Author: Badalian Vardan

No disagreements between opposition, civil society

14:28 * 01.03.15

Human rights activist Artak Zeinalyan does not see any disagreements
between the Opposition and civil society.

“Nothing bad if the political opposition attempts to get dividends
from civil initiatives’ actions or vice versa, nothing bad about it,”
Mr Zeinalyan told Tert.am.

Armenia’s civil society would have succeeded greatly but for the
authorities’ resistance.

“The more active is political opposition the greater are civil
movements’ achievements. If there is no political opposition, it
happens like in Azerbaijan: the political opposition has been done
away with, and human rights activities and journalists have turned
into targets,” he said.

Speaking of a number of protests, Mr Zeinalyan said:

“They were spontaneous actions resulting from civil society’s demands.
We have no efficient election mechanisms and authorities are
independent of election results nor are they serving the people for
their accountability to produce good results.”

According to him, protests achieved their aims.

REVUE DE PRESSE
La turque Pinar Selek se bat pour la reconnaissance du génocide des Arméniens

Dans son nouvel essai Parce qu’ils sont arméniens, paru le 5 février
2015, Pinar Selek, la sociologue et dissidente turque, persiste et
signe. Après la question kurde, elle s’attaque aujourd’hui au
négationnisme du génocide arménien et à l’endoctrinement de la société
par l’Etat. L’infatigable militante est venue présenter cet ouvrage
polémique sur le plateau de TV5MONDE.

Féministe, anti-militariste, pacifiste, Pinar Selek est de tous les
combats. Sociologue de formation, dans les années 90, elle réalise des
recherches sur les militants kurdes en Turquie. Une enquête qui lui
vaudra interrogatoires, prison et procès incessants (voire encadré).

« L’Etat profond », un Etat dans l’Etat aux pratiques autoritaires,
fera de la jeune femme turque « un exemple » pour tous ceux qui, comme
elle, voudraient mettre sur la place publique la question kurde,
arménienne ou encore l’homosexualité. Autant de sujets considérés par
cet Etat profond, majoritairement composé de nationalistes et de
militaires, comme une déclaration de guerre à la grandeur de la nation
turque. Persécutée physiquement et judiciairement Pinar Selek ne
fléchira pas pour autant. 20 ans plus tard, elle continue « Ã toucher
à des lignes rouges ». La dernière d’entre elles, le génocide arménien
dont cette année 2015 marque le centenaire. Négationnisme d’Etat

Dans son livre, paru en France début février 2015, elle évoque un
négationnisme d’État et un endoctrinement de la société turque. Elle y
décrit la militarisation, la forte répression et comment l’Etat a
éduqué les différentes générations turques avec « des doctrines très
nationalistes », surtout celle de la décennie 80/90. « Tout le
discours était de dire `Quand il y a des contestations, ce sont des
Arméniens qui dirigent`. `Quand quelque chose ne va pas, c’est à cause
des Arméniens.` Un conditionnement qui débute dès l’école « d’après
les livres que nous devions apprendre par cÅ`ur, ligne après ligne, le
diable nommé arménien était l’éternel ennemi du Turc », écrit-elle
dans les première pages de son essai.

Au fil des pages, Pinar Selek dévoile également son cheminement
personnel vers une sensibilisation à la cause arménienne. Celle qui se
considère comme « un petit point du grand tableau », raconte comment
elle a survécu à la torture grce à des lettres envoyées tous les
jours par un anonyme. A sa sortie de prison elle découvrira qu’il
s’agissait d’un « vieux prêtre arménien ». Lors de leur première
rencontre, il lui dira : « il ne faut pas que l’on te voit avec moi,
cela pourrait te nuire ». « Pendant longtemps ils ont été considérés
comme des traîtres, des ennemis intérieurs de la société, surtout les
rescapés du génocide », s’indigne-t-elle. Tous Arméniens

Parmi les éléments qui ont « beaucoup joué dans sa transformation »,
elle évoque aussi sa rencontre avec le journaliste turco-arménien,
Hrant Dink, assassiné en 2007 « parce qu’il était arménien ».

