Author: Badalian Vardan

IT MAKES NO SENSE TO JOIN RULING COALITION, DEPUTY LEADER OF ARMENIAN HERITAGE PARTY SAYS

YEREVAN, February 22. /ARKA/. Heritage party’s joining the governing
coalition makes no sense as no reforms can be implemented with the
current parliament, deputy head of Heritage opposition party Armen
Martirossian said.

“It is obvious, this parliament is not able to implement any reforms”,
Martirossian said in commenting the allegations that Heritage will
join the ruling coalition.

Friday “Hraparak” (Square) newspaper said that Armenian president Serzh
Sargsyan suggested his main opposition challenger in the February 18
presidential election, leader of Heritage party Raffi Hovannisian
three possible scenarios of further developments – the first,
creating a new pole of opposition and continuing political struggle
in a civilized manner, the second, switching over to radical steps
and expecting similar actions from the authorities, and the third,
cooperating with the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.

Zhoghovurd (People) newspaper, referring to its sources, said that
Sargsyan offered Hovannisian to accept the program proposed by the
current government and to enter the coalition.

Martirosyan also said that entering the coalition, with no opportunity
of implementing reforms, will mean a political suicide.

The deputy head of Heritage also stressed the party believes their
candidate won the election and they are confident they will manage
to achieve recognition and peaceful transfer of power.

According to the preliminary ballot results, Armenia’s incumbent
president Sezrh Sargsyan won re-election with 861,378 votes or 58.64%
Monday. His main challenger and official runner-up Raffi Hovannisian
who polled 36.74% or 539,674 votes disputes the official outcome
of the election. Hovannisian had a meeting with the official
president-elect Sargsyan Thursday (no reporters were allowed to
the meeting). Hovannisian is expected to present the outcome of his
meeting with Sargsyan at today’s meeting permitted by Mayor’s office.

-0–

HERO OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH WAR: AZERBAIJAN’S THREATS THAT IT WILL SHOOT DOWN THE CIVIL PLANES THAT WILL FLY TO STEPANAKERT AIRPORT ARE JUST IDLE TALK

ARMINFO
Friday, February 22, 14:24

Azerbaijan’s threats that it will shoot down the civil planes that
will fly to the Stepanakert Airport are just idle talk, hero of the
Nagorno-Karabakh war Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan told journalists on Friday.

“They will not dare to do it. Otherwise, they will face an appropriate
response. Their planes also fly over Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh,
so, we can also shoot them down. I think these threats are just part
of their anti-Armenian propaganda,” Ter- Tadevosyan said, adding that
he would like to be among the first to fly to Stepanakert.

The Stepanakert Airport is almost ready and can carry 100 passengers
an hour, but Azerbaijan keeps threatening that it will shoot down
the planes that will fly to the airport.

Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan says that if the airport
is opened, the Armenian air defense forces are ready to ensure the
safety of its flights.

TIGRAN SARGSYAN INSTRUCTED TO KEEP “NORTH-SOUTH” ROAD SAFETY IN THE CENTER OF ATTENTION

12:37, 22 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS: Government’s regular session on
“North-South” Road Corridor and political sustainable development
investment program headed by Armenia’s PM Tigran Sargsyan was
launched. As Information and Public Relations department of the
Government told Armenpress, Artashat -Yerevan, Ashtarak-Talin
highway’s dimensional modeling topping the agenda was submitted to
the council. It has been recorded the highway’s construction technical
solutions met the international standards.

The discussion of tranche 2 (Ashtarak-Talin) highway land alienation
and settlement plan implementation process succeeded then. Land
alienation process started from the lands under the subjection of
Aragatsotn Province Katnaghbyur, Yeghnik, Davtashen, Verin and Nerkin
Sasnashen communities. 124 alienation contracts have been signed for
acquisition of private and communal lands, appropriate compensations
have been reimbursed.

Tigran Sargsyan has instructed the program’s heads to keep issues
refer to “North-South” road safety in the center of attention in
compliance with international technical standards.

COACH HAILS ARMENIAN WRESTLERS’ PARTICIPATION IN WORLD CUP

February 22, 2013 – 14:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Chief coach of Armenia’s Greco-Roman wrestling
team Levon Julfalakyan has hailed the athletes’ participation in the
World Cup.

“A number of young wrestlers will be tested this year, to further join
the team. Our athletes came 4th at the Cup, leaving behind several
teams,” the coach said, adding that Armenia scored three wins in 5
bouts of the Cup.

