Author: Dabaghian Diana

TER-PETROSIAN PROPOSES PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER TO GIVE UP POWER
WITH DIGNITY

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Calls like "We will win", "President
Levon", "Armenians, Unite" were made at the February 16 rally organized
by the opposition and during a mass procession that followed tha rally.

The presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian delivered a summary
speech at the rally. Addressing those present, he said that he is
speaking with the people that has already won. He urged everybody to be
consistent in the national struggle and to go to vote without fail. He
warned that indifference and pessimism of some people may ruin the
national struggle.

Levon Ter-Petrosian said that his election campaign can already be
summarized. According to him, the campaign has reached its goal, and,
in particular, during numerous meetings in remote marzes it has become
possible to "break" the atmosphere of fear which formed there in the
past ten years. Such an atmosphere, according to L. Ter-Petrosian, does
not exist in Yerevan and four nearby marzes adjacent to it: Ararat,
Armavir, Kotayk and Aragatsotn which are the most active and
well-informed marzes. He announced that he calls a rally on February 20
at 3 p.m. to celebrate the victory in the elections.

A procession was organized following the rally. The procession led by
Levon Ter-Petrosian and representatives of the political forces
endorsing him made its way along Mashtots, Grigor Lusavorich, Italy and
Nalbandian Streets and back to Freedom Square. During a short rally
after the procession, the first Armenian president proposed that Serge
Sargsian withdraw his candidacy, while Robert Kocharian should "give up
power with dignity and without any shocks", thus proving that they are
statesmen.

L. Ter-Petrosian declared that he is convinced that he will win at the
very first round of elections. In his words, if the authorities try "to
draw some figures in favor of Sargsian", then the February 20 rally
will be the beginning of the struggle (with the use of all legal means)
for defending the opposition’s victory.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Feb 16 2008

Armenians’ ceasefire violation kills soldier of Azerbaijani Army-
UPDATED

[ 16 Feb 2008 11:24 ]

Aghdam. Teymur Guliyev-APA. One more soldier of Azerbaijani Army was
killed as a result of violation of ceasefire by Armenians. APA’s
Karabakh bureau reports that it happened yesterday evening.

The enemy forces fired from their positions in Yusifjanli village of
Aghdam region killing 20-year-old Gurbanov Arzuman Ramiz who was
drafted from Sabunchu district in October, 2006. Azerbaijani Defense
Ministry’s press service confirmed the fact.

Jordanian News Agency
February 15, 2008 Friday 3:38 PM EST

Statement issued by Council of Church Leaders in Jordan

Amman, Feb.15 (Petra)?The Council of the Church leaders in Jordan
expressed its surprise regarding an article published by an American
News Agency, "Compass Direct News" about Christians in Jordan. The
article contained falsities that distort the truth and harm relations
between Muslim and Christian citizens in Jordan.

The Council added that it is puzzling that certain small groups,
whose memberships number only few hundred people and which are
foreign to Christians in Jordan and to the history of
Muslim-Christian relations, permit themselves to speak in the name of
all Christians and appoint themselves as the guardians and protectors
of Christianity as if Christianity were in danger.

The statement clarified the proportion of Jordanian Christians
nationals currently residing in the country comes to about 4% and
rise to 5% if the Christian nationals residing abroad were included.
The statement added that Christian citizens are not imported from
abroad; they are Jordanian citizens deep-rooted in this land since
the days of the prophets and the first Christian generation. There is
a Council of Church Leaders residing in Jordan grouping the Bishops
of Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, (Melkite), Roman Catholic, and
Armenian Orthodox Churches. Ninety-five per cent of Christian
citizens in Jordan belong to one of these churches. Due to the small
numbers of the followers of other churches their religious leaders
reside in Jerusalem.

The statement underlined the Christian nationals in Jordan live a
normal life, in various towns and villages, in secure and safe
environment where they maintain good social relations with their
Muslim compatriots. The two different religions did not produce two
split communities: Muslim and Christian. Christian contribute to the
social, economic, cultural and scientific life in Jordan, and serve
in the army and in various front line with other intellectual, and
arte educationally qualified in various fields. Christian leaderships
enjoy good relations with both Muslim religious leaders and
government officials.