Fondateur de l’hebdomadaire bilingue Agos et homme de paix, il avait
beaucoup Ã…`uvré pour l’émergence d’une cause arménienne mais aussi pour
la démocratie en Turquie en général. « Malgré la répression, au milieu
des années 90, il s’était créé un véritable espace militant et le
journal Agos était devenu un lieu de rencontres. » Grce à lui les
mouvements contestataires, notamment les mouvements de gauche, qui
jusqu’alors, niaient, eux aussi, le génocide, ont changé leur
position. Un phénomène qui, selon la militante, s’est amplifié après
l’assassinat du journaliste.

La récente tuerie de Charlie Hebdo, fait écho au meurtre de son ami.
La manifestation massive qui s’en est suivie aussi. « Il y avait des
similitudes, 300 000 Ã 400 000 personnes sont sorties dans les rues en
criant `Nous sommes tous arméniens `. C’était la première fois que des
Turcs marchaient pour un Arménien ». Même si, précise-t-elle, « le
contexte était différent. Nous, nous accusions l’Etat. »

A l’époque on ne pouvait pas utiliser le mot arménien maintenant ce
n’est plus un tabou. Au lendemain de l’événement, un nouveau mouvement
émerge autour d’Agos. La question du génocide n’est plus le propre
d’une minorité arménienne, de nombreux Turcs s’en emparent aussi. «
Avant, on ne pouvait pas utiliser le mot `Arménien` maintenant ce
n’est plus un tabou. En Turquie, il y a un changement qui vient du bas
qui vient des mouvements sociaux et qui commence à influencer le champ
politique. Maintenant on peut parler du sujet. Même si on a payé cher
! »

Un changement que l’auteure attribue au rapprochement des différentes
luttes sociales. Mouvement féministe, LGBT mais aussi, mouvements de
gauche, anti militariste, écologiste… A présent, ils luttent tous
ensemble. Et même si le chemin est encore long, la dissidente est
optimiste la transformation est en marche… « On a recréé un nouveau
discours, un nouveau souffle surtout parmi ma génération. » Et cela
vaut aussi côté arménien. La journaliste d’Agos, Karin KarakaÃ…?li, est
désormais… la porte parole du comité de soutien de Pinar Selek en
Turquie. Tout un symbole.

Mercredi 4 février, Pinar Selek était l’invitée du 64′ de TV5MONDE.

Il n’y a jamais que du noir et du blanc. La justice, par exemple,
reste indépendante.

voir la vidéo

dimanche 1er mars 2015,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Litige foncier sur le Nouvel Aéroport de Batman

Après le litige sur la propriété du terrain sur lequel l’aéroport de
Diyarbékir se trouve aujourd’hui, le terrain sur lequel se trouve
l’aéroport Batman fait l’objet lui aussi d’une demande en justice.
Zuart Sudjian a intenté un procès au tribunal, se plaignant que l’état
avait construit un aéroport sur le terrain dont elle avait hérité. Le
terrain de Sudjian près de Diyarbékir avait également fait l’objet
d’une appropriation par l’état, et l’Aéroport de Diyarbékir avait été
construit en partie sur son terrain.

Zuart Sudjian est une Arménienne dont la famille a des racines à
Diyarbékir. Sudjian fait partie de la famille Basmacryan de
Diyarbekir, où elle vit aujourd’hui. Sudjian a découvert que le
terrain dont elle avait hérité de sa famille avait fait l’objet d’une
appropriation par l’état lors de travaux cadastraux ; par suite, elle
avait engagé un procès et demandé au tribunal qu’il décide de la
restitution du terrain. D’après son dossier, comme à Diyarbékir, un
aéroport a été construit sur les terres de Sudjian à Batman. La 2ème
Cour de Première Instance a reçu sa demande et ouvert un procès.

Demandes de Villageois rejetées au Motif d’Arméniens ‘disparus’

L’histoire du terrain est elle aussi intéressante. D’après le dossier
de l’affaire, sa famille ayant quitté la Turquie, les villageois
avaient usé des terrains pendant de nombreuses années. L’étude
cadastrale dont il est question avait eu lieu en 1960. Et cependant,
au cours des travaux cadastraux, les villageois soutenaient que c’est
à eux que l’usus du terrain était acquis, et entamèrent une action
afin que la terre leur soit donnée. En 1963, la Cour Cadastrale de
Batman rejeta les demandes des villageois. Dans ses attendus motivés,
le tribunal avait déclaré que la propriété des terrains dont il
s’agissait, avaient été transférée au Trésor, propriétés d’Arméniens
qui avaient ‘disparu’ 40 ans auparavant, et appartenaient depuis lors
au Trésor, et que les villageois qui avaient introduit l’instance
n’avaient aucun droit sur les terrains, et les débouta de leurs
demandes. Tel est le document officiel le plus important relatif à la
propriété des terres.

