,” says Zoya Tadevosyan.
Vahagn Khachatryan, who leads HAK’s list in the upcoming municipal
election, agrees with his teammate and says HAK has no problems with
the other opposition forces. The criticism is directed against Serzh
Sargsyan and the party he leads -the Republican Party of Armenia
(HAK).
“The only people guilty of the current situation are the acting
authorities and the present system and there cannot be second or third
targets.HAK does not seek to hinder the other opposition forces
participating in the race. We want them to understand clearly that we
are on their side,” he said.
The municipal election was largely viewed as another opportunity for
the opposition forces to consolidate around one candidate. HAK members
are convinced that the opposition forces will unite one day- if not in
the May 5 election, at least in the future.
“The political consciousness will develop among us and if it is not
done by our generation, it will be done by next generations,” said
Zoya Tadevosyan.
TSARUKYAN DEPRIVED OF MONOPOLY IN THE SPHERE OF SPORT?
17/04/2013 12:34:00
Oratert News
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Hrachia Rostomyan will not be in
the new government. It is yet unknown who will replace Rostomyan, but
for the moment the issue of releasing Rostomyan as Minister seems to
be resolved.
Hrachia Rostomyan became Minister of the Republic of Armenia, as the
person, who controls the sphere of sports, wanted this- Rostomyan was
true “Hrachik” of the Chairman of the Olympic Committee Gagik
Tsarukyan. Since the question of the following duties of the executive
has not yet fully resolved, it is difficult to say whether the
dismissal of the latter will occur on the same logic, taking into
account that the period of tenure of previous Ministers was completed
at that time when their sponsor decided that from now the individual’s
choice on that position was inappropriate.
So, Minister Armen Grigoryan was dismissed on the basis of purely
personal motives, as he disappointed Gagik Tsarukyan. Artur Petrosyan
was also dismissed, taking into account that the circumstances of his
exit from the coalition PAP, then the opportunity to prove himself was
given young Rostomyan. The incumbent Minister, however, is
non-partisan, but it is not a secret that he has been in office, as
there is some agreement, because the monopoly of sphere of sport still
remains in the hands of the Chairman of the Olympic Committee.
Based on this reality, it is probably not so interesting Rostomyan’s
exemption from the post of the Minister as who will replace him as the
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs.
If it is decide to withdraw the sphere of sport from the control of
Gagik Tsarukyan, the choice of the Minister will stop on someone who
is not under the power of PAP, and who can demonstrate sufficient
independence to work so that the last word was not for the Chairman of
the Olympic Committee, but the Minister. If however the sphere of the
monopoly of sport will remain in Tsarukyan’s hands, he will also
continue to appoint Ministers of Sports and Youth Affairs, writes
lurer.com.
BILLBOARDS CONDEMNING GENOCIDE OF 1915 IN MASSACHUSETTS
During the month of April 2013, Peace of Art, Inc., will be displaying
the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboards to honor the victims
of the Armenian Genocide, calling for recognition and condemnation
of the genocide.
Peace of Art, Inc. is a nonprofit educational organization that uses
the universal language of art to address human concerns and to promote
peaceful solutions to conflict.
This year the billboards will be located in Foxboro, Watertown,
and Cambridge.
13:57 17/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
NKR FOREIGN MINISTER: STEPANAKERT AIRPORT WILL OPERATE ANY WAY
Wednesday, April 17, 13:22
The Stepanakert airport will operate any way, Foreign Minister of
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic, Karen Mirzoyan, said in an interview with
Radio Liberty. “This is a sovereign decision of the Karabakh
authorities and despite all the threats and other steps by the
authorities of Azerbaijan, it will be brought to life sooner or later.
It is already for more than 20 years that Azerbaijan’s laws are
invalid at the territory of the NKR”, – the minister said and added
the OSCE MG co-chairmen as well as all the political forces more or
less aware about the matter fully share such an approach of the
Karabakh authorities.
“Everybody emphasize that any threat to shoot down a civilian aircraft
or any similar step is absolutely inadmissible. We mentioned about
that in a letter on behalf of the foreign minister to UN secretary
general in autumn 2012. The letter says that the flights will be just
of the humanitarian nature and have no other purposes. As for the
political games and various threats as well as the disinformation
started by Azerbaijan, they are just another attempt to distort the
negotiating process and deflect attention of the world community away
from the illegal and disruptive steps taken by Azerbaijan”, – the NKR
foreign minister said.
