Author: Badalian Vardan

LE BLOC DE L’OPPOSITION ENGAGE DANS L’ORGANISATION DU MOUVEMENT

ARMENIE

le conseil politique du Parti Armenie prospère (PAP) a pris la decision
de fournir a tous les bureaux du parti a Erevan et dans les provinces
des conseils politiques du mouvement pour la creation de bureaux
du mouvement.

Le conseil a egalement autorise Vartan Oskanian a consulter les forces
non-gouvernementales, les structures des mouvements politiques et
publics adjacents, des representants des communautes de la diaspora
afin de former des bureaux du mouvement a l’etranger et de cooperer
avec les bureaux armeniens.

Le depute du PAP Stepan Margaryan a dit que pendant les rassemblements
de la troïka il a ete affirme clairement qu’il y a une question
sur laquelle tout le monde est sur la meme page – le gouvernement
est lui-meme epuise et un nouveau gouvernement doit etre forme,
que de nouvelles elections sont necessaires ainsi qu’un changement
de gouvernement.

“Il y a un accord commun dans la troïka que nous avons besoin d’un
changement de gouvernement. Pour ce faire, il y a des etapes a realiser
dans la dynamique du changement constant meme s’il n’a pas encore
ete annonce les tactiques et les demandes consecutives” a-t-il dit.

Cela fait plusieurs jours il y a des speculations sur une reunion
de Gagik Tsarukyan avec le president Serge Sarkissian au cours de
laquelle il aurait parle des elections anticipees au parlement,
et celui-ci aurait dit que d’ici juin 2015 cette option est impossible.

Il n’y a pas annonce officielle confirmant ou niant cette information.

Selon le quotidien Zhoghovurd, a l’avenir le Parti republicain
d’Armenie (RPA) et la troïka devraient annoncer le debut de
negociations politiques. Et si les evolutions ne changent pas de ce
scenario, il est suppose qu’ils devraient bientôt annoncer que les
parties sont parvenues a un accord : le RPA se gardera de l’idee de
changer la forme de gouvernement presidentiel, mais qu’ils seront
d’accord pour un système proportionnel a 100% pour les elections
legislatives et donc que le code electoral sera egalement modifiee.

Hovhannes Sahakian du RPA a declare que les negociations pourraient
avoir lieu entre le RPA et le PAP.

“Si quelqu’un pense travailler avec nous, il peut discuter des
problèmes, je ne pense pas qu’il peut y avoir des problèmes ici”
a-t-il dit.

Avant la reunion de l’organe executif du RPA le Premier ministre
Hovik Abrahamyan, en reponse a la question d’un journaliste de savoir
s’il va devenir un intermediaire entre le President Sarkissian et le
chef du PAP Gagik Tsarukyan, a declare qu’il n’y a pas besoin d’un
mediateur pour les dirigeants de ces deux forces politiques pour
qu’ils se reunissent.

Gayane Lazarian

ArmeniaNow

vendredi 14 novembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

AUTHORITIES HAVE ONE MISSION – EARN MONEY ON PEOPLE’S ACCOUNT – EXPERT

17:21 / 13.11.2014

Nyut.am conducted interview with political analyst Yervand Bozoyan.

– Mr Bozoyan, what has happened in the trio? I mean the statement
of the Armenian National Congress and the response of the Prosperous
Armenia party. Is it over?

– Yes, it has passed.

– Is it a serious dispute or not?

– No, it is not.

– Ruling party MP Razmik Zohrabyan confirmed that the meting between
Serzh Sargsyan and Gagik Tsarukyan took place. Why isn’t it being
spoken about publicly?

– You see what happened. Zhoghovurd paper writes that the meeting
took place. But the parties do not confirm it. It means one thing,
either the paper lies or the editor was present at the meeting. There
is no third variant. If Razmik Zohrabyan says it, it means that he
was there too.

It is necessary to ask about it the spokesman of the president.

– Does the president’s demand to view the 12-point demand of the
opposition a step back under the pressure of the three political
forces?

– I think that these 12 points are not the ones presented by the trio
but these are the issues the public is concerned with. People face
these issues in their everyday life. I mean the speedometers, the red
lines, the pension funds, the taxes. Thus, the solution of these issues
is first of all necessary to Serzh Sargsyan. If he does not feel the
demand of solution of these issues, people will make him feel it.

As to the three forces they are moving forward with their agenda.

Feeling that the pan-national wave may get new impulse, Serzh Sargsyan
is trying to make concessions and shows the three forces as if he
does it for the trio, while I again repeat he does it for himself,
it is necessary to do for the country.

