Author: Emil Lazarian

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
August 4, 2006 Friday 2:52 PM MSK

Breakaway republics should hold referenda after refugees return –
Chubinishvili

MOSCOW Aug 4

Abkhazia and South Ossetia should hold referenda on their
self-determination only after Georgian refugees have returned there,
Georgian Ambassador to Russia Irakli Chubinishvili said.

"We have nothing against the referenda, but one has to understand
that over 300,000 Georgians have been driven out of Abkhazia,"
Chubinishvili told a news conference in Moscow on Friday.

"Let them return to their homes and then hold any referendum you
like, and the same goes for South Ossetia," he said.

"We want refugees of all nationalities: Ossetians, Abkhaz, Greeks,
Georgians, Russians and Armenians to return and restore the status
quo of the population which existed before the conflict," he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 4, 2006 Friday

ANOTHER TRAIN WITH RUSSIAN ARMAMENT AND MILITARY PROPERTY WILL LEAVE
GEORGIAN TERRITORY

Another train with armament and property of the Russian military
bases withdrawn from Georgia was prepared for departure at the
railway station Tsalka. Colonel Vladimir Kuparadze, deputy commander
of the group of Russian forces in Transcaucasia, reported, "Departure
of the train is scheduled for Tuesday morning. It will bring to
Russia ten tanks and two combat infantry vehicles, as well as about
100 tons of armored property of the 62nd military base deployed in
Akhalkalaki." According to Kuparadze, this will be the 19th train
with Russian military property shipped in 2006 from Georgia.
Kuparadze added, "Sixty-six tons of ammunition will also be shipped
from Akhalkalaki on Wednesday by 14 trucks to the 102nd Russian base
in Gyumri (Armenia)." According to the staff of the group of Russian
forces in Transcaucasia, by the end of 2006, it is planned to ship
six trains more from Georgia to Russia.

Source: Krasnaya Zvezda, August 01, 2006, p. 3

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
08/04/2006
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1. ARS Central Executive Issues Urgent Appeal on Lebanon Crisis
2. ANC Leaders Meet with Reps. Watson, Doolittle
3. Aram I Receives St. John’s University Award
4. Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of War Crimes
5. Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry’s "Walk of Life" Draws 500

1. ARS Central Executive Issues Urgent Appeal on Lebanon Crisis

WATERTOWN–The Armenian Relief Society Inc. Central Executive issued an urgent
appeal to Armenians around the world regarding the worsening humanitarian
situation in Lebanon. Below is the text of the appeal.

Urgent Need for Food and Medicine in Lebanon
Since our July 20 appeal, the ruthless violence victimizing the people and
cities of Lebanon continues with renewed impetus, in full view of the world
community, creating an extremely precarious situation for the traumatized
communities of the beleaguered country. Already, one full quarter of Lebanon’s
entire population has been turned into a mass of homeless refugees, in need of
immediate humanitarian assistance.
Faced with deteriorating conditions, in order to meet the multiplying
needs of
the people, an interdenominational Board of Assistance was formed in Beirut,
headquartered in the offices of the Armenian Relief Cross of Lebanon.
In view of the depletion of the country’s indispensable
provisionsparticularly
those of food and medicinethe ARS Central Executive Board has already sent
$20,000 to the Board of Assistance, to help cover the purchase of immediate
needs. Now, we appeal to all our communities, around the world, to extend a
helping hand to our brothers and sisters, the elderly and the children who
find
themselves on the verge of total disaster, facing an uncertain future, in a
hostile environment. Fellow Armenians, since our first Appeal, the hundreds of
displaced persons who had taken refuge in the Armenian school buildings and
athletic fields of Bourdj Hammoud, today can be counted in the tens of
thousands, creating a critical situation, getting worse by the hour.
In response to this heightening tragedy, we ask you to rush your generous
contributions to the offices of your local ARS office, with checks made out to
ARS Lebanese Relief.

