Author: Badalian Vardan

THE BRIGHT SPOT OF ELECTION

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 15:20:32 – 07/05/2012

The brightest or the only bright spot of the parliamentary election
of Armenia is Vanadzor, N 30, where Edmond Marukyan, non-partisan,
lawyer, head of Populex Law Office, was elected to parliament. He
defeated Republican Victor Dallakyan.

This is an important victory. Not because it is singular but because
the voters behaved right. In fact, the voters of Vanadzor did not
surrender to the traditional election technologies of the government
and voted with their civil consciousness.

In addition, evidence to this is when Victor Dallakyan assumed a
civil posture in the political field, he defeated the government’s
candidates, despite their money and methods.

Now a Republican, Victor Dallakyan who used to explain the subtleties
of Serzh Sargsyan’s “casino-based” activities lost in the constituency
where he used to win. Hence, in N 30 the voters win, citizens with
civil consciousness. And the constituency with the result of May 6
becomes important.

Meanwhile, Victor Dallakyan will become member of parliament from
the Republican list, otherwise his offensives against the Prosperous
Armenia will be absolutely in vain for which Dallakyan even had to pay
with his personal and family friendship with Vardan Bostanjyan of PA.

Dallakyan paid a high price, and the Republicans will not be that
inhuman, especially that Dallakyan has just been “conscripted” and
he perhaps has not taken the “oath” yet.

ARMENIAN ELECTIONS COMPETITIVE AND LARGELY PEACEFUL, BUT SHORTCOMINGS UNDERMINED CONFIDENCE IN PROCESS – OSCE

news.am
May 07, 2012 | 14:26

YEREVAN. – Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Armenia featured a
vibrant and largely peaceful campaign, with overall balanced media
coverage, but pressure on voters and a deficient complaints process
created an unequal playing field, the international election observers
said today.

Observers noted a campaign environment that generally respected
freedoms of assembly and expression and candidates were, for the most
part, able to campaign freely. But the general lack of confidence
in the integrity of the process amongst political parties and the
general public is an issue of great concern.

The elections were held under a new Electoral Code that provided
a sound legal framework for conducting democratic elections, but
stakeholders failed to implement important aspects of the new law and
the manner in which complaints were dealt with undermined the right
to effective legal redress.

“Armenia deserves recognition for its electoral reforms and its
open and peaceful campaign environment but, in this race, several
stakeholders too often failed to comply with the law and election
commissions too often failed to enforce it,” said Francois-Xavier de
Donnea, the Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer
mission and the Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation.

“As a result, the international commitments to which Armenia has
freely subscribed were not always respected.”

The process of candidate registration was inclusive overall. Despite
improved legislation with regard to voter registration, observers said,
that the accuracy of the voter lists and their potential misuse for
electoral fraud added to the lack of confidence in the process.

“The high turnout of over 60 per cent, the wide age range among voters,
and the clear understanding of the electoral process by young and old
alike were impressive, but reports of widespread interference with
the running of pollings stations, voters’ movement and casting of
votes throughout the day by certain political parties raised serious
concerns,” said Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, the Head of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe delegation. “The
authorities must address this unacceptable behaviour before the
presidential election next year.”

“I cannot stress enough how important it is to see these elections and
our preliminary findings in the broader context and as the beginning
of the process, not the end,” said Krzysztof Lisek, the Head of
the European Parliament delegation. “Our preliminary conclusions
today and the final recommendations of the OSCE Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights, once they are published, should be taken
as the goal to achieve in view of the upcoming presidential election.”

Election day was generally calm and peaceful, but marked by
organizational problems and undue interference in the process, mostly
by party representatives, the observers noted.

“The election campaign was open and respected fundamental freedoms,
and the media offered broad and balanced coverage during the official
campaign period,” said Radmila ekerinska, the Head of the Election
Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights. “Unfortunately, this was overshadowed by concerns
over the accuracy of voter lists and violations of the Electoral Code
that created an unequal playing field.”

5.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE ROCKS AZERBAIJAN CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DESTRUCTION

12:30 . 07/05

5.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Azerbaijan at around 8:30 am today.