La Cour Accepte d’examiner l’affaire

Les avocats de Sudjian ont présenté la décision de la Cour Cadastrale
de 1963 comme pièce du dossier dans la nouvelle affaire. Les avocats
ont déclaré que l’enregistrement opéré par le Trésor était
‘irrégulière’ et ont demandé l’annulation de cet enregistrement, et le
paiement d’une indemnité.

Les avocats ont également relevé le fait que dans l’autre affaire
concernant les terrains de l’aéroport de Diyarbékir, la décision
précédente du tribunal de rejeter l’affaire du fait du délai de
prescription de 10 ans qui a trait à la perte des droits a été annulée
par la Cour de Cassation, laquelle a demandé que l’affaire soit
retenue. C’est ainsi que le tribunal a accepté le dossier et lancé
l’affaire. Le tribunal commencera à étudier le fond de l’affaire après
l’examen des enregistrements cadastraux des lots concernés et les
actes de propriété sur les terres présentés par les avocats.

Uygar Gültekin

Journal AGOS

Traduction Gilbert Béguian

dimanche 1er mars 2015,
Stéphane (c)armenews.com

Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley-Education Committee
6252 Honolulu Ave.
Lacrescenta, CA. 91214
Tel: 818-244-9645
E-mail: [email protected]

Prelate H.E. Abp. Moushegh Mardirossian Lectures on the Canonization

On Sunday, February 22, 2015, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, presided over Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon at the
Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley. Following the service, by the
invitation of the parish Educational Committee, the Prelate delivered a
lecture on the canonization of Armenian Genocide martyrs.

The day began with Divine Liturgy celebrated by parish pastor Rev. Fr.
Ghevont Kirazian. By the ordinance of the Prelate and at the request of the
Armenian Relief Society Regional Executive, on this day requiem prayers were
offered in Prelacy Churches in memory of departed ARS members and sponsors.

Near the conclusion of the service, on behalf of the parish family, Fr.
Ghevont welcomed the Prelate and wished for God to bless him with many years
of good health and leadership of the Western Prelacy. He then invited the
Prelate to deliver the sermon.

His Eminence began by explaining the meaning and message of each Sunday of
Great Lent, then focused on the message of that day, Sunday of the
Expulsion, which recounts the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. Last
Sunday, on the eve of Great Lent, we celebrated the good life that Adam and
Eve enjoyed in Paradise in the presence of God. This Sunday, we recall the
consequences when they disobeyed God’s commandment, said the Prelate.
However, it was not the will of our merciful Lord for man to live a life
apart from Him, for man to be consumed with sin and death. And so, God
opened the path for our return to Him, He gives us the opportunity for
redemption, through sincere repentance and confession, concluded the
Prelate.

His Eminence then conveyed his message to the Armenian Relief Society
commending the organization’s invaluable contributions to our nation in the
past 105 years and praying for the souls of the departed to rest in peace.
The service came to a close with the requiem. Guests enjoyed a reception
prepared by the parish Ladies Guild, after which they took their seats at
the “Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian” Hall for the Prelate’s lecture.

Parish Board of Trustees Chair and Master of Ceremonies Mr. Dikran Der
Sarkissian welcomed the guests and invited violinist Ophelia Nanakoulian and
pianist Shoushan Hagopian to present two musical selections. He then invited
the Prelate to deliver his presentation. His Eminence first commended the
Parish Pastor, Board of Trustees, and Educational Committee for their hard
work in organizing the monthly lecture series, and then began his lecture,
giving unique insight to the guests as a member of the Canonization
Committee.

The Prelate began by noting that preliminary discussions to canonize the
martyrs of the Armenian Genocide began twenty-five years ago, on the 75th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, by His Holiness Vazken I and His
Holiness Karekin II of blessed memory. At the time, Archbishop Zareh
Aznavorian of blessed memory composed the hymn dedicated to the martyrs,
which the Prelate read passages from. The hymn memorializes our martyrs who
shed their blood for the preservation of our Christian faith, our Armenian
identity, and our religious and cultural treasures.

