Author: Emil Lazarian

AUSTRIAN PARISH COMMUNITY OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH ELECTS NEW BOARD AND CHAIRMAN
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 31 2006
VIENNA, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Board and Chairman’s
elections of the Austrian Parish Community of the Armenian Apostolic
Church that took place on May 28 in the central hall of the Vienna
State Federal Administration, passed in an unprecedented strained
atmosphere. There were few reasons: First of all, a number of
processes took place during the previous presidency on which the
Austrian Armenian community still waits for explanations.
Especially the story presented in the April issue of the “Azg”
newspaper on the will that spiritual pastor Archbishop Mesrop Grigorian
formed and which had an incomprehensible development, waits for
its outcome. Then, the decision, adopted by the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, to refuse Armenians from Armenia having the electoral
right of their right of electoral vote. Those issues made problems of
the community even deeper, and there was only one outcome: to elect
a board involving new, young, fresh forces and to connect with it
explanation of all noisy cases and the process leading to unity. As
a result of calcualting votes ended at midnight, the new board staff
and the name of the Chairman were stated. Lawyer Doctor Haig Asenbauer
who is the author of a scientific thesis about the Armenian Genocide,
an offspring of the famous family of Chgnavorians, was elected the
Chairman by majority of votes. His mother is UN Advisor Arshaluis
Chgnavorian, maestro Loris Chgnavorian’s sister, father is British
Petroleum specialist-advisor Erwin Asenbauer. In the opinion of the
majority of the community and old and new (from Armenian) members,
such a young staff of the board and the newly elected Chairman are
serious guarantees for presenting oneself under the Austrian Armenian
joint flag.

RA OMBUDSMAN CALLS ON CITIZENS WHO SUFFERED FROM URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO ASSERT THEIR RIGHTS
Noyan Tapan
May 31 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The decision of the RA Constitutional
Court has provided the citizens, who lost their houses as a result
of urban development programs in downtown Yerevan, with a new legal
opportunity to protect their rights. The RA Ombudsman Armen Harutyunian
stated this during the May 31 press conference dedicated to the 100th
day of his term of office. He reminded that citizens have received the
right to appeal to court based on a newly discovered evidence until
July 18. He believes that irrespective of court rulings, citizens will
have document-based grounds to continue defending their rights in the
European Court of Human Rights. A. Harutyunian said that he filed
a petition to the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, in which,
taking into account the necessity to rule out further violations
of citizens’s rights and to restore their violated rights during
implementation of urban development programs, he proposed suspending
forced alienation of citizens’ property for state needs (until a law
regulating such proceses is adopted) and discussing the possibility
of paying back the 10% income tax deducted from the sums calculated
for owners and users by a compensation agreement. According to the RA
Ombudsman, there are problems with unauthorized buildings, as a result
of which the rights of other citizens are violated. The RA Ombudsman
Staff has sent a certificate based on such cases to the mayor and is
waiting for a response. Another certificate was filed to the Head of
the RA Department for Compulsory Execution of Court Acts, taking into
consideration a large number of complaints about execution of court
acts. During the 3 first months of the ombudsman’s term of office, the
RA Ombudsman Staff’s employees paid 15 visits to marzes. The ombudsman
received 770 applications, but many complaints were not related to
the activity of the RA Ombudsman. In the opinion of A. Harutyunian,
the human rights sitiation is not satisfactory in Armenia, “there is
much to be done”. In response to a question, A. Harutyunian said that
he has received an application from Chairman of the Heritage party,
former Armenian foreign minister Raffi Harutyunian in connection with
the illegal use of his office property. The RA Ombudsman noted that
the case will be examined, after which R. Hovhannisian’s application
qualified as a “Report on Crime” will be sent to the prosecutor’s
office for investigation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FESTIVE PERFORMANCE TO BE AGAIN ORGANIZED THIS YEAR AT “CASCADE” COMPLEX ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PROTECTION OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
Noyan Tapan
May 30 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian “Youth for Achievement”
and “Orran” charity public organizations joint with the US Agency
for International Development and “Gafeschian Museum” foundation
will organize a festive performance on June 1, the International
Children’s Day, at the “Cascade” complex of Yerevan. As Susanna
Manukian, the “Orran” Press Secretary informed the Noyan Tapan
correspondent, this event having been implemented already for the
third year will be held under titles “Children to Children” and
“Stars to Children.” An exhibition-sale of handworks of the Armenian
“Youth For Achievement” NGO’s pupils will also be organized on the
same day, the profit gathered as a result of what will be given to
children from socially needy families.
