Author: Babajanian Karo

ANC FIGHTS AGAINST REPUBLICAN PARTY, NOT PROSPEROUS ARMENIA – HRANT BAGRATYAN

TERT.AM
04.05.12

Member of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), former prime minister
Hrant Bagratyan said there is no need to fight against the Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP), as the main share of Armenia’s economy belongs
to the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

‘Our target is the Republican party. We cannot fight against thousand
forces. Should we fight against 5% instead of the 95%?’ Bagratyan said,
explaining that the PAP has only 5% in the economy.

Hrant Bagratyan dismissed news about ANC’s support to the PAP saying
it is an anecdote. ‘The ANC has not given any votes to the PAP. It
is at least an anecdote,’ he said.

The former premier stressed that there are no literate people inside
the Republican party. ‘There is no criticism inside the party. They
are miserable people, it is necessary to get rid of them. There is
no literate person there,’ Bagratyan voiced his opinion.

‘Armenia is standing on the edge of decline because of the Republican
party. One day it will be subjected to foreign aggression as no one
is interested in such like country,’ Bagratyan concluded.

KARABAKH PRESIDENT GRANTS AMNESTY TO 11 CONVICTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 4, 2012 – 12:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On May 4, Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan signed
a decree on results of amnesty application consideration.

The decree offers amnesty to 11 convicts; 29 people were granted
partial amnesty, according to chief information department of Karabakh
presidential administration.

87 prisoners were denied amnesty, in view of their prior criminal
records, negative reference from jails, criminal offense and the
extent of their social threat.

URUGUAYAN MFA VISITED TSITSERNAKABERD

04.05.12, 13:58

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay Luis Almagros is in Armenia
with an official visit on May 4-5. As it was planned before L.

Almagros visited Tsitsernakaberd and put flowers at the memorial of
the Armenian Genocide victims. After it he visited Armenian Genocide
Institute Museum where he was shown the document according which
Uruguay recognized Armenian Genocide. Remind that Uruguay is the first
country which recognized Armenian Genocide on 1965. Mr. Minister also
made a note in the note-book.

Almagros said that his visit to Armenian Genocide Museum Institute
had a great impression on him.

“Armenian Genocide is a crime not only against Armenian nation but
also against the whole humanity. Unfortunately the lessons of the
history were not studied well and genocides are going in the world
now as well”, Uruguayan MFA said.

As press and information department of Armenian MFA informs L.

Almagros is in Armenia on the invitation of Armenian MFA Edward
Nalbandyan. Meetings with Armenian MFA, Armenian President and
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin the Second are scheduled.

KIM KARDASHIAN TAPES CALL FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION (VIDEO)

May 4, 2012 – 13:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Reality show star Kim Kardashian – who recently made
headlines after she said she wanted to run for mayor of Glendale –
has also taped a public service announcement for the city’s official
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, Los Angeles Times reports.

In the video, unveiled earlier this week at the Glendale City Council
meeting and uploaded to YouTube ON, Kardashian asks the public to
join in commemorating “the loss of those innocent lives of millions
of people worldwide.”

Kardashian also refers to the Armenian Genocide of 1915, in which
roughly 1.5 million Armenians were killed at the hands of Ottoman
Turks, as “the modern genocide.”

Kardashian does not specifically refer to Glendale, but city officials
told the Glendale News-Press it was sent in for the official genocide
commemoration at the Alex Theatre last week. It was never aired,
however, due to technical difficulties.

She had been invited to attend personally, but was out of state.

Councilman Ara Najarian – who publicly invited Kardashian to be his
honorary chief of staff to learn more about Glendale politics – said
that if she had attended, “It would have been a little more exciting.”

The event was sold out, with about 1,400 in attendance.

“That is the one and only Kim Kardashian,” Najarian said in referring
to the video. “I don’t think anyone can bring too much publicity to
the Armenian Genocide.”

Since her quip about running for elected office in Glendale aired on
her sister’s reality TV show, “Khloe & Lamar,” Kardashian has been
coy about her plans.

