Author: Ekmekjian Janet

STEPAN DEMIRCHYAN DOESN’T ANSWER HYPOTHETIC QUESTIONS

A1+
[05:05 pm] 13 April, 2007

more images "The People’s Party of Armenia will pass the 5%
threshold," Stepan Demirchyan, leader of the People’s Party of Armenia,
assures. The party attaches great importance to direct contact with
the electorate.

In reply to a journalists question whether the collapse of the
"Justice" block will hinder the PPA activity, Mr. Demirchyan said,
"Surely not. "Justice" was not eternal."

PPA has started its campaign from the frontier regions. "The scene
is hopeless in the RA regions; residents don’t trust elections but
they don’t seem discouraged," says Mr. Demirchyan.

I don’t assume that bribes will impact on the outcome of the
election. Bribes merely insult the dignity of the voters and humiliate
people. I am convinced that people will be guided with conscience
and remorse.

People know on which side one’s bread is buttered.

One of the journalists remarked that sheep were slaughtered for the
PPA during the previous election campaign and wondered why the party
members aren’t received the same way. "I advise you not to make fun
of it. People did everything open-heartedly. I am warmly received
in the RA regions and let’s not deem animal slaughter as criterion
for elections."

Mr. Demirchyan welcomes the presence of international observers in
the May 12 elections and said, "Nevertheless, the decisive factor
is public’s organisation and will-power. We rely on the Armenian
people. People speak of the constitutional order with irony. This
gives rise to quizzical attitude towards the acting laws and RA
Constitution. We must do our utmost to prevent election frauds."

In reply to the question how the People’s Party will react if the
Republican Party of Armenia and the Prosperous Armenia Party propose a
coalition, Mr. Demirchyan said, "I don’t answer hypothetic questions."

Armenian National Committee of Washington State
c/o Armen Abrahamian, Chair
Bellevue, WA 98008
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
April 12, 2007

Contact: Armen Abrahamian
Email: (818) 500-1918

ANC of Washington State Welcomes Cosponsorship Support of Congressman
Dave Reichert (R-WA-08)

— Washington Republican Agrees to Join Over 185 Cosponsors of H. Res. 106

Mercer Island, WA – The Armenian National Committee of Washington State
(ANC WA) welcomed the cosponsorship support of Congressman Dave Reichert
(R-WA-08) for H. Res. 106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
Congressman Reichert joins over 185 Members of the U.S. House of
Representatives as a cosponsor of H. Res. 106. The numbers of
cosponsors continue to grow as Congress nears the end of its two-week
recess.

Congressman Reichert serves as Representative from the Eighth
Congressional District of Washington. As a Representative, Cong.
Reichert serves on three committees: Homeland Security, Transportation
and Infrastructure and Science and Technology. Congressman Reichert has
a leadership role in the Committee on Homeland Security, and serves as
the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information
Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment.

Local action by ANC WA activists and area constituents crystallized in
the form of a district meeting held in the Congressman’s local Mercer
Island, WA district office on March 16, 2007. This district meeting,
supplemented by constituent calls, webfaxes and a Capitol Hill meeting
between ANCA-WR Executive Director Andrew Kzirian and Congressman
Reichert’s Foreign Affairs Legislative Aide Kim Trinh culminated in the
Congressman’s agreement to cosponsor H. Res. 106.

The Mercer Island district meeting, which was initiated by local
activists with the Congressman’s district office, allowed for staff to
become more informed about issues of concern to the Armenian American
community. The ANC WA thanked Congressman Reichert in a letter
addressed to his office shortly after discovering the Congressman’s
decision to support H. Res. 106. "The ANC of Washington looks forward
to continuing its relationship with Congressman Reichert’s office,"
stated ANC WA Chairman Armen Abrahamian. "The meeting was an exercise in
civic responsibility and we will strive to reach out to more members of
the Armenian American community here in Washington State," he added.

"We are extremely pleased to learn of Congressman Reichert’s agreement
to cosponsor H. Res. 106," stated Kzirian. "Constituents and local ANC
activists everywhere across the Western United States are doing their
part to inform Congressional staffers and raise awareness on issues of
concern to the community," added Kzirian.

The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working
in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters
throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the
world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American
community on a broad range of issues.

###

PHOTO CAPTION: Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA-08).

KHACHATUR SUKIASIAN: IT IS HARD TO DISTINGUISH BUSINESSMEN FROM POLITICAL FIGURES IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Formation of family business is
one of the achievements of the Armenian economy over the years of
independence. Chairman of Grand Holding Hrant Vardanian said this at
the April 11 press conference.

