Author: Badalian Vardan

PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Lusine Mnatsakanyan
Tel: 3741 56 0106
Fax: 3741 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.himnadram. org

The Refugee Community of Mrgashen will have a Renovated Kindergarten

In February 2007 major reconstruction works started in the kindergarten of
the Mrgashen village in Kotayk marz. Through the sponsorship of the French
local committee of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund (donors Anahit and Varujan
Tcheugurians) construction works of 58 million AMD will be carried out in
the kindergarten.
The kindergarten was built in 1964 and hadn’t been repaired since then.
Initially designed for 120 children, the kindergarten hosts 30 children
today.
As of April, the roof of the building was reconstructed, new metal-plastic
windows were installed, and a gas pipeline was constructed. At present the
heating system and internal water pipelines are being installed and
refurbishing works are being carried out. By the end of the year the
building will have a new boiler-house, regular cold and hot water supply,
laundry, metal-plastic modern doors, laminate and ceramic covered floors.
Mrgashen has 2500 inhabitants – mainly refugees from Azerbaijan. The head of
the local community Aramais Aramyan thinks that this initiative is welcome
news both for children and parents; the latter will have more time for their
field work. He assured that 4 more groups will open in the kindergarten
after the reconstruction works. Children from neighboring village Nor
Artamed can also attend this kindergarten.

ARMENIAN LEADER’S AIDE NAMES PREMIER FUTURE PRESIDENT

Arminfo
17 May 07

Yerevan, 17 May: Incumbent Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan will
be the next Armenian president, the presidential national security
adviser, Garnik Isagulyan, said at a news conference today.

The confident victory of the RPA [the Republican Party of Armenia]
led by Serzh Sargsyan in the [12 May] parliamentary election is the
basis for such a statement, Isagulyan said.

"I would like to wish the opposition to unite and nominate a single
candidate, otherwise they will again nominate 20 candidates only to
suffer a crucial defeat," Isagulyan said.

Commenting on the recent statement by Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed
Country] party leader, Artur Baghdasaryan that he will run for
president, Isagulyan said that Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
described his actions as "treachery". He added that what the president
had in mind was the very instance of "asking for help from Western
diplomats and not what specifically Baghdasaryan was doing".

"I assure you that none of the state structures recorded anything
at the Marko Polo restaurant [in Yerevan]. The recording was made by
Baghdasaryan himself in order to boast of his high rating in the eyes
of foreigners to other opposition leaders, which was later published
in newspapers," Isagulyan said.

[During the wiretapped conversation, Baghdasaryan reportedly asked
a British diplomat for support in the coming parliamentary election
and suggested that it take a stricter stance towards the Armenian
authorities, see Mediamax news agency, Yerevan, in English 0830 gmt
28 Apr 07]

DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WHAT ELSE MAY HAPPEN IN TURKEY IF TENSION DOES NOT REDUCE IN COUNTRY

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2007 15:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party in
Turkey is not going to change the constitutional order of the country,
senior research assistant Vahram Ter-Martirosyan stated at the round
table on domestic political situation in Turkey organized by the
Turkish Department of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RA
National Academy of Sciences. He said Islamists will again prevail
in the future parliament, which will be elected on July 22.

He said Recep Tayyip Erdogan leads the country through the way of
"Islamic democracy". Almost 500 laws have been adopted in Turkey during
the recent 5 years, and some experts say they will help the country
to integrate to the European Union. Nevertheless, the General Staff of
Army keeps its dominant role and it is still difficult to predict what
else may happen in Turkey if tension does not reduce in the country.

Turkey’s President Ahmed Necdet Sezer can use his veto power and reject
the legislation on holding early parliamentarian elections. Though
I think he will not do that and will meet half-way Premier’s party,"
Ter-Martirosyan underscored.

NKR AUTHORITIES EXTEND CONDOLENCES

ArmRadio.am
18.05.2007 11:48

NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan and Prime Minister Anushavan Danielyan
issued a joint message of condolence on the death of famous singer
Gohar Gasparyan.