Mr Julfalakyan further highly assessed the performances of Harutyun
Hovannisyan (55kg), Aleksan Mikayelyan (60kg) and Rafik Manukyan
(74kg).

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestlers will conduct two team practice sessions
on Feb 24-March 2 and March 7-21, prior to the European Championship,
due on March 19-24 in Tbilisi.

GOVERNMENT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE
Siranuysh Papyan

13:32 22/02/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Interview with ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan

Ms. Kharatyan, will the post-electoral developments lead to change?

I watched the first part of Serzh Sargsyan-Raffi Hovannisian meeting
when Serzh Sargsyan asks whether they will talk in the presence of
journalists or not, and Raffi Hovannisian says no, while public
confidence was given to him loudly, so if he prefers a private
discussion on a private issue, it cannot be a public wave.

On the other hand, I am not sure that the rallies will gather the
momentum necessary to change the state of affairs. Raffi’s rhetoric is
interesting but it may not last long. The Heritage Party is popular
with the public but, in fact, the Heritage is a party with a civil
format. Very well but this format does not have an experience of
public and group uprising. Besides, there is no ability to capture the
attention of such an audience because this form of struggle means a
lasting process. Maybe Raffi Hovannisian has objectively assessed his
resource and they are able to keep it up until they achieve results.

Raffi has stated to wait for Serzh Sargsyan on the square. Judging
by Raffi Hovannisian’s words, they are waiting until he will come
and hand power to the people. No other option has been suggested
yet. It is possible that Raffi Hovannisian is aware of the following
steps but prefers not to publish them. On the other hand, if Serzh
Sargsyan did not come to the square and did not announce what Raffi
Hovannisian expects from him, will he apply to legal institutions or
will he follow the institutional path? The recount of votes is done
without informing Raffi Hovannisian, hence the tendency to bypass
Raffi Hovannisian and act alone is there. Yesterday I listened to the
chief of police state that reports of electoral fraud are mainly false.

Obviously, their methodology will not change.

They say Raffi Hovannisian has no plan.

It is not known what the next step will be. Obviously, Raffi
Hovannisian has yielded to the people’s uprising rather than Raffi
Hovannisian’s uprising set people on their feet. The Heritage Party
trusts Raffi’s honesty and morality and assures that Raffi will say
and do things which we will see but only he knows what he is doing
to say and do.

Raffi Hovannisian’s campaign was different from other campaigns and
it was successful. My analysis shows that his behavior throughout
the campaign, especially in the last week influenced his votes. Yet
there is something else which I cannot state clearly. If this
non-standard Armenian campaign proved successful, Raffi’s general
steps, non-absolute and open statements may also provide successful.

Nevertheless, this familiar situation and familiar background
information do not allow me to see prospects and have expectations. I
come in touch with people, talk to them and I know that people have
highly specific expectations, and the solutions suggested so far are
blurred and uncertain.

Ms. Kharatyan, don’t you think that the demand for a second round or
a new election would be more substantial?

In order to demand a second round Raffi Hovannisian must point to
such expressions and number of electoral fraud which make the past
election unacceptable. I think there is a possibility.

The criminal oligarchy definitely will not give up easily. There are
worries that March 1 will repeat.

By their participation in the election our society showed that it
is capable of overcoming its fears while we were talking about these
fears and worries.

This teaches everyone a good lesson that individuals and the society
have a sense of dignity. March 1 is a sad memory, painful present but
it was unable to hinder the inner compulsion and the right of people
to express their will. This time people expressed a strong will.

I can think of several options of what will follow independent from
further process of the uprising. First, if this government does not
change, it will have to use more violence to bend people.

Second, this process itself showed the government that it is
absolutely unacceptable, and all it can rely on is the administrative
resource. The government may conclude that it should not continue
this way, which is hard to believe. Since this is the last round of
the government, it may be used for private purposes.

ATTACK ON SEVAN

01:05 PM | TODAY | SOCIAL

Attack on Sevan – the mining industry expands its territory, while
the projects are carried out in the package of public hearings.

