Author: Chakrian Hovsep

DUAL CITIZENS NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTIONS

A1+
[08:10 pm] 07 March, 2007

Only the residents of the Republic of Armenia will participate on the
May 12 parliamentary elections though the RA Government has passed
the packet on "Dual Citizenship". Candidate of juridical sciences
Hrayr Tovmasyan says, "Dual citizens will not participate in the
parliamentary elections as currently we don’t have dual citizens
as such".

All the dual citizens who are registered in Armenia have the right
to vote.

In Hrayr Tovmasyan’s words, Armenia won’t have constituencies in
other countries; the voting will be held only in Armenia. All the
dual citizens living abroad, can participate in the elections only
coming to Armenia", he notes.

CIS TO FORM A MISSION OF OBSERVERS TO WATCH ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.03.2007 17:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The CIS Executive Committee has launched preparation
works to form a mission of observers for parliamentary elections in
Armenia. The mission of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) is
being formed in accordance with Armenia’s invitation to participate
in monitoring of elections, RIA "Novosti" reports.

"In connection with Armenia’s invitation and based on the May 30, 2003
decision of the Council of CIS Presidents about mission of observers
during CIS presidential and parliamentarian elections, as well as
referendums of member-states, the CIS Executive Committee has launched
preparations works to form a mission of observers who will watch the
parliamentary elections to the RA NA," CIS Press Office reports.

WRITING THE RIGHT: WHAT’S IN AN ARMENIAN NAME?
By Ani Amirkhanian

Glendale News Press
March 5 2007

When my cousin announced she was going to give her adopted son an
Armenian name that dates back centuries, every member of her immediate
and extended family wondered what she was thinking.

She consulted an Armenian book of names and found the name Hrad,
pronounced hu-rod. None of us had ever heard of the name.

When she settled on the name many expressed concern as to how
non-Armenians would be able to pronounce her son’s name. That didn’t
seem to matter to her.

When her second child was born, she chose an even more obscure and
difficult Armenian name. She picked the name Goryune, pronounced
gor-e-yoon, for her son. The name literally means "cub" or, more
specifically, "lion cub." It is not a common name today and it goes
back centuries.

Once again, everybody asked her how others would be able to remember,
let alone pronounce, the child’s name.

So far, there have been no problems with any of the names. Her eldest,
6-year-old Hrad, attends a private Armenian school where academic
instruction is primarily in Armenian, while 1-year-old Goryune is
still a ways from starting school.

But everyone in the family is still wondering how others in our
culturally diverse community will respond to the names.

My cousin refused to give her children names that are convenient
for the majority. Although some Armenian parents are still giving
their children Armenian names, many are choosing American or other
non-Armenian names. advertisement

Gone are the days when one out of four boys’ were named Armen or Ara
– two very typical Armenian names. Even the popular girls’ names,
Ani and Anahid, are becoming a thing of the past.

More and more Armenian parents are choosing names like Brian,
Christopher, Lisa, Erin, Brandon and Roderick

A non-Armenian name combined with a long, 13-letter traditional
Armenian last name with an "ian" or "yan" suffix is the end result.

Certain names are also chosen because they are popular in society.

Back in the ’80s in Glendale, the two most common names among Armenian
girls were Jennifer and Tiffany.

My cousin chose the names that she did for her two children not
because they are uncommon or unique.

She picked them because she wanted her children to be identified as
Armenian and be proud of who they are.

That isn’t to say that parents who don’t choose Armenian names for
their children don’t want them to identify or to be proud of their
culture.

But for many parents, names are chosen because they are popular or
sound pretty, not because they necessarily distinguish a culture or
have a significant meaning.

Whatever the reason for birth names, last names are a clear indication
of cultural identity and nationality.

Last names, especially for Armenians, are a dead giveaway.

DARCHINYAN BEAT HIS RIVAL

A1+
[01:20 pm] 05 March, 2007

Vakhtang Darchinyan, Armenian professional IBF and IBO champion in
weight category of 50,8 kg, preserved his title beating Victor Burgos,
the ex champion under 49-kg weight category. Darchinyan gained victory
of his rival in the last 12th round.

Immediately after the meeting Burgos was taken to hospital on a
stretcher where the latter underwent an operation. Doctors claim that
though Burgos suffered one knock-down he was beaten many times and
the beatings harmed him greatly.

The operation was a success. It is still unknown whether the sportsman
will be able to return to professional box.

