Author: Babken Chilingarian

CIVILNET.Freedom House Report Shows Improvements in Rights and Liberties in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh

Babken Chilingarian
CIVILNET.AM

4 March, 2020 17:17

By Mark Dovich

On March 4, Freedom House released the latest edition of its much-cited Freedom in the World report, which assesses rights and liberties worldwide on a country-by-country basis. Though the report paints a “grim picture overall” of the Eurasia region, it specifically points to the leadership of reformist politicians in Armenia, as well as Ukraine and Moldova, as positive developments. The report categorizes all three countries as “partly free”.

Although Armenia has remained in the “partly free” category for several years now, Freedom House’s ratings show steady annual improvement in political rights and civil liberties in the country. In 2020, Freedom House gives Armenia a rating of 53 out of 100, an eight-point increase since 2018, the year that the Velvet Revolution swept the country. That total is split into 21 points (out of 40) for political rights and 32 points (out of 60) for civil liberties.

The report also states that the political opening in Armenia that began in 2018 had a positive effect on Nagorno-Karabakh, citing “an increase in [political] competition and civil society activity” there. Freedom House gives Nagorno-Karabakh a rating of 31 out of 100 for 2020, placing it in the “partly free” category. Nagorno-Karabakh receives 12 out of 40 points for political rights and 19 out of 60 points for civil liberties.

Farmer: Villagers of at least 3 Armenian provinces boycotting constitutional amendments referendum

Babken Chilingarian
News.am, Armenia
March 4 2020

16:02, 04.03.2020
                  

Villagers of Armenia’s Vayots Dzor, Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces are boycotting the upcoming referendum for constitutional amendments, and farmer Tigran Yeghoyan confirmed the news today.

According to him, over the past two years, there are 20% more villagers with loans, and all the actions of the government are making the farmers lose hope again. “The problems with water supply haven’t been solved due to the activities of the hydroelectric station, veterinarians still receive low salaries, while ministers are already receiving tremendous amounts of money, and the government isn’t raising these issues. Nikol Pashinyan continues to destroy Armenia’s villages, offend villagers and implement programs for the unification of communities to pursue political goals. Taking into consideration the fact that the villagers don’t receive state support, I call on them to boycott the referendum for constitutional amendments, which has served as another occasion for more tension in the villages,” he stated.

In his turn, former Member of Parliament Lernik Aleksanyan stated that more than half of the problems in the agriculture sector are linked to organization of labor by the State and villagers and that this has been going on for 30 years now.

The referendum for making amendments to an article of the Constitution of Armenia is scheduled for April 5. The authorities offer early termination of the powers of 9 members of the Constitutional Court, including the president of the Constitutional Court, referring to them as representatives of the former “regime”. Almost all political parties, except for the ruling My Step Alliance and former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s Armenian National Congress political party have refused to participate in the referendum. The referendum will succeed, if more than half of voters say YES to the amendments and if there is at least a quarter of voters on the voters’ list (650,000 people).

Nikol Pashinyan distributes leaflets at Yerevan subway stations

Babken Chilingarian

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 19:28, 6 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan distributes leaflets related to the Constitutional referendum scheduled on April 5 at Yerevan subway stations, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan posted a live broadcast on his Facebook page.

Nikol Pashinyan is accompanied by his daughters Mariam and Shushanik, who present flowers to women.

The Constitutional changes are about suspending the powers of the Chairman of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan and 6 members of the Court.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Aliyev Angered by Armenian Toponyms on Azerbaijani Museum Maps, Orders New Ones

Babken Chilingarian
Armedia
March 6 2020
 
 
(VIDEO)
 
03.06.2020, 19:17
 Region,  World,  Armenia
 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been angered upon seeing Armenian toponyms on maps displayed at an Azerbaijani arts museum in the Tovuz region, Armenpress reports.
 
Apparently by not putting up with the fact that a state of Azerbaijan did not exist during the times of the Kingdom of Urartu, Aliyev demanded the museum to have new maps with names of so-called ancient Azerbaijani cities.

