Author: Badalian Vardan

ECB SENDS 5 BILLION EUROS IN CASH TO CYPRUS

YEREVAN, March 28. /ARKA/. The European Central Bank (ECB) has
reportedly flown in some 5 billion euros (6.4 billion dollars) in
emergency funding to Cyprus’ central bank, EuropeOnline magazine
reported.

The money was being driven in a heavily guarded convey in the
evening from Larnaca Airport to the central bank in Nicosia, the
daily Kathimerini newspaper reported, as quoted by EuropeOnline.

The Cypriot government on Wednesday announced severe restrictions on
access to funds held in the country’s banks, hoping to control a rush
to withdraw money when the banks open Thursday for the first time in
nearly two weeks, the new York Times reports.

The measures, which are supposed to be in effect for only a week
but are widely expected to be extended in some form well into the
future, will prohibit electronic transfer of funds from Cyprus to
other countries. In addition, individuals will not be allowed to take
more than 3,000 euros (about $3,860) in cash outside the country,
well below the current ceiling of 10,000 euros. -0-

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT TO HOST PUBLIC HEARINGS ON MINERAL RESOURCES

NEWS.AM
March 28, 2013 | 11:28

YEREVAN.- The Armenian government will initiate a public hearing at
the National Assembly regarding the use of mineral resources.

The proposal was voiced by Premier Tigran Sargsyan during the Thursday
meeting of the government and was supported by Energy Minister Armen
Movsisyan.

According to Sargsyan, the society has many concerns regarding
government’s control of operation of mineral resources. People have
questions whether mineral resources are exploited in the right way.

Premier Sargsyan said often the problems are voiced in the form of
accusation against the government.

“We have must give answers, especially since a new law on mineral
resources is adopted,” he said.

WINNERS OF “ARTAVAZD” NATIONAL THEATRICAL AWARD OF ARMENIA ANNOUNCED

ARMINFO
Thursday, March 28, 12:02

“Artavazd” National Theatrical Award Ceremony was held in Yerevan on
March 27.

Two performances: “Morgan’s godfather” (Paronyan Theater of Music
Comedy) and “Abgar Dpir” (Vanadzor Dramtic Theater after Abelyan) were
announced the Best Performances of the Year. The Best Art Direction
Award was shared by Alexander Grigoryan (Russian Dramatic Theater after
Stanislavsky) and Hakob Ghazanchyan (Paronyan Theater of Music Comedy).

The Best Actors were announced Yervand Yengibaryan for the role in
“Duck Shooting” and David Hakobyan for the role in “Nostalgia.” The
Best Actress is Luisa Hambaryan for the role in “Romantic Comedy.”

Awards were given also in the nominations: The Best Youth Performance,
The Best Youth Art Director, The Best Young Actors etc.

TURKISH COURT RULES ARMENIAN SOLDIER’S DEATH AN ACCIDENT

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

Sevag Sahin Balikci

ISTANBUL–A Turkish court on Tuesday ruled the 2011 shooting death
of Turkish-Armenian soldier Sevag Sahin Balikci as an accident,
reported Today’s Zaman.

The court sentenced the accused shooter Kıvanc Agaoglu to a four-year
prison term.

Balıkcı’s family and lawyers contend that Balikci death had racial
motives..

Earlier this month, a military prosecutor asked for a two-and-a-half
year sentence for Agaoglu. In Tuesday’s decision the judge ruled for
a lengthier four years and five months of prison time for Agaoglu. He
will serve three years of that sentence, since the judge ruled that
his time awaiting trial would be included in the overall sentence.

Balikci was killed on April 24, 2011 while stationed in Batman
Province. Members of his unit who witnessed the shooting said it
was accidental.

However, earlier reports on the trial indicated that the suspect’s
family had pressured witnesses to provide false testimony to cover
up any notion of a racially motivated crime.

TANKIAN DEDICATES SONG TO ARMENIA’S POPULAR MOVEMENT

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

Tankian performs in Yerevan in August 2011

LOS ANGELES-Armenian-American musician and human rights activist
Serj Tankian has dedicated a recording of Komitas’s “Garoun a” to
“all those in Armenia fighting for positive change.”

Tankian, who is the front-man of the band System of A Down, recorded
the song with pianist Tigran Hamasyan.Listen Now.

Tankian said the song will be part of an upcoming album
“Jazz-iz-Christ” due out this summer.

Immediately following the contested presidential elections in Armenia
on Februrary 18, Tankian wrote a letter to President Serzh Sarkisian
demanding an end to corruption and injustice in Armenia, asking the
president to unite and inspire Armenians instead.

“Like most Diasporan Armenians, I have always been reluctant to
criticize your government directly and publicly. But the avalanche
of people suffering under your rule due to corruption and injustice
is tipping the scale for us all,” Tankian said in the letter.

Sarkisian responded to Tankian’s letter, prompting a second letter
from the rocker urging Sarkisian to not use notions of security to
distract people from injustices taking place inside Armenia.

DISCUSSION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH IN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

20:48, 27 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS: University College London (UCL) will
host debates on Nagorno-Karabakh on March 27. The discussion titled
“Nagorno-Karabakh and Security in the South Caucasus” is organized by
the union of Armenian students of UCL and Armenia’s Embassy in London.