The message says: "With great sorrow we learnt about the death of
renowned singer Gohar Gasparyan.

Invaluable is Gohar Gasparyan’s contribution to the development of
Armenian vocal art, the reinforcement of its role and place in the
world culture treasury.

The death of the "Armenian nightingale" is a great loss for Armenians,
including the people of Artsakh.

On behalf of the NKR people, we extend condolences to the family of
the unforgettable singer, to thousands of admirers of her art. We
wish them strength of spirit and patience."

AZERBAIJAN – ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS OSCE MEMBER-STATES FOR JOURNALISTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.05.2007 13:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE representative on issues concerning free media
Miklos Haraszti condemned pressure on mass media in Azerbaijan. He
said journalism profession is not safe in Azerbaijan. "It contradicts
commitments taken in front of the OSCE.

During recent times we have fixed five cases of imprisoning
journalists. Some of them were detained in the court room as soon as
the first instance court ruled verdicts," he underlined.

Miklos Haraszti stated that Azerbaijan has turned into one of the
most dangerous OSCE member-states for journalists. "Some time ago
I had a meeting with President Aliev. I told him that the idea
of his advisers to increase discipline among journalists aimed at
forming more ethic atmosphere in this field through repression is
catastrophically wrong. Only freedom of speech and self-regulation
of the press will result in increasing professionalism. It’s a pity
that despite my calls to the President of Azerbaijan, politicians
of the country to be more tolerant towards media, Azerbaijan does
not observe international standards. I hope authorities will cancel
the article "On slander", which supposes criminal responsibility,"
the OSCE representative informed, BBC reports.

TOROSYAN SUGGESTS COLLABORATION

A1+
[06:04 pm] 18 May, 2007

"People promised the moon at pre-election period and now they try to
explain their failure by various factors," RoA NA Speaker Tigran said
at the "Tesaket" Club while referring to the protest of oppositional
forces.

Tigran Torosyan did not exclude that extra-government forces may
appear in the government. "Surely they cannot be engaged in the
Coalition as Coalition is formed from governmental forces. They can
only collaborate with each other."

"There are lots of opportunities for collaboration.

What matters most is comprehensive cooperation. On the other hand,
the more parties collaborate, the more pluralism and the more
effectiveness. Although I think the Republicans, are always ready
to collaborate, independent from the format of collaboration,
participants, the number of participants, etc.," Tigran Torosyan says.

To the question whether a minister can be a partisan but the portfolio
not, Tigran Torosyan said, "Generally, it is possible but in the
case of the new government, it is ruled out." As to the questions
on other portfolios, Tigran Torosyan replied "everything will be
decided in negotiations which will be conducted with a wide range of
political forces.

Generally, Tigran Torosyan is content with the election results though
he observed some shortcomings.

15TH ANNIVERSARY OF LACHIN CORRIDOR’S OPENING CELEBRATED IN NAGORNO-KARABAGH REPUBLIC TODAY

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 18 2007

Today the 15th Anniversary of the opening of Lachin corridor,
connecting the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic with RA, is being celebrated
in Berdzor (Lachin) today. Various cultural measures have been
initiated within the frames of the celebration.

To note, Lachin corridor was of great importance for the beleaguered
young Republic. Since the NKR’s proclamation its leadership was
concerned with the problem of running the blockade. One of the steps
targeted at achieving the aim was taking control of the Karabagh only
airport situated on the territory of Hojalu.

For a few months the airport ensured the NKR’s connection with
the world. However, since the beginning of May, 1992, Azerbaijan
began using air force, which turned the flight of civil planes and
helicopters into mortally dangerous thing. NKR was in need of ground
connection, so the most logical way was liberation of Armenian Berdzor
from alien element.

May 18, 1992, after the victory in Shoushi the NKR self defense
forces entered Berdzor (Lachin). Two parts of the Armenian nation,
which were artificially separated, managed to unite again, and columns
of cars with food went to starving Stepanakert.