Pan-Armenian fundraising campaign for Etchmiadzin Mother Cathedral announced

Babken Chilingarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 27 2020

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin announces a global fundraising campaign in support of the restoration and preservation of the Mother Cathedral.

The urgent restoration and renovation works of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin began in 2012 in order to preserve the sanctuary of all Armenians.

During the restoration, experts uncovered massive deterioration that needed to be addressed immediately to prevent the Cathedral from total collapse. As such, there was a delay in the restoration efforts to further study and find the best solution in restoring the Cathedral.

The last partial renovation of the Mother Cathedral was implemented in the 1950s -1960s.

This is the largest overhaul in recent centuries concerning the preservation and renovation of the Mother Cathedral, and requires significant financial support from the worldwide community.

On this occasion, on June 23, 2019, during the Feast of the Universal Holy Church of Etchmiadzin, the Pontifical Encyclical of the Catholicos of All Armenians was read in all Armenian churches throughout the world.

Today, the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is in great need of renovation, and of important work to reinforce its walls, in order to preserve it from the danger of ruin.

Necessary repair works have already been undertaken in the Mother See in order to preserve and structurally strengthen the Cathedral. The required renovations, however, are extensive, and require great resources and the assistance of all Armenians. Now, we appeal to you, beloved, with St. Gregory the Illuminator’s call, “let us build the Holy Altar of Light.”

United, let us renovate the Holy Altar of our national ecclesiastical life: the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. Holy Etchmiadzin has always fed and strengthened in spirit all its faithful. Today Etchmiadzin needs your support, so that it may continue its eternal mission in the life of our people.

“The restoration of the Mother Cathedral is our duty and honor,” said
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Fundraising Committee Chairman.


Armenian healthcare minister discusses situation caused by coronavirus with Georgian counterpart

Babken Chilingarian

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 10:01,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. Armenian minister of healthcare Arsen Torosyan discussed the situation caused by the novel coronavirus in Georgia with Georgian healthcare minister Ekaterine Tikaradze during a telephone conversation.

“The minister said that 4 people, who communicated with the person infected with the novel coronavirus, have been examined and tested negative for the virus. But these 4 people will remain in isolation for 14 days”, the Armenian healthcare minister said on Facebook.

The first coronavirus case has been confirmed in Georgia on February 26. The patient is a 50-year-old citizen of Georgia who came to Georgia from Iran via Azerbaijan. The patient has been taken to an infectious diseases hospital in Tbilisi.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Sports: Simon Martirosyan: We need better conditions to have more champions

Babken Chilingarian
MediaMax, Armenia
Feb 21 2020
 
 
Simon Martirosyan: We need better conditions to have more champions
 
 
 
 
World, Europe champion Simon Martirosyan is among Armenia’s 10 best athletes of 2019, who have been awarded AMD 5m each.
 
He has talked with the press after the ceremony, noting that such events encourage the athletes and highlight their responsibility.
 
“We have to perform well and give our country the best representation in tournaments. I am happy to see that the government supports sport in our country,” said Martirosyan.
 
He has touched on PM Nikol Pashinyan’s remark that Armenia has to have 25 Olympic champions by 2050. “There are many promising young talents, who can win medals, but we need better conditions to have more champions,” said Martirosyan.
 
The weightlifter has added that his key goals for 2020 are winning the European title (it will be his 3rd) and getting the gold in the Olympic Games.
 
 

Azerbaijani press: Azerbaijani ambassador meets with president of National Council of Swiss Confederation [PHOTO]

Babken Chilingarian
17:44 (UTC+04:00)
655

By Trend

Mrs. Khanim Ibrahimova, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality if Liechtenstein, met with Isabelle Moret, the President of the National Council of the Swiss Confederation. The National Council is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland and the President of the National Council is considered the highest ranking representative of the Swiss federal state.

The ties of cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Switzerland parliaments were highly appreciated, as well as the views on the prospects for further cooperation were exchanged during the meeting.

