Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

THOUSANDS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST RE-ELECTION OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Europe Online Magazine
Feb 20 2013

Europe20.02.2013By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online

Yerevan (dpa) – About 6,000 people on Wednesday took to the streets
of the Armenian capital Yerevan to demonstrate against the re-election
of President Serzh Sargsyan.

“We’re ready for a fight, a fight until victory,” said former foreign
minister and presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian, who came second
in Monday’s election, with 36.75 per cent of votes.

He refused an offer of a meeting with Sargsyan, who gained 58.64
per cent of the vote. The opposition has accused the government of
massive vote fraud.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said
the elections were “generally well-administered,” but that there was
still a “blurring of the distinction between the state and the ruling
party.” dpa bvi dem hl ar Authors: Awet Demurjan, Benedikt von Imhoff

From: Baghdasarian

LEAD: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RE-ELECTED IN VOTE DEEMED FAIR

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany
February 19, 2013 Tuesday 1:13 PM EST

Yerevan (dpa) – The vote that led to the re-election of Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan was “generally well-administered” noted the
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on Tuesday.

Sargsyan’s re-election was officially confirmed by the election
commission Tuesday, with 58.64 per cent of the vote. Advance polls
had indicated he would win with a large margin over the other six
candidates.

“These elections have shown once again that our people can stand
together at key moment and make the right decisions,” Sargsyan,
who is now set to hold office until 2018, told local media.

Former foreign minister Raffi Hovannisian was second with 36.75 per
cent after all the votes were counted. He has announced plans to
contest the vote, pointing to what the OSCE calls isolated incidents
of pressure upon voters.

Police have recorded more than 100 complaints of irregularities.

But the international observer team generally gave the elections
high marks.

“We have observed a calm election day, characterized by no major
difficulties in electoral procedures,” stated Milan Cabrnoch, the head
of the European Parliament delegation helping to monitor the polls.

However, he noted a lack of debate leading up to the polls, largely
because some key groups had boycotted the elections.

The OSCE noted that the monitors said the election showed improvements
from previous Armenian elections. In 2008, at least 10 people died
during election violence.

Aside from the shooting of candidate Paruir Airikian, on February 1,
this election was largely peaceful, they said. Airikian was badly
wounded, but did not suspend his candidacy.

However, monitors also expressed some concern that the ruling party
had not taken enough effort to clearly delineate government work from
campaign activities.

“The blurring of the distinction between the state and the ruling
party continues to be an issue,” said Heidi Tagliavini, head of the
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. “This was
demonstrated in the misuse of administrative resources, pressure
on voters, and a lack of impartiality on the part of the public
administration.”

Turnout in the poll was 60.05 per cent, according to official
statements.

Sargsyan, a pro-Russian who came to power in 2008, is limited to two
terms by law.

Feb 19 13 1313 GMT

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S BIGGEST FOOD IMPORTER, ALEX GRIG, BEING INSPECTED BY AS MANY AS 160 TAX OFFICERS

ARMINFO
Wednesday, February 20, 21:46

Armenia’s biggest food importer, Alex Grig, is being inspected by
160 tax officers, Chairman of the State Income Committee of Armenia
Gagik Khachatryan told journalists on Wednesday.

He said that in 2012 Alex Grig received adverse opinion from the G &
Co Audit. Owned by oligarch MP Samvel Alexanyan, Alex Grig imports
food and manages Yerevan City supermarket chain.

Among the companies that also received a bad opinion from auditors are
Natali Pharm drug store network and Lus Astgh, a producer of coffee,
macaroni and other food products.

According to ArmInfo’s Financial Analysis of the Biggest Manufacturing
Companies of Armenia, in 2011 Alex Grig’s assets made up 25.4bln
AMD or $68.2mln, loans 13.7bln AMD, revenues 80.4bln AMD, net profit
2.8bln AMD.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN STRING CHEESE IS FRESH CHANGE FROM MOZZARELLA

17:00 20.02.20130

Armenian string cheese is an exotic change from fresh mozzarella if
you are looking for a mild, milky cheese with stretch, Evansville
Courier & Press writes.

“Like mozzarella, Armenian string cheese is a filata cheese. This
means after the curds are formed, they are drained, then heated, salted
and pulled, doubled and pulled again and again, somewhat like taffy,
to form the elastic texture and fine separable strings we associate
with string cheeses. Then they are doubled up in pretty knots and
stored in brine or packaged in Cryovac. The cheese is sold fresh,
with no aging,” the website writes.

Pretty little black nigella seeds sprinkled throughout the cheese
supply texture and a sharp, oregano-like flavor. The cheese is
most attractive served with the strings pulled apart into a pile of
fluffy threads.