Two public hearings on two projects were held in Shorzha and Ardanish
villages on 22 February, with a break of two hours, at 10:00 a.m. and
12:00 p.m. “Gegamet Plus” Company presented the project of developing
magnesium-silicate and chromite mine in Shorzha Village, while “Mika
Cement” Company presented the project of developing marl limestone,
which is the main component for cement preparation. Shorzha mine
contains chromites and is developed in a distance of 2-3 km from Lake
Sevan. The wind blows of the dust of crushed chromites directly into
the lake. In due time the Scientific-Expert Committee on Lake Sevan
preservation turned down the project submitted by “Gegamet Plus”
Company making a reference on Article 10 of RA Law “On Lake Sevan”.

This article bans any processing activities in the drainage basin of
Lake Sevan.

But then the committee reviewed its decision. And it’s already several
years since the processing plant has been showing off not far from the
shore. What about Mika-Cement Company, nothing will be left from the
Ardashis mountain range due to mining of cement raw materials. All the
norms for preservation regime in specially protected area of “Sevan”
National Park and its Ardanish reserve area have been violated. The
passages of red-listed animals are destroyed, particularly those of
bezoar goats. But the company continues its operations, while Nature
Protection Ministry doesn’t turn down its projects, EcoLur reports.

QAZVIN-RASHT-ASTARA OR IRAN-ARMENIA?

Sevak Sarukhanyan
Deputy Director of “Noravank” Foundation, Head of the Center for
Political Studies, Ph.D. (Political Studies)

Recently the discussions on the development of the railway service
have stirred up in the South Caucasus and Armenia. This is mostly
conditioned by the change of the leadership in Georgia in 2012 after
which a new government was formed. Unlike the previous one it tends
to improve the relations with Russia which in its turn brings into
focus possibility of re-running the Georgian-Abkhazian railway.

But despite the results of the Georgian-Russian and Armenian-Georgian
negotiations there are already railways projects implemented in the
South Caucasus which tend to take leading positions in the regional
transport system. There are two such projects – Kars-Akhlkalaki and
Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railways. They both may greatly affect Armenia as
their implementation will indirectly bring to the deepening of the
transport blockade of the Republic of Armenia. Hence in our opinion
Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway is of greater significance for Armenia as,
by creating direct railway connection between the Persian Gulf and
Azerbaijan, it will directly influence transport prospects of the Rep.

of Armenia. And there are such prospects especially if we take into
consideration the possibility of re-running of the Abkhazian railway.

Qazvin-Rasht-Astara and Iran-Armenia railways

Back in 2004 Russian-Iranian-Azerbaijani declaration on building
Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway was signed in Tehran and in 2005 it was
followed by an appropriate agreement. The fact that Russia also signed
the agreement is understandable. The railway connecting Iranian Qazvin
and Azerbaijani Astara is an integral and important part of North-South
international transport corridor which aims not only connecting Iranian
and Azerbaijani railways but also to connect Iranian Bender-Abas port
with Russian railways through the territory of Azerbaijan. This project
is of great geopolitical significance because it will link the markets
of South and South East Asia with Russia and Europe by means of almost
direct railway which will result in off-loading of the cargo traffic
through the Suez Canal. The significance of these prospects has sharply
grown today when Egypt is indulged into the long political crisis.

According to different economic researches annually 25-26 million
tons can be transported by means of the railway which will make it
into one of the world’s biggest transportation hubs.

In this aspect both Russians and Iranians are very interested in the
building of the railway and the same can be said about Azerbaijan
too; it tends to become transition country not only for oil and gas
export but also for cargo transportation. This is rather an attempt
to restore old status when there was a railway communication between
Iran and Azerbaijan in the Soviet period, than a new prospect. The
only difference is that this communication was maintained through
the Nakhijevan and Armenian SSR which is today impossible.

But it should also be underlined that Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway
is also an indirect competitor of the Armenian transport projects,
the most important of which is the prospect of building Iran-Armenia
railway. Unfortunately while discussing building of the railway
most of the attention in Armenia is paid to the commodity turnover
between Armenia and Iran. We say unfortunately because if we consider
the significance of building a railway only in the aspect of the
Armenian-Iranian cooperation the conclusions will be obvious. Taking
into consideration the small volume of the Armenian-Iranian commodity
turnover and its one-sidedness (80% of general turnover is directed
from Iran to Armenia) the railway is not profitable and it should not
be built. This is wrong approach which does not take into consideration
the fact that almost all the railways built all over the world are
solving rather regional than inter-state issues. And which is the
regional significance of Iran-Armenia railway? It is almost the same
as the one of Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway and the only difference is
that instead of the Azerbaijani territory it will pass through the
territories of Armenia and Georgia. Of course in case if we consider
that the Abkhazian railway will be re-opened. But even in case if
it is not re-opened, it should be taken into consideration that
Iran-Armenia railway will connect two other transportation hubs –
Bender-Abas and Georgian Black Sea Poti port.