2. ANC Leaders Meet with Reps. Watson, Doolittle

GLENDALELeaders of local Armenian National Committee chapters this week met
with representatives Diane Watson (D-33) and John Doolittle (R-4) to discuss
pertinent issues of interest to the Armenian-American community.
A Hollywood ANC delegation led by its chairman Garo Ispenjian met with Rep.
Diane Watson this week in her Los Angeles district office to discuss issues of
concern to the local Armenian American community.
During the meeting, the ANCA-WR expressed appreciation for the
Congresswoman’s
record of support for Armenian American issues. Numerous topics were discussed
including Armenian Genocide legislation, the railway projects in the Caucasus,
Armenia’s growing economy, and the recall of US Ambassador to Armenia, John
Marshall Evans.
Ispendjian, who is also a constituent of Rep. Watson, briefed the
Congresswoman about the firing of Ambassador Evans and the delay of
Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland’s confirmation as ambassador to Armenia.
Congresswoman Watson agreed to join her colleagues in writing a letter to
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking the State Department to respond to
a series of questions, including specific inquiries about reports that
Ambassador Evans had been recalled due to accurately describing the Armenian
Genocide as a genocide.
"Congresswoman Diane Watson has always been a strong supporter of the
Armenian
American community. She is always ready to listen to the concerns of the
community, understand the issues, and properly represent her constituents in
Congress," said Ispendjian.
Since taking office in 2002, Rep. Watson has been a member of the Armenian
Caucus and has cosponsored numerous resolutions in favor of Armenian Genocide
recognition, economic support of Armenia through trade, and ending Turkey’s
blockade of Armenia. Three of the most recent pieces of legislation that she
has supported are the Armenian Genocide resolutions, H.Res. 316 and H.Con.Res.
195, and South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act, H.R. 3361.
ANC of Sacramento representatives Ohannes and Silva Boghossian met with Rep.
John Doolittle in his Santa Barbara district office earlier this week while
the
Congressman was in town during the Congressional August Recess.
During their meeting, the Boghossians thanked Congressman Doolittle for his
support of Armenian American issues, most notably for his co-sponsorship of H.
Res. 316, a resolution which calls upon the President to ensure that the
foreign of the United States reflects understanding and sensitivity of issues
such as the Armenian Genocide. Numerous issues of concern to the Armenian
American community were discussed.
Boghossian asked Representative Doolittle to urge House Speaker Dennis
Hastert
to bring the Armenian Genocide resolutions to a House floor vote, which he has
thus far failed to do. The Congressman expressed his commitment on this issue
and pledged to actively support the self-determination of Nagorno-Karabakh and
expressed concern over Turkey’s blockade of Armenia.
"The Armenian American community is grateful for Congressman Doolittle’s
support," said Boghossian. "We look forward to the Congressman’s leadership in
advancing our issues on Capitol Hill."
Congressman John Doolittle represents California’s 4th district, where a
large
number of Armenians reside. The district stretches from the eastern Sacramento
Region to Lake Tahoe on the south and runs up the Sierra Nevada range to the
high desert of Modoc County on the Oregon border. He serves on the House
Appropriations Committee and is a native of Glendale.
The ANCA 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.

3. Aram I Receives St. John’s University Award

ANTELLIAS, LebanonHis Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia
received the 2006 Pax Christi Award from St. John’s University, Minnesota,
said
the Catholicosate.
In a letter addressed to Aram I, Dr. Dietrich Reinhart, president of St.
John’s, praised the life and ministry of Aram I stating, "Particularly notable
is your support for Ecumenical and Inter-religious relations, dialogue and
cooperation. Through your prolific writings, public lectures and
interventions,
and your leadership in the World Council of Churches, you have played a
significant role in promoting common values, mutual understanding, and
peaceful
co-existence among people of faith throughout the world."
The Pax Christi Award is the highest honor bestowed by St. John’s University.
The conferral ceremony will take place on December 6 at a special event at St.
John’s University.
During the recent crisis in Lebanon, Aram I has been an influential figure in
coordinating efforts between Muslim and Christian leaders to respond to the
needs of the country.

4. Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of War Crimes

BY JIM LOBE

WASHINGTONIn systematically failing to distinguish between Hezbollah fighters
and civilian population in its three-and-a-half-week-old military campaign in
Lebanon, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have committed war crimes, according
to a report released by Human Rights Watch Wednesday. The 50-page report,
"Fatal Strikes: Israel’s Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians in Lebanon,"
detailed nearly two dozen cases of IDF attacks in which a total of 153
civilians, including 63 children, were killed in homes or motor vehicles.
In none of the cases did HRW researchers find evidence that there was a
significant enough military objective to justify the attack, given the
risks to
civilian lives, while, in many cases, there was no identifiable military
target. In still other cases cited in the report, Israeli forces appear to
have
deliberately targeted civilians.
"By consistently failing to distinguish between combatants and civilians,
Israel has violated one of the most fundamental tenets of the laws of war: the
duty to carry out attacks on only military targets," according to the report.
"The pattern of attacks during the Israeli offensive in Lebanon suggests that
the failures cannot be explained or dismissed as mere accidents; the extent of
the pattern and the seriousness of the consequences indicate the commission of
war crimes," it concluded.
The report, which was based on interviews with victims and independent
witnesses of attacks, as well as investigation of the sites where the attacks
occurred, called for the United States to immediately suspend transfers to
Israel of arms, ammunition, and other material credibly alleged to have been
used in such attacks until they cease.
In addition, it called on United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to
establish a formal commission to investigate the alleged war crimes with a
view
to holding accountable those responsible for their commission.
Such a commission should also investigate Hezbollah’s rocket attacks against
Israel which have been the subject of previous HRW reports. Since the onset of
the latest round of fighting July 12, Hezbollah has launched some 2,000
rockets
into predominantly civilian areas in Israel, killing at least 19 Israeli
civilians and wounding more than 300 others. Given the inherently
indiscriminate nature of the rockets, these attacks also constitute war
crimes,
according to the New York-based group.
The report, whose main conclusions about Israel’s failure to discriminate
between civilian and military targets echo a statement by Amnesty
International
two days ago, was issued just hours after HRW released the preliminary results
of its investigation of the July 30 Israeli air strike on an apartment
building
in Qana in southern Lebanon, which was initially reported to have killed 54
people, most of them children, who had taken refuge in the basement.
HRW, which took testimony from some of the nine survivors it identified, said
that it had confirmed the deaths of 28 people, including 16 children, in the
building and that 13 others remained missing and were believed to be buried in
the rubble. It said that at least 22 people survived the attack and escaped
the
basement.
One of the survivors, Muhammad Mahmud Shalhub, as well as a Qana villager who
helped in the rescue effort, strongly denied initial Israeli claims that any
Hezbollah fighters or rocket launchers were present in or around the home when
the attack took place..
HRW said its own on-site investigation, which took place July 31, as well as
interviews with dozens of international journalists, rescue workers and
international observers who visited Qana July 30 and 31, also yielded no