According to him, in particular, such families as the Vardanians
and the Sukiasians have various enterprises which are managed by
family members.

Father of two canidates participating in the parliamentary elections
did not subscribe to the opinion that big businessmen enter the
political arena with the aim of getting a "roof" (protection). In
his words, decent attitude to the country’s budget is the greatest
security for a businessman. In this connection it was mentioned that
the companies owned by the Vardanians and the Sukiasians are among
the top five biggest tax payers of Armenia. H. Vardanian said that it
is corrupted businessmen, who are closely linked with the authorities
and get their property illegally, who have problems.

Khachatur Sukiasian, National Assembly deputy, businessman, whose
candidature was registered at electoral district No 10 by the
majoritarian electoral system, in his turn noted that it is hard
to distinguish businessmen from political figures in Armenia. After
examining some income declarations, he revealed that many political
figures have more property than businessmen. In the opinion of
K. Sukiasian, the NA deputies should be literate and intelligent
people who give priority to state interests.

Responding to reporters’ questions, K. Sukiasian said that opening
the Armenian-Turkish border will promote the Armenian economy. In
his words, it is not worth leaving problems with neighbors to the
future generations. Hrant Vardanian said that in case of existence of
unresolved problems between the two countries, the border’s opening
will be dangerous for a country with small economy like Armenia.

ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHK EXPECT RA FOREIGN MINISTER’S PROTECTION

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 12 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Council of the
"Guards of Soul" students and youth organization recently addressed
with an open letter to Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian. By
the letter it expressed its anxiety concerning the issue of security
of physical safety of Armenians in Javakhk.

After the murder of M. Kirakosian from Akhaltskha, once this youth
organization has already addressed to the Foreign Minister, demanding
to make a statement guaranteeing security of Armenians of Javakhk. But
not getting a response it addressed for the second time, calling on to
hold a joint press conference with the Ambassador of Georgia to the
RA and state that he guarantees security of the Armenian population
of the Armenian regions under the power of Georgia.

"Honourable Minister, we address to you, expecting corresponding
steps absence of which we shall get as a reality of setting hopes
only on ourselves, and then the time to look for sinners will have
passed irrevocably," is said in the open letter.

ARMENIA, IRAN AGREE TO CONSTRUCT POWER PLANT

Arminfo
11 Apr 07

Yerevan, 11 April: Armenia and Iran have signed an agreement on the
construction of a new hydroelectric power plant on the River Araks
[Araz, near Armenia’s Meghri town bordering Iran]. Deputy Energy
Minister Areg Galstyan said this today at the American University
of Armenia.

Galstyan said that the new plant’s capacity would be 140 MW with annual
production of 850m KW/h. That will be a serious project implemented
in the region, he stressed.

A scheme of funding the project is now being discussed. The project
costs about 150m dollars. It is expected that Iran will allocate the
sum as a credit in exchange of future supplies of Armenian energy.

It is expected that the construction of the plant will begin this year.

SERGEI IVANOV VISITS RUSSIAN SCHOOL IN YEREVAN

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 11, 2007 Wednesday 08:41 AM EST

Russian First Vice Premier Sergei Ivanov has visited here a school
for the children of Russian officers and men, servicing in Armenia.

This general-purpose secondary school, No.21, which belongs to the
Russian Defence Ministry, is located in Kanakere, a northern suburb
of Yerevan, where Russian servicemen were first deployed back in 1827.

School Headmaster Pyotr Soshnikov told Ivanov that the school was
opened on September 1994. A new school building was commissioned for
it in August 2002, where splendid conditions for tuition were created.

They include not only comfortable classrooms, but also a gym and
assembly hall, physics and chemistry laboratories, a workshop,
a computer class, and a so-called inter-active tuition cabinet.

The Russian "Zakneftestroi-Prometei" company, which builds pipelines,
sponsored the school building’s reconstruction with the help of the
Russian Embassy and the Moscow City Council.

The school is being steadily enlarged: it had only 56 pupils when it
was opened. Today, they already number 427, the Headmaster said. It
is quite indicative that Armenian citizens are eager to enrol their
children in this school.

STILL NO ARRESTS IN PROBE OF ATTACK ON GYUMRI MAYOR
By Ruzanna Khachatrian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
April 11 2007

Armenian law-enforcement authorities are continuing their "large-scale"
investigation into last week’s armed attack on the mayor of Gyumri
but have made no arrests so far, Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian
said on Wednesday.