GREENPEACE REBUILDS NOAH’S ARK ON MOUNT ARARAT

armradio.am
17.05.2007 13:54

The ecological organization Greenpeace began the construction of a
reproduction of Noah’s Ark on the Mount Ararat. The wooden ship will
make ten meters long, four meters wide and four meters in height,
independent correspondent Jean Eckian informs from France.

"We are in front of a second universal flood. But it is not yet
too late. If all the nations of the World make a turn in favor of
environment one will be able to avoid the catastrophe," indicated
Andree Böhling, Greenpeace expert in energy." "The politicians
must assume their responsibilities and cannot continue to look at a
world threatened to be submerged by the tides, the storms and floods,
while hundreds of thousands people lose their houses, which plants
and animals disappear by the diseases and dryness," he said.

To give more symbolic to his call, Böhling explains that, a caravan of
40 horses transferred, of the foot of Mount Ararat until an altitude
of 2.500 meters, a total of twelve cubic meters of wood’s pieces
intended to build the Arch of the 21st century. Twenty German and
Turkish carpenters will build the biblical ship, which in the future
will become a coaching inn of mountain.

The rebuilding of Noah’s Ark will be officially inaugurated on May
31 with the reading of a declaration of the climatic state.

–Boundary_(ID_P9kZ6OJRG9MlIA+wlslYZA)–

TAMAMYAN-JUST A NAME HEARD?

A1+
[05:24 pm] 16 May, 2007

"If any official’s guilt is proved, he’ll be definitely punished", –
Press Secretary of the Chief of RA Police assured today on the case
of Levon Gulyan, who fell from the second of the Police building and
was found dead under unexplained circumstances.

According to Sayat Shirinyan, the Chief of the Police immediately
ordered to start a criminal investigation.

"I want to stress, that the Police authorities are interested to
discover all the circumstances of this case and I want you to refrain
from any estimation, as far as the preliminary investigation is in
the process. But I have no doubts, that the Office of Prosecutor of
Yerevan will complete the case with multilateral objectivity and give
a legal estimation".

It should be noted, that according to the official report got from
the police, L. Gulyan, invited to the police station as a witness for
a murder case, asked for a up of water from one of the officials, and
as he went out tried to escape jumping from the window, but slipped,
fell from the second floor and died.

Levon’s relatives do not agree with this version and blame for his
death deputy chief of the General Depatment of Criminal Investigation
of RA Police Hovik Tamamyan. "If I say, that Tamamyan has nothing to
do with this case, many will thing that my opinion is biased. Let’s
wait for the preliminary investigation to be finished", – Sayat
Shirinyan said, adding, "they just heard a name and exploit it, if
it turns out that it’s really Hovik Tamamyan, all of us will blame,
and not only…".

Sayat Shirinyan assured, that the preliminary investigation will pass
in transparency, so that Levon’s relatives can be sure of the truth.

TWO-DAY SIT-IN STARTS AT FREEDOM SQUARE

Noyan Tapan
May 16 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Representative of "Impeachment" bloc
Nicol Pashinian along with about a hundred supporters started a sit-in
at Yerevan’s Freedom Square on 6 pm of May 16. The sit-in will last
until the rally to be held on 5 pm of May 17 by "Impeachment" bloc,
"Republic" and "New Times" parties.

According to N. Pashinian, the Armenian land is being built based on
notions of several people, which is wrong. He said that the current
authorities have no idea of the state of ordinary people. "You don’t
know what it is like working in an office of an official. It is warm
here in winter and cool in summer, the office has all comforts,
and those working in it are isolated from life, having no notion
about people’s concerns," he noted. Representative of "Impeachment"
added the the people has a need for self-purification. In his words,
it takes a great moral strength not to sell one’s vote. "On seeing
that those who sell their votes make the majority, every person
subconsciously tends to join them," N. Pashinian said.