– Do you believe in frankness of the president? Will they make
concessions if not pressures?

– If there is no pressure they would have closed the air the people are
breathing. They will introduce walking tax too. I think the majority
of the people have understood it. The authorities are searching for
ways to establish new taxes, to put more burden on the people. These
authorities have one formula: burden all the problems of the country
on the people and distribute the wealthy sectors where money may
be earned among them, their families. This is the mission of the
incumbent authorities – earn money on the account of the people.

About 80% of the people understand it. The other 20% will understand
it in near future.

– The country’s resources are limited. Aren’t the authorities
committing suicide by pressing people, robbing and working for own
pockets?

– I think that they are doing it, they are doing it for already 6
years. Time is necessary for the people to fully realize that the
authorities are doing nothing but earning money for themselves. To
subject this public opinion to manipulations, the authorities have
created so-called opposition and independent mass media, while in
reality these are mass media financed by them and aimed at injecting
into people the opinion that the authorities are bad but the opposition
is worse.

– In your opinion which is the red line beyond which the opposition
should not come into agreement with the authorities? The denial
to make changes in the Electoral Code, or the implementation of
constitutional reforms?

– If the authorities want to earn money the natural right of the
people is to complain, to rebel and change the authorities. On the
other hand, it is clear that there are different ways to change the
authorities. People know many ways how to do it. As to us, I think that
taking into consideration the geopolitical situation and the unsettled
Karabakh conflict we must do everything to reach the change of power
with minimal blows. Of course, we cannot avoid blows completely but we
must make efforts and bring them to minimum. The authorities and the
opposition must promote it. Thus they too must have the red line which
should not be crossed. For the opposition the red line is that the
authorities must implement 12-point demands, must give up the idea of
constitutional reforms and must conduct snap parliamentary elections.

These are the minimal demands of the opposition and in my opinion
the opposition forces are following this way.

As to the authorities, it has a right to choose, either come to
terms with the demands of the opposition, in that case everything
will pass calmly in Armenia and if not everything will take place in
a more complicated way.

– Experts clam that the opposition lose in the elections because
it did not have associates in remote settlements who would have
controlled the election process. Now the Prosperous Armenia party
wants to establish headquarters in different settlements.

– Yes, the opposition for the first time is trying to form its pole
in the whole territory of Armenia. The thing is that till now, the
opposition was expressing its complain in the center of the capital,
in the Freedom Square. While the remote villages were not part of the
movement. The opposition did not have resources to consolidate people
in the remote areas. The authorities using the opportunity considered
that the dissatisfaction of Yerevan is not enough for it to agree
with the opposition. Taking into consideration this circumstance the
opposition wants to correct the situation and form establishments
throughout the country that will be an alternative to the authorities.

Thus, each village and town must know that there can be an alternative
to the incumbent authorities and how it can be.

FREEDOM FIGHTER AGAIN HAS ELECTRICITY IN HIS APARTMENT: ELECTRIC NETWORKS OF ARMENIA RESPONDED TO A1+ ARTICLE

13:32 | November 14,2014 | Social

Freedom fighter Gevorg Hakobyan again has electricity in his apartment,
the Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC told A1+. The electricity was
cut off four years ago after Hakobyan had accumulated electricity
debts. The freedom fighter is unemployed and has been unable to repay
the debts.

Earlier, A1+ had made reportage about the man which was posted on the
company’s website. Learning about the problem, the Electric Networks
of Armenia decided to help the freedom fighter. The CJSC restored
the electricity and came to an agreement with Hakobyan that he must
pay electricity bills from December.

As for the accumulated debts, the Company said they will be repaid in
2015 under a program “Charitable aid to special groups of consumers.”

MI-24 CRASH OPEN WAR CHALLENGE – ARMENIAN POLITICIAN

12:49 * 14.11.14

The downing of the MI-24 helicopter by the Azerbaijani armed forces
can be described as nothing more than an invitation of war, according
to Hakob Tigranyan, the head of the Social Democrat Hnchakyan Party’s
(SDHP) central office.

At a news conference on Friday, the politician called attention to the
political component of Azerbaijan’s latest aggressive act, stressing
the importance of adopting new approaches to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement talks. “But the question’s political content is of
importance here. The SDHP is confident that it is necessary to urgently
suspend the official Yerevan’s involvement in the negotiations as long
as Nagorno-Karabakh’s legitimate authorities are not a full-fledged
party to the process. Any negotiations with [Azerbaijani President
Ilham] Aliyev are pointless after this crime.