His Eminence spoke about the two Bishops’ Synods that were held in
Etchmiadzin in 2013 and 2014, stating that one of the issues discussed was
whether the martyrs should be canonized as individuals or collectively.
After lengthy deliberations, the Canonization Committee had decided that at
this stage, the martyrs would be canonized collectively, as the 1036 martyrs
of the Vartanants battle were. The Committee had also prepared the
declaration, the martyrology, and the procedure for the ceremony, which were
presented and approved by the Bishops’ Synod. Archbishop Zareh’s Hymn
Dedicated to the Martyrs of April was also adopted for the ceremony, which
will be conducted on April 23 in Etchmiadzin by H.H. Karekin II, Catholicos
of all Armenians, and H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

The Prelate explained the various conditions required for canonization; a
virtuous life, the embodiment of Christian virtues and the presence of the
Holy Spirit in their lives, martyrdom as a profession of faith, the presence
of miracles during their life, the incorruptibility of relics,
thaumaturgical power of relics, reveal signs of God’s authority in response
to prayers for intercession by faithful, and witnessing for the spread of
the Christian faith, for the defense of the church and the Orthodox tenet,
and for God’s Word. In the past, said His Eminence, people have been
regarded as saints for miracles performed during their lifetime, while in
the case of others, their relics have been found by future generations by
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There are also martyrs who were
proclaimed saints by Catholicoi, or who were honored with special feast
days.

In the last part of this lecture, His Eminence explained that status of our
martyrs post-canonization. He first clarified that we do not worship saints,
we seek their intercession. Also, upon canonization, we will no longer offer
requiem prayers for them, instead they will be remembered during Divine
Liturgy.

A question and answer session followed and the event came to a close with
the benediction.

Aica On line- Argentina
27 de feb. de 2015

La Iglesia armenia proclamará santos a las víctimas del genocidio

Erevan (Armenia) (AICA): La Iglesia apostólica armenia se dispone a
reconocer la santidad de las víctimas del genocidio armenio con una
liturgia solemne, prevista para el 23 de abril en la sede patriarcal
del Catolicosado de Echmiadzin, gobernado por el patriarca Karekin II.
Lo anunció en nombre del patriarca, el obispo Bagrat Galstanyan, en
una conferencia de prensa celebrada en la sede patriarcal.

La Iglesia apostólica armenia se dispone a reconocer la santidad de
las víctimas del genocidio armenio con una liturgia solemne, prevista
para el 23 de abril en la sede patriarcal del Catolicosado de
Echmiadzin, gobernado por el Patriarca Karekin II. Lo anunció en
nombre del patriarca, el obispo Bagrat Galstanyan, en una conferencia
de prensa celebrada en la sede patriarcal.

“La Iglesia Armenia -dijo el Patriarca Karekin en un comunicado
emitido para la ocasión- no santifica. Ella reconoce la santidad de
los santos que ya está reconocida por el pueblo, y que ha sido
atestiguada con evidencia. La Iglesia sólo reconoce lo que pasó,
reconoce el Genocidio”.

La decisión de reconocer a las víctimas del Genocidio como santos ya
había sido tomada por la Iglesia Apostólica Armenia en septiembre de
2013, en un a reunión celebrada en la sede patriarcal de Echmiadzin,
en la que por primera vez después de seis siglos participaron todos
los obispos apostólicos armenios, tanto los que dependen directamente
del Catolicosado de Echmiadzin, como los del Catolicosado de la Gran
Casa de Cilicia (gobernado por Catholicos Aram I, con sede en el
Líbano).

En la liturgia del próximo 23 de abril, el salmo “Mártires de Abril”,
compuesto por el fallecido obispo Zareh Aznavourian, será utilizado
como el salmo de la ceremonia de canonización, la que contará con la
presencia de los jefes de las hermanas Iglesias de Oriente y de las
delegaciones de otras Iglesias. La liturgia se iniciará a las 16 y
finalizará a las 19.15 en punto, simbólicamente, en el minuto en que
en los relojes digitales aparece la secuencia de números que
corresponden al año en que se perpetró el genocidio armenio.+

US Fed News
February 27, 2015 Friday 10:55 PM EST

LEBANESE PIANIST TO PERFORM ARMENIAN CLASSICS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Feb. 27 — The University of Arkansas issued the
following news release:

Award-winning Lebanese maestro Annie Balabanian will perform a solo
piano recital featuring works by Armenian composers 8 p.m. on Friday,
Feb. 27th in Giffels Auditorium. Balabanian will also present a
lecture titled “West Meets East: Classical Music and Culture in
Lebanon” Monday, March 2 at 12:30 p.m. in Old Main Room 421. Both
events are free and open to the public.