evidence of any Hezbollah military presence in or around the building.
"The deaths in Qana were the predictable result of Israel’s indiscriminate
bombing campaign in Lebanon," said Sarah Leah Whitson, director of HRW’s
Middle
East and North Africa Division, who called for international investigation to
determine what took place.
Israel has insisted that it has tried hard to avoid civilian casualties,
although the great majority of the more than 500 Lebanese who have reportedly
been killed by Israeli fire have been civilians. Israel has claimed that
Hezbollah’s alleged practice of shielding its fighters and arms by locating
them in civilian homes or areas and firing off missiles in populated areas
allegations which HRW said are the subject of ongoing investigations has made
civilian casualties unavoidable.
But the rights group said its own investigations of specific Israeli attacks,
which included interviews with victims and witnesses, on-site visits, as well
as corroboration, where available, by accounts by independent journalists and
aid workers, had failed to uncover any evidence that Hezbollah was
operating in
or around the area during or before each attack.
"Hezbollah fighters must not hide behind civilians that’s an absolute but
the image that Israel has promoted of such shielding as the cause of so high a
civilian death toll is wrong," according to HRW’s executive director, Kenneth
Roth. "In the many cases of civilian deaths examined by (us), the location of
Hezbollah troops and arms had nothing to do with the deaths because there was
no Hezbollah around."
He cited a July 13 attack which destroyed the home of a cleric known to be a
Hezbollah sympathizer but with no record of having taken part in hostilities.
The strike killed the cleric’s wife, their ten children, the family;s Sri
Lankan maid, as well as the cleric himself, according to the report.
In a July 16 attack on a home in Aitaroun, an Israeli aircraft killed 11
members of the al-Akhrass family, including seven Canadian-Lebanese dual
nationals who were vacationing in the village at the time. HRW said it
interviewed three villagers independently, all of whom denied that the family
had any connection to Hezbollah. Among the victims were four children under
the
age of eight.
The report also assailed statements by Israeli officials and IDF commanders
that only people associated with Hezbollah remain in southern Lebanon, so all
are legitimate targets of attack. Israel has dropped leaflets in the region
and
even telephoned residents warning them that if they do not flee, they will be
subject to attack.
But the report stressed that many civilians have been unable to leave because
they are sick, wounded, or lack the means, such as money or gasoline, or are
providing essential services to the civilian population that remains there.
Still others have said they are afraid to leave because the roads have come
under attack by Israeli warplanes and artillery.
Indeed, the report documents 27 deaths of civilians who were trying to flee
the fighting by car and notes that the actual number of killings is "surely
higher". In addition, the report cites air strikes against three clearly
marked
humanitarian aid vehicles.
"The pattern of attacks shows the Israeli military’s disturbing disregard for
the lives of Lebanese civilians," said Roth. "Israeli warnings of imminent
attacks do not turn civilians into military targets," he added, noting that,
according to the IDF’s logic, "Palestinian militant groups might ‘warn’
Israeli
settlers to leave their settlements and then feel justified in attacking those
who remained."
Amnesty accused Israel of trying to convert southern Lebanon into a
"free-fire
zone" which it said Monday was "incompatible with international humanitarian
law."

5. Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry’s "Walk of Life" Draws 500

LOS ANGELESArmenians and non-Armenians alike rallied together on Saturday,
July
29 in the First Annual 5k/10k Walk/Run around the Pasadena Rose Bowl to help
raise awareness in support of further expanding the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor
Registry’s critical life-saving mission to recruit more Armenian bone marrow
donors. In addition to raising needed funds and awareness through the Walk of
Life, 100 new donors signed up.
"We are thrilled with the spirit of giving and life expressed through the
overwhelming participation in our first annual ‘Walk of Life’," said Dr.
Freida
Jordan, President of the ABMDR based in Los Angeles. "We are also greatly
appreciative of all our sponsors and the organizational and individual support
that made the first Walk a resounding success and will enhance our ability to
fulfill our life-saving mission." Corporate sponsors included Glendale
Memorial
Hospital, St. Josephs Hospital, Closet World, Next Day Color Printing,
Glendale
Water and Power, City of Los Angeles and GNC.
A key method of treating leukemia patients or people with other
life-threatening blood diseases is through bone marrow/stem cell transplants.
In order to treat Armenian patients, bone marrow transplants require
compatible
tissue types that match the genetic makeup of the patient which is most likely
to come from other Armenian donors. There are currently 630 patients
throughout
the Diaspora and Armenia who are desperately waiting to find a matching donor
to help save their lives. On average, it takes 200 donors to find a precise
match for one patient. The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry has a goal to
increase its registry from the current 11,000 donors to 126,000 in order to
meet the critical need. The ABMDR partners closely with Glendale Memorial
Hospital and St. Josephs Hospital in addition to being a member of global
organizations such as the World Marrow Donor Association and World Marrow
Donor
Worldwide
"By simply walking today, you are helping save a life" said Steve Artinian,
chairman of the Walk of Life organizing committee. "With this Walk we hope you
will spread the message that by taking the simple step of signing up with the
registry every Armenian can give the most precious gift of a second chance to
another fellow Armenian who is fighting for their life against these
destructive diseases."
Special guests included Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, Father Dajad
Yardemian, representative of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of
North America, Dr. Sevak Avagyan Executive Director of ABMDR in Armenia and
Varant Melkonian, CEO of Closet World and treasurer of the ABMDR. There was
also entertainment at the end of the walk. Welcoming the participants at the
finish line was the band Element and singer Mariette Soujian.
"The Walk of Life is a huge success today because of all the hard work and
dedication of our volunteers," said master of ceremonies and director of
operations for the Walk Taleen Khatchadourian at the post-Walk event. "If we
join together like this for our common mission we can make a big difference in
the lives of Armenian patients in need."
During the short program after the Walk, the family of Biurad Moghadasian,
who
is an eight-year old Armenian patient currently at Los Angeles’ Children’s
Hospital being treated for leukemia, approached organizers to stress the
urgency of the ABMDR’s mission using their son’s plight as an example. The
family made a plea to all present to recruit additional bone marrow donors
which is the only way her son and others like him will have a chance at
beating
the disease. Biurad is currently looking for a matching donor to help save his
life.
The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry encourages all Armenians to call and
join the registry with the hope of saving another life. The registration
process is very simple and non-intrusive and only takes a few minutes.
ABMDR is
a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and welcomes donations of any size which are
tax-deductible.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEGENDARY FRENCH FOOTBALL PLAYER TAKES PART IN OPENING OF SMALL
ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELDS IN YEREVAN

Yerevan, August 3. ArmInfo. The legendary French football player,
the vice president of the National Football Federation of France,
FIFA and UEFA executive Michel Platini has taken part in the opening
of small artificial turf fields in Yerevan’s Avan and Kanaker-Zeitun
communities.

During his visit Platini will meet with Armenian PM Andranik Margayan,
President of the Football Federation of Armenian Ruben Hayrapetyan,
local political, sport and public figures.

Asked by journalists to comment on the Zidane-Materazzi incident
during the World Cup 2006 final, Platini said: "I was shocked like
everybody. I think Zidane’s red card was absolutely fair!"

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CASES OF DEATH CONNECTED WITH SERVICE REDUCE BY 51.3% AT RA ARMED FORCES
DURING FIRST HALF YEAR

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, NOYAN TAPAN. 19 cases of death connected with
service were fixed at the RA Armed Forces during the first half year
of 2006 instead of 39 ones of the first half year of 2005 (reduction
made 51.3%). During the same period of time, 574 servicemen got bodily
injury of different levels of seriousness in return for 477 cases of
the same period of the previous year. Cases of general bodily injuries
increased by 97, and cases of serious bodily injury reduced by 11.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEVON ARONIAN REGISTERS IN DARTMOUTH DRAWN GAMES AT HIS EXPENSE

DARTMOUTH, AUGUST 3, NOYAN TAPAN. World cup-holder Levon Aronian
from Yerevan has 4 rounds continouosly finished his meetings at the
Dartmouth international chess tournament with a peaceful result. He
shared the point on August 2 with representative of Germany 20 years
old Arkadi Naiditsch, the winner of the last year tournament. To recap,
A.Naiditsch managed to become a high-quality chess player owing to his
first trainer: honorary trainer of Armenia, prominent theoretician,
grand master Arshak Petrosian.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMAVIR MARZ TO BE PROVIDED WITH 25 UNITS OF NEW AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY NEXT MONTH