The SDHP condoles with the pilots’ families and expresses hope that
their death will not go unpunished,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

EUFOA: DOWNING OF THE ARMENIAN HELICOPTER NULLIFIES AZERBAIJAN’S COMMITMENTS

10:32, 14 Nov 2014

Nagorno-Karabakh helicopter went down in flames on November 12,
killing all three crew members, after Azerbaijani forces claimed it
was violating their airspace and shot it.

Azerbaijan has awarded the servicemen who downed the helicopter with
a third degree medal for “distinguished military service.”

“We condemn the new outbreak of violation. We state that as always,
it is the Azerbaijani authorities that are responsible for it
again. This provocation nullifies Azerbaijan’s commitments. We hoped
Baku would adopt a more rational and constructive behaviour after
Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting on 27 October in Paris. Breaking the
promise to France only a few days ago, the Azerbaijani leadership
showed that it’s not a reliable partner in the region,” said Mr
Francois Rochebloine, French MP and Member of EuFoA’s Europe-Armenia
Advisory Council.

“It is clear to all international organisations that the Azerbaijani
administration established a totalitarian regime based on fear, lies
and repression. Therefore, it also tries to neutralise any attempt of
freedom and rule of law in the region, attempting in vain to threaten
also the population of Nagorno Karabakh and their strong commitment to
democracy and fundamental rights by shooting down unarmed helicopters,
or murdering civilians as it was the case a few weeks ago. Last but
not least I would like to pass my deepest condolences to the families
of the helicopter crew,” added EuFoA Director Mr Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa.

International organisations and Members of the European Parliament
have also expressed their worries.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS REFUSE TO VOTE TO RECOGNIZE KARABAKH INDEPENDENCE

Interfax, Russia
Nov 12 2014

YEREVAN. Nov 12

The members of the Armenian parliament refused to vote to recognize the
self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s independence on Wednesday.

A bill titled ‘On concepts of military-political foundations of
security of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the Republic of Armenia’
was once again submitted by the opposition faction Heritage.

The bill, which envisions the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s
independence, was supported by only eight out of 131 parliamentarians.

The Heritage faction has submitted a bill on the recognition
of Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence several times. However, the
parliamentary majority has insisted that this would be inappropriate at
present as it could torpedo the negotiations on settling the conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The other opposition parliamentary factions also voted against
the bill.

The leadership of the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament had also signaled
earlier that it opposed Nagorno-Karabakh’s unilateral recognition
by Yerevan.

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE IS CONCERNED ABOUT DOWNED MILITARY HELICOPTER

10:52 13/11/2014 >> SOCIETY

NATO Secretary General special representative to the South Caucasus
and Central Asia James Appaturay left a message on his Facebook page,
expressing concern over the military helicopter shot down in Nagorno
Karabakh by the armed forces of Azerbaijan.

“Whatever the circumstances of the incident, both sides should remain
calm and pursue a diplomatic resolution,” noted James Appaturay.

As NKR Defense Ministry press service reported earlier, today, Nagorno
Karabakh Air Forces’ Mi-24 helicopter was shot by the Azerbaijani Armed
Forces during military training flight in the airspace in the eastern
section of Karabakh – Azerbaijan Line of Contact around 1:45 pm. The
land, on which the incident occurred, is in close proximity to the line
of contact. Opponent after the incident continued intense bombardment
scene from weapons of different caliber. The place where the helicopter
was shot is close to the Line of Contact. The enemy continued to fire
shots from weapons of different calibers after the incident.

Meanwhile, the press secretary of Armenian Defense Minister Artsrun
Hovhannisyan wrote on his Facebook page that Azerbaijani Armed Forces
have carried out an unprecedented provocation on the border with the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh; this has also led to escalation of the
situation. In the same time the fabrications of the Azerbaijani side,
as if the Armenian helicopters had attacked their positions and they
allegedly had merely responded to this step, are senseless. “The study
of the wreckage of the helicopter will confirm that he was not armed.

The escalation of the Azerbaijani side has continued even after
the helicopter fall down. Moreover, the Azerbaijani side continued
shelling, not allowing even to get closer to the pilots. The
consequences of this unprecedented escalation will be very harmful
for the Azerbaijani side and will remain as a stain on the conscience
of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan. Captain of the
helicopter was Major Sergei Sahakyan. Information about the fate of
the crew will be given later,” Artsrun Hovhannisyan stated.

RELEASED VIDEO PROVES KARABAKH HELICOPTER WAS UNARMED – DEFENSE MINISTRY

11:26 * 13.11.14

The footage featuring the deadly shootdown of the Nagorno-Karabakh
military helicopter demonstrates clearly that the aircraft was unarmed
while performing its combat maneuvers.