This fact and prospect is appreciated not only by the Iranians but
also by the Chinese who are interested in the building of Iran-Armenia
railway.

Thus, for Armenia the factual state the construction of
Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway is important.

Is Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway being built?

This is one of the most crucial and enigmatic issues. Formally the
railway is built at an accelerated tempo as it received necessary
financing in 2011. By the approved 2011-2012 Iranian budget $111
million which had to provide completion of the project and putting
the railway into commission, were allotted. But in September 2012
Iranian party send an official letter to the head of the “Russian
Railways” Valdimir Yakunin with a request to finance the building of
the railway. In October 2012 during Vladimir Yakunin’s visit to Tehran,
the Russian party did not conclude any agreement on funding the railway
building with Iran thus, factually, giving up on the offer to finance
the works. But the interesting fact about this is that the Iranian
media and state officials have been reporting in different ways on
the condition of the railway since 2010. If the official statement
of the Ministry of Roads and Transportation of Iran read that 70%
of works were completed and general works would be over in 2010,
in 2012 the new Minister of Transportation of Iran Ali Nikzad stated
that only 50% of works were completed and the completion of project
was planned by the end of 2015.

The main reason of such a discord can, most probably, be conditioned
by hard economic situation in Iran due to which financing of a
number of big projects was ceased. It is not excluded that $111
million allotted for 2011-2012 did not reach the railway and were
redirected to softening difficult financial situation caused by the
international sanctions.

In 2012-2013 uncertainty around the railway’s prospects still
preserves. According to the Minister of Roads and Transportation of
Iran Ahmed Sadeghi 67% of the construction works has been completed
and in 2014 it will be fully put into commission. The feasibility
of these prospects is an important issue because almost all the
optimistic statements are made by the Iranian party at the meetings
with the Azerbaijani officials. Moreover, it is remarkable that the
Iranian media almost does not turn to the railway even though for
propagandistic purposes almost all the more or less remarkable projects
are covered. The same cannot be said of building of the Iran-Armenia
railway which has not been started yet but it is mentioned about the
railway building and prospects almost in all the publications in the
Iranian media devoted to Armenia.

It is obvious that the Iranian party is very interested in Iran-Armenia
project from political point of view, because Armenia and Georgia
for Iran is one thing and Azerbaijan is the other thing. There are
practically no chances to improve the Iranian-Azerbaijani relations
the deteriorated over the last year because such an improvement is
hampered by both “Iranian policy” of Azerbaijan, and failure of the
policy of establishment of active Iranian-Turkish cooperation. And
change of the leadership in Georgia created grounds for Tehran to
expect that the “Georgian road” to Russia can be opened, thus creating
serious alternative to the road going through Azerbaijan.

“Globus” analytical journal, #2, 2013

Return Another materials of author IRAN AND SANCTIONS[10.12.2012]
SIGNIFICANCE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR ARMENIA [27.09.2012] ON THE
REGIONAL POLICY OF IRAN[28.06.2012] TURKISH FACTOR IN “LEVIATHAN” AND
“APHRODITE” ENERGY “WARS”[03.05.2012] POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN
AND POSSIBLE IRAN-US COLLISION[22.03.2012] IRAN AND DEVELOPMENTS IN
SYRIA[26.01.2012] ON REGIONAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS[05.12.2011] IRAN:
DOMESTIC POLITICAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS[26.09.2011] POLITICAL
PROCESSES IN IRAN: IDEOLOGICAL STRUGGLE [21.07.2011] POLITICAL
PROCESSES IN IRAN[27.06.2011]

POST-ELECTION TRADITION: HOVANNISIAN BECOMES LATEST RUNNER-UP TO DISPUTE ELECTION OUTCOME, HAS FEW OPTIONS AT HAND

VOTE 2013 | 22.02.13 | 14:00

Photolure

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

Almost all presidential elections in the history of independent Armenia
were followed by protests, with the second-placed candidate disputing
the official outcome and claiming massive fraud in favor of the
government candidate. The 2013 election is no exception in this sense.

Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian, who garnered nearly 37 percent
of the vote, insists that a considerable number of votes have been
stolen from him and that in fact he is the rightful winner and not
the incumbent president, Serzh Sargsyan, whose official result is
put above 58 percent.

Thousands of people showing up for post-election rallies in Yerevan
agree with Hovannisian, as many people did in 1996 when the single
opposition presidential candidate, Vazgen Manukyan, was officially
“defeated” by the then incumbent, Levon Ter-Petrosyan; in 2003 when
then opposition leader Stepan Demirchyan challenged president Robert
Kocharyan and finally in 2008 when Ter-Petrosyan, already as an
opposition leader, disputed Sargsyan’s win of his first presidential
term. While in all cases street demonstrations would turn nasty at one
point, only the 2008 standoff turned deadly as 10 people were killed
in the March 1-2 clashes in central Yerevan when security personnel
had been brought in to suppress the demonstrations.

The reasons for the Armenian tradition of electoral fraud have
most succinctly been formulated by the U.S. Department of State,
whose spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, citing concerns of international
observers, earlier this week talked about “the lack of impartiality on
the part of [Armenian] public administration officials and the misuse
of administrative resources that resulted in a blurred distinction
between the activities of the state and those of the ruling party.” In
fact, by highlighting this circumstance, Nuland accused the governing
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) of using the levers of the state
to secure its continued hold of power.

In another country such a statement would have been perceived as
an accusation of usurping power and would have caused at least
a diplomatic row, but the ruling party of Armenia remains silent
on this statement. Though, the RPA itself admits that there were
irregularities in the ballot, but “they did not affect the course
and the outcome of the election.”

When an athlete is caught using performance-enhancing drugs and other
stimulants he or she gets banned from the race and is usually stripped
of all titles. The most recent example is the case of U.S. cycling
star Lance Armstrong. The RPA, in fact, has been using “doping” in the
form of state levers – schools, social service agencies and facilities,
municipal authorities, through which it has put considerable pressure
on voters. Besides, the RPA also wields significant influence on the
Central Election Commission, which is supposed to remain an independent
and impartial body.

The Armenian legislation contains no provisions that would allow
disqualifying a political party from the race if voting violations
are committed in its favor. Such provisions exist, however, in the
legislations of other countries, besides, in democratic countries
there is a so-called code of political honor, according to which
a political party itself declares its resignation if at least one
similar offense becomes publicly known.

But it is not the case in Armenia, where the political parties at
the helm of the state have always opted for reshaping laws to fit
their needs, and no code of honor has been formed within more than
two decades of formal democracy in Armenia.

The maverick presidential candidate, Andrias Ghukasyan, who was
on a month-long hunger strike throughout the election campaign,
demanded from the very beginning that the RPA, which nominated
President Sargsyan as a candidate in the race, be disqualified,
arguing that this party’s participation by itself implied unfair
elections. Before calling for the disqualification of Sargsyan as an
RPA candidate, Ghukasyan first suggested boycotting the elections,
urging all candidates to withdraw from the race to leave Sargsyan
alone, shadowboxing, but to no avail – the elections were held,
and their fairness is again being called into question.

Despite the fact that thousands of people have been gathering in the
square with a genuine wish for the flawed system of power usurpation to
be broken up, Armenia still lacks mechanisms of appealing the election
results: even the proof of a considerable number of violations is
likely to be rejected by the Constitutional Court as “not enough
to influence the outcome of elections” on the basis of a simple
numerical count and with no integrity of the process being taken
into consideration.

In conditions like these, election protesters appear to have only a
limited number of options to choose from – either to put up with the
election results and start preparing for the next elections or make
a revolution.

Both options, however, are futile, as in the case with the former
there is no guarantee that the protest mood will not fade away in time
for the next general election (as it happened to the Ter-Petrosyan
opposition bloc that regrouped in the wake of the suppressed street
demonstrations for purposes of a long-term political struggle) and
the latter option will inevitably come up against strong-arm methods
of the state with all ensuing consequences.

Under current circumstances it is not excluded that a third option
will be offered – a broad-based coalition with the powers of a
constitutional assembly that would prepare constitutional amendments
primarily regarding liability for electoral violations that will
eventually break up the RPA’s monopoly – a goal now being pursued by
many opposition and “alternative” political forces in Armenia that
feel mostly excluded from public governance and decision-making.

