Author: Badalian Vardan

Zhoghovurd: Tsovagyugh village Mayor, ARF member, backs incumbent President

10:11 02/02/2013 » DAILY PRESS

Tsovagyugh village Mayor, ARF Dashnaktsutyun member Gevorg Tovmasyan
told Zhoghovurd that the village’s residents are going to vote for
incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan at the presidential elections
because `he renovated the village school, provided them with property
and supplied them with gas.’ Although ARF ruled out supporting the
ruling party’s candidate, ARF member Gevorg Tovmasyan will vote for
Serzh Sargsyan, the paper writes.

Zhoghovurd’s correspondent asked ARF parliamentary faction secretary
Aghvan Vardanyan what the party is going to do in that case. `We have
regulations, a decision and ensuing consequences,’ Vardanyan was
quoted as saying.

Source: Panorama.am

Susi Kentikian wins WBA interim champion’s title

February 2

The former world champion, German boxer of Armenian descent Susi
Kentikian (30-2-0, 16) won the fight against Sanae Jah (7-1-0, 2) on
Friday.

In the Düsseldorf’s arena of ISS Dome, an evening of professional
women’s boxing was held, where the WBA interim world champion title
was at stake.

The fight lasted ten rounds, and then the judges unanimously declared
Susi Kentikian the winner. The Armenian won with a score of 99-91,
98-93, 97-92.

Thus, Susi interrupted series of two consecutive defeats.

NEWS.am Sport

In Shosh Problems are being Solved but the Number of Schoolchildren is
Gradually Decreasing

Saturday, 02 February 2013 14:18

The number of learners at the school of Shosh village which is at a
13-kilometer distance from Stepanakert is yearly decreasing.

The problem troubles not only community head Erik Abrahamyan but also
a lot of Shosh inhabitants who witness the villagers’ gradual decrease
in number. Today the village has 629 inhabitants and the newly-built
school has 67 learners.

The Shosh inhabitants engaged in farming and cattle-breeding have no
problem of product realization as they live quite close to the capital
and have no problem with the transport.

The North-South highway which lies through Shosh connects dozens of
villages to the regions of Askeran, Martouni and Hadrout. Most Shosh
villagers take their products to the market of Stepanakert in the
morning and return home with their income or the necessary purchases
late in the evening. In contrast to the mentioned people the other
part of the villagers go to work to the capital every day.

Despite all this some inhabitants continually leave the village to
move to the capital or to go abroad. Those who stay in the village
manage their household affairs, part of them are engaged in farming,
the other part in cattle-breeding, the rest in trade and in other
affairs. These people also have to face a number of problems, for
tillers these may be unfavourable weather conditions, the lack of the
agricultural machinery, the high price of diesel fuel, for the youths
such ones as the lack of places for leisure time activities or the
problem of employment in general, for some of them the absence of the
house of festivities, and so on.

One of the primary problems of the village is the problem of water.
The inner water distribution system is in an unfavourable condition.
`Soon this issue will be settled as well, the system is going to be
repaired by the finances of the `Hayastan’ all-Armenian fund.

The solution of this issue will not keep us waiting. The village
community head hopes that the construction of the village community
complex will not be long in coming, either, it will solve a number of
problems at once, the village will have a rural administration office,
a community club, a medical post as well as a house of festivities.
The construction of the complex will also be financed by the
`Hayastan’ all-Armenian fund.

As the community head assured after the operation of the complex the
building of the present-day rural administration office will serve as
a kindergarten as there is none in the village. He says that some
women from the village have applied for work in the kindergarten.

Today the school of the village, which is in the most favourable
condition, is in no need for teachers but the number of the
schoolchildren is gradually decreasing.

Armenian police offer to provide bodyguards to all presidential candidates

YEREVAN, February 1. / ARKA /. Armenian Police said they are ready to
ensure the safety of all eight presidential candidates and called on
them to take advantage of this opportunity. In a press release it said
it may provide them with bodyguards.

“The Police of Armenia express their deep regret in connection with
the armed attack on Armenian presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikian
and will take all necessary measures to prevent and detect crimes,”
the press release said.

Paruyr Hayrikyan was shot in the shoulder close to his home in the
capital Yerevan on Thursday night. Doctors removed the bullet on
Friday and said his life was not in danger.

The authorities have launched in inquiry into the case under Article
34-305 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (attempted murder of state,
political or public figure to stop his/her activities). A joint
investigation group was set up including police and National Security
Service officers.

The February 18 election will be contested by eight candidates – the
incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan, former prime minister Hrant
Bagratian, ex-foreign minister Raffi Hovannisian, a Soviet time
dissident Paruyr Hayrikyan, former foreign minister of Karabakh Arman
Melikyan, a political analyst Andrias Ghukasyan, a businessman Vartan
Sedrakian and Aram Harutyunyan, leader of a small National Unity
party. -0-

In 2012 European Court of Human Rights attained 16 verdicts against
the Republic of Armenia

ARMINFO
Saturday, February 2, 14:15

In 2012 European Court of Human Rights attained 16 verdicts against
the Republic of Armenia.