ARMAVIR, AUGUST 3, NOYAN TAPAN. "Armavir marz is one of the best
Armenian regions and a leading one in the agricultural sector,"
RA Minister of Agriculture Davit Lokian stated during his visit to
Armavir marz on August 2. In his words, this year the harvest is good
in the marz, which has always been noted for agricultural foodstuffs
production. During the minister’s meetings with residents of the
villages Arax, Hoktember, Lenughi, Talvorik, Hushakert and Sovetakan
of Armavit marz, issues of interest to peasants, particularly the
issue of an increase in prices of agricultural foodstuffs, were
discussed. The local peasants highlighted the problem of lack of
agricultural machinery: in their opinion, the machinery available
is not enough to carry out agricultural work, whereas that at their
disposal is too old. The minister promised that the problem will be
solved within a month. According to him, 25 units of new agricultural
machinery will be allocated to the Armavir regional administration,
which will distribute the equipment to local communities. The regional
governor Albert Heroyan expressed confidence that the peasant is
the best producer. According to him, in recent years the peasants
managed to overcome all the difficulties and today they are able to
organize agricultural activities efficiently. He said the prices of
agricultural foodstuffs will grow year after year. Last year purchasing
organizations bought 1 kg of tomato for 22 drams, whereas this year
they purchase it for 28 drams.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FAMOUS PAINTER ZHANSEM’S NEW WORKS EXHIBITED AT PARIS "MATIGNON" GALLERY

PARIS, AUGUST 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Prominent French
Armenian painter Zhansem’s (Hovhannes Semerjian) 40 canvases
were exhibited in June-July at the famous "Matignon" gallery of
Paris. According to the Istanbul "Marmara" daily, the canvases are
mainly new works. On the occasion of opening of the new exhibition
the Paris "World" newspaper wrote that the time goes, but the charm of
Zhansem’s art does not fade away. Dance and nature of Armenia became
a source for the painter’s inspiration. Three landscape paintings
on the Armenian theme were a pleasant surprise for visitors of the
exhibition. Those are a tribute of respect by the painter to his
native country, its nature. The "Walls" series of paintings also
took some place at the exhibition. During the exhibition days the
visitors were also able to watch an interesting video film dedicated
to Zhansem’s life and art. This last exhibition of Zhansem’s works
finished on July 29.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER MAKES A MOVE

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
Aug 3, 2006

Serzh Sarkisian’s elevation to a leading post in the governing party
seen as the first shot in the election campaign.

By Diana Markosian in Yerevan

The recent congress of the Republican Party, the leading member of
Armenia’s governing coalition, saw the second most powerful man in
the country, defence minister Serzh Sarkisian, elected chairman of
the party’s board.

On one level the move meant very little, as Sarkisian has been
working closely with the party for years. But he formally joined the
Republicans only a week before the meeting, and his elevation is widely
being seen as the party’s first move to win next year’s parliamentary
elections – and perhaps also an opening bid by Sarkisian to run for
the presidency in 2008.

The congress also re-elected Prime Minister Andranik Margarian as
party chairman.

Sarkisian has been a close associate of President Robert Kocharian for
more than 20 years, since the days when they both worked in Communist
youth league or Komsomol in Nagorny Karabakh in Soviet times. He
has served as Armenian defence minister twice, most recently since
May 2000.

The Armenian constitution prohibits Kocharian from running for a
third term when his term expires in 2008, leaving Sarkisian a leading
contender to replace him.

However, many opposition politicians and analysts say it is
inappropriate for the country’s defence minister to be associated with
one political party. Several observers pointed out that the previous
defence minister, career officer General Vagharshak Harutyunian, was
dismissed in 2000 on the grounds that he was too engaged in politics.

"Of course, Serzh Sarkisian has a right to engage in politics actively,
it’s his civil right under the constitution," said political analyst
Stepan Grigorian. "But if that happens, he should leave his defence
post."