Ambassador Ibrahimova noted the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation on development of the Swiss-Azerbaijani relations, and highly appreciated the recent visit of Jean-Rene Furney, the President of the upper house of the Federal Assembly to Baku. She also mentioned the fact that Swiss Azerbaijani Parliamentary Friendship Group is one of the few friendship groups in the National Council.

Ambassador Ibrahimova thanked for the opportunity for the first time ever presentation by herself planning during the March session of the Parliament about Azerbaijan. It will be an important event, since the parliamentarians will receive the necessary information directly from the Ambassador.

Khanim Ibrahimova informed her counterpart about the parliamentary elections that were held in Azerbaijan on February 9 and called it as a new manifestation of democracy in the country. She noted that over 1,300 candidates had never previously participated in the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. International organizations have shown tremendous interest in these elections About 900 international observers arrived in the country and new parliament is composed of 20 percent women.

The sides also discussed bilateral economic and political relations between Azerbaijan and Switzerland, structural reforms carried out in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, and exchanged views on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Referring to the international reputation of Azerbaijan, Ibrahimova noted that Azerbaijan is chairing organizations such as the Non-Aligned Movement and GUAM.

Isabelle Moret expressed her satisfaction with the achievements of Azerbaijan and wished her success in future.

—

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 

Armenpress: Republicans, ARF strongly disapprove scheduled referendum over high court

Babken Chilingarian

Republicans, ARF strongly disapprove scheduled referendum over high court

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 12:25,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), the former ruling party which is not represented in parliament, has announced that it will not participate in the campaigning ahead of the constitutional referendum regarding the Constitutional Court.

The HHK said in a statement that the process of initiating the referendum “grossly contradicts with its content and procedure the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure of Parliament Constitutional Law”. It further said that the political subtext of the issue has nothing to do with building a state of law and strengthening democracy.

In turn, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), another political party not having seats in the current parliament, called for “ignoring” the scheduled referendum due on April 5 and addressed political parties and the civil society to unite efforts to prevent a “Yes” vote.

Voters are expected to decide in the April 5 referendum whether or not the incumbent Chairman of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan, as well as most other justices appointed under the previous constitution, should remain in office.

 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

CoE secretary general to Armenian PM: There are some concerns

Babken Chilingarian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 15 2020

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia met with Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić on Saturday, his office reported.

Stressing the importance of today’s meeting, the prime minister noted that it is a good opportunity to discuss issues of topical concern.

“Madam Secretary General, I am very glad to see you here. If I am not mistaken, we have not had any opportunity to meet so far. I am very glad to meet with you and have the opportunity to discuss current issues. As you know, Armenia is in a huge process of democratic reforms, which accelerated especially after the non-violent velvet people’s revolution in 2018.

We eventually found out that our constitutional system was occupied before the Revolution. Furthermore, it was mined. And now we are in a very careful process of de-mining our democracy and the judiciary. I am happy for this opportunity to give you some information about the ongoing processes, because we recently decided to hold a referendum on the Constitutional Court. It is my pleasure to inform you about what and why is going on and what will happen next,” Pashinyan said.

The CoE secretary general stated, in turn: “Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for this opportunity I think it is very important as you mentioned for me to be informed about the ongoing process. Let me recall that we have already started this intense cooperation between Armenia and the Council of Europe with a high-level Council of Europe group’s visit last May.

I understand that you yourself asked the Council of Europe to get engaged on these issues. The Council of Europe started watching carefully what is going on. There are some concerns, and it would be interesting to hear from your side how you see these developments and how we can continue to be of assistance.”

Prime Minister Pashinyan touched upon the democratic transformations underway in Armenia, including the judiciary reform. Nikol Pashinyan underscored that our country made great progress last year in the ratings published by international organizations in terms of democracy, human rights and freedom of speech. The Premier dwelt on the factors and reasons that anticipated the upcoming constitutional referendum.

Marija Pejčinović Burić expressed her organization’s full support for the Armenian government’s efforts, including the judiciary reform. She noted that the CoE will follow up the discussion with the Armenian government on cooperation in the given area.