The Stepanakert airport was built in 1974 and has not been functioning
since 1992. The new terminal of the airport was built in 2008 and is
going to implement flight on the route
Stepanakert-Yerevan-Stepanakert. However, the airport does not
operate because of the threats of Azerbaijan to shoot down planes from
Stepanakert.
HEAD OF RA POLICE ACADEMY WILL BE RELIEVED OF HIS POST
2013-04-17 12:36:57
According to Lurer.com, Head of the Police Academy of Armenia Hovhannes
Varian in the coming days will be removed from office. No one knows
who will replace him.
Today or tomorrow a decree on dismissal of Varian and the appointment
of a new chief will be signed.
It should be noted that today the newspaper “Haykakan Zhamanak” also
reported that some high-ranking officials, including Hovhannes Varian
soon will be relieved of their posts.
ANCA CHIEF POSES 5 QUESTIONS ABOUT U.S. POLICY ON SYRIA’S ARMENIANS
April 17, 2013 – 11:40 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian listed “5
things you deserve to know about U.S. Policy on Syria’s Armenians”
in his Facebook post.
According to Hamparian, clarification is necessary as to what specific
efforts the U.S. government has undertaken to ensure the delivery
of humanitarian aid to all at-risk populations in Syria, including
vulnerable Armenian and other Christian minorities in the Aleppo area.
“What public accounting has there been regarding the nature and scope
of the U.S. aid that has actually reached the Armenian community and
other Christian-populated areas in and around Aleppo?
In light of the massive destruction in and around Armenian populated
areas, what has the U.S. government done to reach out to U.S.-based,
international, and indigenous Armenian church and charitable
organizations to help facilitate the delivery of humanitarian
relief?” Hamparian asks.
Another thing to find out, Hamparian says, is what policies and
practices the U.S. government has put in place to impress upon all
parties in Syria to refrain from intimidation, violence, or retribution
against Armenian and other Christian populations, to keep military
operations away from residential Aleppo, and to confine all attacks
to military targets.
“Given the presence of a longstanding Armenian population in the
northern regions of Syria that is,in part, the result of Turkey’s
death marches during the Armenian Genocide, what has the U.S.
government done to constrain Turkey from any further actions aimed
at weakening, displacing, or destroying these communities?” ANCA
Executive Director asks.
CHANGING THE GUARD?: MAJOR POLICE RESHUFFLING LINKED TO APRIL 9 PROTEST HANDLING
POLITICS | 17.04.13 | 10:38
Photolure
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
A week after the controversial and dramatic events of April 9 when a
major opposition protest took place in Yerevan the city’s Police
Chief Nerses Nazaryan has been dismissed from his job in what many
immediately saw a link to his actions on that day.
Some local media have even made far-reaching assumptions that on April
9 – the day of President Serzh Sargsyan’s inauguration and culmination
of opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian’s protests – the authorities
managed to prevent a ‘coup d’etat’ within the government circles
themselves – something that would allegedly have been committed with
Nazaryan’s assistance and presumably organized by Armenia’s second
President Robert Kocharyan.
“In fact, [Chief of Police] Vladimir Gasparyan had ‘exposed’ the
attempted coup that was planned for April 9, when the situation could
get out of control in Baghramyan Avenue and lead to clashes with the
police with unforeseen consequences or perhaps quite predictable ones,”
wrote a Lragir.am analyst in relation to the development.
Another version presented in the media is that Gasparyan, hailed as a
hero of the day for preventing major clashes between riot police and
protesters, has thus managed to get rid of a subordinate, who had held
the post for a decade, and with whom he was in strained relations. And
he did so ‘legitimately’, over the mistakes that Nazaryan presumably
in policing the avenue where the Presidential Palace is located on
April 9.
Media have always ascribed to Nazaryan ambitions of becoming the next
chief of police, something that he himself has repeatedly denied,
though. Interestingly, the official police website did not publish
any information regarding the latest reshuffling on Tuesday, when it
was clearly an accomplished fact already. Gasparyan, meanwhile, in an
interview with Lragir.am denied any tension between him and Nazaryan.
