Author: Boshkezenian Garik

EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT ARMENIA "PASSED THE TEST" AND IT "WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE EU"

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
May 15 2007

Yerevan, May 15. /Mediamax/. EU Special Representative in the South
Caucasus Peter Semneby stated in an exclusive interview to Mediamax
that Armenia "passed the test" and "will continue to move closer to
the EU".

Peter Semneby said this, commenting on Mediamax’s request on his
previous statements, according to which the elections in Armenia would
become an important "test" for the relations with the EU, as they would
be the first ones after the start of the implementation of the Action
Plan within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP).

"Yes, Armenia passed the test, which gives a good base for continuing
to develop the partnership with the EU in the way we have envisaged.

The high degree of interest in the election was a particularly
encouraging proof of what appears to be a growing political and civic
engagement", the EU Special representative stated.

At the same time, Peter Semneby reminded in an interview to Mediamax
that "Armenia has not received a perfect mark".

"The observer missions noticed some remaining problems, which ought
to be eliminated before the presidential election next year. In
particular, there was often no distinction between the ruling party and
the State. There were also too many problems with the vote counting",
Peter Semneby stated.

The Special Representative of the European Union expressed hope
that the new members of the Armenian parliament will be committed to
"making the parliament a forum for a vital and dynamic debate on the
future direction of the country".

"The joint commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law
is a cornerstone for the partnership between Armenia and the EU. I
am confident that Armenia will continue to move closer to the EU",
Peter Semneby stated in an exclusive interview to Mediamax.

EDVARD SASUN: MARKET RELATIONS HAVE ALREADY BURST INTO SPHERE OF ART AND DAMAGE SOUND THOUGHT AND TASTE

Noyan Tapan
May 15 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Painter Edvard Sasun’s (Avagian) works of
different years are presented in the Edvard Sasun painting catalogue,
the presentation of which took place on May 14 at the Tesaket club.

Edvard Sasun (Avagian) who was born in the family of intellectuals
which had migrated from Sasun started to paint from his
childhood. Leaving Yerevan’s physical-mathematical school under State
University, he continued his studies at Saint Petersburg’s Ilya Repin
Academy of Art.

In the words of ethnographer Hripsime Pikichian, painter’s being
engaged in exact sciences was expressed in composition structures
created by him and in sincere solutions. In the speaker’s words,
esthetical perception and use of technical skills characteristic of
academic realistic schools are evident in the works of the 1989-90-s
of the painter loyal to classical traditions of painting.

In 1997-2005 Edvard Sasun permanently lived and created in Bangkok
(Thailand). In this period the author created a series of landscapes
and still lives filled with oriental warmth, portraits painted
skilfully. As H. Pikichian characterized, E. Sasun’s creating activity
unites the East with the West, "the classical tradition with its
modern transformations."

Speaking about painting, E. Sasun said that painting is his way of
life and life. "I failed to be engaged in any other business. Painting
is my bread and water." In his words, today painting develops in a
wrong way in Armenia.

"Market relations have burst into the sphere of art, too, and damage
sound thought and taste."

ARMENIAN CHURCHES OF GEORGIA TO ARMENIANS

A1+
[07:18 pm] 14 May, 2007

Beka Mindiashvili, a Georgian official in charge of ethnic minorities,
says the 6 disputed Armenian churches in Georgia (5 in Tbilisi, 1 in
Akhaltskha) should be provided formally to the Georgian diocese of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, A-Info reported.

Beka Mindiashvili stated the information on May 12 during the seminar
on values of the Georgian society in the ethnic and religious context
in the framework of the festival entitled "Variety is Our Wealth." The
seminar was held in Javakheti.

ARMENIE: LE PARTI AU POUVOIR PLEBISCITE
Par Semo Marc

Liberation, France
14 mai 2007 lundi

Les listes soutenant le president Kotcharian sont arrivees en tete
des elections legislatives de samedi.

Les partis fidèles au president armenien, Robert Kotcharian, ont
largement remporte les elections legislatives de samedi dans cette
ex-Republique sovietique de trois millions d’habitants. Le Parti
republicain du Premier ministre, Serj Sarkissian, arrive largement en
tete avec plus de 32 % des voix de ce scrutin, repetition generale de
l’election presidentielle de l’an prochain. Le president Kotcharian
devrait, selon la Constitution, ceder le pouvoir a l’expiration de son
second mandat. Considere comme le nouvel homme fort, Serj Sarkissian,
par ailleurs ancien ministre de la Defense, semble d’ors et deja
favori pour lui succeder. Ils ont des liens anciens. L’un et l’autre
sont originaires du Haut-Karabakh, region d’Azerbaïdjan peuplee en
majorite d’Armeniens de souche qui a fait secession par les armes
dans les annees 90 pour se rattacher a l’Armenie.

Observateurs. Deux partis appuyant l’actuel pouvoir arrivent en
deuxième et troisième positions, l’Armenie prospère du milliardaire
et ancien champion de bras de fer Gaguik Tsaroukian avec 14,7 %
des voix et la Federation armenienne revolutionnaire avec 12,7 %.