The Court received 238 claims from 3274 people from Armenia in 2012.
This is the highest indicator registered over the last 4 years. The
government of Armenia could not prove that any disputable right was
not broken in the context of the attained 16 verdicts.

The verdicts attained against Armenia in 2012 were chiefly regarding
freedom and immunity of citizens, their right for fair proceedings as
well as freedom of conscience and religion. Since the moment of
Armenia’s joining the Council of Europe the European Court of Human
Rights attained 46 verdicts against Armenia with a demand to
compensate 560.000 Euro. According to Armenia’s Justice Ministry, the
government has already repaid compensation in an amount about 400.000
Euro.

To note, Russian Federation is the leader on the number of cases being
investigated by the European Court of Human Rights (28.593 cases).
Then Italy comes (14.188 cases and Turkey (16.879 cases).

ARMENIE
La compagnie irlandaise Ryan Air étudie son entrée sur le marché de l’Arménie

La compagnie irlandaise Ryan Air étudie son entrée sur le marché
arménien a annoncé Marcello Wende, le président-directeur général des
Aéroports Internationaux d’Arménie qui dirige l’aéroport de Zvartnots.

« Cette compagnie aérienne est intéressée pour des vols vers l’Arménie
… Maintenant nous sommes en pourparlers avec elle » a-t-il dit.

samedi 2 février 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

LES ETATS-UNIS EXPRIMENT L’ESPOIR QUE LES PRESIDENTIELLES ARMENIENNES SERONT PLUS DEMOCRATIQUES QUE LES LEGISLATIVES

Les autorites armeniennes croyaient pouvoir se reposer sur les
“lauriers” des elections legislatives de mai 2012, qui avaient
fait l’objet d’appreciations globalement positives de la part des
observateurs internationaux deployes dans le pays durant le vote,
et elles s’etaient reclamees de ce jugement pour promettre un scrutin
presidentiel exemplaire le 18 fevrier prochain. Les elections a venir
seront donc “les plus democratiques de l’histoire de l’Armenie “,
selon le president sortant Serge Sarkissian, favori du scrutin Mais il
faut croire que les lauriers du precedent scrutin se sont quelque peu
fletris, du moins si l’on en juge aux declarations de John Heffern,
l’ambassadeur des Etats-Unis a Erevan qui a fait savoir le 30 janvier
que les Etats-Unis esperaient que les presidentielles a venir seront
plus democratiques que les legislatives de l’an dernier. “Notre
espoir est que ces elections seront un modèle et la nouvelle norme
pour les elections qui suivront [en Armenie]”, a declare l’ambassadeur
americain lors d une conference de presse a Erevan. M. Heffern a certes
fait etat d’ “ameliorations” telles qu’elles avaient ete constatees
par les observateurs de l’OSCE lors des elections de mai 2012. Mais
il a ajoute que ces elections avaient ete aussi ternies par de ”
graves problèmes” et, en particulier, par des rapports “credibles”
sur l’achat de vote et le recours aux ressources administratives. “Ce
que la commmunaute international attend et espère – et le president
[armenien] s’y est engage – c’est de faire progresser les elections
par rapport a celles de mai, plus particulièrement dans ces deux
domaines”, a-t-il souligne en evoquant le scrutin presidentiel du 18
fevrier. La Secretaire d’Etat americaine sortante Hillary Clinton avait
dresse un tableau globalement positif des legislatives armeniennes
quand elle avait effectue une visite officielle a Erevan en juillet
2012. Mme Clinton avait appele toutefois le gouvernement armenien a
“faire en sorte que les elections suivantes soient encore meilleures
“. Le president Serge Sarkissian n’a cesse de proclamer, depuis,
qu’il ferait tout son possible pour que le scrutin de 2013 ballot,
dans lequel il brigue un deuxième mandat, sera le plus democratique
de l’histoire du pays. Une promesse que l’opposition a accueillie
avec le plus grand scepticime. M.

Heffern a indique pour sa part que la regularite des elections a
venir est “très importante” aux yeux des Etats-Unis et qu’il avait
“beaucoup parle” de cette question lors de ses recentes rencontres aux
Etats-Unis avec les representants de la communaute armeno-americaine.

L’ambassadeur a souligne que la democratisation de l’Armenie est un
enjeu majeur de la politique americaine dans la region. Il a ajoute
que Washington cherchait a y contribuer en encourageant les reformes
politiques et economiques dans le pays, en l’assistant dans ses efforts
d’integration regionale et en oeuvrant a preserver l’ancrage a l’Ouest
de l’Armenie. “Aucun pays ne saurait etre totalement dependant d’une
frontière ou d’un partenaire” a ajoute M.Heffern, dans une allusion
aux liens etroits unissant l’Armenie a la Russie, singulièrement sur
le plan militaire. “Chaque pays a besoin de gerer plusieurs options,
et nous sommes en train de tenter d’aider l’Armenie a developper
ces options de telle sorte qu’elle puisse choisir quelle forme de
partenariat et de cooperation elle souhaite avec les autres pays “,
a conclu l’ambassadeur americain.

vendredi 1er fevrier 2013, Gari ©armenews.com

UN LEADER DE L’OPPOSITION APPELLE A SOUTENIR L’IMMIGRATION DES ARMENIENS DE SYRIE

Hrant Bagratian, un candidat de l’opposition a la presidentielle, a
appele a une migration massive des Armeniens de Syrie vers l’Armenie
et le Haut-Karabakh, en disant que cela donnerait un coup de pouce
demographique et economique a ces territoires.