Baltimore Sun, MD
March 4 2007

Judged wanting
Originally published March 4, 2007

Serbia, acquitted last week of the charge of genocide, has been
handed a unique opportunity. If Serbia was not complicit in the
effort to exterminate Bosnian Muslims in the first half of the 1990s
– as the International Court of Justice ruled Monday – Serbia should
have no reason to keep on protecting the two Bosnian Serb leaders who
did have genocide in mind: Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic. If
Serbia’s hands are clean, it should turn these two men over to the
international tribunal in The Hague.
Clean hands? The court says so – but the court was looking through a
very narrow window. Serbia clearly had a major role in the
atrocity-riven war in Bosnia, and it encouraged ethnic cleansing of
Muslims and Croats. But atrocities and ethnic cleansing are not
genocide, and what the court ruled was that there was no evidence
that the government in Belgrade had set out to commit that particular
crime.

Genocide happened, the court said – in the silver-mining town of
Srebrenica, in July 1995, where 7,000 or more Muslims were killed by
General Mladic’s men. (Again, a narrow view – scores of thousands of
civilians were killed in Bosnia during the war, but perhaps only
Srebrenica fit a textbook definition of genocide.) Belgrade could
have stopped it, and didn’t, the court said. But there is no proof
that it was a result of national Serbian policy, according to the
ruling, and therefore Bosnia today cannot collect reparations from
Serbia.

The court’s decision raises an interesting question: What is the
culpability of the so-called Republika Srpska, set up by Bosnian
Serbs and, under the Dayton accord of 1995, one of the two entities
that make up Bosnia today? Bosnian Serbs did commit genocide. What
should the penalty be? On the other hand, neither the Bosnian Muslims
nor Croats have clean records, either – but no court has issued a
finding of genocide against them.

This was the first case in which one country sued another on a
complaint of genocide. The legalistic result isn’t very satisfying,
though it’s better than a resumption of war. Clearly, it’s too early
for historians to sort things out, or for the survivors to be
mollified by historical findings. Turks and Armenians are still
arguing bitterly – or, more often, refusing to talk to each other at
all – over events that took place back in 1915. The war in Bosnia is
an unhealed wound; courts alone can’t resolve the damage.

But they can tackle a piece of it, and that makes this is an
opportune moment for Serbia to recognize its responsibility as a
nation in good standing – and hand over the men who brought so much
death to Bosnia.

`Zerkalo’: Human Rights Watch, About Aggravation of Situation Relating
to Freedom of Speech in Azerbaijan

A. Rashidoglu

_www.zerkalo.az_ ()
01.03.2007

The above mentioned human rights organization calls on to remove
hostility on the part of state towards mass media. Policy of
Azerbaijani authorities in the field of freedom of speech has been
criticized again, this time on the part of respectable international
organization Human Rights Watch.

European and Central Asia executive director at Human Rights Watch,
Holly Cartner, applied to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Ilham Aliyev, in connection with this problem.

Appeal letter states that Human Rights Watch is concerned about the
fact that opposition or independent journalists often get threatening
calls after publication of critical materials. Journalists said that
threatening calls demanding to stop journalistic investigation
preceded attacks. Organization regrets about widespread impunity,
even if there is information allowing to identify personality of ones
who made calls.

Appeal also reads that currently rapid increase of slander related
proceedings instituted against journalists by state officials is being
observed.

In 2006 only more than 10 suits have been filed against `Azadlig’
newspaper. Newspaper repeatedly mentioned in cases relating to slander
or abuses of officials. Total sum of fines exceeded 300,000 US
dollars. Some journalists including editor-in-chief of `Milli Yol’,
Shakhin Agabeyli, and editor-in-chief of `24 Saat’, Fikret
Faramazoglu, were severely sentenced up to imprisonment. After
serving 7 out of 12 months of imprisonment term Agabeyly was released.
With regards to others fines are imposed just like in the case of
editor-in-chief of `Real Azerbaijan’, Eynulla Fatullayev, and
political scientist from Baku, Zardusht Alizade.

When the said letter was being prepared Human Rights Watch learnt that
on January 30, 2007, journalists of newspaper `Nota Bene’, Faramaz
Novruzoglu and Sardar Alibeyli were sentenced to 2 years of
imprisonment and 1,5 year of correctional works. Slander related suit
was filed on application of Minister of Internal Affairs and head of
State Committee on the issues of Azerbaijanis living in foreign
countries. Criminal sanction for slander is unequal reaction of
government when the matter concerns significant issues or public
figures. Moreover, discriminative operation of law against independent
or opposition journalists took place in cases under
consideration. Such sharp escalation of criminal and civil slander
related cases negatively affects mass media in the country. At the
same time majority suits are filed against opposition editions. On
June 23, 2006, journalist of `Azadlig’ newspaper and famous satirist,
Mirza Sakit Zakhidov, was arrested for politically motivated and
fabricated accusation of keeping drugs. On October 4, Court on grave
crimes sentenced him to 3 years of imprisonment. On December 15,
Appeal Court hasn’t changed the sentence. Referring to local and
international observers, suit against Zakhidov aimed to stop
publishing his articles in newspaper and to punish him for writing
satiric verses about governmental officials.

