Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

“YENI MUSAVAT”: EKREM EYLISLI WAS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS MENTALLY INCOMPETENT FOR HIS “MALICIOUS” NOVEL

16:49 21/02/2013 ” SOCIETY

Azerbaijani oppositional newspaper “Yeni Musavat” published a
scandalous analytical article “Two serious mistakes of authorities
made in Eylisli’s case”, which within a few hours provoked a new
resonance and was removed from the website of the newspaper.

“Can Eylisli live in Azerbaijan under such psychological pressure,
safely walk in the city or drive to his native town Eylis?,” the
newspaper says and notes that the authorities have put themselves
and their people in a problematic situation in front of the world
community and Armenians by their propaganda.

It is noted that in Eylisli’s case the Azerbaijani authorities had
made two serious mistakes. Firstly, the government was to have the
writer up on the mat and explain the fallacy of his disposition. “The
government was to persuade the writer in a harsh manner to refuse
his own work. It’s strange how could a “creative person” with such
a malicious mindset be able to stay out of the attention of the state.”

This is the power that controls even the personal records of the
oppositionists. This is the major fault of the authorities in
“Aylisli’s” case,” the newspaper said.

Secondly, the article notes that the second serious mistake of
the authorities was that they didn’t inflate the theme of malicious
novelist being mentally ill. “The government was to act logically and
to establish an independent medical commission in order to create a
view on Eylisli’s mental condition… May be it’s not that late yet…”

the newspaper writes, hinting at the necessity of giving Ekrem Eylisli
certificates of being mentally incompetent.

In this regard, the newspaper Bizim Yol notes that the article has been
removed from the site on the same day and chief editor Rauf Arifoglu
said that it does not reflect the views of the editorial. The newspaper
quotes writer Seymour Baijan, who has commented on the scandal about
the article in Yeni Musavat.

“In fact, the campaign against Eylisli didn’t start with of his novel
“Stone Dreams”, but because of his book “The Great jam.”

Some say that the persecution began to draw the attentions. The others
say that it is all done for the presenting the Azerbaijanis barbarians
in the international arena, who burn books, cut ears of the writers.

In this very way they want to show that “this people do not need
democracy,” but a “strong hand.” Everything is possible. As for the
article of “Yeni Musavat”, it turns out that a commission may be
formed because of any unfavorable article, declare man insane and
close the issue,” the writer stated.

Ekrem Eylisli is national writer (since 1998) and Honored Artist
of Azerbaijan, holder of the highest order of Azerbaijan “Istiglal”
(2002) and the order of “Shokhrat” for his outstanding merits in the
literature of Azerbaijan. Recently, on the website of Russian magazine
“Friendship of Nations” was published his novel titled “Stone Dreams”
in which the author describes the massacres of Armenians in Baku
in 1990 and in Nakhichevan in 1919. The author in his novel speaks
positively about the Armenian people and their culture. The novel
“Stone Dreams” also contains criticism over the former Azerbaijani
President Heydar Aliyev and the tyranny of the system created by him.

After publication of the novel, Eylisli was exposed to severe pressures
in Azerbaijan; the pro-governmental youth held rally in front of
his house, his issue was discussed in the parliament of Azerbaijan,
MPs suggested to burn his books and to deprive him of citizenship and
deport from Azerbaijan. Many people “blamed” Eylisli in his Armenian
origin, etc. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev deprived him of
personal pension and the title of National Writer, and accused him of
“purposefully distorting the history of Azerbaijan” and “in distorting
realities about history of Azerbaijan in an inappropriate way.”

The leader of the pro-governmental party “Modern Musavat” Hafis Hajiyev
announced that he would pay about 10 Euros to the one who will cut
the ear of the writer. Only after the intervention of the media,
the politician was “warned” by the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan
about the illegality of such appeals.

The U.S. Department of State and the OSCE Office in Baku condemned
persecution of Eylisli in Azerbaijan and called on the authorities
to fulfill their obligations.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING TO BE PUT UP FOR AUCTION ON MARCH 5

16:01, 22 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The building of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia will be put up
for auction on March 5. The State Property Management Department
informed “Armenpress” that the starting price will be USD 51 270
840. If there will be a buyer, who will be willing to pay a higher
price, the building will be sold to him. The auction will be held
in the classic manner. Both physical and legal entities, as well as
communities, which will represent the necessary documents to the
auction committee by 17:00, March 4, 2013, to get participant’s
certificate, may participate in the auction.