According to preliminary data, the quake occurred 28 km northwest of
Azerbaijani town of Sheki.

The tremors were felt in Armenian towns of Sevan, Vanadzor, Artashat
and Ijevan, measured at 3-4 magnitude, the National Seismic Protection
Service of Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

EXPERT: THE KEY PROBLEM OF ARMENIA IS THAT DESPITE EVERYTHING, CITIZENS TAKE BRIBES

arminfo
Monday, May 7, 14:45

The civil obedience is the key problem of Armenia. Despite everything,
our citizens get bribes and we have what we got, political expert,
Edgar Vardanyan, told journalists today.

He also added that today many people are displeased with the results of
the parliamentary election. For this reason, it is very much possible
that several or at least one party may not accept the results of the
parliamentary election.

He said that if the opposition political forces do not refuse their
mandates, the parliament will be many-sided. “Perhaps, this is a
positive result, but negative from the political point of view, as if
the society recognizes the results of the election, it will promote
legitimating of the power. This is especially relevant, taking into
consideration the fact that the data of CEC say there is no need to
set up a new coalition”, – he said.

OBAMA INVITES HOLLANDE TO GROUP OF EIGHT AND NATO SUMMITS

ARMENPRESS
MAY 7, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS: President Barack Obama invited French
President-elect Francois Hollande to the White House and upcoming
Group of Eight and NATO summits, the White House said.

As Armenpress reports, in a phone call, Obama congratulated Hollande
— who won France’s second and final round of voting Sunday with 51.7
percent of the vote — saying he looked forward to working with him
“on a range of shared economic and security challenges,” the White
House said.

Obama said he would welcome Hollande — the first Socialist to win
France’s presidency since Francois Mitterrand in 1981 — to Camp David
in Maryland for the G8 Summit May 18-19 and to Chicago for the NATO
summit May 20-21.

Obama is the president of the G8 this year.

Obama also “proposed that they meet beforehand at the White House,”
White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement Sunday night.

Obama and Hollande “reaffirmed the important and enduring alliance
between the people of the United States and France,” Carney’s
statement said.

RPA Did Not Win, Others Lost
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:52:02 – 07/05/2012

After the parliamentary elections the political parties have different
feelings. Besides the delight of the Republican Party, the others’
feelings are the falling curve.

Prosperous Armenia is embarrassed, it now has to choose. Either it
chooses the difficult path and takes up the role of the opposition
or fits in the systemic game directed by the Republicans.

The feelings of the Armenian National Congress differ little from the
feelings of the PA. Simply, the source of the feelings of the PA is
the Republican Party, the source of the feelings of the Congress is
PA. During the last rally of the Congress its coordinator and one of
possible successors of Levon Ter-Petrosyan reassured the Congress
followers that Gagik Tsarukyan said electoral breaches will not
be forgiven.

It turned out that electoral breaches are not only forgiven and changed
in accordance with the Republican caprice but also there were a lot of
PA “residents” among violators of the electoral law. The Congress’s
case evokes the famous episode from the Russian film when the hero
explains his companion about the poem he wrote at night under the
trembling light of the candle, noting with pity that in the end he
learned that it was written by Pushkin. “What a classical blow,”
he says. The Congress received a classical blow from the PA, and the
Congress leader Ter-Petrosyan considered as a classic of the Armenian
politics, had to go and sit at the same table with Vartan Oskanian
and Hmaiak Hovhannisyan of PA, still not classics, and speak about
the urge of the Prosperous Armenia for independence.

The feeling of the alliance of the Heritage and Free Democrats is
controversial. On the one hand, this alliance thus gained an advantage
and instead of dividing the government to conjuncture packages it
targeted and rejected the government in package. On the other hand,
the Heritage spoke about its triumphant victory in the evening of May
7 and is now seeking for ways of retreat because the phrase “elections
were falsified” is not an excuse any more, also thanks to the efforts
of the opposition.

In reality, however, the happiest of all was the ARF Dashnaktsutyun.