“Armenian string cheese can be used just like fresh mozzarella, and
is very suited for eating cold as a snack, on a sandwich, with flat
bread and relish, or in a salad. It may also be melted in a pita or
atop flatbread, or even used as a pizza cheese,” the article reads.

From: Baghdasarian

2013 CAMPAIGN COMPROMISING FOR PRESIDENT – ANALYST

TERT.AM
16:45 ~U 20.02.13

Had anyone wished to devise a plan for compromising the president, he
would have thought about the kind of campaign that was held ahead of
the election, says Hmayak Hovhannisyan, the president of the Armenian
Political Analysts’ Union.

Speaking to Tert.am, the expert evaluated the 2013 presidential race
as awkward and compromising.

“Serzh Sargsyan was let down but he deserved that because that was
his choice,” he said.

Asked whether he thinks Sargsyan’s poor campaign could have caused his
leading challenger, Raffi Hovhannisyan, to garner a high percentage of
votes, Hovhannisyan gave a positive answer, noting that the president’s
rating was quite different at the beginning of the campaign.

The local daily Hraparak said earlier, citing anonymous sources,
that the election outcome came as a surprise to the president as that
absolutely differed from the results he had been initially reported on.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WINS LANDSLIDE REELECTION

Bahrain News Agency, Bahrain
Feb 19 2013

10 : 22 AM – 19/02/2013 Yerevana, Feb. 19 (BNA) — Armenia’s Central
Election Commission has announced that with votes counted from all
precincts, President Serzh Sarkisian has won a landslide reelection
victory, taking more than 58 percent of the vote.

Former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian was a distant second,
getting 36.7 percent.

The U.S.-born Hovannisian has refused to concede defeat and has accused
authorities of carrying out fraud to ensure Sarkisian receives another
five-year term.

Officials have acknowledged reports of violations, but have rejected
claims of a voting fraud conspiracy.

Voter turnout in the February 18 vote was some 60 percent.

EM

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WINS 2ND TERM: CEC

Global Times, China
Feb 19 2013

By Agencies Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on sinaweiboShare
on linkedinMore Sharing Services0 E-mail Print

Incumbent Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has won this year’s
presidential election to secure a second five-year term, according to
the provisional tally released by Armenian Central Electoral Commission
(CEC) on Tuesday.

CEC’s latest available tally showed that Sargsyan, leader of the
ruling Republican Party of Armenia, had got 58.64 percent of the
total valid votes cast on Monday.

It also showed that 1,518,407 of the 2,528,463 registered voters cast
their votes on Monday, with a turnout rate of 60.05 percent.

The second place of this year’s presidential race was occupied by
Armenian former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian, who leads the
opposition Heritage Party, with a total of 36.75 percent of the
cast vote.

The CEC has finalized counting votes from all the 1,988 ballot stations
across the country in the small hours of Tuesday.

Though a few local television channels and media houses have quoted
the CEC’s provisional tally, the commission did not pronounce its
results. It has originally scheduled to announce the official results
of the presidential election on Feb. 25.

From: Baghdasarian

9TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN OFFICER GURGEN MARGARYAN’S MURDER

February 19, 2013 – 14:04 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – February 19 marks the 9th anniversary of the killing
of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan.

Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen Margaryan, 26, was
hacked to death, while asleep, by a fellow Azerbaijani participant,
lieutenant Ramil Safarov, in Budapest during a three-month English
language course in the framework of NATO-sponsored Partnership for
Peace program.

On April 13, 2006, Budapest District Court sentenced Safarov to life
in prison for murdering Margaryan. On February 22, 2007, Budapest
Court rejected the Azerbaijani military officer’s appeal against the
verdict, precluding possibility of pardon for the initial 30 years.

By a decree of then-President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, officer
Margaryan was awarded with a posthumous Medal for Courage on February
19, 2005.

In 2012, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Official Yerevan reacted by suspending diplomatic ties with Hungary.

Hungary, however, stated that it had sent Safarov back to Azerbaijan
after receiving assurances from the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry that
Safarov’s sentence, which included the possibility of parole after 25
years, would be enforced.

According to some reports, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan in
exchange for Azeri purchase of Hungarian securities worth Euro 2-3
billion, an information official Budapest denies.

“Hungarian prime minister is “morally bankrupt” and should resign
after admitting that he personally approved the transfer of the Azeri
axe murderer while knowing the likely consequences,” the leader of the
opposition Socialists said earlier.

Attila Mesterhazy said it was clear from Orban’s comments at a news
conference on September 11 that he had been aware that Azerbaijan
would release the life-sentenced Ramil Safarov after his repatriation.

