Author: Emil Lazarian

VLADIMIR JIRINOVSKI: NAGORNO GARABAGH WILL CHOOSE MONTENEGRO WAY
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 25 2006
The unrecognized republics in the former USSR territory, including
Abkhazia, Transdnestrovie and Nagorno Garabagh will choose the way
of Montenegro.
The referendum on Montenegro’s independence will be accepted
as precedent by the international law,” said Russian State Duma
vice-speaker Vladimir Jirinovski (APA). Participating in the third
congress of Russian Armenians’ Union, Jirinovski told journalists
that the so-called “Nagorno Garabagh Republic” can gain independence
by following the Montenegro way.
“One day referendums on independence will be held in the South Caucasus
too. For instance, Garabagh will achieve its independence.
Garabagh has a right to be an independent state. In order not to
offend Baku, Nagorno Garabagh can enter Armenia and have partnership
relations with this state,” Jirinovski said.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Press and Infromation Policy officer
Tahir Taghizadeh told APA that it is not the first time that Jirinovski
makes statements contrary to the Russian Federation’s foreign policy
and against the interests of a country that have good relations
with Russia.
“He needs to be more responsible because of his post. Such statements
by Jirinovski have negative influence on the settlement of the Nagorno
Garabagh conflict and are contrary to the developing Azerbaijan-Russia
friendly relations. Jirinovski is making such statements like a norm,”
Taghizadeh noted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION COUNCIL OF “LINCI” FUND HELD A SITTING
ArmRadio.am
25.05.2006 17:02
The process of tender for construction of highways, schools and roads
of Yerevan on financial resources of “Linci” fund was discussed
at today’s sitting of the Programs Administration Council of the
Fund. It was presided over by Head of the Office to RA President,
Chairman of the Programs Administration Council of the “Linci” Fund
Armen Gevorgyan.
The participants of the sitting noted that construction companies
show great interest in the tender and a number of applications have
been already submitted.
It has been decided to carry out detailed investigation of the tender
packages submitted, paying great attention to provisions for the high
quality of the works to be accomplished and discipline.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR: RESPECT OF PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION CORNERSTONE OF CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.05.2006 15:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The MFA of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic released
a statement on the referendum on independence in Montenegro. The
statement specifically says, “The holding of the referendum on
independence in Montenegro and readiness of the international community
to recognize the returns is a positive fact.
We are convinced that respect of peoples’ right to self-determination
is a cornerstone of conflict settlement and tool to establish political
stability.
Thereupon, it is expedient to remind that disrespect of NK
people’s right, who voted at referendum held on December 10, 1991
for independence, was a basis for further military aggression by
Azerbaijan.
Further neglect of NKR people’s right to self-determination during
settlement of the Azeri-Karabakh conflict, as well as right for
conditions that will ensure its political independence, economic and
military security, will postpone the prospect of finding a mutually
acceptable solution and establishment of lasting peace in the region.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A PERSON ABANDONING A POLITICAL PARTY WILL ABANDON A STATE
Lragir.am
24 May 06
The leader of the National Self-Determination Union Paruir Hayrikyan
thinks that the secession of the Orinats Yerkir Party from the
coalition and resignation of some members of parliament from the
Orinats Yerkir faction was not strange; moreover, it was predictable
and expected: “each party determines its place.”
On May 24 the leader of the NSDU said he could discern other dangers
behind the recent developments. “The strange thing about it is that
the members abandoned the political party, and the society considers
it a regular thing. Nobody fears that this departure, denial, desertion
is something that should be criticized.”
Whereas this is dangerous for the nation, because “the political
parties are proto-states, a party affiliate is supposed to have an
orientation, and if a person easily deserts the political party, the
same person may easily desert the state.” It is a serious concern and
alarm for the NSDU. “The so-called political parties apparently do
not exist. These are balloons, as people say,” notes Paruir Hayrikyan
and forecasts that if the Republican Party quit power, “a much worse
thing would be awaiting it.”
“If there are no political parties, but certain groups of people take
part in the life of our state under the label of political parties, who
is then leading life of our state? What can be awaiting a nation, whose
political will is accompanied by such disgraceful behavCors?” alarms
the leader of the NSDU.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WHERE IS THE 108 MILLION DRAMS?