Human Rights Watch also points to the cases of threat to close
independent mass media in Azerbaijan or eviction of publishing houses
from the buildings, namely, closing of TV channel ANS in November last
year and eviction of opposition newspapers `Azadlig’ and `Bizim Yol’
and `Turan’ information agency.

The above cases show growth of hostility on the part of state to
independent and opposition mass media what jeopardizes security of
independent journalists in Azerbaijan, – appeal reads.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenia not to receive request from U.S.A. concerning MDS radar deployment
02.03.2007 17:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia has not received any official request from
the United States concerning MDS radar deployment in her territory, RA
MFA Acting Press Secretary Vladimir Karapetyan told the
PanARMENIAN.Net journalist. `Vesti.Ru’ reports the Armenian Defense
Ministry also has confirmed that the issue of deploying radar has not
been discussed.

U.S. MDA Director Lt. Gen. Henry Obering stated that the Pentagon
would like to have a radar station in Caucasus in the framework of
missile defense system, which will be constructed in near future. At
the same time H. Obering did not clarify what country the matter is
about.

SECOND ROUND OF MORELIA-LIARES TOURNAMENT STARTED IN SPAIN

ArmRadio.am
02.03.2007 16:05

The second round of the Morelia-Linares international chess tournament,
featuring eight strongest chess players of the world, except Vladimir
Kramnik, started today in the Spanish city of Linares.

Le tus remind that after the first round of the tournament held
in Morelia (Mexico) Armenian Grand Master Levon Aronyan gained 3.5
points out of 7 possible and shares 4th-5th places with Russian Pyotor
Svidler. With 4.5 points Vishvanatan Anand of India and Magnus Karlsen
of Norway share the 1st-2nd places.

POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT AND PROPAGANDA IN ARMENIA ARE USED MORE THAN PR, "PR ASSOCIATION" DEPUTY CHAIRMAN BELIEVES

Noyan Tapan
Mar 01 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Propaganda and advertisement, then
technologies of ties with the society are 70-80% used in the political
propaganda of Armenia. Arman Saghatelian, the Deputy Chairman of the
Armenian Public Relations Association ("PR Association," www. apra.am)
stated about it at the March 1 press conference. At the same time
he mentioned that the political advertisement in Armenia does not
solve the problem of making this or that political force or figure
recognizable as everybody already knows all the political forces amd
figures having weight, and the people is already tired of propaganda.

In A.Saghatelian’s words, during the propaganda of the parliamentary
elections to take place in May the competition will mainly be promoted
to occupy place in the information field. As for the PR, candidates
nominated by the majoritarian electoral system more use technologies
of that sphere. It was mentioned that "black PR" technologies both
in the way of compromising and organization of spreading negative
information about the opponents will also be used in the propaganda
of the expected parliamentary elections. Responding the Noyan Tapan
correspondent’s question, A.Saghatelian mentioned that more money
will be spent in the propaganda of the parliamentary elections this
year than during the previous elections.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Azeris join in opposing to Armenian Genocide resolution adoption
24.02.2007 15:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azeri-Americans joint Turkey’s efforts in opposing
the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the
U.S. Congress. Asked, `how the Azeri Diaspora of the U.S.A. can assist
in opposing the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the
U.S. Congress’, President of Azerbaijan Society of America Tomris
Azeri said that the Armenian Diaspora in the United States is well
organized. `They have a firm agenda and everyone in their Diaspora
community believes and follows this agenda. The Armenian Diaspora
communities and businesses see it as their duty and obligation to
finance and support their organizations. And, therefore, everyone
takes pride in the accomplishments that are achieved by hard
work. These organizations do not depend on the Armenian government for
support. Rather, their strength lies in the fact that each Diaspora
member supports the organizations individually. Over many years, they
focused on achieving goals that they believed in, and these goals
became a reality. Azerbaijani-Americans need to constantly work to
inform and educate our legislators about matters that are important to
us. ASA worked vigorously within the Azeri-American community to block
the genocide resolution in the U.S. by organizing writing campaigns
and by calling our district representatives. As a result, I believe
that some of the original representatives who signed this resolution
withdrew their name from it, ‘ Tomris Azeri stated.

She expressed hope that the resolution `will not be approved’. Turkey
is a strategically important ally of the United States and this fact
has not escaped many members of the U.S. Congress, not to mention the
Administration. The U.S. Administration and the Congress have many
important issues before them for consideration. On these issues they
may agree or disagree, but at the end of the day they all work for the
best national interests of the USA, ‘ Tomris Azeri said, APA reports.