Acclaimed for her passionate performances, beautiful sound, wide
palette of tonal colors, and deep lyricism, Balabanian is a pianist
with a growing career as a soloist and chamber musician. Praised by
the “Agenda Culturel” for demonstrating the “exciting temperament of a
magnificent concert pianist,” Balabanian has captured numerous prizes
and awards, including first prize at the Margot Babikian Chamber Music
Competition (Beirut 2010) and second prize at the Schubert Piano
Competition (Beirut 1997), and has participated in international music
festivals and workshops.

Born in Beirut, Balabanian began piano studies at the age of 5. As a
recipient of a full summer scholarship from the Playing for Peace
Festival (New Hampshire, 2001), and a partial scholarship from the
International Keyboard Institute and Festival (New York, 2006),
Balabanian has participated in several international music festivals
and workshops such as the International Piano Academy (Freiburg 2014)
and the Euro Arts Music Festival (Leipzig 2009), and has also studied
with world famous pianists and pedagogues. Balabanian performs
frequently with chamber groups and currently teaches piano at the
National Higher Conservatory of Music in Beirut, Lebanon.

Her concert, sponsored by the Fulbright College Piano Performance
Program in partnership with the King Fahd Center for Middle East
Studies, will include works by Aram Khachaturian, Boghos Gelalian,
Edvard Mirzoyan and other notable Armenian composers who adapted local
and regional folk tunes and melodies into Western classical
composition.

For concert information, please contact Jura Margulis, McAllister
professor of piano, at 479-575-4178 or [email protected] For lecture
information, contact the King Fahd Center at 479-575-2175.

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria
February 26, 2015 Thursday

French delegation visits French Hospital and Armenian Church, Vial to
SANA: siege on Syria unreasonable

Damascus, SANA- French Senate member, Head of the Senate’s
French-Syrian Friendship Committee Jean-Pierre Vial and member of the
Senate and Mayor of Laval city François Zocchetto inspected the work
of the French Hospital in Damascus and the services it provides.

The senates were briefed on the needs of the Hospital and mechanisms
of work as well as the bad effects of the crisis on medical
institution in terms of capacity and medical equipment and drugs.

On the situation of the Hospital, Sister John Feiv said that a big
volume of medicine and equipment are not available in most cases due
to the siege and sanctions impost on the country.

She stressed that the French policy towards Syria should change
because the situation is getting more deteriorated, highlighting the
great sufferings of Syrians in different areas, particularly residents
of Hasaka where terrorist besiege its towns, leading to the death of
many children.

The two senates also visited Armenian Orthodox Church of Damascus
Diocese where they met Bishop Armash Nalbandian, who explained the
situation in Syria in general and particularly in cities of Damascus
and Aleppo in spite of the crisis taking place in the country.

For his part, Bishop Nalbandian indicated that national unity is still
embracing the fabric of the Syrian society, and all Syrian spectra are
united in countering the takfiri ideology that is targeting Syria.

He added that Turkey has played a big aggressive role in the crisis,
opening its borders to the terrorist organizations where perpetrated
massacres against the Syrian Armenians in the city of Kassab and other
Syrian cities, as their Ottoman predecessors did in 1915, committing
horrific genocide against the Armenians.

Bishop Nalbandian stressed that Armenians are deeply rooted in their
homeland, Syria, and they are part and parcel of the Syrian people, as
they wish that the solution to the crisis should be comprehensive- not
restricted to particular cities.

“A lot of innocent people in Damascus have been killed in almost daily
terrorist attacks with rocket and mortar shells,” Bishop Nalbandian
said, adding that the Church was targeted twice last year leaving many
children dead.

Vial stressed that the delegation’s visit to Syria is very important,
clarifying that Syria has always been a place for all sects and it is
exemplary for the co-existence and tolerance among its people.