Such an option could allow Hovannisian to take his rightful place in
the country’s establishment, lobby the proposal that he himself made
last year about the transition to a parliamentary form of government.

At the same time, it would allow President Sargsyan to “clean” his
own party, which has constantly been accused of becoming a refuge to
oligarchs, and to modernize it for the benefit of the nation.

PROJET DE LOI ELECTORALE LIBANAISE : CHRETIENS ET MUSULMANS SEPARES DANS LES URNES

À l’approche des elections legislatives prevues en juin, la classe
politique libanaise se dechire autour d’un projet de loi electorale
qui communautarise encore plus le pays du Cèdre, deja regi par un
système confessionnel. Par Marc DAOU (texte)

La Republique libanaise se dirige-t-elle vers un système federal
confessionnel ? À l’approche des elections legislatives prevues en
juin, la classe politique libanaise se dechire sur un projet de loi
electorale cense regir le scrutin. Ce projet, très controverse, a ete
adopte mardi par des commissions parlementaires mixtes, après plusieurs
mois de tractations infructueuses entre les differents partis.

Selon ce projet dit “du rassemblement orthodoxe”, les electeurs
de chaque communaute religieuse (maronites, sunnites, chiites,
armeniens orthodoxes, grecs catholiques, druzes, etc.) sont appeles
a voter exclusivement pour des listes de candidats issus de leurs
communautes respectives. Et ce, dans le cadre d’une circonscription
unique et selon un mode de scrutin a la proportionnelle. Faute d’avoir
un representant au Parlement prevu par la loi, la petite communaute
juive du Liban pourra, quant a elle, voter pour un candidat de
n’importe quelle confession.

Le confessionnalisme politique

Le Liban, qui compte 18 communautes religieuses, applique un
système politique base sur la democratie consensuelle ainsi que
sur une repartition confessionnelle des fonctions officielles et
administratives. Le president de la Republique et le chef de l’armee
sont toujours chretiens – precisement maronites – tandis que le
Premier ministre est sunnite et que le president du Parlement est
chiite. Enfin, les portefeuilles ministeriels et les 128 sièges de
deputes sont repartis paritairement entre musulmans et chretiens. Ceux
qui seront elus en juin 2013 pour un mandat de quatre ans devront elire
le prochain president de la Republique au cours du printemps 2014.

Cette proposition, qui sera soumise au vote du Parlement dans les
prochains jours, est soutenue par les principaux partis chretiens. Une
première pour des forces rivales dirigees par des figures maronites
divisees sur l’echiquier politique entre allies du Hezbollah (le
Courant patriotique libre du general Michel Aoun) et les partis
antisyriens (les Forces libanaises de Samir Geagea et les Kataeb de
la famille Gemayel). Et ce, avec l’assentiment du Patriarche Bechara
Raï, l’influent chef de l’Eglise maronite.

Un projet adoube par les partis chretiens et le Hezbollah

Selon eux, en permettant a chaque confession de voter pour ses
propres deputes, le “projet du rassemblement orthodoxe” a le merite
de corriger “l’injustice” de la representation politique de leur
communaute en garantissant une parite absolue entre les deux corps
electoraux chretien et musulman. Ils reprochaient aux differentes
lois electorales en vigueur ces dernières decennies de faire elire une
majorite des 64 deputes chretiens par des voix musulmanes, denoncant
particulièrement celles concoctees par l’occupant syrien (1976-2005)
qui, afin de museler les partis antisyriens, detournait a son avantage
le système confessionnel libanais deja bien complexe.

Ainsi, a l’issue de l’adoption du nouveau projet par la commission
du Parlement mardi, le general Michel Aoun s’est montre euphorique.

“Aujourd’hui, ceux qui avaient vu leurs droits amputes les ont
recuperes, et ce sans qu’il soit porte atteinte aux autres, a declare
le general Aoun. Aujourd’hui, la voix des marginalises a retrouve son
poids, et nous sommes très contents de cet exploit”, a-t-il declare.

Toutefois, le “projet du rassemblement orthodoxe” aurait pu etre jete
aux oubliettes sans le soutien inattendu des deux forces politiques
chiites que sont le Hezbollah et Amal. “Les chretiens affirment que le
projet orthodoxe leur donnera l’occasion d’etre representes pleinement
: offrons-leur, comme musulmans, cette occasion et elisons un Parlement
où personne ne pourra affirmer qu’il n’est pas equitablement represente
en fonction de son veritable poids electoral”, a recemment declare
Hassan Nasrallah, le secretaire general du parti de Dieu.