Lragir.am
24 May 06
Member of Parliament Victor Dallakyan, Ardarutiun Alliance, proposed
to set up an ad hoc committee to study the state of the Armenian
civil aviation. He managed to gather only 26 signatures instead of
the 44 required for including the question in the agenda. While Victor
Dallakyan promises to launch another effort during the next meeting on
June 12-16, the Audit Chamber of the National Assembly carried out an
audit of the General Department of Civil Aviation in 2005. By the way,
the 2005 report of the Audit Chamber is on the agenda of the National
Assembly, but it is not discussed due to the recent political battles.
The Audit Chamber found out that the GDCA failed to transfer the means
that were not spend in the fiscal year, over 1 million dollars, to the
state budget. Hence, the government decision 216 N was violated. In
2003-2004 the government did not make any decisions on accrual and
use of extra-budget funds, and the Ministry of Finance did not give an
approval. The GDCA received financial assistance from other companies,
a total of 108 million drams. This money was spent without drawing
up a bill of quantities, without a government decision, which is a
violation of the RA Law on the Budgetary System.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BLACK BOXES ARE NOT THE END. THE HARDEST THING IS TO TELL THE TRUTH
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
24 May 06
Will the black boxes of the Armenian plane help to reveal the causes
of the plane crash? The recorders have already been retrieved from
the sea bottom and sent for deciphering. In fact, the most difficult
and the most important thing is done, and the only remaining thing
is to decipher the information and tell the society the real cause
of the death of 113 people. The location and retrieval of the black
boxes caused a cheer-up. On the other hand, this process was rather
ambiguous. The first recorder was found on May 22, whereas two or
three days before the Russian minister of transport, the co-chair of
the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Committee Igor Levitin, who
led the search team on the first days of the search after the crash
in Sochi, announced that the black boxes might not be found at all,
and the radio transmitter could have simply come off the recorder.
However, soon after this statement the black boxes were located
and lifted from the sea bottom within two days. The Russian ORTV
even broadcast a story about the achievement of the Russian search
equipment. The experts were even photographed against the black
boxes, with a content smile, as if what they had found was a treasure
of pirates rather than the only evidence to the crash, which took
113 lives.
Was Igor Levitin in such despair as not to bear it any more and
announce while the search was underway that it was impossible to
retrieve the black boxes? Why did he form an atmosphere of despair
instead of inspiring hope? Usually government officials do the opposite
thing, especially the representatives of the Soviet School.
They prefer hiding the truth till the end, regarding it as danger
against the government system. Independent from the sphere, truth
is believed to endanger the leadership, and it was surprising that
Levitin and other Russian officials preferred telling the truth that
the black boxes might not be found. Weren’t their words true?
This suggestion is supported by the fast, even very fast location
and retrieval of the black boxes. Those days of uncertainty ended
up in the settlement of the issue within 48 hours. The search team
suddenly realized that the recorders could be stuck in mud and began
clearing the mud.
All this would be very encouraging if it were not that surprising.
Why did Levitin make such a statement if he was not aware of the
details of the search? And generally it is difficult to explain why
on those days the Russian officials did not hesitate to make official
statements on the plane crash, with the context of impossibility
of revealing the real cause of the crash. What happened that the
recorders were all of a sudden retrieved? What changed? As long ago
as May 18 the leader of the Nor Zhamanakner Party Aram Karapetyan
announced in Yerevan that something had changed. Karapetyan said,
however, that something had changed, and the recorders would not be
retrieved. If they lifted the recorders from the bottom, it means
something changed twice, and Aram Karapetyan did not manage to inform
the Armenian society or maybe he did not know.
It is difficult to say how many times within the past two weeks, but
it is evident even without Aram Karapetyan, that something changed,
nevertheless. The Russian mass media are still stressing the shortage
of fuel. Again they refer to an anonymous source. In this case,
however, putting forward a new suggestion or refreshing the old one
is mere hastiness. Once the black boxes were found, it is not correct
and decent to start circulating new guesses and ideas when soon the
information of the black boxes will be deciphered. If deciphering
failed, it would be justified to resume guesses but currently it
does not seem to be rewarding. It is notable that over the past
days, when the search was underway, no guesses were made. And their
comeback shows that the situation has changed. If it is the retrieval
of the black boxes, this change should have retained the silence and
created an atmosphere of expectation. Whereas the opposite occurred,
which suggests that the retrieval of the black boxes was the result
of a change.
