Author: Badalian Vardan

IRANIAN ARMENIANS WENT OUT TO DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF THE TURKISH EMBASSY

15:30, 27 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. The Iranian Armenians went out
to demonstration in front of the Turkish Embassy against Turkey’s
policy regarding the Syrian crisis and its consequences, which will
have negative impact on the Armenians. “Armenpress” reports, that the
editor in chief of Tehran-based “Alik” daily Derenik Melikyan writes
about this. Also the editor stated: “In the morning on February 27 the
Armenian community of Tehran gathered in front of the Turkish Embassy
to defend the interests of the Syrian-Armenians and to protest against
the intriguant regional policy of Turkey.”

Among other things the editor in chief of Tehran-based “Alik” daily
Derenik Melikyan underscored: “The inconsolable and awkward situation
the prospering Armenian community of Syria has appeared in for already
two years is a result of same the general regional policy adopted by
Turkey, because of which the Syrian-Armenians suffer alongside with
the Syrian people.”

– See more at:

ARMENIAN NATIONWIDE STRUGGLE IS UPON US – OPPOSITION PARTY OFFICIAL

NEWS.AM
February 27, 2013 | 14:38

YEREVAN. – The public movement that existed in Armenia on February
18, the presidential Election Day, is gaining greater momentum;
this already is a nationwide struggle, opposition Heritage Party
Vice-Chairman Armen Martirosyan said during a press conference on
Wednesday.

Martirosyan expressed a conviction that this struggle will be
successful, and noted that the fact that not solely capital city
Yerevan, but also the country’s regions became active, is something
unique.

“[Heritage Party Chairman] Raffi Hovannisian [who is declared runner-up
to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of
the presidential election on February 18, but who claims to be the
real winner in the vote] is holding very good meetings; the citizenry
welcomes these visits, [and] that is why the authorities have resorted
to provocations,” Heritage’s official stated.

He stressed that the opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, and a
variety of parties and organizations from the former opposition
bloc Armenian National Congress have joined the people’s struggle,
and that numerous politicians, public figures, and men and women of
the arts and letters have expressed their support.

Armen Martirosyan also noted that the current authorities must accept
their defeat and, subsequently, amendments should be made in the
Electoral Code, a new parliamentary election should be conducted,
and a true coalition government should be formed which, together
with “President Raffi Hovannisian,” should launch radical reforms
in Armenia.

LATVIA AND ARMENIA HAVE POTENTIAL FOR EXPANDING BUSINESS TIES: BERZINS

RIGA, February 27. /ARKA/. Armenia and Latvia have a great potential
for expanding their business relations, Latvian President Andris
Berzins told Novosti-Armenia.

“The developed base of agreements, including investment protection,
will particularly foster it,” he said at the meeting with the members
of CIS, Baltic and Georgian Editors-in-Chief Club

Berzins noted the two sides had confirmed not once their readiness
and necessity to increase the trading turnover, investments and
business contacts.

However, the business ties between the two states will be deepened
whenever these ties are mutually beneficial, according to him.

“Mutually beneficial, pragmatic relations with all countries is what
our policy is based on,” he said.

Berzins also added nothing can hinder the economic cooperation between
Armenia and Latvia even “despite the distance between our countries.”

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the foreign
trading turnover between Armenia and Latvia stood at 1337,8 million
drams or $3,599,500 in 2011. Export to Latvia from Armenia totaled
in 408.4 million drams or $1,099,600 (379.7 tons), and import-929.4
million or $2,499,900 (731.2 tons). -0-

R.HOVANNSIAN ON HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN’S “REASONABLE PROPOSALS”

Story from Lragir.am News:

15:51 27/02/2013

Raffi Hovannisian, who is currently in Syunik marz within the framework
of his regional visits, answered Hovik Abrahamyan’s proposal relating
to “reasonable proposals” including governmental offices. Hovannisian
says that he has already made all proposals and now he is ready for
reasonable proposals from Serzh Sargsyan.

During his meeting with Kajaran residents, Raffi Hovannisian said
that he received 45% in Kajaran and called on the authorities either
to respect the people’s will or to leave.

SHAME ON SYUNIK’S GOVERNOR – RAFFI HOVANNISIAN STARTS HIS VISITS IN SYUNIK (PHOTOS)

12:24 ~U 27.02.13

Leader of Armenia’s Heritage party Raffi Hovannisian continues his
provincial visits and meetings with the people.

Today he is going to visit all the towns of Syunik. He started his
visit from Agararak, and then departed for Meghri. Later today he
will be in Kajaran, Kapan, Goris and Sisian.

On February 24 he was in Ashtarak, Aparan, Spitak, Vanadzor and
Gyumri, while yesterday he was in a number of settlements in Armavir
and Ararat provinces.

In Agarak Raffi Hovannisian welcomed the people of Agarak and its
mayor. “I have not seen him, but convey my greetings to him. Agarak,
Meghri are not Armenia’s southern gates but the central part,”
Hovannisian said addressing the people. He also ashamed the governor
of the province for the big number of election frauds registered
there. He said everyone will be held accountable and those who fixed
posters on Agarak polyclinics as well.

He said the elections have passed and they have won. “Entering
policlinics I have understood that we must eliminate the fear among
you. Watching on Agarak and Syunik from ruling Yerevan they must see
that the people have won. Agarak has won. They might have stolen,
rigged your votes in that case, Mr Khachatryan [Syunik governor]
people demand your resignation,” Hovannisian said.

“ADVENTURIST WHO CARRIES OUT PROVOCATIONS SHOULD NOT BE CALLED ARMENIAN”

Wednesday,
February 27

In other countries, people hold rallies to publicly show their
disagreement with a political process, they do not pursue any other
purpose, Armenian Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasian said during a
talk with reporters in the National Assembly, when speaking about the
protests and rallies held after the presidential election in Armenia.

“Each participant of a rally should heed police demands. For their
part, the state and police have no right to use force against rally
participants,” the minister stressed.

When asked if provocations can be ruled out during a rally, H.
Tovmasian said nothing can be ruled out, including provocation, but
“the adventurist who carries out provocations should not be called
an Armenian”.

In his words, the police should do their best to prevent provocations.

“When a lot of people of all ages and political views who have
different goals gather in one place, the possibility of incidents is
not excluded,” the minister said.

26.02.2013, 18:39

Aysor.am

ARTSAKH URGES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO EXPRESS FIRM POSITION ON SUMGAIT POGROMS

10:37, 27 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic issued a statement on the 25th
anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms. As reports “Armenpress” the
statement runs as follows:

“Mass murders and pogroms of Armenians took place from 27 to 29
February, 1988 in Sumgait, a city located less than 30 kilometers away
from the Azeri capital Baku. For three days, upon the silent agreement
of the authorities and complete inaction of the law enforcement
agencies people were being murdered, raped and maimed for the mere
reason of being Armenian. Dozens of killed, hundreds of maimed and
thousands of Armenians expelled from Sumgait became the first victims
of Azerbaijan’s policy of terror aimed at the Armenians of Karabakh
who in the preceding week had officially declared their intention to
exercise their right to self-determination. In spite of the peaceful
and legitimate nature of those manifestations in Nagorno Karabakh,
Azerbaijan from the very beginning rejected dialogue, resorted to the
language of threats and intimidation and pursued policy of violent
oppression of the free will of the people of Artsakh.

Unfortunately, the Sumgait massacre has not received an adequate
political and legal assessment of the international community yet.

Moreover, silencing the truth about the Sumgait tragedy, concealing
its true causes, and the impunity granted to its masterminds paved
the way for ethnic cleansing carried out throughout Azerbaijan. It
reached its climax during the bloody massacres and mass deportations
of Armenians of Baku in January 1990, which later led to a full-scale
military aggression against the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

The tragic events in Sumgait laid the fertile ground and contributed
to the further development of the zealous hatred towards Armenians
and anything Armenian continuously and successively implanted in
Azerbaijan and its society.

In today’s Azerbaijan, despite the international community’s calls
to prepare its population for peace instead of war, xenophobia,
intolerance and belligerence are being spread. Anyone in Azerbaijan,
who stands for building any bridges to Armenians is severely
intimidated and ostracized by the Government. At the same time,
the Azeri officer, who was convicted in Hungary to a life sentence
for the brutal Sumgait-type murder of the fellow Armenian classmate,
is being glorified as a national hero and role model for youth.