GYUMRI TECHNOPARK TO OPERATE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, HOSPITALITY AND FASHION SECTORS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 14, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. In foundation of the Gyumri
technopark, the RA ministry of trade and economic development
cooperates with the State Engineering University of Armenia, the
Armenian State University of Economics, the American University
of Armenia, two IT companies, an expert of the fashion sector, the
USIAD, the World Bank and a Finnish technopark, the RA minister of
trade and economic development Nerses Yeritsian stated on February
13 when presenting the economic section of the pre-election program
of the presidential candidate, RA prime minister Serge Sargsian at
the request of the Club of Economic Journalists.

According to him, the technopark will operate in IT, hospitality and
fashion sectors. Universities will function as resreach centers in the
incubation chain of the technopark. A system to ensure registration of
intellectual property will be introduced and based on this property,
advice necessary for business model formation will be given with
the aim of setting up enterprises and establishing connection with
venture and other investors.

AIRPLANE OF BELAVIA COMPANY IMPLEMENTING YEREVAN – MINSK FLIGHT TAKES FIRE: THERE ARE NO VICTIMS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 14, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. At 4:30 on February 14 the CGR-100
airplane of the Belavia company during the Yerevan – Minsk flight
from the Zvartnots airport hit the air strip with its left wing and
took fire.

As Gayane Davtian, the Spokesperson of the Head of the RA Civil
Aviation Department, informed Noyan Tapan, the collaborators of the
Rescue Service have taken 18 passengers and three crew members out
of the airplane. There are no victims. Those injured with different
degrees of burns have been taken to hospital. There were 16 Armenians
among the passengers. The airport was closed, the collaborators of
the prosecutor’s office were conducting corresponding work.

OSCE ODIHR OBSERVERS BELIEVE THAT THE ELECTORAL COMMISSIONS IN ARMENIA ARE "WELL-PREPARED" FOR THE UPCOMING ELECITONS

Mediamax
February 14, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. OSCE ODIHR Observation Mission believes that the
electoral commissions of Armenia are "well-prepared" for the upcoming
presidential elections of February 19.

Mediamax reports that this is said in the second interim report of
the OSCE ODIHR Observation Mission, issued on February 13. The given
reports concerns the period between January 27 and February 9.

"1,923 Precinct Election Commissions (PECs) have been
formed. OSCE/ODIHR observers reported that the PEC training sessions,
which began on 30 January, were well conducted", the report reads.

The report also reads that "The CEC Chair held a press conference in
which he reassured voters of their freedom of choice and the secrecy
of the vote; the Ombudsman made a statement against ‘vote buying’, and
the Prosecutor General made a statement highlighting legal penalties
for election violations".

COURT RECONVENES FOR DINK ASSASSINATION TRIAL

Turkish Press
Feb 13 2008

Istanbul’s 14th High Criminal Court reconvened yesterday for the trial
of 19 suspects charged with involvement in the assassination last
year of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Dink’s widow Rakel
and his sister Delal were present of the hearing, which was closed to
the press. In related news, Turkey-European Union Joint Parliamentary
Commission Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk, who also attended the hearing,
said, "In this case, those who are behind the scenes should be found
and put on trial. Up to now, (only) those working in front have
faced trial." He added, "If this case isn’t resolved by including
those behind the scenes, it will damage Turkey’s image in the eyes
of the EU."

RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT MET WITH ARMENIAN OPPOSITION CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENCY TER-PETROSIAN

ARKA News Agency
Feb 13 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, February 13. /ARKA/. The representatives of higher echelons
of power in Russia have not met with the opposition candidate for
presidency ex-president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian who visited
Moscow this week, a source of RIA Novosti agency reports.

Referring to the election campaign office of Ter-Petrosian the Russian
"Komersant" newspaper reported earlier Wednesday that Ter-Petrosian
has been received by the first Vice-Premier of Russia and presidential
contender Dmitry Medvedev.

"Nobody from the Russian authorities met with Ter-Petrosian. Leonid
Gozman (Deputy Head of the political council of the Russian "Soyuz
Pravix Sil" (Union of Right Forces) has been the highest political
level of Ter-Petrosian’s meetings in Moscow," the source reported.