In this situation it becomes more urgent to find out what had
changed. This may even give a more real picture of the plane crash
than the black box data. Why did they first put forward suggestions
leading to the mistake of the pilot, whereas now they have returned
to the shortage of fuel. Why is Igor Levitin going to represent the
Russian side to the committee, whereas the Armenian side will be
represented by Gagik Galstyan, an air safety investigator of the
Department of Civil Aviation. Are the other, higher officials busy?
Are they busier than Levitin, or is the political schedule in Russia
less tough? Why had the investigators of the Armenian Office of
Attorney General returned from Sochi before the search was over. Was
money a problem to keep two investigators there for two months or
maybe there were not enough people to plant trees in Armenia?
It seems that the hardest thing was to find the black boxes, and the
data of the black boxes would bring peace to the souls of victims and
their families. The hardest thing, however, is going to be telling
the truth, for the only harder thing is hiding the truth.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GARNIK – PRESIDENT
Lragir.am
24 May 06
Garnik Isagulyan, adviser to President Kocharyan, announced that
Serge Sargsyan is the best prepared candidate of president, and
Robert Kocharyan will run for the third term. In answer to our
request to comment on this, Victor Dallakyan, Ardarutiun Alliance,
said, “I think Garnik Isagulyan is the best prepared candidate. I
think if Garnik Isagulyan becomes president, it will be positive,
for the other will not be nominated for the third term.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKADI GHUKASYAN: NAGORNO-KARABAKH HAS ALL THE GROUNDS FOR BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
ArmRadio.am
25.05.2006 17:20
“Nagorno-Karabakh has all grounds to get the recognition of the
international community,” NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan declared
today in Moscow during the meeting of the Union of Armenians of Russia.
“The recent referendum in Chernogoria is a very important precedent. If
the international community is ready to accept the independence of
Chernogoria and Kosovo, I think it will be very hard to explain why
it should not accept the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Arkadi
Ghukasyan said.
In Arkadi Ghukasyan’s words, Nagorno-Karabakh has even greater grounds
for the recognition of its independence.
“If we remember that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh resisted the war
imposed by Azerbaijan and is currently building its independence,
then I think we have all the grounds for being recognized by the
international community. I see no alternative. NKR is independent
and will continue do be, and this does not depend on the will of
Azerbaijan,” Arkadi Ghukasyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARYAN MET OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS
ArmRadio.am
25.05.2006 18:20
Presidnet Robert Kocharyan received today the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia), Steven Mann (USA), Bernard
Fassier (France), as well as the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Grigori Karasin, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried
and representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France,
Ambassador Pierre Morel. The meeting was attended also by Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.
Participants of the meeting discussed the principles and approaches of
the current stage of settlement of the Karabakh conflict and exchanged
views on the prospects of resolution of the issue.

TURKEY BATTLES BOUT OF EU REFORM FATIGUE
Yigal Schleifer 5/25/06
EurasiaNet, NY
May 26 2006
Though Turkey is continuing with preparations for the start of
accession negotiations with the European Union, some troubling
developments in recent months have prompted European diplomats and
local observers to question the country’s determination to enact and
adhere to EU-related reforms.
“Watching it from Ankara, there’s a sense that the political will
in Ankara is not as strong as it was, if there’s any left at all,
to invest in this process with Europe,” says a diplomat from an EU
country, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
“There’s a perception among international observers in Ankara that
the initiatives that they [Turkish officials] are still announcing,
and the commitment to the EU process that they are still professing
is less convincing because its not being reflected by their actions,”
the diplomat added.
Most troubling from the EU perspective have been a number of court
cases in which writers have been accused of insulting the state and
“Turkishness,” raising concern about Turkey’s commitment to freedom of
speech. Rights activists are worried that a new anti-terror bill that
the government plans to introduce contains several troubling articles,
including one that would allow for the jailing of journalists accused
of “propagating terrorism.” Such a bill could mark a step back in
Turkey’s legal reform process.