As reports Armenpress, the meeting will be chaired by Professor Peter
Duncan from School of Slavonic and East European Studies. Armenian MP
Vahan Hovhannisyan, Karabakh Deputy FM Feliks Khachatryan and Director
of the Regional Studies Center Richard Giragosian will deliver reports
on the 25th anniversary of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) movement, recent
developments in Karabakh peace process and the Sumgait tragedy. Debate
is available on Civilnet website where you can address your questions
to the speakers.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE NOT ‘PERSONAL PROPERTY – OPPOSITIONIST

TERT.AM
21:36 ~U 27.03.13

Young activist Narek Varazdatyan, a supporter of Heritage party leader
Raffi Hovannisian, stated on Wednesday his intention to be beside Mr
Hovannisian on April 9.

According to him, the Armenian presidential residence is not anyone’s
personal property.

“I have nothing to think about, let Serzh Sargsyan think on April 9,”
he said. According to Mr Varazdatyan, Serzh Sargsyan will have to
leave his post “whether he likes it or not.”

Armenia’s authorities demanded that a list of teachers be prepared
on the threshold of municipal elections in Yerevan. Mr Varazdatyan
intends to publish the names of the governors and “a number of puppets”
if things go on like this.

“If you speak of hunger strikes, I can say that holding a hunger
strike is much better than seeking power and blood,” he said,
addressing Armenia’s authorities.

DECLARATION ON FORMING FRIENDSHIP GROUP WITH LITHUANIA RELEASED IN NKR

March 27, 2013 – 19:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Member of Nagorno Karabakh National Assembly Vahram
Atanesyan read out the declaration on establishment of a friendship
group with Lithuanian parliament.

“Accepting with gratitude Lithuanian MPs’ declaration on establishment
of a friendship group with Artsakh, we reaffirm that peoples of
Lithuania and Artsakh were guided by international law, democratic
values and general ideas. Considering that peoples’ right to
self-determination is the sole guarantee to security and democratic
development, we, NKR MPs announce a decision to set up a friendship
group with Lithuania in the National Assembly of Artsakh Republic,”
the declaration reads.

Who Rendered Oligarchs Criminals

HAKOB BADALYAN
16:45 27/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

We can often hear from different levels of the authorities that an
oligarch is not a criminal or the enemy of people and the state. The
Constitution of Armenia states that power and business should be
separate. An oligarch is a person who own businesses and takes part
in governance. It is either a member of parliament or a minister or
even a department head.

It is hard to find someone in the ruling system of Armenia who,
being a de jure official, is not a de facto businessman. In other
words, almost everyone is oligarch. Since the Constitution prohibits
interlacing business and government, being oligarchs is a crime
because it violates the Constitution.

Consequently, no one renders oligarchs enemies of the society but
oligarchs themselves have chosen to be enemies and criminals.

A lot of people say the government pushes them to choose this path
to be able to control them.

Maybe it did at some stage but now the situation is changing. For
example, the Western special services, in order to “tease” the
Soviet Union, sponsored creation or created different radical and
terroristic organizations in the Muslim world. With time passing,
after the initial goals, these organizations became independent and
started “teasing” the West.

The same goes for the oligarchy created by the government. It has
reached the point when it does not act against the society following
the government’s order but has clear interests which are presented
as requirements to both the society and the government. The oligarchy
became part of the government, if not the whole of it.

Currently, just like Muslim individuals or organizations are
challenging the West, the oligarchy is challenging the Armenian
government. Besides, the oligarchy which is far from intellect and
knowledge but understands the principles of the “bazaar power” has
turned into an independent and influential factor.

It already hinders de jure political government because the latter has
appeared in a completely different foreign and internal environment,
while the oligarchy is the stone around the leg which pulls it down.

But the knife of the government is not so sharp to cut the rope,
so it prefers explaining to the stone that it is necessary to go up
and not down. It is obvious whether it will succeed in explaining to
the stone not to go down but up.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION WILL CONTRIBUTE TO BRINGING UP SANER GENERATION IN TURKEY: ZARAKOLU

17:03, 27 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. The issue of Armenian Genocide
recognition is an issue of state security for Turkey. This is the
reason that it has been so many years since the denialism atmosphere
reigns in the country. As reports “Armenpress” prominent Turkish
intellectual, writer, and Director of “Belge” Publishing House Ragip
Zarakolu stated this during the press conference, while touching upon
the issue of the preparatory activity ongoing in Turkey advancing
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Among other things Ragip Zarakolu noted: “The Turkish people living
in Turkey are tired of this issue, just as the people were tired of
the official historiography in the Soviet era. Despite the present
obstacles, the number of intellectuals, who are convinced that it
was genocide, increased.”

Ragip Zarakolu also laid a heavy emphasis on the fact that if
Turkey officially apologizes for the Armenian Genocide, than the new
generation of the Turkish people will be sounder spiritually. Ragip
Zarakolu emphasized: “While we deny the Armenian Genocide, our deceased
ancestors will remain uncovered in their graves.”