In a statement to SANA, Vial considered that the siege imposed on
Syria has become unreasonable and it increases sufferings of the
Syrian people and leads to the lack of basic needs, especially
medicines.

He clarified that the delegation visited makeshift centers,
international organizations, schools, clergymen, hospitals in addition
to visiting a number of Syrian officials, pointing out that the
absence of France from Syria is because of its Embassy’s shutdown,
which should be put into consideration for restoring relations between
the two countries.

Vial said the latest attacks that hit Europe and France caused a shock
to the Europeans, who thought that terrorism is a plague targets
others in Syria and the Middle East and it will not reach them, yet it
turned out and reached Europe.

On the crisis in Syria, Vial saw that the solution lies in Aleppo
initiative proposed by the UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura and
supported by the Syrian government, as it should be accompanied with
the support of effective states to bear responsibility in this regard.

Rasha Milhem/ Barry

Enemy Attempted Reconnaissance-in-Force: 2 Armenians Killed

Lragir.am
Country – 28 February 2015, 23:31

On February 28, at around 14:25, the enemy undertook an attempt of
reconnaissance-in-force in the direction of one of the military posts
of one of the northeastern military units of the Defense Army. The
front units of the defense army detected the advancement of the
enemy’s special troops and pushed them back to their starting
positions. Unfortunately, there are victims on the Armenian side.
Artak Sedrak Aghekyan, 1979 and Haik Grigor Baroyan, 1995, were killed
during the fight. The NKR Ministry of Defense expressed its
condolences to the families, friends and fellow servicemen of the
killed servicemen.

NKR PM VISITS ARMENIAN NATIONAL SCHOOL IN KUWAIT

17:05, 2 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 2 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic Arayik Harutyunyan; Catholic Vicar of the Armenian Diocese
of Kuwait, Father, Supreme Archimandrite Massis Zobuian; Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Kuwait
Fadey Charchoghlyan; members of the “Ari” Company (the company carries
out investment programs in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) and member of
the ARF-D Bureau Beniamin Bchakjian visited on March 1 the Armenian
National School in Kuwait, as posted on the Facebook page of the
Armenian Prelacy of Kuwait, according to “Armenpress”.

In his speech, Father, Supreme Archimandrite Massis Zobuian considered
the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora triumvirate the pillar of Armenian
statehood, affirming that the Armenian community of Kuwait has always
supported Armenia and Artsakh with its church and national school and
that it will continue this mission for nation-building and national
preservation with dedication and through contributions.

Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan
expressed his amazement, emotions and infinite joy to the teachers
and administration of the Armenian National School for their infinite
sacrifices for the preservation of the Armenian identity. The Prime
Minister pledged to help establish close ties between the national
school and schools of Artsakh so that Armenian students of the Diaspora
can become familiar with the daily activities that are carried out
for their compatriots in Armenian schools abroad.

ARMENIANS NAME HERITAGE AS THE MOST OPPOSITIONAL PARTY

YEREVAN, March 2. / ARKA /. An Armenian political party led by an
American-born Raffi Hovanessian, who was Armenia’s first foreign
minister after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, was named by
Armenian citizens as ‘the most oppositional party’ in the country,
according to a survey conducted by Gallup International Association
in Armenia from November 20 to 27 in 2014 embracing 1,067 respondents.

The party called Zharangutyun (Heritage) scored 3.7 points on a 5 point
scale. It was followed by the Prosperous Armenia Party, led by one
of the wealthiest Armenian businessmen Gagik Tsarukyan (3.63 points).

The Armenian National Congress led by the first post-Soviet Armenian
president Levon Ter-Petrosyan was third with 3.62 points. Orinats
Yerkir (Country of Law) was named as the least opposition party with
2.4 points. The findings were unveiled today by Aram Navasardyan,
head of Gallup International Association in Armenia.

According to the survey, 40% of respondents predicted a political
failure to these three parties which until lately made the so-called
‘non-governing troika.’

“Only 11% of respondents said that the authorities will be forced
to negotiate with the troika and offer it levers of power and 9%
believe that the current administration will be forced to resign,”
said Navasardyan.

Also 65% said the troika was largely financed by the Prosperous
Armenia Party. Three percent believed it was Heritage and another 3
percent that it was the Armenian National Congress.”-0-