Author: Babajanian Karo

ELECTION DEPOSIT IS A WAY TO AVOID ARBITRARY CANDIDATES. CEC PRESIDENT

18:23, 14 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenian Central
Electoral Commission Tigran Mukuchyan considers statements of some
candidates for the post of the president to be the result of arbitrary
comments on Electoral Code of Armenia. Armenpress quoted CEC President
as saying during January 14 briefing with journalists.

“In case, as a specialist, I used to have some doubts than now
I acknowledge that both the deposit and the signatures give an
opportunity to avoid arbitrary candidates, those who come to stress
the importance of their person,” he said. Mukuchyan reminded that AMD
5 million deposit and signatures of 35 000 people had been replace
by AMD 8 million.

Mukuchyan believes if a person is really making a petition and not
just creating names, surnames and false passport numbers than he will
spend more money than AMD 3 million added to the deposit.

15 people were initially going to run in the presidential race,
therefor only 8 candidates have paid AMD 8 million deposit:
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, former Prime Minister Hrant
Bagratyan, leader of Heritage party Raffi Hovhannisian, leader of
Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan, leader of National Accord
party Aram Harutyunyan, former Foreign Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic Arman Melikyan, political expert Andrias Ghukasyan, historian
Vartan Sedrakyan.

TIGRAN PETROSIAN IS THE SOLE LEADER OF CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

20:25, 14 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS: Tigran Petrosian becomes sole leader
after the 3rd tour of Armenia’s men chess championship. Armenpress
reports, Armenian champion has scored the win over Robert Aghasaryan
reaching 3 points. Robert Hovhannisyan and Hovik Hayrapetyan scored
a victory accordingly over Arman Pashikyan and Hrant Melkumyan.

Zaven Andriasyan-Avetik Grigoryan, Hrant Melkumyan- Samvel
Ter-Sahakyan, Arman Pashikyan- Hovik Hayrapetyan, Robert Aghasaryan-
Robert Hovhannisyan and Tigran Kotanjyan-Tigran Levon Kotanjyan will
meet in 4th tour, which will take place on January 15.

Armenia’s men chess championship launched on January 12 and will be
concluded on January 21.

GREECE-ARMENIAN 2013 MILITARY COOPERATION PROJECT SIGNED

news.am
January 14, 2013 | 19:44

This Monday, a delegation led by the head of Greek National Defense
main Headquarters’ International cooperation directory, General of
brigade Evangelos Constas visited Armenia.

The press service of Armenian Defense Ministry informs that in the
framework of the visit the delegation has meet with the first Deputy
Minister of Defense D. Tonoyan and Defense Policy department head L.

Ayvazyan. During the meetings, the results of cooperation in 2012 were
concluded and new agreements have been made toward the cooperation
in 2013.

Ayvazyan and General of the brigade Constas have signed an agreement
between the Defense Ministry of Armenia and National Defense Ministry
of Greece, on the military cooperation program of 2013, which intend
a number of initiatives in military technical cooperation, military
training of the staff and experience exchange.

EIGHT CANDIDATES REGISTERED FOR ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Alexei Druzhinin

RIA Novosti

YEREVAN, January 14 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia’s Central Election
Commission registered in an extraordinary session on Monday eight
candidates for the country’s presidential election slated for February
18, the Novosti-Armenia news agency reported.

Among the candidates are current President Serzh Sargsyan, former
Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan, US-born former Foreign Minister Raffi
Hovannisian, Soviet-era dissident Paruyr Hayrikyan, and former Foreign
Minister of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Arman Melikyan.

The main opposition coalition, the Armenian National Congress, headed
by first Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, declined to nominate
a candidate.

Experts have said Sargsyan remains the favorite in the race, especially
since two other political heavyweights – Petrosian and businessman
and Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan – opted out of
the contest.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will
monitor the vote.

The election campaign begins on January 21 and will end on February
16. This election marks the sixth presidential poll in Armenia’s
post-Soviet history.

JOAQUIN BOGHOSSIAN COULD REPLACE YURA MOVSISYAN AT RUSSIAN FOOTBALL CLUB

NEWS.am Sport
January 15

Russia’s FC Krasnodar is interested in Austria’s FC Red Bull Salzburg
forward, Uruguayan Armenian Joaquín Boghossian.

The Russian football club sees Boghossian, 25, as a replacement for
Armenian national squad forward Yura Movsisyan, Life Sports reports.

Krasnodar Manager Slavoljub Muslin confirmed that his team his looking
for someone to replace Movsisyan, who transferred to FC Spartak Moscow.

Joaquín Boghossian’s transfer value is estimated at ~@800,000.

Earlier, rumors were circulating that Boghossian would continue
his football career at Ecuador’s fourteen-time champion, Barcelona
Sporting Club of Guayaquil.