On October 4, 2012, the Government of the Republic of Armenia approved
the decision of alienation of the Government building N 2 in Yerevan
by direct sale. The building was alienated on behalf of the Tango CJSC
(registration location: Zvartnots International Airport), belonging
to the Argentinean-Armenian businessman Eduardo Ernekian.

From: Baghdasarian

SHARMAZANOV ASSESSES RAFFI’S CHANCES

Friday,
February 22

“If Raffi Hovannisian remains involved in politics until 2018 and
decides to run in a regular presidential election, theoretically, it
is possible that he, like any other candidate, can become the fourth
Armenian president,” spokesman for Republican Party of Armenia Edward
Sharmazanov said, when commenting on the statement of Heritage Party’s
representative Armen Martirosian that the third and fourth presidents
of Armenia met on February 21.

Armen Martirosian had declared that their political agenda includes
the objective of making the incumbent president relinquish power and
calling new parliamentary elections: “They say that there is no such
legal mechanism, but this political situation is no less important
that a legal mechanism. I am convinced that in case of the president’s
change, the parliament will dissolve itself”.

In this connection Sharmazanov referred to Article 112 Part 4 and
Article 74 Part 1 of the RA Constitution, advising his “dear colleague
who has carried out legislative activities in the National Assembly
for 5 years to become familiar with the Constitution”.

TODAY, 14:59

Aysor.am

From: Baghdasarian

VARDAN GHUKASYAN: PRESIDENT IS ELECTED FROM HEAVEN

03:45 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Love your president, open the Bible and read it, Vardan Ghukasyan,
former Mayor of Gyumri City, advised A1+.

He declined to answer the question why Serzh Sargsyan lost in Gyumri
in the February 18 ballot and whether it was conditioned by Ghukasyan’s
‘absence from power.’

“I am not interested in such things any more,” said Ghukasyan.

In conclusion, the ex-mayor said, “Love your president, because he
is elected from heaven.”

From: Baghdasarian

WHEN RAFFI HOVANNISIAN WILL DO IT
HAKOB BADALYAN

14:20 22/02/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

After meeting Raffi Hovannisian Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting
of the RPA political board. It is hard to tell whether Serzh
Sargsyan communicated the details of his meeting with Hovannisian
to the Republicans. After the meeting, the head of the RPA campaign
headquarters Hovik Abrahamyan stated that Raffi Hovannisian had not
asked Serzh Sargsyan for a government post.

Raffi Hovannisian has never been politically adequate but his political
conscience allows him to understand that accepting a government post
other than the post of president would be his political suicide though
that would anyway mean a political suicide.

The leader of the Heritage is not the person who is able to rule
Armenia with its current domestic and foreign challenges. The latest
post-electoral days are the proof.

Raffi Hovannisian should have already declared his vision of Armenia’s
domestic and foreign priorities highlighting issues which demand
immediate solutions. But Raffi Hovannisian and his team have been
dwelling on their victory and the necessity not to yield.

Raffi Hovannisian has appeared in the center of a very complicated
game. At the same time, he can render the society a player and not
a tool. It is impossible to do it by means of pathetic appeals and
chanting but through a political agenda and priorities involving
the society.

Raffi Hovannisian has hardly made pathetic statements in his meetings
with Serzh Sargsyan and the ARF representatives or in any other
diplomatic meeting.

Why does he think that the society is less important or demanding than
these figures? Why should the society get pathetic slogans instead
of practical political speeches which are used in meetings with with
Serzh Sargsyan, ARF, perhaps the ANC and PAP, or other parties and
foreign ambassadors?

A couple of hours after his meeting with Serzh Sargsyan Raffi
Hovannisian asked people at Freedom Square: “Do you understand that
you are the power today?”

Power needs structure, agenda, guidelines, responsibility, it
should shape alternative approaches and ensure public legitimacy
for the approaches. These are not in place. If someone thinks it is
still early, they are mistaken because if it is time to meet Serzh
Sargsyan, it is also time to shape the agenda and guidelines and
assume responsibility for certain issues.

Meetings with Serzh Sargsyan can be held on daily basis but they need
to have an agenda to be discussed at Freedom Square with the society
and to be approved by them.

Raffi Hovannisian and his team should be ready to provide that agenda
prior to the elections. Or did they expect Serzh Sargsyan would serve
the president’s office to them on a silver tray?

Hovannisian is late and therefore the post-electoral situation is
measured in the extremities of radical and rough fight or deals with
the authorities. Meanwhile, this is not a matter of crushing the
gates or forming a coalition government.

These are the ways which can be discussed proceeding from the agenda
and the effective mechanism of public control. But the important
thing is the content and structure which are not there. The issue is
whether Raffi Hovannisian will do this.

From: Baghdasarian

PROTESTERS CLASH WITH POLICE OUTSIDE OSCE OFFICE IN YEREVAN

01:47 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

An incident reportedly occurred between police officers and ordinary
citizens who had grouped outside the OSCE Office in Yerevan to express
their discontent with the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission.

The police are elbowing and pushing the crowd of people and media
representatives away from the OSCE Office.

The policemen reportedly exceed in number the protesters who had come
to show yellow and red cards to the international observers.

“Shame on you!” the crowd is vociferating.

The OSCE/ODIHR observer mission in their preliminary conclusions said
that the February 18 presidential elections in Armenia were generally
well administered and characterized by a respect for fundamental
freedoms, including those of assembly and expression. In general,
election day was calm and orderly and it was marked by undue – that
in general, it was marked by a calm process.

The police also banned A1+’s cameraman from filming the incident. One
of the participants of the protest action, Nvard Avetisyan, told A1+
that she had called the police to express her complaint with the
election results but she was told that everything was legitimate.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN AUTHOR OF KHOJALY EVENTS – LARISA ALAVERDYAN

TERT.AM
12:54 ~U 22.02.13

If Azerbaijan has managed to successfully cover Baku’s pogroms, in
case of Khojaly a rather strange thing happened: it was a well-thought
plan as a day before what happened they spread misinformation which
means they had already known what would happen, former human rights
defender Larisa Alaverdyan told the reporters on Friday.

She said it was all committed by Azerbaijan.

“We all know what happened in Khojaly and we know that it happened
near Aghdam, where Armenians did not have any control. If you are
working to spread lies, you are working harder and Azerbaijan does
it today,” ex MP said.

She stressed that Europe and the USA are in non equivalent situation
toward Azerbaijani propaganda machine while in Armenia something has
started being done on the state level only in 2009.

“I have always said that a breakthrough was registered during the
presidency of the incumbent president. In short period of time four
films were shot which was a very complicated work and though the
works have already launched but it is not satisfactory,” she said,
noting that we will not have counterarguments if not a film telling
about Khojaly which should be spread.

Alaverdyan said it is rather painful that everything is being done
so late and we finally should understand the cause of being so passive.

“That time everything that was possible to do within the commission was
done but the state policy was – let them speak and we keep silence,
lie has short legs, etc., while the lie has been spreading and may
be fatal,” she said, adding that Armenia’s state policy that time
was to keep silence.

From: Baghdasarian

POLICE REJECT OPENING CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST ARTIK MAYOR

14:29 22/02/2013 ” LAW

During the election campaign period, member of presidential candidate
Raffi Hovannisian’s campaign headquarters Edmon Yeganyan posted
a statement on raffi4prezident.am website saying that Artik Mayor
Arsen Abrahamyan is the head of Serzh Sargsyan’s election headquarters
and that he organizes meetings and collects passport data from state
workers.

However, police rejected opening a criminal case, under Point 1 of
Part 1 of Article 35 of the RA Code of Criminal Procedure – lack of
the event of crime, the press service of police told Panorama.am.

Source: Panorama.a

From: Baghdasarian

SHIRAK GOVERNOR DIDN’T SEND IN RESIGNATION – REPRESENTATIVE

February 22, 2013 – 14:29 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Shirak province governor Ashot Grigoryan has not
sent in resignation, an assistant to the governor said.

“Reports about the governor’s resignation are not true to fact,”
Araksya Kirakosyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

According to some media outlets, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) executive body members earlier discussed the post-election
developments, with president-elect Serzh Sargsyan expressing discontent
with the officials with low rating.

From: Baghdasarian

EXPERT SAYS RAFFI HOVANNISSIAN CAN BE DANGEROUS

February 22, 2013 – 13:59 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – To win, the opposition must launch a movement to
be able to overthrow the ruling authorities, president of Verelk
research foundation said.

“Former presidential candidate, Heritage party leader Raffi
Hovannissian will become a dangerous person, if he further pursues
the path of rallies,” Artsrun Pepanyan said.

“We made a fatal mistake, resolving against punishing the opposition
leaders, having caused bitter public disappointment,” the expert told
a press conference, noting overthrowing the ruling authorities and
the opposition as the options offered in the current political reality.

“Though Armenian people don’t support the ruling authorities, they
take every effort to legitimize the president,” the expert said.

From: Baghdasarian