“Le Hezbollah n’a rien a craindre de ce mode de scrutin. Il est
certain de ne perdre aucun siège de depute, car il n’y a pas de place
pour une opposition chiite dans ses bastions”, confie a FRANCE 24
une source qui a participe a la redaction de plusieurs propositions
de loi electorale. Et d’ajouter : “Par consequent, il ne lui coûte
rien de soutenir les demandes de son allie Michel Aoun en lui offrant
l’opportunite, a quelques mois des elections, de se presenter comme
l’un de ceux qui ont rendu leurs droits aux chretiens”.

Farouche opposition de Hariri et Joumblatt

Reste que ce projet est loin de faire l’unanimite. Car outre quelques
dizaines d’hommes politiques chretiens affilies a aucun parti, le
depute sunnite et ancien Premier ministre Saad Hariri et le leader
druze Walid Joumblatt, deux acteurs majeurs de l’arène politique
libanaise, s’y opposent farouchement. Le premier a qualifie, mardi,
sur Twitter, l’approbation du projet de loi electorale de “jour noir
dans l’histoire de l’action legislative libanaise”. Selon son parti,
le Courant du Futur, la proposition du rassemblement orthodoxe “menace
les valeurs nationales, la moderation et la coexistence religieuse”.

Quant a Walid Joumblatt, il a estime que “ce projet nous ramène a
l’isolationnisme et divise l’entite libanaise”, dans un entretien
accorde au quotidien an-Nahar. Leurs deputes respectifs ont claque
la porte des commissions mixtes qui ont approuve le projet controverse.

Or, selon le responsable qui a participe aux tractations sur la
nouvelle loi electorale, toutes les autres propositions qui ont ete
soumises en meme temps que le projet orthodoxe etaient egalement
basees sur des principes communautaires, “et aucun d’eux ne remettait
en cause la distribution confessionnelle des sièges au Parlement”.

Selon lui, Hariri et Joumblatt sont les grands perdants de ce projet
“car tous les deux sont representes au Parlement au-dela de leur poids
politique en faisant elire par leur electorat des deputes d’autres
confessions, ce qu’ils ne peuvent admettre publiquement”. Et de
poursuivre : “Contrairement a ce qu’ils semblent craindre, le projet
n’engendrera pas de conflits interconfessionnels, car la competition
aura lieu au sein de chaque communaute et non pas entre l’une et
l’autre”, ajoute-t-elle.

Vers un report des legislatives ?

Ce n’est pas l’avis du chef de l’Etat, Michel Sleimane, lui aussi
fermement oppose au projet, qu’il juge contraire a l’esprit de la
Constitution et a celui de la coexistence entre les communautes. Dans
la Constitution libanaise, qui stipule que chaque depute est “le
representant de la nation” et non pas de sa communaute, il est en
effet precise que “la suppression du confessionnalisme politique
constitue un but national essentiel”. Un argument egalement invoque
par les hommes politiques independants et a notoriete locale, qui
risquent d’etre broyes par les grands partis structures dans le
système proportionel a circonscription unique.

Des manifestants contre le projet “du Rassemblement orthodoxe”

Mardi soir, des centaines de manifestants ont temporairement coupe
la route menant au Parlement libanais, dans la capitale libanaise,
pour protester contre l’adoption du projet de loi du “rassemblement
orthodoxe”.

Le president Michel Sleimane pourrait s’opposer a l’adoption du
projet en cas de vote positif au Parlement en le soumettant au
Conseil constitutionnel. Si le texte est rejete par le Parlement et
qu’aucune nouvelle loi n’est adoptee avant le 11 mars (date limite
pour convoquer le corps electoral), les elections seront reportees. De
quoi, peut-etre, laisser le temps a la classe politique libanaise de
se mettre d’accord autour d’un projet plus consensuel et moins clivant.

vendredi 22 fevrier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

‘STONE DREAMS’ BREAKS STEREOTYPES BETWEEN AZERIS, ARMENIANS

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 17 2013

“Stone Dreams,” the latest novella by one of Azerbaijan’s most
prominent writers, Akram Aylisli, which depicts Azerbaijanis lending
a helping hand to Armenians, has caused an uproar in the country,
as the nations have been engaged in hostility since the early 1990s,
when Armenia seized Azerbaijani territories resulting in more than
1 million Azeris becoming refugees.