There is also worry that renewed violence in Turkey’s
predominantly-Kurdish southeast will prompt the military to reassert
itself in domestic affairs. A revival of the Kurdish separatist issue
could also cause the judicial system to backslide on human rights.
Already, some 36 Kurdish children are currently awaiting trial for
their involvement in violent riots that took place in the southeastern
city of Diyarbakir in late March, some of them facing as much as 24
years in prison.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul tried to brush aside
suggestions that Ankara is experiencing reform fatigue, saying in a
recent statement, “our reform efforts aimed at raising standards and
practices in all areas of life to the highest contemporary standards
will resolutely continue.”
Foreign Ministry officials point out that Turkey and the EU have
already successfully agreed on negotiation points for 19 of the 35
“chapters” on which the accession talks will be based, adding that
actual negotiations on two of those chapters will start in the
coming months.
Despite the Turkish assurances on reforms, EU officials remain
skeptical. Speaking to reporters during a recent visit to Bulgaria, EU
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn voiced dissatisfaction with Turkey’s
reform pace, and strongly admonished the Turkish government to get back
on track. “It is necessary that the Turkish government take immediate
action to restart the momentum of the reforms in the country,” he said.
“This is the best and only way to avoid a train crash later this
year in the negotiations between the European Union and Turkey,”
Rehn added. “It’s really in the hands of the Turkish government,
parliament and civil society to achieve this.”
There is very likely a domestic consideration to the reform slowdown.
While public support for EU membership was close to 80 percent two
years ago, it now hovers at around 50 percent. Many Turks believe
the EU has betrayed Turkey on the Cyprus issue by not rewarding
a successful Turkish Cypriot referendum vote to accept a UN plan
to unify the island. Many also feel that moves, such as a recently
shelved French bill that would criminalize the denial of the Armenian
genocide, are an outgrowth of a wider European unwillingness to see
Turkey join the EU.
With Turkey facing elections in 2007, analysts say the ruling Justice
and Development Party (AKP) is reluctant to be viewed as intimately
connected with Turkey’s EU project. “There is a rising nationalism
in the country and [the AKP] also has a constituency that is rather
conservative in a nationalist sense,” says Mensur Akgun, foreign
policy director at the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation,
an Istanbul-based think tank. “They can do a lot more, if they wanted
to, but they don’t want to take a risk.”
“What [the government leaders] are doing is focusing on elections and
on the mood in the country, and that mood is very inward looking and
with a feeling of vulnerability on several issues,” says the European
diplomat. “Instead of showing a way and leadership, the government
is listening much more to these ghosts that have been haunting Turkey
for decades, and somehow they have been caught up in all of that.”
There is some concern now that growing political tension in Turkey
may further hinder the reform process. The recent killing of a
top judge in Ankara has placed the AKP government firmly on the
defensive. There have been large-scale demonstrations in support of
the country’s secular order and Turkey’s top general, in a rare move,
publicly urged Turks to continue such demonstrations. [For background
see the Eurasia Insight archive].
But some of the reform slowdown might also be attributed to a kind
of disillusionment with the EU within the inner circles of the AKP,
a liberal Islamic party. A European Court of Human Right ruling late
last year supporting Turkey’s headscarf ban in public universities
stunned many in the party, who thought EU membership would lead to
greater religious freedoms.
“Concerning the EU process, it doesn’t seem as if Europe will admit
Turkey together with its Islamic identity,” Ali Bulac, a leading
Islamic intellectual, recently wrote in the daily newspaper Zaman.
“Europe does not accept the existence of any other civilization apart
from its own.”
Adds Fehmi Koru, a columnist with the liberal Islamic newspaper
Yeni Safak, which is considered to be close to the AKP government:
“Of course there are some disappointments, especially in the field
of human rights. Intellectuals who support the AKP had the idea that
with the headscarf issue and other issues related to basic human
rights would be solved by becoming EU members, but of course this
hasn’t been realized.”
Editor’s Note: Yigal Schleifer is a freelance journalist based in
Istanbul.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress