Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Denver Post
Jan 25 2005
“Easy” test for Denver cabbies may take hike
By Robert Sanchez
Denver Post Staff Writer
Grigor Aghabayan sees taxi driving as a way to a better life, one
free of pumping gas for a living and struggling to meet mortgage
payments.
So on a recent afternoon, the 23-year-old smartly dressed Armenian
drove to the licensing office, took his exam and missed all 25
questions.
“That’s no good,” Aghabayan said in broken English as he stood at a
counter inside Denver’s excise and license office. “I really should
have studied for this.”
For $75, plus three references and a clean bill of health from a
doctor, potential taxi drivers can sit in a white- walled room with
two video cameras and take an hour-long licensing test that might
open a door to their future.
That is, if they pass.
The two-page test is a mix of true- false questions about cabbie
laws, directions to and from popular city spots and addresses of
landmarks.
For many of those taking it, it’s a gateway to things better and
brighter.

For Nour Jibril, a balding and bespectacled 32-year-old from Somalia,
the 25 questions mean a job other than a restaurant waiter and the
possibility of bringing his wife from Africa.
“This (test) is everything to me, man,” said Jibril, who fled his
war-ravaged country in 1999. “It means that I could make something of
myself.”
Jibril anxiously awaited his exam results on a recent Tuesday,
assuring himself that he passed.
He spent a full month preparing, enlisting the help of strangers who
showed him how to read his 200-plus- page map book. He called friends
who already had taken the test. He reviewed practice exams dozens of
times.
A job at Metro Taxi could bring Jibril $150 in weekly profit, money
that he said he would stash away until he could send for his wife and
pay for college, where he wants to study to be a writer.
The proctor got his results.
“Congratulations,” she said. “You missed two, but that’s a good
score.”
“Thank goodness. I knew I could do it,” Jibril said as he held the
test.
“We all have our dreams,” said Mohamed Sufi, a bearded Somalian who
missed eight questions and failed his exam earlier this month. “Me, I
just need a job.”
The experiences of Sufi and Aghabayan aren’t the norm in Denver.
Each year, more than 75 percent of the 300 or more examinees pass the
first time. And they have no trouble finding work.
Of the 1,100 licensed cab drivers in the city, up to 500 quit each
year, according to the Professional Taxicab Operators of Colorado, an
Englewood- based lobbying group.
Turnover is partly blamed on the test, which ProTaxi officials say is
too easy.
“There’s no loyalty to the job because you don’t have to work hard to
do well on the test,” said Ed Szmajter, a 16-year Denver cab driver
who doubles as ProTaxi’s vice president. “Just because you pass this
doesn’t mean you’re a qualified driver.”
According to the Taxicab, Limousine and Paratransit Association trade
group in Maryland, fewer than 20 counties nationwide have a specific
taxi exam.
Of those exams, drivers said, Denver’s is among the easiest.
In Las Vegas, drivers are given 30 minutes to finish a 40-question
test that asks for specific hotel addresses, among other things.
And in King County, Wash. – which includes Seattle – cab drivers who
couldn’t speak English or frequently got lost led officials to create
a 2- hour written exam, followed by a separate oral test.
The failure rate in King County is 60 percent.
For its part, Denver’s excise and license office is working with
ProTaxi to create longer, more difficult exams.
The city revamped its tests several years ago and added a separate
testing room, complete with cameras and proctors who search map books
for notes.
“I’ve seen the earpiece connected to the cellphone, the paper with
addresses dropping from the lap, you name it,” said Charlotte
Martinez, who helps administer the test. “You pop open that door, and
the look of guilt just washes over their faces.
“They know you’ve got ’em.”
Last week, another proctor was the one who broke the bad news to
Aghabayan.
“Uh, yeah, you failed this,” the woman told the embarrassed
applicant, who left nearly every question blank.
He said he needed money and that taxi driving seemed simple enough.
He was so sure of himself that he never studied.
Before leaving, the Armenian begged the proctor to hand over his
failed exam. He promised to do better next time, after he studied.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the woman said. “I can’t just give this to you.”
“Please?” Aghabayan pleaded.
“No.”
Aghabayan paused.
“Please?”
“No.”
Aghabayan flashed a desperate smile.
“Please, please?”
“Sir,” the woman behind the desk said, “you’re going to have to leave
now.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE DELEGATION
OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES USA
Antelias, Lebanon – On Saturday, January 22, 2005, His Holiness Catholicos
Aram I received a delegation of the National Council of Churches USA at the
Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Antelias-Lebanon. The representatives of
the Middle East Council of Churches and His Grace Bishop Nareg Alemezian
(Ecumenical Officer) were also in attendance. The delegation is visiting the
Middle East to be acquainted with the situation more closely and to express
its solidarity to the peace process.
His Holiness shared with his guests the emerging religious, social and
political concerns in Lebanon and the Middle East and underlined the
importance of overcoming violence and establishing a peaceful society
enhanced by Christian-Muslim long-standing co-existence.
His Holiness spoke about the challenges facing the ecumenical movement and
identified areas where the Churches should co-operate and support each
other. His Holiness underlined that ecumenical advocacy and solidarity
should be expressed through the tangible actions and continuous support of
Churches towards each other. “We do not live in isolation. Global, regional
and local challenges are inter-connected and we need to adopt a policy of
facing them together and responsibly. In this respect, the role of the
Churches should be expressed as bridge-builders and promoters of dialogue
and collaboration, and the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is strongly
committed to this principle” underlined His Holiness.
Referring to the situation in Iraq and Jerusalem, His Holiness reminded all
the Churches and especially the USA Churches to encourage their governments
to work for peace and justice all over the world and to embark on the
establishment of communities living in an atmosphere of mutual respect and
trust. “The Armenians in the Holy Land and Iraq are integral part of the
population of these countries who are the focus of our prayers and
attention. We are sharing all the difficulties in the region and
contributing to the peace process with a firm commitment to the
Christian-Muslim co-existence and the promotion of the common values that
have sustained us for centuries,” stated His Holiness.
The delegation expressed its gratitude for this opportunity and invited His
Holiness to address the National Council of Churches USA Board meeting in
October, in New York.
##
View printable pictures here:
***********
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Baghdasarian

LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES’ POSITION ON KARABAKH ISSUE VERY IMPORTANT FOR
ARMENIA: ARMENIA’S FM
YEREVAN, JANUARY 22. ARMINFO. The signing of a mutual understanding
and cooperation memorandum by Armenia’s Foreign Ministry and the
General Secretariat of the League of Arab States is really a historic
event, says Armenia’s FM Vardan Oskanyan.
He says that this is a ground for the further deepening of bilateral
relations. This event reflects the centuries-long friendship of the
armenian and Arab nations and “now we have managed to institutionalize
our relations with not only individual Arab states but also their
alliance.”
The Arab world is very important for Armenia. Armenia has communities
there. It recently showed small participation in Iraq. It has its own
stance on Palestine and is contributing to statehood formation
there. “We give high importance to the Arab states’ position on the
Karabakh issue, we cooperate with them at international
organizations.” “So the memorandum will allow us to work more
effectively and to help each other through cooperation,” says
Oskanyan.
From: Baghdasarian

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Jan 20 2005
Baku hopes for progress in peace talks

2004 can be described as a more active year in terms of the
negotiating process on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper
Garabagh, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov told a Thursday press
conference dedicated to peace talks held last year. He said that
during the three meetings of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian and the four
meetings of Foreign Ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanian
held in 2004, “views were exchanged, which resulted in commonalities
currently being discussed”.
Azimov stated that the approaches of the two sides are very different
and the situation is complex, but said the parties are interested in
continuing the talks and consider them useful. He said that “the
meetings held are very important, but ‘sensitive”, therefore, the
sides agreed to provide the media “not with the details but general
information about them”.
He emphasized that there are still a lot of differences but voiced
his confidence that “the discussions will yield concrete results”.
Azimov said that Armenia is becoming more interested in the talks. He
explained it by this country’s trying to gain additional time but
emphasized that Azerbaijan hopes the other side indeed has an
intention to resolve the problem.
The Deputy Foreign Minister also pointed out that that the conflict
can be settled only within the principles of international law and
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. He said however, that restoring
the country’s territorial integrity does not imply solution for all
existing problems, namely, the peaceful co-existence of the
Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Upper Garabagh in the future.
With regard to possible compromises on part of Baku, Azimov said that
if the occupied territories are liberated, Azerbaijan will be ready
to restore economic and other relations with Armenia. Shortly after
that the issue of returning Azerbaijani population to the region and
co-existence of the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Upper
Garabagh must be resolved.
Azimov regarded as speculations the reports concerning the
discussions on liberating three Azerbaijani regions. He said that
liberation of all the seven regions around Upper Garabagh in the
initial stage is being discussed within the Prague talks.
The Deputy Foreign Minister stated that in 1998 Azerbaijan proposed
to free five regions on the initial stage in favor of implementation
of the TRACECA project. In spring and summer of 2002, Azerbaijan
restated the proposal. In both cases, the European Union supported
the initiative, while Armenia rejected it.
Azimov also dismissed speculations released by Armenia concerning the
‘Key West’ agreements. He said that so far the parties have signed
only one written document, namely, a joint statement of Heydar Aliyev
(former Azerbaijani President) and Levon Ter-Petrosian (former
president of Armenia) in Strasbourg on October 10, 1997.
The parties were also close to concluding accords in 1999 but Armenia
rejected them.
Illegal settlement
The OSCE Minsk Group (MG) co-chairs from Russia, United States and
France are due to arrive in Baku on January 28 as part of the OSCE
fact-finding mission to look into the illegal settlement of Armenians
in the occupied Azerbaijani lands, Azimov said. The mission will also
include OSCE MG co-chairs from Germany, Italy, Switzerland and
Finland.
The Deputy Foreign Minister said that the mission members will meet
with Azeri officials and then tour the region. As part of
preparations for the visit, the co-chairs will meet with the other
mission members in Vienna on January 21 to outline a plan of
activities, he said.
Azimov continued that “the mission will not give any political
assessment but prepare a report on the facts that it witnesses and
confirms”.
The mission will visit five Azerbaijani regions – Kalbajar, Lachin,
Jabrayil, Gubadly and Zangilan – where Armenians were purposefully
settled, Azimov said.
A day prior to the mentioned new conference, Armenian “Azg” newspaper
published a story on relocating 100 Armenian families to the Kalbajar
region occupied by Armenia in 1993.
As for holding discussions on the Upper Garabagh conflict at the
United Nations, the Deputy Foreign Minister said that the Azerbaijani
side does not intend to raise the issue at the organization yet.
“First, let the mission visit the region, prepare and present its
report to the United Nations. We will take appropriate steps after
getting familiar with the report.”
Positions of Baku, Yerevan getting closer – Russian Foreign Ministry
Russian Foreign Ministry says that certain progress is observed in
the positions of Baku and Yerevan getting closer and their approaches
to the Upper Garabagh conflict, the Ministry said.
The statement came after another meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian
foreign ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanian was held in
Prague January 10-11 and attended by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
(Russia, United States and France).
“Moscow welcomes the fact that the meetings of the two sides on
different levels, including those between Presidents and in the
“Prague format”, have become regular”, the Russian Ministry said.
Representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia are considering literally
all aspects of the situation with the Garabagh conflict in their
internationally-mediated talks, the same source said.
“These include such thorny issues as withdrawal of armed forces,
demilitarization of the territory, international guarantees and the
status of Upper Garabagh.”
From: Baghdasarian

Jones statement result of Turkish and Azeri lobbying
19.01.2005 17:42
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Speaking to Yerkir, Vahan Hovhannisian, Armenian
National Assembly vice speaker and a member of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau said that outgoing US Assistant
Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones’ statement over the Karabakh
conflict was the result of the Turkish and Azeri lobbies.
Jones was quoted as saying that US President George W. Bush is
concerned that Russian president Vladimir Putin does not exert strong
enough pressure for resolution of post-Soviet conflicts in
Transdniester, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Nagorno Karabagh, and that
“It is in the interest of Russia that these four regions be stable,
clean of corruption and their corrupt separatist authorities removed.”
Hovhannisian told Yerkir that Jones’ statement is both obnoxious and
baseless. “For the beginning, Jones is an outgoing official, and had
never made such a statement before though she was in the office for
quite a long period.
This means that her bosses, including the top officials of the US
Administration, had not authorized her to make such statements.”
Hovhannsian said that this was not the official position of the United
States. Due to some reasons, people, who are about to resign, make
such statements, he added.
“Don’t forget Terry Davis’ report, which was made after he was no
longer a member of the parliament and the Council of Europe’s
Parliamentary Assembly rapporteur on Karabakh; the same goes for the
next rapporteur, David Atkinson,” Hovhannisian said.
“This is becoming a tradition, and we should not take this lady’s
statement seriously as it indicates she never understood the essence
of the Karabakh issue.”
From: Baghdasarian

Swissinfo / Neue Zürcher Zeitung AG
Dienstag, 18. Januar 2005
Swiss expert spearheads quake surveillance
The head of the Swiss Seismological Service says early-warning
systems are needed to prevent disasters like the Asian tsunami from
happening again.

As the World Conference on Disaster Reduction gets underway in
Japan, Domenico Giardini talks to swissinfo about the challenges
facing the international community following the catastrophe.
Millions of people were caught off-guard on December 26, when an
undersea quake off the coast of Sumatra sent killer waves crashing
into coastlines across southeast Asia.
Here in Switzerland, the national seismological service relies on a
network of monitoring stations to localise and measure the magnitude
of earthquakes deep beneath the country’s surface.
The organisation also forms part of a wider, worldwide network of
observation centres, including the European-Mediterranean
Seismological Centre and the Federation of Digital Broadband
Seismograph Networks (FDSN).
Giardini, who heads both the Swiss service and the FDSN, says local
and international alert systems play an integral role in saving
lives.
swissinfo: How does the international community of seismologists work
together to monitor the earth’s activity?
Domenico Giardini: Before the earthquake on December 26, we had two
meetings on our agenda – this week’s World Conference on Disaster
Reduction in Kobe, Japan, and the 3rd Earth Observation Summit, which
is due to take place next month in Brussels.
Originally, the meeting in Kobe aimed to come up with a ten-year
action plan to improve the gathering and distribution of information
about our planet. But after the quake off the coast of Sumatra, the
focus of the meeting’s agenda shifted to include a special session on
the tsunami. Countries will also be discussing the creation of
early-warning systems in the Indian Ocean, as well as the
Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
swissinfo: How would such a system work?
D.G.: We would have to create a network of seismic sensors and
install ways to measure underwater landslides, which can also cause
major tidal waves. We would also employ instruments that can measure
the energy of such waves. That said, a global-warning system is not
enough… local-alert systems also need to be established to keep
at-risk populations informed about seismic activity.
swissinfo: What is Switzerland’s role in the seismological field?
D.G.: In cooperation with the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC), we work a lot with developing countries, such as
Armenia, Georgia, Chile and Colombia, to maintain
earthquake-surveillance systems. We’re also in the process of
establishing a national monitoring network in Tajikistan, as well as
a surveillance system at Egypt’s Aswan Dam.
We’re also studying the possibility of providing similar support to
other developing nations and we’re looking into ways of improving the
protection of the Swiss abroad. For example, an automatic-alert
network using the Short Messaging System (SMS) might be an option.
swissinfo: What gaps need to be filled here in Switzerland?
D.G.: The alarm systems and protection measures against natural
disasters are very advanced in this country. But we lack ways of
preventing tidal waves on our big lakes from causing serious damage…
and that danger exists. For example, the 1601 earthquake in Lucerne
caused waves that were two to three metres high.
Tidal waves can also be caused by landslides, and cities like Geneva
and Zurich, which lie at the end of large lakes, could experience
major damage should a landslide occur.
swissinfo-interview: Frédéric Burnand
From: Baghdasarian

NTVMSNBC, Turkey
Jan 13 2005
Russia to back Turkish, UN efforts on Cyprus: Erdogan
The Prime Minister described his Russian visit as highly successful.
Turkey will push for a restart of efforts to resolve the dispute on
the island of Cyprus under the auspicis of the United Nations,
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday.
Speaking on his return from a three day visit to Russia, Erdogan said
that preliminary discussions to reopen UN sponsored efforts to
reunite the two states on Cyprus had been delayed due to the tsunami
disaster in Asia.
`After the December 17th process (when Turkey was given a date to
start European Union membership negotiations), UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan congratulated us and then we phoned him and said we could
talk about the Cyprus process,’ the Prime Minister said. `While we
were planning to hold this talk, Asian disaster happened. He is now
in the region. We want to talk with him as soon as possible.
Commenting on a statement by President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) that he was uneasy over Russian
support for the plan put forward by Annan to reunify the island,
Erdogan said that it was the process and not the name of the plan
that was important.
`There will not be an Annan Plan to be presented,’ he said. `Also,
the name of the plan is not important. The important thing is its
content and this content should include a solution. I do not believe
that anybody will oppose a plan that will include a solution. If the
plan protects the interests of the Turkish Cypriots and brings a just
and permanent solution to the TRNC, I am sure that everybody will
exert efforts for such a plan.’
Erdogan said that what they wanted was a just plan that will bring
permanent peace and by which both sides will win.
`We have always said that we support such a plan and we will continue
to support it. We do not have any uneasiness about this issue.’
The Prime Minister described his trip to Russia as having been very
successful, with his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putting
being friendly, positive and sincere.
`It was a very beneficial meeting,’ he said. `We mainly discussed
Iraq, Middle East, Cyprus and the Armenia issue and we took up what
can be done jointly in the Middle East and the region,’ said Erdogan.
`We took up our bilateral relations in regional and international
aspects and we had some demands in the aspect of the UN Security
Council. He said the isolation of the TRNC was not just and they will
support any Annan Plan which will be prepared about the issue. He
clearly said they are ready to exert every type of effort on this
issue.’
From: Baghdasarian

AZERI OFFICIAL POINTS TO “SERIOUS DIFFERENCES” WITH ARMENIA OVER KARABAKH
Trend news agency
13 Jan 05
BAKU
“The negotiations to resolve the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia are progressing very slowly. The situation is
very difficult. I can’t say that concrete results have been achieved,
but I hope they will be achieved,” Trend has quoted Azerbaijani Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov as telling a news conference at the
Foreign Ministry today.
The news conference was devoted to the results of the 11 January
meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers in Prague.
Azimov said there were very many differences in the sides’
positions. He added that some interest on the part of Armenia to step
up the process of negotiations was in evidence of late. In Azimov’s
view, this interest could have something to do with Armenia’s desire
to gain time or with Yerevan’s genuine intention to resolve the
Karabakh problem.
The diplomat stressed that Azerbaijan was still in favour of a
negotiated solution to the problem based on international principles,
including respect for the country’s territorial integrity. However,
the deputy minister said the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity would not mean an immediate solution to all problems. There
is also a problem of peaceful co-existence between the Azerbaijani and
Armenian communities of Nagornyy Karabakh in the future.
Touching on the issue of compromises, Azimov said Azerbaijan was ready
to reopen communications with Armenia provided the latter vacates the
occupied territories. He said the sides were sharing their views on
some issues, but pointed to serious differences on others.
Azimov believes that the next round of the negotiations will be held
in late February.
He also denied reports that an agreement had been reached to conduct a
referendum in Nagornyy Karabakh and to hand it over for administration
(as published).
From: Baghdasarian

Rabble.ca, Canada
Jan 12 2005
Ukraine: Regime change, Canada style
Yushchenko is `less bad than the other guy,’ as my translator assured me.
by John Lewis
When Victor Yushchenko accepts the presidency of Ukraine later this
month, he’ll have Paul Martin, among others, to thank.
The Prime Minister sent 500 election observers to Ukraine in December
to witness the re-run of what appeared to be a stolen presidential
election by an ex-communist party apparatchik. I was one of the
observers.
Western leaders, including Martin, coveted victory by a more westward
leaning candidate than the autocratic Victor Yanikovich, Yushchenko’s
rival. In response, Canada sent its largest delegation ever to a
foreign election, helping Victor Yushchenko win the second round. As
in life, however, `democracy’ is never so simple.
Martin has his own concerns. Canada has over one million people of
Ukrainian ancestry living within its borders. Most of these people
live in the West – in places like Edmonton – and the Liberal party is
vulnerable there. Ukrainian Canadians overwhelmingly favour
Yushchenko. Some of them were part of our delegation. When Canadian
domestic politics lined up so perfectly with international ones, the
decision for the Prime Minister to send observers was easy.
The neighbours
The same day as elections were held in Ukraine, the people in
Uzbekistan, a former Soviet state 3,000 kilometers, or 1,875 miles,
east of Kiev, elected a new Parliament. Only 21 international
observers were watching those elections because there wasn’t much
interest and there wasn’t much to see.
A victory for the pro-government party was a foregone conclusion
because there were no opposition candidates. The President has
stifled institutions that underpin a free and fair electoral process
– political parties, media freedom, an open atmosphere for civil
society organizations and freedom of assembly.
Azerbaijan’s fraudulent presidential elections last year led to
terrible political violence, for which the government has imprisoned
many opposition leaders. I was in Baku for these elections and
witnessed public demonstrations in Azerbaijan by people trying to
express themselves just as people had done in Kiev. A protester was
beaten to death by police a few metres from my hotel.
In Armenia in the spring the government used a variety of arbitrary
measures to prevent massive rallies protesting falsified elections
the previous year. Two months ago the government of Kazakhstan rigged
the parliamentary vote, resulting in only one opposition party member
gaining a seat in the lower house of legislature. A couple of weeks
ago not a single opposition candidate was elected in Belarus’s
parliamentary vote, as polling day fraud kept the opposition out.
Throughout the region, governments control television and try to
intimidate independent print media through defamation suits and
outright bullying. Human rights defenders are unlawfully jailed by
the authorities and subject to violent assaults by unknown attackers.
Russia, for its part, regularly cracks down on civil society.
President Vladimir Putin’s government has seized control over what
had been a diverse, if not exactly free, broadcast media and began
using it to promote pro-government political candidates and vilify
the opposition.
Will Ukraine change?
But in Ukraine the West has a leader that will change all that. At
least, we think.
Like Yanikovich, however, Yushchenko has his own spotty record as
Prime Minister of Ukraine for us to examine.
Under Yushchenko both pensions and wages fell in real terms for
retired people and workers respectively. Yanikovich witnessed them
rise. And under Yushchenko many services were privatized, including
several state energy systems, and the results were disastrous, with
rising costs and diminishing supplies. The situation for both workers
and the elderly was made worse under Yushchenko. So, why is he so
popular?
His `reformism,’ or his liberalizing attitude toward state
enterprises, makes Yushchenko attractive to western leaders,
including Paul Martin. Like President Bush, Prime Minister Martin is
a passionate free marketeer, trusting in the market to lift all
boats, and averse to state control. (Remember he headed the UN’s team
for private sector-led poverty reduction).
While in Ukraine, for example, the Canadian delegation was promised a
party at the Embassy in recognition of our service as volunteers. The
party never materialized, at least for those of us without business
interests and contacts in the country. Not quite the `crusade for
democracy’ that former Prime Minister (and leader of the Canadian
delegation) John Turner had promised in Ottawa.
Some of the U.S. delegates, for their part, members of the
International Republican Institute (IRI), an organization funded by
the Republican Party, held firm to the mantra that they were in
Ukraine not simply to ensure free and fair elections but also to
develop `free enterprise.’ While I appreciate the IRI’s candidness,
Ukrainians can expect American-style HMOs to replace the public
health system before too long.
Elections like this breed cynicism in the observer, but even an
economist friend who worked in the Finance Ministry under Yushchenko
believes that Ukraine will continue to suffer, even with the change
in election results. Yushchenko, he believes, will not improve the
conditions for the poor, the elderly or the working class.
But Yushchenko is popular with Ukrainians.
There’s no mistaking young people’s genuine affection for the man
heading the `Orange Revolution’ in Ukraine. He’s handsome (when his
body is not excreting poison), clever, and has a model American wife
and a foxy advisor, Yulia Tymoshenko.
Whether for these reasons or not, Yushchenko is `less bad than the
other guy,’ as my translator assured me. Like my economist friend,
the translator is at least happy to be finally rid of the old regime.
Ukrainians understand, I think, what they’re getting with the arrival
of democracy. For the West and for Ukrainians alike, it seems, the
election came down to this: support the lesser of two evils, support
for regime `upgrade,’ if you like.
Canada’s Paul Martin and the amused 500 helped make it happen.
But the PM still owes me a party.
John Lewis is Program Coordinator, International Human Rights, with
KAIROS.
From: Baghdasarian

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Jan 12 2005
Azerbaijan, Armenia to build new HPS

A new hydropower station will be constructed over the Araz River,
close to Ordubad district of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, on own
expenses of the Azerbaijani government. Views were exchanged on the
issue in a meeting of the Azerbaijani-Iranian economic commission
held on January 8-10, a source from the Azerenergy open joint-stock
company told AssA-Irada.
According to chief engineer of Azerenergy Marlen Asgarov, the
necessity of developing the feasibility study of the new hydropower
station by the end of this year was stressed during the meeting.
The Armenian side has also decided to use the water potential of the
Araz River jointly with Iran. The two countries’ energy ministers
have been assigned to lead the intergovernmental commission, which is
to coordinate the construction of the Mehri hydropower station over
the Araz River.
The commission has approved the feasibility study of the station, the
construction of which requires at least $120 million according to
initial estimations.
Some experts say that part of the Araz River, which passes through
the Armenian-Iranian border, is unfit for construction of a
hydropower station. Therefore, the mentioned station is planned to be
built over the river section crossing across the occupied lands of
Azerbaijan.*
From: Baghdasarian