Mayor Vartan Ghukasian was seriously wounded and three of his
bodyguards killed when their motorcade came under fire about 30
kilometers west of Yerevan on April 2. Ghukasian was returning to
Armenia’s second largest city after attending a high-level meeting
of the governing Republican Party (HHK), of which he is a member.

The Armenia police, the National Security Service and the Office of
the Prosecutor-General launched a joint criminal investigation into
the deadly shooting. "Serious and large-scale work is being done
every day and every hour," Hovsepian told RFE/RL.

But he admitted that they have so far made little progress. "The
investigation has still a lot to clear up, including motives of the
murder attempt," he said.

"We are examining all possible theories," added Hovsepian. "Given
the secrecy of the investigation, I cannot list any of them right now."

The national police chief, Hayk Harutiunian, described the brazen
attack last week as a "gauntlet thrown down at the law-enforcement
bodies," saying that they "will do everything to identify and punish
the criminals."

VARTAN OSKANIAN CONSIDERS INTOLERANCE OF TURKEY INADMISSIBLE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. On the occasion of postponing of the
exhibition at the UN, dedicated to the 13th anniversary of the Rwanda
Genocide, RA Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian mentioned that
it was postponed as Turks presented objection concerning a sentence in
which Armenians subjected to slaugther and Raphael Lemkin’s conclusion
that such a spacious and premeditated massacre is considered a genocide
were touched upon.

In V. Oskanian’s words, it is inadmissible that a UN member state
which has responsibilities in the direction of keeping world peace,
dare to present itself at the United Nations organization with such
intolerance.

"It is ironical and shameful that this delay incited by Turkey relates
to an event which had a goal to give lessons how to protect the human
rights and prevent a genocide. Instead of it, the lesson to be taken
from here is complete absence of respect towards history and historic
memory," is said in the explanation of the RA Acting Foreign Minister.

MAY 9 KARABAKH VETERANS TO RECEIVE LUMP ASSISTANCE

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 9 2007

The Nagorno-Karabagh Republic government has adopted a resolution on
granting lump monetary assistance to separate precarious categories
of the NKR population in connection with the Day of NKR Defense Army,
15th Anniversary of Sushi’s liberation and Victory Day on a scale of
91 millions drams.

The invalids of the Great Patriotic War and those, who have been
conferred the same status, will receive by 16 000 drams, the
participants of military operations will be granted by 13 000, the
persons, who have been given the same status and the widows of those,
who died in the Great Patriotic War, will be granted by 11 000 drams,
the families of those perished during the defense of NKR or the
servicemen, who were killed on duty (those, who have been conferred
the same status) will be given by 16 000 drams. Those, who became
invalids while participating in military operations and the defense
of NKR, will be granted by 10 000 drams as lump monetary assistance.

Single pensioners, who do not work, will get by 5 000 drams,
KarabakhOpen reports.

NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS STAND FOR RECONCILIATION BETWEEN ARMENIANS AND TURKS
Marlena Hovsepyan

"Radiolur"
09.04.2007 16:55

Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity has issued today the document
signed by 53 Nobel Prize laureates, in which scientists, writers and
public figures call for reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey.

The Nobel Prize winners call on the Turkish government to end the
discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities and expel
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which envisages criminal
responsibility for "insulting Turkishness." They also urge the Armenian
and Turkish authorities to open the border.

The address suggests a legal approach for overcoming the divergence
in the perception of the Armenian Genocide by the peoples of the
two countries.

"There is a great divergence between Turks and Armenians in the
perceptions of the Armenian Genocide. To reflect this divergence, we
refer to the ‘legal analysis of the applicability of the UN Convention
on prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide on the events
at the turn of the 20th century,’ which confirms the conclusions of
scholars investigating the genocide," the document says.

It concludes that "abou those events we can say that these included
all elements of genocide as provided for in the Convention." It
concludes also that " the Genocide Convention includes no provision
for its retroactive force."

While the Nobel Prize winners are discussing the reality of the
Armenian Genocide from the perspective of international law, the
American Armenian community hopes that the two laws introduced in
the US Congress will be adopted or at least will be put on vote by
April 24. The active work in this direction continues.

"The resolution introduced in the House of Representatives has already
been signed by 185 Congressmen," Regional Director of the Armenian
Assembly of America Arpi Vardanyan told "Radiolur." She said another 30
votes are necessary to have half of the House Members support the bill.

The American Armenian community also hopes that in his annual address
on April 24 President Bush will use the word "genocide." The state,
propagating human rights and democracy, cannot deny the historic
realities.