“As a rule no one strains his relations with me, particularly my
subordinates,” said Gasparyan, still hinting that he was dissatisfied
with Nazaryan’s work.
Meanwhile, the opposition Heritage party, whose leader Raffi
Hovannisian led the post-election protests, has positively evaluated
the dismissal of Nazaryan.
“I think his actions [on April 9] were not adequate to the situation,
and if that’s the reason for his dismissal, then I think it is
positive. If there are other reasons, then I cannot comment on that,”
Heritage’s deputy chairman Armen Martirosyan told ArmeniaNow.
Martirosyan was beaten up by riot police and suffered a broken nose
on April 9. He was among several protesters who were briefly detained
and taken to police precincts that day.
The opposition march towards the Presidential Palace last week was
stopped at the approaches to Baghramyan Avenue by several rows of
police in riot gear. Some protesters threw rocks at security personnel
and some clashes occurred between citizens and police officers in the
first row. Heritage later said those citizens were rather plainclothes
police personnel tasked with organizing provocations.
Tensions relatively calmed when Chief of Police Gasparyan arrived at
the scene to start negotiations with opposition leader Hovannisian.
Before that, the police actions were coordinated by Nazaryan. As a
result of the negotiations a group of protesters led by Hovannisian
and accompanied by Gasparyan went to Tsitsernakaberd, a hilltop
Genocide Memorial, which took some of the tension off Baghramyan
Avenue. Later that night Gasparyan ordered to remove the police
cordons and let protesters march through the thoroughfare. A video by
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service shows Gasparyan ordering Nazaryan to open
up the street. In a threatening tone the chief of police repeatedly
said, “Nersik, I am telling you, open it”. This shows that Nazaryan
apparently tried to confront his superior’s command.
Heritage Party member Stepan Safaryan, analyzing the events of April 9,
wrote on his Facebook account several days later: “What program was
Nersik Nazaryan trying to accomplish that was prevented by Vladimir
Gasparyan and that was sensed and seen by Raffi Hovannisian? Before
Vladimir Gasparyan arrived at the scene by running Raffi Hovannisian
and all his companions had already been isolated from the first
line as police groups were taking them “hostage” and leading away
to a police station or away from the police barricades. The figures
who could somehow control the protesting people had been isolated,
our guys who tried to confront the provocateurs were themselves
taken to police stations. A March 1 deja vu?… There were no longer
leaders there, the place teemed with provocateurs, the protesters were
fuming and passions were running high. Who would be carrying out the
operation? Nersik Nazaryan? That’s why the police chief was running
to the place. I have no doubt that he had been watching online what
the police were recording and streaming live. It becomes clearer what
Raffi Hovannisian realized and what he did not make as the next step
together with the people.”
ARS GALA HONORS 46 MEMBERS AND UNVEILS NEW WEBSITE
Tuesday, April 16th, 2013
ARS chapter honorees
GLENDALE-For the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA (ARS-WUSA)
members and supporters, the weekend of April 5 to 7 gave great cause
to celebrate. The announcements of $250,000 in pledges and donations
and the honoring of 46 ARS volunteers created a very festive mood at
the Gala on Friday, April 5.
Mr. & Mrs. Sam Solakyan, Major Banquet Sponsor are presented a plaque
by ARS Regional Executive
There was a chance to acknowledge the consistent and loyal support of
long-time members, some serving in the ARS for as long as 50 years,
at Saturday’s Member Appreciation Day festivities. And there was the
opportunity to take stock of accomplishments and be reminded of the
roots of the organization and its mission during ARS Day on Sunday.
Banquet Diamond Sponsors Mr. & Mrs. Harry Najarian
The April 5 Gala, held at the Glendale Hilton Hotel, was attended by
550 people. Dignitaries, public officials and community association
leaders included Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Congressman Adam Schiff (CA 28th District), Senator Carol Liu
(25th Senate District), ARS Central Executive Board members Annie
Kechichian and Rosie Bedrossian, California State Assemblymember
Adrin Nazarian (District 46), City of Los Angeles Councilmember Paul
Krekorian (District 2), newly re-elected Glendale City Councilmember
Ara Najarian and Glendale City Treasurer Rafi Manoukian.