Les 300 observateurs de l’OSCE (Organisation pour la securite et
la cooperation en Europe) qui suivaient le deroulement du vote ont
souligne "une nette amelioration" des conditions de ce scrutin par
rapport aux precedents, marques par des bourrages d’urnes et des
menaces sur les candidats de l’opposition. Selon le coordinateur
de la mission, Tone Tingsgaard, ces legislatives se sont deroulees
"selon les normes internationales", pour la première fois depuis la
chute de l’URSS en 1991. Quelques jours avant le vote, Washington
avait menace de bloquer une aide promise de 235 millions de dollars
(175 millions d’euros) si ces elections etaient truquees. Un vice
secretaire d’Etat americain, Daniel Fried, avait clairement mis
en garde les autorites d’Erevan : "Nous ne nous attendons pas a un
scrutin parfait, mais nous voulons voir de reels progrès."

L’opposition très divisee est la grande perdante du scrutin. Sa
principale composante Orinats Yerkir ("Pays de lois") obtient 6,9 %
des voix. Son leader, Artur Baghdasarian, avait par avance denonce
"le risque de fraudes massives". Avec 5,8 %, Heritage, conduit par
l’ex-ministre des Affaires etrangères Raffi Hovannissian, reussit
aussi a depasser le seuil minimum des 5 %. Les autres n’ont pas
reussi a entrer au Parlement. Quelque 2 500 manifestants reunis a
Erevan hier soir ont reclame "une enquete sur les falsifications
des resultats". Trois des neuf membres de la commission electorale
centrale, representants des partis d’opposition, ont refuse de signer
les procès-verbaux des resultats.

Deux dollars. Les fraudes "isolees" denoncees par les observateurs
internationaux ne semblent pas avoir fausse le resultat du scrutin.

Le pouvoir en place peut arguer d’un debut de decollage economique
dans ce pays sans ressources naturelles, où près d’un tiers de la
population vit avec moins de deux dollars par jour. Un recent sondage
Gallup montrait cependant que 50 % des Armeniens estiment leur pays
"sur une mauvaise voie".

–Boundary_(ID_R7Xl1IVkFqZ6G0qMgHgfVw )–

A NEW COALITION WILL BE FORMED, "HANRAPETAKAN" (REPUBLICAN) PARTY – THE INITIATOR

AZG Armenian Daily
15/05/2007

"A coalition will be formed, Hanrapetakan" (Republican) party will
be the initiator. It can make its selection between "Dashnaktsutyun"
(ARF) and "Bargavach Hayastan" (Prosperious Armenia). In this case
"Hanrapetakan" will strengthen its position in NA and declare its
conditions", said sociologist Aharon Adibekian in the interview to
"Azg" daily on May 13.

>From his point of view the abovementioned three parties will form a
coalition in NA, be a majority and pass the resolutions they want.

Evaluating the parliamentary elections of May 12, the sociologist
mentioned that they had already forecasted 55-60% of participation in
elections, which corresponded to reality: the Central Electoral
Commission ratified that 59% of voters participated in the
elections. This time people’s votes were on reasonable bases, the
voters didn’t believe in promises and didn’t trust in disrupted
opposition.

The sociologist had forecasted that, in the case of 55-60 %
participation, "Hanrapetakan" party will have 30%, "Bargavach Haiastan"
24% and "Dashanktsutyun" 8-9% of votes. As Aharon Adibekian explained,
"Dashnaktsutyun" received 13.1% of votes because "a part of "Bargavach"
party’s votes went to "Hanrapetakan" and "Dashnaktsutyun" parties.

"Dashnaktsutyun" also gained a part of "Orinats erkir" party’s
votes. The sociologist explained that "Bargavach" gained 15.1%
of votes, because the declared number of the party’s members (380
thousand) was not real and the functionaries had led the leaders of
the party into error.

The sociologist mentioned that their forecasts came true on the
whole. Our mistake is within 1%, likes to say Aharon Adibekian.

His forecasts, that Stepan Demirchian’s "HJK" (People party of
Armenia), Artashes Geghamian’s "AM" (National Unity) and Samvel
Babaian’s "Dashink" would have only 3-6% of votes, was considered
as a nonsense. Tigran Karapetian’s "JK" party’s 25% and "JUK"
(Democratic Path), "Democratic party" and "Hnchakian" parties’ 5-6%
expectations were, of course, groundless. "MAK" (United Labor Party)
had also a big chance but the chances must be used.

What about "Jarangutyun" (Heritage) Adibekian didn’t have a doubt
that it would overcome the 5% barrier.

The sociologist is sure that the success of "Jarangutyun" party is
because of the personal image and rating of Raffi Hovhannisian and
his reliance upon the intellectuals.

The biggest surprise of the elections was the utter defeat of "HJK",
"JUK","JK" and other opposition parties.