Earlier, she told Politico that the public would “just kind of have
to stay tuned.”

In the TV clip, Kardashian tells her sister that she wants to run
for mayor of Glendale – or as she calls it, “Armenian town” – in
five years. The mayor is actually picked from among elected City
Council members.

RAILWAY LINE TO ARMENIAN “ZVARTNOTS” AIRPORT TO BE CONSTRUCTED

ARMENPRESS
4 May, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS: In the Ministry of Transport and
Communication of Armenia was signed memorandum “About the intention to
construct railway lint to “Zvatrnots” international airport” on May 4.

It was signed by Minister of Transport and Communication Manuk
Vardanyan, Director general of CJSC “South-Caucasus railway” Victor
Rebec and Manager General of CJSC “Armenia International Airports”
Marcelo Vende.

Armenpress reports that the sides announced their intention
to construct the railway line as soon as possible in frame of
State-private cooperation in order to secure the increasing volumes
of freight and passenger traffic to “Zvartnots” international airport.

Vardanyan informed CJSC “Armenia International Airports” has already
ordered the project of railway line construction which will implement
company “Transproject”. An agreement was reached to appoint responsible
officials who will develop joint proposals in three months period
for implementation of the project.

The length of main projected railway is 7800 meters, from which 5350
meters are to be built. It is also planned to build 850 meters long
railway tunnel. Planned passenger rail length is 1300 meters.

The implementation of the project will give the opportunity to join
the passenger terminal of the airport with railway line to metro
“Charbakh” station and cargo terminal with “Karmir blur” station.

SERGE SARKISSIAN RECOMPENSE DES POLITICIENS AMERICAINS
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 4 mai 2012

Le president Serge Sarkissian a donne des recompenses d’etat a trois
politiciens americains qui ont pendant des annees au Congrès agît
pour une reconnaissance des massacres des armeniens dans l’Empire
Ottoman comme d’un genocide.

Le bureau de Serge Sarkissian a dit que le Senateur Mark Kirk et les
Representants Anna Eshoo et Brad Sherman recevront la medaille d’or
Mkhitar en reconnaissance de leur ” contribution significative a la
reconnaissance internationale du genocide armenien “. Le Bureau a dit
qu’ils ont aussi aide a ” renforcer et developper des liens amicaux
Armeno-americains “.

Les trois policiens ont patronne des resolutions sur le genocide
armenien demandees par la communaute armenienne aux Etats-Unis.

SOCIOLOGIST PREDICTS COALITION RENEWAL AFTER ELECTIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 3, 2012 – 16:34 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – 5 political forces including the Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA), Prosperous Armenia, Orinats Yerkir and ARF
Dashnaktsutyun will appear in the next parliament, Aharon Adibekyan
said.

“It will be harder for Armenian National Congress (ANC) to join it,”
head of Sociometer sociological center told a press conference on
May 3.

Prosperous Armenia will be ousted from political arena for five years
unless it forms a coalition with RPA, the sociologist said.

According to him, RPA held a most successful campaign preserving its
voters; while Prosperous Armenia succeeded in increasing the army of
its supporters.

Adibekyan names the opposition ANC as the only loser in this campaign
which lost about a third of its voters thus casting doubts on its
parliamentary mandate. The bloc has to overcome the 7% threshold,
and Adibekyan doubts it will succeed.

Heritage leader Raffi Hovannisyan was smart enough to use U.S.

technologies in this campaign, and he will bring more votes to his
party than ANC’s whole team, Adibekyan thinks.

The sociologist believes the presidential elections in 2013 largely
depend on the outcomes of this parliamentary vote, and it is no
surprise that President Serzh Sarsyan personally embarked on campaign
to consolidate contacts with citizens.

ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY FEDERATION MEMBERS SUPPORT G. NUSHIKYAN

03.05.12, 17:08

Members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Vahan Hovhannisyan
and Levon Lazarian announced about their attitude towards the
tenth electoral territory on May 3, during the meeting with the ARF
representatives and the businessmen. Vahan Hovhannisyan announced
that he wanted to see Garegin Nushikyan as the winner of the noted
electoral territory. Hovhannisyan added that Nushikyan was able to
be a base for the new clear economical culture which our country needs.

“Here are two businessmen who struggle against each other at this
territory. On one of them is from my party. ARF has no candidate here.

But I wish Nushikyan to win as I think he appropriates our imaginations
to the new culture than his rivals do… This is my attitude as a
voter, as a person”, Hovhannisyan said, yerkir.am informs.

“As a voter of the Center community I will give my voice to Garegin
Nushikyan as we both were grown up in the Center together and the
second I consider that as a businessman and as a patriot he will only
assist the NA”, ARF member Levon Lazarian said.

ELECTION FORGERY OFFICE PLOTS AGAINST HERITAGE, PARTY MEMBER SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 3, 2012 – 14:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A certain group of political parties have developed
clear tactics against Heritage, deputy chairman of the opposition
party said on May 3.

The reason for this is Heritage’s withdrawal from the united
inter-party headquarters to tackle election forgery, Ruben Hakobyan
told a press conference adding this office aimed to conceal illegal
activities of Prosperous Armenia.

Hakobyan emphasized that all the three coalition parties are
responsible for the current situation in the country, and Heritage
aims to remove all three from political arena.

Change of power does not imply exchanging one coalition party for
another one, he added.

Heritage vice-chairman voiced surprise over cooperation between
the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) and the coalition
Prosperous Armenia party, saying with irony that media controlled
by these political forces are rather busy criticizing Heritage than
dealing with election propaganda for their parties.

Parliamentary elections are due in Armenia on May 6 featuring 8
political parties (Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Prosperous
Armenia, ARF Dashnaktsutyun (ARFD), Orinats Yerkir, Heritage,
Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA), Communist Party of Armenia and
United Armenians party, as well as one election bloc represented by
opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC).

ABCS OF PAP CAMPAIGNING: PROMISES AND CLAIMS DON’T NECESSARILY MATCH REALITY ON EDUCATION ISSUES
By Gayane Lazarian

ArmeniaNow
03.05.12 | 15:38

While paying campaign visits to Armenian provinces Prosperous Armenia
Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan has regularly raised science and education
issues as part of his party platform, mainly criticizing the 12-year
secondary education system.

At his Wednesday meeting with voters in Ashtarak, Aragatsotn province,
Tsarukyan said he believes that children waste the extra years (until
a few years ago, Armenia had a 10-year system), after which boys are
immediately conscripted without a chance to enter higher educational
institutions.

“The United States is now using our previous educational system, but
we are using the Bologna program, which is wrong,” Tsarukyan says. (It
isn’t quite clear what Tsarukyan was referring to in this claim as,
in fact, the present Armenian education system is based on the model
of the U.S. system.)

PAP has been among the rare political forces to have covered the
issue in its campaign.

“The strategic purpose of the state policy in this sphere must be
creation of equal opportunity system providing quality knowledge and
skills that are currently in demand; it should also guarantee adequate
positions for educated citizens in our society,” PAP’s platform reads,
with no reference, however, to the 12-year system.

Armen Badalyan, specialist in election technologies, says campaign
platforms and candidate vows do not necessarily match and it’s
natural. Tsarukyan is telling his voters his personal approach to
the current education system and making vows independently.

“This is an acceptable means all over the world, when party leaders
or presidential candidates give many promises during their election
campaigns in order to get as many votes as possible,” Badalyan says.

“Had everybody kept their promises, life would be perfect.”

Since 2006 secondary schools in Armenia have switched from 10-year
to 12-year educational system. The new system has been practiced for
six years, but it is still often criticized. The opponents say that
the 10-year educational system was well-established, fully developed
and successfully practiced.

The current educational system consists of four years of elementary
school, five years of middle school and three years of high school.