Completed in 2007, “Stone Dreams” was first published in the Russian
literature journal Friendship of the Peoples (Druzhba Narodov) in
December of last year and received harsh criticism from Azerbaijanis
for going against official statements from Baku.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have had no diplomatic relations since a
war erupted over Azerbaijan’s Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh
region in the early 1990s, when Armenian-backed forces occupied it,
along with seven adjacent Azerbaijani territories, in a conflict that
killed 30,000 people from both sides. A truce was signed in 1994,
but there was no peace treaty.

Nagorno-Karabakh has adopted a declaration of independence, which is
not recognized by the international community, and has run its own
affairs with heavy Armenian military and financial backing since then.

Azerbaijan regularly vows to take it back by force, though it says
it favors diplomacy. Violence still flares sporadically along the
border between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Aylisli’s novella portrays the drama of two nations at war over
Nagorno-Karabakh. In the story, he depicts Armenians being attacked by
Azerbaijanis who were kicked out of Armenia in the wake of the bitter
war and the local Azerbaijanis helping the Armenians in Baku. The
sympathetic depiction of Armenians drew massive protests from young
Azerbaijanis outside the house of the 75-year-old writer, calling
him a traitor to his nation and urging him to leave the country.

The reason why there was so much anger around the novella in Azerbaijan
is because people are afraid of acceptance and understanding, says Arzu
Geybullayeva, editor of the Neutral Zone, a platform for alternative
voices from Armenia and Azerbaijan on social and cultural issues with
a focus on the conflict. “It is easier to get angry, to dismiss, to
belittle, than face up the reality and show a sign of understanding, a
sign of forgiveness and apology,” Geybullayeva said to Sunday’s Zaman,
adding that the story by Aylisli is about the bonds between people
that are not easily broken and might pertain to any two countries
where there has been a long-term conflict.

After being harshly criticized at the opening session of the
Azerbaijani parliament on Feb. 1, Aylisli was stripped of national
honors for “insulting the dignity” of his country, and as such, his
title of “National Artist” was taken away and his pension was stopped.

His books were burned by intelligentsia and compatriots in his
hometown, while his wife and son were reportedly fired from their
workplaces.

In the meantime, Aylisli described the novel as a peaceful message,
adding he did not expect such a harsh response.

“Armenians are not foes for me. As a resolution of the conflict is
delayed, the hatred and antagonism between the two nations grows
dramatically. I have depicted an Azerbaijani helping a troubled
Armenian. How can I be a traitor?” Aylisli said in an interview with
Radio Free Europe, adding that both nations have lived together for
a long time and can continue to do so.

The campaign of intimidation against Aylisli is still going on, and
the leader of Azerbaijan’s opposition Modern Equality Party (Muasir
Musavat) has offered 10,000 manats, nearly $13,000, to anyone who
will cut off Aylisli’s ear. Reiterating that Aylisli had insulted the
entire Azerbaijani nation, party leader Hafiz Haciyev said, “As he has
insulted us, we wanted to respond, and that is why we have decided …

that his ear must be chopped off.”

New York-based Human Rights Watch condemned the threat against Aylisli
on Tuesday and urged the authorities to protect the Azerbaijani writer.

Praising Aylisli’s “Stone Dreams” as a type of work that no Armenian
or Azerbaijani public figure has done so far, Philip Gamaghelyan,
co-director of the Imagine Center for Conflict Transformation, said to
Sunday’s Zaman that the novella “elevated the conflict discourse from
a primitive ‘I am right, you are wrong’ dichotomy into ‘I also have a
level of responsibility’. And, in my book, that deserves huge respect.”

Gamaghelyan thinks Aylisli’s novel is an antidote to the extradition
of Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, a move that reignited the
tension between the two countries. “If Safarov’s case fed into all
the negative stereotypes that are floating around about Azerbaijanis,
then Aylisli broke many of those stereotypes,” Gamaghelyan said,
adding that the actions of those who are persecuting him provide
powerful ammunition for those who would like to continue stereotyping
Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Safarov killed an Armenian colleague with
an axe during a NATO-sponsored English language course in Budapest in
2004 and served eight years of a life sentence in Hungary. President
Ilham Aliyev pardoned Safarov after Hungary agreed to return him to
Azerbaijan, which drew angry protests from Armenia and expressions
of concern from Western powers and the international community.