Asked by IWPR whether he was contravening the constitutional
requirement that "the army should have no party allegiances and
be neutral", Sarkisian said, "It’s true the law says that the army
belongs to no party and is neutral, but my being chairman of the
board does not introduce any new element.

"What’s the difference, when I’ve been collaborating with the
Republican Party for some time and was second on the party’s list
in the last parliamentary election? Nothing has changed, the only
difference being that this entire process has now been officially
registered."

On the possibility that he might be positioning himself to replace
Kocharian, Sarkisian insisted, "My friends can testify that I have
never had the ambition to be president."

Sarkisian has never admitted an interest in becoming Armenia’s next
president, although his name is frequently mentioned as a contender.

The Republican Party congress also saw many businessman, government
officials, regional governors and the mayor of Yerevan join the party,
strengthening its reputation as the party of power. Several deputies
from the People’s Party group in parliament, who are for the most
part businessmen, also joined up.

Tigran Torosian, the speaker of parliament and deputy chairman of
the party’s ruling board, said the strengthening of his party was
a positive development. "Political life in Armenia is becoming more
mature, though not as quickly as one would like," he said.

Torosian was happy to agree that joining the Republican Party was
now seen as a route to high office in Armenia.

Critics say this trend as a setback for democracy.

"The Republican Party has concentrated its security resources in
the person of the defence minister, its financial resources are
represented by oligarchs and its administrative resources [allowing
it to influence elections] are held by leaders of local government
and ministers," said Grigorian.

"These people are uniting not around some idea, but around an
aspiration to keep power, which is a very dangerous scenario,"
opposition leader and former defence minister Vazgen Manukian told
IWPR.

Political analyst Aghasi Yenokian warned, "After the special congress
of the Republican Party, Armenia is moving towards a one-party
system. A strong party has been created – so strong that no other
pro-government party will want to oppose or rival it.

"The opposition has its own particular characteristics – it’s quite
malleable and associates itself with certain figures in power –
so it won’t want to pit itself against [the Republican Party] either."

The Republican Party is not, however, the only pro-government political
force. A new party, Bargavach Haiastan (Prosperous Armenia), set up
by top businessman Gagik Tsarukian, has widely been seen as a support
base for President Kocharian for his last two years in office.

There is some tension between the two parties. Bargavach Haiastan
has been registered for three years, but has not yet held a founding
congress. This drew some denigrating comments from Sarkisian and
other Republican leaders, to the effect that their rivals could not
yet consider themselves a proper party.

Tsarukian was among a handful of outsiders asked to attend the
Republican congress, but he did not take up the invitation.

Manukian said the activation of these two pro-government parties
should serve as a wake-up call for the opposition. He predicted that
the two could expect to win 30 to 40 per cent of the vote, and said
the opposition needed to consolidate in order to maximise its appeal
in next year’s parliamentary election.

Diana Markosian is a correspondent for À1+ television in Yerevan.

–Boundary_(ID_kvCQXTvHF5sp3t5mtRsjNA)–

RUSSIAN AND FRENCH CO-CHAIRS OF OSCE MINSK GROUP
CAN BE REPLACED – AZERI DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

TREND, Azerbaijan
Aug 3, 2006

Azerbaijan passed its position to US co-chairman of OSCE Mink Group
Mathew Bryza regarding the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
said Araz Azimov, President’s special representative o Nagorno-Karabakh
and deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Trend reports with reference
to ATV channel.

Azimov said following the replacement of US co-chair Russian and
French co-chairs may get replaced as well. "From this point of view
Bryza’s visit to the region opens some prospects", Azeri official said.

Commenting Mr Bryza’s statement saying ‘status of Nagorno-Karabakh
shall be determined by its people, including those left homes in 1988’,
Azimov said people living in there shall be treated as ‘population’,
not ‘nation’. "We think Azeri and Armenian community alike shall
be accounted for in this process", said Azimov. The question of
Nagorno-Karabakh status, he added, shall be considered just in a view
of returning occupied grounds to Azerbaijan.