ARMENIA’S MFA BUILDING TO BE PUT UP FOR AUCTION IN MARCH

January 15, 2013 – 16:18 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The second section of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry
building will be put up for auction in early March 2013, head of
State Property Management Department said.

As Arman Sahakyan told a press conference, the deal about the state
property sale was replaced with an auction due to increased public
interest in the building.

“Owner of Tango CJSC, entrepreneur Eduardo Eurnekian does not abandon
the idea of purchasing the building, which will be sold at a higher
price if a new purchaser shows interest in it. Otherwise, we will
continue negotiations with the primary buyer,” Mr. Sahakyan said.

The government of Armenia resolved to yet again auction the Foreign
Ministry building with a total area of 14,2 thousand square meters.

As Mr. Sahakyan noted, in view of major public interest to the process,
transparency of the deal is essential.

As of October 4, the building was transferred to Tango CJSC owned by
entrepreneur Eduardo Eurnekian.

The starting price of the building is set at $50,7 million, with the
land the building is located on added to the deal. The buyer will
have to compensate the building assessment charges, which brings the
total cost to $51,3 million.

ARMENIAN FIRST LADY’S TANGO PERFORMED BY PIETRODARCHI IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, January 15. /ARKA/. Prominent Italian bandoneon player
Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi for the first time performed a tango
composition written by Armenia’s first lady Rita Sargsyan during
his concert with the Youth State Orchestra of Armenia in Yerevan,
Novosti-Armenia reported.

During the concert, the producers said Pietrodarchi would perform a
piece of music written by an Armenian composer, but did not unveil
the name to keep the intrigue till the last minute.

“When Sergey Smbatyan (the principal conductor of the Youth State
Orchestra) invited me to Armenia, I was happy to agree, as it’s always
a pleasure for me to visit Armenia. He sent me a disk with a tango
recording and asked me to make an arrangement for it. I liked the
music and I would like to thank the first lady of Armenia who loves
music and the youth and helps them develop,” the musician said.

He confessed he would like to have such a first lady in his own
country.

It is Pietrodarchi’s fifth visit to Armenia. Once again he captured
the Armenian audience with unique sounds of bandoneon and his
performance and expressive style, while playing Roberto Molineli,
Fabio Conochiella and Ennio Morricone. After Martin Palmieri’s Four
Seasons he cast his Piazzola tango’s spell over the spectators.

The concert was a unique combination of blues, tango, jazz and
symphony. The audience kept him, but finally had to let him go –
after a couple of “encore”, an accordion composition and a promise
to come back to Armenia. -0-

ONE OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES IN ARMENIA GOES ON INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE

arminfo
Tuesday, January 15, 13:19

In response to the unhealthy and non-competitive atmosphere in Armenia
before the presidential elections, presidential candidate Andreas
Ghukassyan has decided to go on indefinite hunger strike.

In a press statement on Tuesday Ghukasyan said that in Armenia people
do not trust elections and are not properly informed of their rights
as voters.

“All this results in quasi-democracy and electoral fraud. I am sure
that if our Central Election Commission studies the international
experience, it will not register the candidate who is responsible
for this situation and whose running in the race poses a threat to
the interests of our society. If he is registered, I will consider
my rights as violated,” Ghukasyan says in his statement.

Andreas Ghukasyan is one of the eight people that will run for
presidency on Feb 18 2013.

JACQUES FAURE DWELLED ON POSSIBLE MEETING BETWEEN FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

15:15, 15 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANAURY 15, ARMENPRESS: The format of the possible meeting
scheduled to be launched amid Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan due to take place on January 28 will be set by the Ministers
themselves. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Jacques Faure of France
came forth with statement, Armenpress reports citing Azerbaijani APA
news agency .Our regular visits to the region will continue after
the meeting of the heads of Foreign Affair Ministries aimed to launch
discussions over Karabakh conflict.

Jacques Faure underscored the meeting is most possible to kick off
with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs , yet the
final decision will be made by the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Edward Nalbandyan and Elmar Mammadyarov.

The last meeting between the foreign ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan took place on December 6, 2012 in Dublin.

NEPHEW OF MARSHAL BAGHRAMIAN TO HEAD R. HOVANNISIAN’S HEADQUARTERS

Tuesday,
January 15

This year Raffi Hovannisian did not spend the New Year in the United
States – unlike the previous years.

“Hraparak” daily wrote that before the holidays he made a phone call
to the U.S. and asked Congress expert Levon Baghramian, who is a
friend of his son Karin, to come to Armenia and head his election
campaign headquarters.

“By the way, L. Baghramian took part in Obama’s election campaign.

Levon is 30. He is a nephew of Marshall Hovhannes Baghramian.

According to our newspaper’s sources, he accepted the proposal and
will arrive in Armenia this week. Heritage Party has not yet announced
its headquarters’ head”.

TODAY, 11:53

Aysor.am