This party won the election which is a real success for this party in
the context of its leadership’s business activities under the name
of politics since 2003. For the ARF, 5% political profit is already
excess profit. In this meaning, the ARF has a reason to be happy –
it has 5 % plus avoids tax for excess profit.

But in the long run, the state of the Republicans is the toughest,
simply this party easily carries this weight not because it is
strong but because it is unconscious. The Republicans did not win
this event called election, but the others lost. The defeat of others
had different and various reasons, soon a lot of people will use the
opportunity to analyze all these reasons.

In the meantime, by defeating everyone, the political forces and the
society, the Republicans has been left alone with its own self. But
soon the Republicans will inevitable win or lose to itself in the face
of the vicious system established in this country for already two
decades. In addition, the Republicans does not have an opportunity
for a draw – marking time – because the systemic issues in Armenia
are getting deeper and deeper due to the “election” held on May
6. Simply this difficulty is falling heavily on the shoulders of
the Republican Party except for one case – unless the others agree
with love to share this absolute weight with the Republican Party in
return for some quotas.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN ARMENIA
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:19:18 – 07/05/2012

The world is changing, only Armenia is rolling back. Yesterday
significant transformation took place in Europe. Socialists won
there, which means that France will not continue to strengthen euro
and the global financial system together with Germany. It means that
the government policy will be aimed not at those who earn enough but
those who have no jobs.

Greece witnessed a transformation as well where people elected forces
which disagree that their country and wealth be sold for paying
their debt. The Greek elections are already called the beginning of
transformation of Europe. If “antic democracy” leaves the eurozone,
it will be necessary to review the entire system.

And only in Armenia is the old system extending its roots deeper and
deeper. Nobody knows what the Armenian voters agreed to give their
votes for. There are no lefts, rights, nobody offers any future,
nobody argues on social or liberal economy.

This is a fight for death, not life. The entire society went to the
arena to watch the fight of two gladiators – the RPA and the PA.

Unlike the show, the viewers were paid money to cheer the gladiators.

And the viewers cheered as loudly as they could.

Nothing has changed in Armenia after the election. The RPA was in
government and stayed there. And it means that nothing will change
in the lives of ordinary people. It means that SMEs and farmers will
hardly make both ends meet, borrow money from banks at extremely
high interest, monopolies will persist, the oligarchs will continue
to come to parliament only if the tax legislation will be reviewed.

Nothing has changed in Armenia. Elections are over. The voters who
got 10,000 drams and went home turned on the TV and heard about good
elections in which they had just participated.

ELECTIONS LEGISLATIVES – L’OPPOSITION CRIE A LA FRAUDE
Laetitia

armenews.com
lundi 7 mai 2012

Les trois principaux opposant du Parti republicain(HHK) ont accuse les
autorites armeniennes de recourir a ” une machination a grande echelle
” et ont mis en doute la legitimite des elections parlementaires
quelques heures seulement après l’ouverture des bureaux de vote
dimanche 6 mai 2012.

Le Parti Armenie prospère (BHK), le Congrès national armenien (HAK)
et la Federation revolutionnaire armenienne (Dachnaktsoutioun) ont
affirme que les tampons mis sur les passeports disparaissent quelques
minutes après que les electeurs quittent les bureaux de vote .

Les tampons sont destines a prevenir la fraude en empechant le vote
multiple le jour du scrutin. Ils etaient censes rester intacts pendant
au moins 12 heures. Des reportages et des preuves ont demontre que
ce n’etait pas le cas dans certaines regions.

Dans une declaration publiee par le Centre de surveillance pour les
elections, les trois forces politiques ont parle d'” un processus qui
pourrait compromettre la legalite des elections. ” La Commission
electorale centrale a rejete ces preoccupations. Le centre de
surveillance a egalement affirme qu’un grand nombre d’electeurs
soudoyes par des loyalistes du gouvernement ont ete transportes avec
des autobus aux bureaux de vote a travers le pays. Une correspondante
de RFE / RL a ete attaquee par un jeune homme alors qu’elle filmait
un bus rempli de personnes devant le bureau de vote d’Erebouni,
dans le sud d’Erevan. ” Voulez-vous me filmer ? “, a demande le jeune
homme avant de frapper la camera. La journaliste, Elina Chilingarian,
a rapporte l’incident a la police.

Une passagère a declare : ” Nous venons voter. C’est le minibus de
mon fils. Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas ? ” ” Nous vivons dans un quartier
eloigne. Aurions-nous dû venir a pied ? “, demande une autre.

Les leaders de l’opposition ont depeint cette action comme une preuve
d’achat de voix. Le HHK a rejete ces accusations.

L’opposition (HAK) et le BHK ont egalement allegue dimanche que des
attaques violentes ont eut lieu dans plusieurs circonscriptions rurales
dans le nord-est de Gegharkunik. Koryun Mherian, le chef de direction
du HAK dans le village de Zolakar, a declare que le maire du village
et ses loyalistes ont fait irruption dans les trois bureaux de vote
locaux pour truquer le scrutin.

” Ils ont battu nos gars et les gars du BHK et ont enleve leurs
cameras “, a declare Mherian a RFE / RL service par telephone. ”
Les gars ont dû fuir “.

Une section regionale du BHK a formule des allegations similaires
dans une declaration ecrite. Toutefois, le president de la commission
electorale du district local, Saro Ghazarian, a nie toute violence
lorsqu’il a contacte RFE/RL.” Je suis alle a Zolakar avec le chef de
service de la police locale “,a-t-il dit. ” Aucune plainte n’a ete
deposee. ”

Le chef de file du BHK, Gagik Tsarukian, a minimise les allegations
d’irregularites et decrit le processus de vote comme ” normal “, alors
qu’il votait dans son village de Arinj, au nord d’Erevan. L’un des
principaux collaborateurs de Tsarukian, Naira Zohrabian, a allegue des
irregularites flagrantes alors qu’elle etait interviewee a RFE / RL.

ELECTION DE FRANCOIS HOLLANDE : UNE LECON DE DEMOCRATIE
Ara

armenews.com
lundi 7 mai 2012

Alors meme qu’en Armenie se comptaient les voix des cinquièmes
elections legislatives depuis l’independance, la France saluait
la victoire de Francois Hollande a la presidentielle du 6 mai. Et
c’est a nouveau une formidable lecon de democratie, de civisme
et de patriotisme qu’a donne le pays a l’occasion de ce grand
rendez-vous republicain. Le peuple francais s’est prononce et il a
choisi l’alternance. Sans drame, sans conflit, dans le respect des
règles du jeu. Le president sortant, Nicolas Sarkorzy a assume avec
une dignite exemplaire la responsabilite d’une defaite consentie
avec un score plus qu’honorable. Et le nouvel elu a rendu hommage a
l’action de son predecesseur. La passation de pouvoir se deroulera
conformement aux principes du pluralisme. Les deux rivaux ont accepte
sans broncher le verdict du scrutin populaire. Ici, on subordonne
naturellement ses interets particuliers a ceux plus eleves de la
nation et de ses institutions.

On se prend a rever que dans notre petite Armenie, un etat miracule
qui a survecu a tant de souffrances de malheurs et d’horreurs, nos
politiques fassent montre d’un sens comparable des responsabilites. Et
plus encore. Car davantage que toute autre entite collective, l’Armenie
a le droit et le devoir d’exiger de ses fils une vision superieure
du patriotisme, de l’abnegation, du devouement a la construction de
la souverainete nationale. Telle est la lecon de conduite que devrait
nous inspirer le genocide. Tel est le comportement que devrait imposer
a toutes nos composantes partisanes la situation extremement perilleuse
que connaît le pays.

En ce qui concerne en tout cas la France, il est juste de saluer
l’action de Nicolas Sarkozy qui, a defaut d’avoir pu legaliser dans
le cadre de son mandat la repression du negationnisme – comme il
s’y etait engage en 2007 – aura en tout cas permis l’integration
officielle de la commemoration du genocide des Armeniens dans le
calendrier des grands rendez-vous de la memoire francaise.

Après la reconnaissance du genocide en 2001, l’appropriation par la
Republique du ” 24 avril ” le mois dernier constitue une nouvelle
etape de franchie dans le long combat que nous menons pour la verite
et la justice. Seront egalement gravees dans le marbre ses paroles
extremement fortes prononcees a Erevan sur les liens fraternels
qui unissent l’Armenie et la France. Il en va de meme en ce qui
concerne son engagement a maintes reprises reaffirme, depuis ce voyage
initiatique, en faveur d’une loi penalisant la negation du genocide des
Armeniens. Et ce, en depit et contre l’avis du Conseil constitutionnel.

Si le president sortant laisse ce travail inacheve, ses fondations
demeurent. Elles devraient permettre a son successeur de concretiser
l’ouvrage. D’autant plus que Francois Hollande s’est lui-meme implique
depuis très longtemps dans cette entreprise. En 1998 avec la première
loi de reconnaissance du genocide votee au Parlement. En 2000 et 2001
avec la ratification et la promulgation definitive de ce texte. Idem
dans les deux chambres du Parlement en juin et en octobre 2006,
en avril et decembre 2011, en janvier 2012 .

Puisse cette constance très vite trouver un debouche, au debut de son
quinquennat, comme il l’a promis dans une interview accordee a NAM (
voir n° 185), ainsi qu’a l’occasion de la ceremonie du 24 avril 2012
a Paris. Une date qu’il s’est engage a commemorer officiellement tous
les ans de son mandat a venir.

Face a cette longue histoire de solidarite de la gauche avec le
peuple armenien, dont Jaurès represente la figure emblematique,
nous voulons croire que le message pour le moins ambigu que Francois
Hollande a adressee la veille de la presidentielle a Demir Onger,
porte-parole cynique de la manifestation turque nationaliste et
negationniste du 21 janvier 2012 a Paris, ne constitue qu’une erreur
d’aiguillage et non le signal d’un opportunisme politique auquel les
Armeniens ont ete plus souvent qu’a leur tour sacrifies dans l’histoire
( ?id_article=79302).

Pourrait-il en etre autrement ? Nous ne saurions l’imaginer, en
depit de l’appartenance d’un certain nombre de dirigeants du PS a
l’institut du Bosphore et la suspicion legitime de permeabilite
a l’influence d’Ankara qui en decoule. En tout etat de cause la
communaute armenienne saura le cas echeant se montrer comme elle l’a
toujours ete, vigilante, combative et indefectiblement attachee a la
defense de ses droits imprescriptibles.

Un dernier constat s’impose. Si d’aventure Nicolas Sarkozy devait
se retirer de la politique, comme il l’a plus ou moins indique, il
en resulterait une perte fort dommageable pour la cause armenienne,
car il est l’un des rares leaders de la droite a en avoir integre
les enjeux. Et peu de responsables de l’UMP semblent aujourd’hui
susceptibles de prendre sa relève sur le sujet. En revanche,
nous devrions gagner avec lui un renfort de poids au Conseil
Constitutionnel, dont il devient membre de droit.

Quant au nouveau President, on lui souhaite sincèrement bonne chance
et reussite. Il y va de l’interet de la France, dont nous sommes
parti prenante, de la cause armenienne dont il a globalement toujours
compris et partage les combats et d’une certaine idee de la justice
dont il a fait la raison d’etre de son engagement.

06:07 pm | May 04, 2012 | Politics

The authorities have been involved in imitation for five years now,
says Armenia’s ex-foreign minister, a member of the Prosperous Armenia
Party (BHK)Vartan Oskanian.

“It seems that people in high echelons of power began to realize that
things cannot continue in this way,” he said.

Asked why he did not criticize the authorities when holding a
high-ranking position in government, Mr Oskanian said, “When I was the
country’s foreign minister, I was in no way related to the sectors I
am criticizing today.”

Besides, the ex-FM says he realized that he had to leave the
government to be able to openly criticize the authorities.

The reason for my leaving the government is that I was discontent with
the situation. Do not think that the authorities longed for my
resignation, rather, they not only offered me a post, but also
entreated me to stay,” said Mr Oskanian.

The former official says he will openly criticize the authorities as
long as Armenia sees real reforms.