25 years later we pay tribute to the innocent victims of the Sumgait
tragedy, and call on the international community to express its firm
and unambiguous position in relation to that crime against humanity. A
clear and unequivocal assessment of those mass murders and pogroms
and condemnation of the forces behind them will both prevent the
recurrence of such crimes and contribute to the moral improvement of
the Azeri society.”

JOINT CANDIDATE ‘APPEARS BY HIMSELF’ IN ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – MP

TERT.AM
20:18 ~U 26.02.13

Armen Rustamyan, an Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun
(ARF-D) parliamentary group member, stated on Tuesday that the Feb. 18
presidential elections were “bad” and the results “predicted.”

On the other hand, a joint candidate “appeared by himself,” which
the authorities tried to avoid so hard.

“The major reason for the predicted results was the same: the ruling
force’s use of all the administrative resources. Striking evidence
thereof is not only election frauds at polling stations, but also
the resignations of officials that failed to assist the authorities’
reproduction,” Mr Rustamyan stated in parliament.

The above proves that the authorities and the ruling party are the
same in Armenia.

He also pointed out a specific feature of the Feb. 18 presidential
election.

“With the major political forces not participating, to the authorities’
surprise, the opposition electorate united round one candidate,”
he said.

“What the public discontent shows. It is clear that people cannot live
on like this and want to have authorities they deserve. The people’s
will must not be violated. The people’s discontent is a stimulus to
a process of transformation into a national movement, with the end
of establishing democracy throughout the country,” the MP said.

The ARF-D is ready to cooperate with all the interested forces in
finding solutions to the Armenian nation’s benefit.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER, PRESIDENT FAIL TO REACH CONSENSUS; PROTEST RALLIES PLANNED IN SEVERAL CITIES

Interfax, Russia
Feb 25 2013

Raffi Ovannissian, the leader of the Armenian opposition party
Heritage who came in second in the recent presidential elections,
announced the beginning of protest rallies across the country at a
rally in the center of Yerevan on Friday.

“At a meeting with Serzh Sargsyan [the incumbent president of Armenia,
who won the elections], I demanded that those who rigged the elections
be punished, but was refused. I proposed that new parliamentary
elections be called so as to form a new government, but was refused. I
said: If you are unwilling and don’t have enough courage to recognize
the people’s victory, don’t blame me,” Ovannisian told the rally
participants referring to his Thursday meeting with Sargsyan.

He announced protest rallies at three Armenian cities, i.e. Ashtarak,
Gyumri and Vanadzor on Saturday and at Freedom Square in the center
of Yerevan on Sunday.

“I am determined to defend our people’s interests. Our struggle will
not wane. We are heading toward victory,” Ovannisian said.

Meanwhile, the Yerevan city hall has declined a request submitted
by the Heritage party for rallies on Freedom Square in Yerevan on
February 23-25.

About 9,000 people accompanied by police marched along central streets
in Yerevan earlier on Friday. Before this, opposition activists held
a rally on Freedom Square.

Ovannisian earlier claimed victory in the presidential elections,
refusing to acknowledge the official outcome published by the Central
Elections Commission.

FIRST AZAN SOUNDED ON AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA BORDER AFTER 20 YEARS

Ahlul Bayt News Agency – abna.ir, Iran
Feb 26 2013

As a part of the campaign “Towards Karabakh – the voice of Allah and
our truth”, Azan (call to prayer) has been resumed and the first Azan
sounded in Chemenli

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – As a part of the campaign “Towards Karabakh
– the voice of Allah and our truth”, Azan has been resumed and the
first Azan sounded in Chemenli village of Aghdam region, on the
contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, APA reports.

APA reports that the first Azan on the contact line after 20 years
has been sounded in “Jumshud” mosque. Following the Azan, Juma namaz
was performed.

Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Religious Organizations
Elshad Isgandarov, head of “Nagorno Karabakh’s Azerbaijani Community”
Public Union Bayram Safarov, heads of the executive authorities and
residents of the frontline regions attended the event.

Azan will also be resumed in other mosques along the frontline.

Campaign “Towards Karabakh – the voice of Allah and our truth” has been
organized by the State Committee on Work with Religious Organizations
together with the “Justice for Khojaly” International Civil Awareness
Campaign and “Nagorno Karabakh’s Azerbaijani Community” Public Union.