The head of the pollster center "Sociometre" thinks that we have
entered a period, when the voters can do a reasonable voting, and those
personalities come to power, who have manifested their abilities in
different spheres.

President of Football Federation of Armenia beaten up

Arminfo
2007-05-12 16:34:00

Ruben Hayrapetyan, a member of the Board of Republican Party of
Armenia, President of the Football Federation of Armenia, candidate
from the single-mandate district No.1, was beaten up at the
poling-station 1/25, Avan community, Yerevan.

As ArmInfo agency was told, R. Hayrapetyan was beaten up by the
supporters of ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Prosperous Armenia parties as he
visited the polling- stations armed and accompanied by his guard and
tried to interrupt the voting. For his part, R. Hayrapetyan refuted
this information talking to ArmInfo.

It is noteworthy that at the 5th polling-station of Kanaker-Zeytun
community, the supporters of Prosperous Armenia party beat the
supporter of RPA who was bribing voters for RPA and the candidate for
the Parliament, Leader of "Democratic Way" party Manuk Gasparyan.
Bribing by RPA has been registered at many other polling-stations. In
addition, RPA activists were verifying the attendance by the party’s
supporters by special registers standing in front of polling-stations.
At the polling-station 23/41, in Gegharkunik region, voters were bribed
by 20,000 AMD to vote in favor of Prosperous Armenia. In addition,
cases of open voting in favor of Prosperous Armenia were registered at
the same polling-station.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 11 2007

CONSTANTINE ZATOULIN: NAGORNO-KARABAGH HAS BEEN FUNCTIONING AS AN
INDEPENDENT STATE

The Nagorno-Karabagh has been functioning as an independent state,
Director of CIS States Institute, a deputy of RF State Duma, a member
of Unified Russia Party General Council Constantine Zatoulin stated
at the opening ceremony of the Institute branch in RA.
`’I believe the conflict can be settled only in peaceful way, via
mutual agreements”, C. Zatoulin said, adding the settlement’s
principles may be various.
`’The discussion of the status of Kosovo and other international
conflicts of the kind should be used in the Karabagh settlement, and
Russia should play its part in the issue”, C. Zatoulin thinks,
Novosti-Armenia Agency reports.

ARMENIAN COURT SANCTIONS EX-FOREIGN MINISTER’S ARREST

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 10 2007

YEREVAN, May 10 (RIA Novosti) – A court in Yerevan sanctioned Thursday
the arrest of a former Armenian foreign minister who was detained
May 8 and is facing money laundering charges.

Alexander Arzumanyan and the country’s former deputy defense
minister Vaan Shirkhanyan, founders of the public organization,
Civil Disobedience Movement, had agreed with Levon Markos, a Russian
national, who has been wanted for financial fraud since 2005, to
transfer and launder money in April. It was established that on April
27 the three offenders transferred $180,000 to nine front parties
through a bank in Yerevan.

Last Saturday investigators found foreign currency in the two
former politician’s flats, including $55,400 in cash in Arzumanyan’s
apartment. An investigation is underway.

Arzumanyan was Armenia’s foreign minister from November 1996 through
February 1998, and Shirkhanyan held the post of deputy defense minister
from 1994 through 1999.

RPA REPRESENTATIVE BELIEVES THAT THE PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN ARMENIA "BECAME THE MOST TRANSPARENT AND HONEST ONE DURING THE LATEST YEARS"

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia –
May 10 2007

Yerevan, May 10. /Mediamax/. Spokesman of the Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) Eduard Sharmazanov stated in Yerevan today that the
campaign on the elections to the National Assembly became "the most
transparent and honest one during the latest years".

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan, Eduard
Sharmazanov noted with pleasure that the competing political forces
practically fully refrained from using dirty pre-election technologies.

According to him, "the most important task for the RPA is the
strengthening of democratic fundamentals in the country". Eduard
Sharmazanov believes that the people appreciated the reforms, realized
in Armenia in the course of the latest 7 years, "and our party can
hope to gain the majority of votes".

He described the RPA as "a party of deeds and not words", noting that
"we never give idle promises and always keep our promises". "We,
for instance, do not promise the increase the pensions ten times,
as it is not realistic at this moment", he clarified.

Eduard Sharmazanov expressed surprise concerning the fact that "the
elections have not yet taken place, but some oppositional forces are
already going to dispute the results".

KARABAKH FORMED AS INDEPENDENT STATE

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.05.2007 15:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Nagorno Karabakh formed as an independent state
long ago, director of the Institute of CIS member states, Russian
State Duma deputy, member of United Russia party’s general council
Konstantin Zatulin told reporters in Yerevan.

Russia, as the OSCE MG Co-chair, stands for dialogue between the sides,
he said.

"I think that resolution in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict can be
achieved via peaceful talks and mutual agreements. Principles may be
different," Zatulin said.

"Discussions of Kosovo’s status and other international conflicts
should be used in the Karabakh settlement process. Russia should play
its role in the issue," Zatulin added, Novosti Armenia reports.