From: Baghdasarian

DECISION 2013: HOVANNISIAN DELIVERS VAGUE ULTIMATUM; TELLS SARGSYAN TO CONCEDE TO “PEOPLE’S VICTORY”

News | 19.02.13 | 20:27

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow

By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

Raffi Hovannisian, the official runner-up in the February 18
presidential election, gathered his supporters in Yerevan’s central
Liberty Square late Tuesday afternoon to declare himself the rightful
winner of the election and suggesting that the officially declared
president-elect, Serzh Sargsyan, concede his defeat.

Hovannisian, a 53-year-old United States-born lawyer who leads the
opposition Heritage party, gave Sargsyan until 5 pm Wednesday to
accept “the people’s victory” and start the process of the transition
of power to the people. Otherwise, he warned, the incumbent needs to
be prepared for Hovannisian’s and his supporters’ “further steps.”

The opposition candidate did not elaborate on what those steps
might be.

According to the preliminary results of the Monday ballot announced
by the Central Election Commission earlier today President Sargsyan
polled around 59 percent of the vote, while Hovannisian gained the
support of close to 37 percent of Armenian voters. Hovannisian,
however, stated today that the election was rigged with “widespread
fraud” and that he was the real “elected president”.

“It is clear to everyone that the Armenian people gained an 80 to
20 victory yesterday, it has celebrated and will make a reality
our national civil victory. No one will take this victory from our
conscience, voice and our constitutional right. It belongs not to
Raffi or Serzh, or others, but it belongs to the Armenians, to all
of our citizens, and let no one, whatever his name or position is,
dare take this right away from our people,” emphasized Hovannisian.

“Close to midnight yesterday I urged our main competitor, Mr.

Sargsyan, our current president, who had a great contribution to the
Karabakh liberation and statecraft, to become the first president
in 20 years to have the right, courage and morality to accept the
people’s victory. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to do that until
now. It’s not late yet. Tomorrow, at 5 pm, we will all meet here for
a pan-national rally and before that I offer to Mr. Sargsyan to have
a public or private meeting with me so that together we organize the
transition of power to the people of Armenia.”

Supporters and activists who came to the meeting with Hovannisian
– their number reaching some 3,000 – occasionally chanted “Raffi
President” or “Raffi, Elected President”. Mostly middle-aged and
elderly people were attending the rally, although there were also
young supporters among the participants.

Speaking about the violations that took place during the election,
Hovannisian said that they were occurring everywhere and that
eventually it proved to be a rigged and unfair election, failing to
reflect the will of the people. Meanwhile, international observers who
monitored the Armenian elections said on Tuesday that the “serious”
violations observed by them could not have affected the overall
outcome.

Hovannisian insisted that such an opinion could not be foisted on the
Armenian people, adding that if Sargsyan met his demand, he would be
“forgiven on behalf of the Armenian people and the law.”

“I want to shake hands with Sargsyan and tomorrow, before 5 pm,
accept his congratulations on the victory of the Armenian people,”
said the Heritage Party leader.

Hovannisian also declared that he was ready to cooperate with all
political forces in forming a future government.

“All can become forces participating in the future legitimate
government of national accord. I reckon that the time for
partisanship has gone and civil society and political forces must
come and participate not in the future government, but must become a
factor of public governance. For five years there will be Heritage,
Dashnaktsutyun, the Armenian National Congress, Prosperous Armenia,
the Republicans and mostly non-partisan names, who will serve. But if
they deviate from the letter of the law, do business at the expense
of people, they will have to answer for that,” said Hovannisian.

From: Baghdasarian

SURVEY. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN FRAUD

05:36 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

The sixth presidential elections of independent Armenia are over. Due
to CEC’ preliminary data the winner is Serzh Sargsyan .He is followed
by Raffi Hovannisian, Hrant Bagratyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan, Andrias
Ghukasyan, Vardan Sedrakyan and Arman Melikyan.

But what do our citizens think of Monday’s ballot? How reliable do
they consider CEC’ data?

“I think that it is not credible. Well, there have been some
violations, for sure”,- said one of the citizens who participated in
our survey.

“Frankly speaking, I can not fully believe the results, because there
has always been fraud, that’s why this time also I cannot be convinced
that there has not been partiality”,- said another citizen.

Barkhudar Adamian, who was the first commander of the Artsvashen
detachment at the Battle of Artsakh , has specially come from Chambarak
to assert his voice and after the published data of CEC was greatly
disappointed.

“Bribes have been obviously distributed.The refusal does not fit
into my brain, because I am personally one of the recipients. We
have all got in that district, in Vardenis, Gavar, Hrazdan, Sevan,
Charentsavan. I’ve received a bribe from Serzh Sarkisyan but went
and elected Raffi Hovannisian. Everything is deceitful. The fraud in
Armenia will continue 5 more years,” Barkhudar Adamyan said.

From: Baghdasarian