Schiff congratulated the ARS “for serving the most vulnerable amongst
us with compassion, dedication and a great heart.” He made the most
cogent remark about the humanitarian organization, whose membership is
almost entirely women. “The ARS confirms what I have always wondered
about the Armenian community: that Armenian men are strong and together
they can move mountains; but Armenian women can move the entire world,”
said Schiff.
Leading a call to ARS members to “renew our oath in service of the
Armenian people,” Lena Bozoyan, ARS Regional Executive Chairperson,
noted the dire situation being faced by the Syrian Armenians, and
the continuing needs in Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk. She thanked
the ARS sponsors and donors for their help in meeting those needs,
particularly Mr. & Mrs. Sam and Suzanna Solakyan, who were the Major
Banquet Sponsors ($20,000), and Mr. and Mrs. Harry and Cheryl Najarian,
who were Diamond sponsors ($10,000). Recalling a recent meeting with
Mr. Solakyan, Bozoyan explained his enthusiasm about contributing
to the work of the ARS. In addition, Bozoyan recognized Antranig
Baghdassarian of Karoun Dairies, with an ARS Legacy Award.
Baghdassarian had pledged $100,000 in honor of his wife Seta, toward
an endowment fund for battered women.
ARS chapters had selected 44 members to be honored at the Gala for
their volunteer accomplishments during the past year, and the Regional
Executive honored two additional members for their volunteer efforts,
Dr. Nyree Derderian and Rita Hintlian. Bozoyan said both honorees
unconditionally serve the ARS and sister organizations and are
inspiring role models and committed “HOM-ouhies”. She noted that Dr.
Derderian, the former ARS-WUSA Regional Executive Chairperson, who is
a parliamentarian, has shared her knowledge of parliamentary procedures
and prepared a handbook for new members. Bozoyan lauded Rita Hintlian,
chair of the ARS Public Relations committee and an integral member of
the ARS Day committee, for enriching the ARS with her technological and
organizational knowledge. Congressman Adam Schiff issued Certificates
of Special Congressional Recognition to both honorees in recognition
of outstanding and invaluable service to the community. Derderian and
Hintlian also received Certificates of Recognition from California
Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (District 46).
Rep. Adam Schiff praises ARS activities during speech
Bozoyan proudly unveiled the redesigned ARS-WUSA website, which is now
accessible from multiple platforms and browsers ().
She praised the ARS volunteers and staff for their hard work throughout
the year, and acknowledged the volunteers of the Gala committee,
headed by ARS-WUSA General Manager Jasik Jarahian.
Welcoming remarks were made by Grigor Ogaryan, a poet and artist,
and Janet Shamilian, a former ARS Intern, who is graduating from USC
and interning with Congressman Adam Schiff.
Tenor Raffi Kerbabian sang the national and ARS anthems, with Hovsep
Torrosian, accompanying him on the piano.
Dr. Nyree Derderian and Rita Hintlian were honored by City Councilman
Paul Krekorian
Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian delivered the
invocation, praying for the ARS family. The Prelate congratulated the
ARS 103rd anniversary and honorees, praised the role and the vital
mission of the ARS in the survival, advancement and overall welfare
of the Armenian people, and noted that His Holiness Catholicos Aram
I has dedicated 2013 to the Armenian Mothers.
The program continued with performance of “Torna a Sorento” and
“Hayastan” by Tenor Raffi Kerbabian and a recitation by Ogaryan.
Entertainment was provided by Arbi Gharibian and Lou Varoujan Band. A
candle lighting ceremony by sponsors concluded the festive program.
The event sponsors, donors, and friends of the ARS raised $100,000
during the program, and the silent auction. That, together with
the Baghdassarian pledge and an announcement by Councilmember Paul
Krekorian of $50,000 in grant money to an ARS Social Services office
in North Hollywood, brought the total to $250,000 in funds for the ARS.
The Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, established in 1984 and
with regional headquarters in Glendale, CA, has 27 chapters and more
than 1,500 members in five western states. The ARS-WUSA operates a
Social Services Division and Child, Youth, and Family Guidance Center,
and funds numerous youth programs, scholarships, and relief efforts.
For further information, please visit or call
818.500.1343.