Le soutien du gouvernement a la reinstallation telle est l’une des 100
mesures figurant sur le manifeste electoral de Hrant Bagratian. Le
document dit que les Armeniens de Syrie ainsi que des refugies
armeniens d’Azerbaïdjan devraient recevoir entre 50 000 $ et 120 000
$ par famille pour s’installer dans le Haut-Karabakh et l’Armenie et
d’autres territoires contrôles entourant l’enclave contestee.

Hrant Bagratian, qui a servi comme Premier ministre Armenie dans les
annees 1993 a 1996, tenu par cette promesse de campagne, a preconise
un plus large ” rapatriement ” des dizaines de milliers d’Armeniens
de Syrie dans une interview accordee au service armenien de RFE / RL
(Azatutyun.am).

” Autour de 200 000 Armeniens [en Syrie] sont dans la misère. En
particulier les Armeniens d’Alep ” a-t-il dit, en commentant son
ambitieux projet ” New Alep “.

” Il n’existe probablement aucune autre communaute armenienne ou
non-armenienne dans le monde avec de telles competences d’artisanat.

Pour autant que je me souviens, les quartiers armeniens a Alep etaient
un paradis. Comment pouvons-nous utiliser ce savoir-faire ? “.

Hrant Bagratian a deja note que l’Armenie n’a pas reussi a accueillir
plus de 300 000 refugies armeniens de Bakou et d’autres parties de
l’Azerbaïdjan dans les annees 1990. Face a de graves difficultes
economiques et du manque d’aide gouvernementale, la plupart d’entre
eux par la suite ont emigre vers la Russie et d’autres pays.

” Nous les avons perdu ” a dit Hrant Bagratian. ” Malheureusement,
la guerre [du Karabagh] ne nous a pas permis de les aider. Cela ne
doit pas etre repete “.

” Cette couche de gens en or [armeniens de Syrie] doit etre
recue. Ils nous apprendreront. Ils amelioreront sensiblement la
culture d’entreprise de l’Armenie “.

” Il y a des bijoutiers fantastiques parmi eux. Nous pourrions lancer
un programme visant a transformer l’Armenie en un centre de bijoux
” a ajoute le chef de l’opposition qui etait membre cle des reformes
du marche libre mises en ~uvre dans le pays au debut des annees 1990.

La Syrie avait de 80 000 a 100 000 citoyens d’origine armenienne avant
l’eclatement du conflit sanglant il y a près de deux ans. Selon les
autorites d’Erevan, plus de 6000 d’entre eux ont depuis trouve refuge
en Armenie. Beaucoup ont du mal a s’en sortir dans le pays frappe
par le chômage.

Tout en facilitant l’afflux de refugies en provenance de Syrie avec
une serie de mesures, le gouvernement d’Armenie n’est pas alle jusqu’a
encourager les Armeniens a quitter la Syrie devaste par la guerre de
facon massive.

vendredi 1er fevrier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

FIRST PHOTO AND NOTE POSTED ON PARUYR HAYRIKYAN’S FACEBOOK PAGE AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

02:16, 1 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS: “They kill themselves…”. This is
the first note which appeared on the Facebook page of Paruyr Hayrikyan
after assassination attempt. Armenpress reports, photos of Paruyr
Hayrikyan in hospital are also posted on his Facebook page. Facebook
users are leaving supportive notes and wishing him soonest recovery.

Presidential candidate, leader of union for “National
Self-Determination” Paruyr Hayrikyan has been shot around 11:30 PM
in Tpagrichner street, Kentron district of Yerevan.Hayrikyan got two
gunshot wounds to shoulders’ area and has already been hospitalized
to “St. Grigor Lusavorich” medical center.Chief of Armenian Police
Vladimir Gasparyan and Head of Yerevan Police Department Nerses
Nazaryan immediately arrived to the crime scene.

In accordance with preliminary information, Hayrikyan’s life is out
of danger and there is no need for surgical interference.Armenian
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Spokesman of National Assembly Eduard
Sharmazanov, Armenian Minister of Healthcare Derenik Dumanyan and group
of NA deputies are already at “St. Grigor Lusavorich” medical center.

ARMENIA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SHOT IN YEREVAN

31 January 2013

A candidate in Armenia’s presidential elections has been shot and
wounded in the capital Yerevan, in what officials believe was an
assassination attempt.

The officials say Paruir Airikian was taken to hospital with a gunshot
injury to his shoulder. He is reportedly in a stable condition.

Police have sealed off the area and are searching for the gunman.

Mr Airikian, a well-known dissident from the Soviet era, is one of
eight people contesting the 18 February poll.