Besides, a concert will take place with the participation of the
Armenian estrada stars during which artists of the Yerevan State Circus
will perform shows. The festive event will end by an illumination.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SUBCONSCIOUS ARMENIAN SYNDROME: “POWERFUL SPEAKER”
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
01 June 06
It is difficult to imagine that the expression “power begets
right” could appear anywhere else on the Earth than the Armenian
highlands. And it is similarly hard to imagine that any people on
the Earth besides the Armenians could lay this idea at the basis of
upbringing of generations. It would be worthwhile to explain to the
generations that the notion of right emerged to restrict power. In
that case a number of things in our life would be different, and many
things would be perceived more deeply and receive more attention,
such as, for instance, the nomination of Galust Sahakyan as speaker
of the National Assembly by Member of Parliament Hakob Hakobyan,
elected from Echmiadzin.
Let us skip the political aspect of the problem and focus on
the explanation instead that Hakob Hakobyan cited to support his
proposal. The member of parliament said Galust Sahakyan would be a
more powerful speaker than Tigran Torosyan. Especially in controlling
the work of the parliament over the last few months, Hakob Hakobyan
emphasizes that a number of members of parliament share his opinion.
In this case, it is worthwhile believing his word because otherwise
we have to doubt the way of thinking and outlook of the society,
namely its member of parliament part, which starts and ends with the
expression “power begets right” and ends with quite specific ideas
about lawfulness. History does not seem to have offered reasons to
doubt this perception. In the meantime, it has provided vivid examples
of its existence, especially over the past 15 years. And if the experts
of the Council of Europe and Venice had difficulty understanding the
thesis of “powerful leader,” in the political system of Armenia it
is on the level of the subconscious mind.
In fact, what is “power” of a leader, if there is law, if there are
bylaws of the National Assembly, if there is a legal document on
the rights and duties of members of parliament, which are certainly
there? Is the word of the leader prior to the law?
Obviously, the first one is working in Armenia. And, unfortunately,
a major part of the public, even the part that seeks for legitimate and
fair governance, considers the factor of leader to be the key to it.
In this case, there remains no alternative to the “power” of a
leader if, of course, this powerful leader is not going to offer an
alternative to the expression “power begets right” bringing up the
future generations to the ideology “leader begets right.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IS BUSINESS WITHOUT POWER POSSIBLE IN ARMENIA?
Lragir.am
01 June 06
Recently the Armenian officials, namely Garnik Isagulyan, the
adviser to president, and Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan have
announced that business is always beside the government and it is
always difficult for a businessman in opposition. It turns out that
the opinions of businessmen and public officials on this question
do not always coincide, and if the businessmen, who left Orinats
Yerkir, confirmed the official standpoint, there are businessmen,
whose opinions slightly differ.
“I do not know what Isagulyan and the prime minister said, but I
know that in any case, the same government, or government official,
conducting a wrong policy or taking wrong actions against the state
must be criticized by every businessman, or a normal person, a normal
citizen; and every citizen must demand from him and be more tough with
him, let alone the members of parliament and businessmen members of
parliament,” said Khachatur Sukiasyan in answer to Lragir.am.
According to him, it is possible to run a business in Armenia
without the protection of the government. “What does it mean “without
power?” Yes, there are laws in Armenia, follow the law and work.
The problem is the conditions under which you and your competitors will
be working. There are approaches, which are difficult to understand,
but I can say the opposite for the majority of cases. For the majority
of cases, there is more positive, there are more people who observe
the law,” says Khachatur Sukiasyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TODAY IS THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR CHILD PROTECTION
ArmRadio.am
01.06.2006 10:26
Today is the International Day for Child Protection. On this occasion
an event has been organized in the “SOS” children’s village of Abovyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VARDAN OSKANYAN ON A VISIT TO KAZAKHSTAN
ArmRadio.am
01.06.2006 11:00
RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan is on an official visit to
Astana. Today he will deliver a speech at the Diplomatic Academy of
Kazakhstan. In the evening he will leave for Almati.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKISH, ARMENIAN DIPLOMATS DISCUSS NORMALIZING TIES
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 1 2006
Turkish and Armenian officials on Wednesday discussed the possibility
of normalizing relations, despite the fact that the two countries do
not have diplomatic ties.
This is the third round of talks since a dialogue was opened by
an exchange of letters between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and Armenian President Robert Kocharian in April 2005.
A spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Namik Tan, said Turkey
is determined to pursue a normalization of relations, but also called
on Armenia to show more flexibility.
In 1993, Turkey shut its border with Armenia in a show of solidarity
with Azerbaijan in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Ties have also been strained by Armenian efforts to win international
recognition of the 1915-17 killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey
as genocide.
The day also saw a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul. Lavrov will then
meet with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer,
The agenda of the talks were expected to include the standoff over
Iran’s disputed nuclear program.
Both Russia and Turkey have trade links with Iran and fear that an
escalation of the crisis could further destabilize the region.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARLIAMENT AGAIN RUINS ADOPTION OF DRAFT ON NATURAL PERSONS’ PROPERTY AND INCOMES DECLARATION
Noyan Tapan
May 31 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The special sitting of the RA National
Assembly that was convened on the initiative of more than 5 dozens
of deputies, started on May 31. There are about 50 issues on the
agenda, including elections for vacant posts of the National Assembly
Speaker and Chairmen of two of the NA Standing Committees. According
to preliminary data, discussion of the issue on elections is scheduled
for June 1. 11 draft laws and legislative packages and 8 international
agreements discussed during the previous four-days sittings are on the
agenda. All those were adopted, except the legislative law “On Making
Amendments to the RA Laws “On Natural Persons’ Property and Incomes
Declaration” and “On Income Tax” discussed in the second reading and
the draft “On Making Amendments and Additions to the Criminal Code”
discussed in the first reading by which punishments are envisaged for
spitefully avoiding taxes, duties and other compulsory payments. The
discussion of the above-mentioned drafts failed as the necessary number
of deputies, at least 66 ones, did not participate in the votion. We
must mention that their adoption at the Parliament is correspondigly
failed for the third and second time. The first package this time got
at least 54 “for” and one “against” and one “abstaining” votes. The
“Orinats Yerkir” (Country of Law), “Ardaroutiun” (Justice), “Azgayin
Miabanutiun” (National Unity) factions, “People’s Deputy” group as
well as some deputies from the “RPA” faction did not participate
in the votion. 46 deputies were for the second draft, without no
“against” and “abstaining” votes.
Besides the above-mentioned unions, 3 of the “ARF” 4 non-partizan
members did not participate in the votion of this draft.

AZERBAIJANI DM DOES NOT EXCLUDE GUAM PEACEKEEPERS’ PLACEMENT IN NK
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 31 2006
Azerbaijani defense minister Safar Abiyev while responding the question
on establishing peacekeepers, said that this issue has been update for
several years, he discussed this matter with his Ukraine counterpart
Anatoly Grichenko. (APA)
Safar Abiyev stating that “Establishing of peacekeepers is in the
preparation level said that defense ministers do not decide these
kind of decisions themselves. Those proposals will be submitted to
discussion of state heads after the defense ministers agreed.
Azerbaijani Defense minister answered to the question “Can those
forces be placed in Nagorno Garabagh?”-“time will show it”.