The presidential elections are to be held in Armenia on February 19.

The following nine candidates are to run for presidency in the
elections: the Prime-Minister and the leader of the Republican Party
of Armenia Serge Sargsian, the leader of "Orinats Yerkir" (Country
of Law) party Arthur Baghdasarian, the leader of the People’s Party
Tigran Karapetian, the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian,
the leader of the "National Unity" Artashes Geghamian, the Chairman
of the "National Accord" party Aram Harutiunian, the Vice-Speaker of
the Armenian Parliament and member of the Bureau of ARF Dashnaktsutiun
Vahan Hovhannisian, the leader of the National Democratic Union Vazgen
Manukian and former FM of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Arman Melikian.

Ter-Petrosian who hopes to consolidate the opposition electorate
and to challenge the favorite of the race Premier Sargsian blames
the current authorities of Armenia for preventing him from a normal
election campaign and promises to hold protect actions after the
outcome of the voting is announced.

IN CONVICTION OF VAZGEN MANUKIAN, NONE OF OPPOSITION CANDIDATES TO RECEIVE MORE THAN 20% IN FIRST STAGE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 12, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. In case of not being simulated,
the second stage of the presidential elections is inevitable. This
conviction was expressed by Vazgen Manukian, the Chairman of the
National Democratic Union and a candidate running for the post of the
RA President, at the press conference held on February 12. According
to him, irrespective of the existence of a certain electorate and
the administrative resource, the candidate of the authorities Prime
Minister Serge Sargsian cannot win with one stage in case of fair
elections. The same can be said about the opposition candidates,
none of them, according to Vazgen Manukian, can receive more than
20% of votes. In his words, each of the main candidates has his
stable electorate, which will not vote for another candidate. The
statements of some of the candidates, according to which they will
win in the first stage, according to Vazgen Manukian, are a "bluff"
and an attempt to take away voices from other candidates.

In the conviction of the candidate, people should vote according to
their wish, as the vote of no one gets lost: the vote given to any
candidate in the opposition field is in favour of the opposition
and the candidate, who will receive more votes will pass to the
second stage. In the conviction of the speaker, in difference to the
2003 presidential elections, the distribution of votes between the
opposition candidates will be more equal this time. Vazgen Manukian
mentioned that the distribution of votes in favour of candidates will
be not only their but also society’s mark. The candidate, who will
pass to the second stage, will have a chance to win if he is able to
unite the opposition field and most of the people around him.

Touching upon the foreign political issues, Vazgen Manukian mentioned
that he has great respect towards NATO, however, he considers Armenia’s
possible membership in that structure at this moment as not just in
time. According to him, NATO will not defend Armenia either from the
possible encroachments of Turkey or Azerbaijan. Attaching importance
to the relations with Russia, the candidate, at the same time
considered the idea on making Armenia the "outpost" of that country
as inaddmissible. "Good relations with Russia and becoming a slave
are different things," he mentioned. According to the Chairman of the
National Democratic Union, the striving of the Armenian authorities,
which is to receive the patronage of the authorities of Russia during
the elections, which are always simulated, plays a great role here.

NO SMOKING IN KARABAKH

KarabakhOpen
13-02-2008 11:05:13

Yesterday the Azat Artsakh official newspaper published the law on sale
and use of tobacco. According to the law which will come into effect in
a month bans smoking in public places, including educational, cultural
institutions, transport, in all kinds of organizations. Certainly,
except for special rooms which should be set up in every office. The
law also bans selling cigarettes to children under 18.

The law was passed in December and was one of the few bills against
which several members of parliament voted (in the Karabakh parliament
bills are passed unanimously or with only one nay). Apparently, some
members of parliament imagined the threat they will be exposed to,
and revolted.

However, the law does not provide for sanctions against wrongdoers. The
sanctions will be set by the government. Supervision will be carried
out by the special body which will also be appointed by the government.

Meanwhile, people apparently are still unaware that in a month their
life will change completely. The drivers of buses do not know that
in a month they will not be allowed to smoke in the bus, doctors do
not know that soon they will not be allowed to smoke in their office,
and senior school students do not know that smoking at school will
be banned by not only the school rules but also the law.