In a Facebook post, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense,
Artsrun Harutyunyan, says the footage released by the Azerbaijani
side proves the libelous nature of its earlier statement.

“The video footage proves yet another time that the helicopters
belonging to the Air Forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic did not
violate the border or commit an attack on a [military] position,”
reads his status.

Hovhannisyan notes that attacking helicopters normally use to different
tactical and technical means while performing the act or flying back
home subsequently.

The spokesperson also said in his post that the adversary continued
maintaining the tension high across the Line of Contact overnight,
preventing the Armenian side from approaching the drowned aircraft.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army reported Thursday morning that
the Azerbaijani forces had violated the ceasefire across 250 time
since the attack, firing bullets against Armenian defense guards from
weapons of different calibers.

INDEFINITE SIT-IN IN FRONT OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, PROTESTING PARENTS DEMAND A FAIR TRIAL

11.12.2014 17:12 epress.am

Today, November 12, HSBC Bank employee and three-year imprisoned
Ashot Arushanyan’s parents have begun an indefinite sit-in and
hunger strike across the street from the Presidential Palace, near
the Marshal Baghramyan Metro.

They brought a couch and armchairs to the site of the sit-in, placing
their posters next to the furniture. Yesterday, the Arushanyans and
their supporters conducted a protest near the Presidential Palace,
demanding that President Serzh Sargsyan secure a fair investigation
for their son.

In June of this year, Ashot Arushanyan was sentenced to 5 and a half
years imprisonment. According to the most recent accusations, on
November 21, 2011, the defendant, Edgar Karakeshishyan, organized to
steal 56 million AMD ($135,000) from the car of Manana Grain company’s
deputy director Armen Manukyan, while information about the transfer
of money was given by Arushanyan. Karakeshishyan was sentenced to 7
years imprisonment. Artashes Galustyan was also charged, but was set
free and subsequently found dead after committing suicide in his home.

According to Ashot Arushanyan’s father, Lavrenti Arushanyan, the only
proof against his son is a testimony obtained through torture.

AZERBAIJAN SETS NEW LOW FOR COUNCIL OF EUROPE: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

18:23, 12 Nov 2014

“Azerbaijan’s six-month chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s
Committee of Ministers comes to an end this week, and not a moment
too soon. It can be said without exaggeration that Azerbaijan’s
tenure represented an assault on the institution and everything it
stands for,” Giorgi Gogia, senior South Caucasus researcher at Human
Rights Watch

“Azerbaijani leadership spoke out on progressive youth policies,
while back home young activists were being jailed; it hosted a
high-level conference on the European Court of Human Rights, while
Azerbaijan’s leading lawyer was arrested on bogus tax-related charges;
it also failed to implement the court’s judgment finding Azerbaijan
in violation of the European Convention for imprisoning an opposition
activist on politically motivated charges,” he added.

“When President Ilham Aliyev came to Strasbourg to speak to
the Parliamentary Assembly in June, he wasunrepentant. He didn’t
acknowledge any human rights problems in Azerbaijan and called anyone
who challenged him liars. I was shocked listening to him, and feared
for my colleagues and friends who criticized him at home and abroad.

My worst fears came to pass: the Azerbaijani colleagues who came to
the assembly to publicize Azerbaijan’s atrocious human rights record
now either languish in Azerbaijani jails, are in hiding, or have fled
the country fearing prosecution.”

“Perversely, over the six months Azerbaijan headed the council it
actually stepped up its crackdown, which included the arrest of at
least 11 people and conviction of at least nine others on politically
motivated charges, sentencing them to various prison terms following
flawed trials.”

“These include the country’s most prominent human rights defenders,
including Leyla Yunus, and her husband, the historian Arif Yunus,
Rasul Jafarov, and Intigam Aliyev. All four are in pretrial detention
on spurious charges, ranging from tax evasion to treason.”

“Azerbaijani authorities have also used restrictive new laws regulating
nongovernmental organizations and other strong-arm tactics to try to
starve independent groups of their funding in order to silence them.”

“During its chairmanship, the Azerbaijani government has caused a human
rights crisis in the country and in the Council of Europe. It has put
to the test the council’s standing as Europe’s foremost human rights
body. The Council of Europe’s leadership should condemn Baku’s behavior
in the strongest possible terms and make clear that there cannot be
business as usual until those imprisoned on politically motivated
charges are freed and the crackdown brought to an end,” Gogia said.