Author: Emil Lazarian

Armenian opposition says police sweep up party members after rally

AP Worldstream
Apr 06, 2004

The opposition leader whose party organized a large protest meeting in
the Armenian capital said Tuesday that police detained 127 members of
his party after the demonstration and that many have been sentenced to
up to a week in jail.

Artashes Gegamian, head of the National Unity party, said the arrests
took place at the party members’ homes or the residences or parents
and friends and that police threatened the members’ relatives and
acquaintances.

The arrests came after an estimated 8,000 protesters gathered in
central Yerevan.

“The deepening confrontations in society understandably makes the
people in power nervous,” he said Tuesday.

The opposition is seeking to oust President Robert Kocharian. He won a
second term in presidential elections a year ago that sparked mass
protests, including nearly daily demonstrations between the first
round of voting in February 2003 and the runoff in early March.

The opposition alleged widespread violations in both rounds of the
election. The election was followed by parliamentary ballot in which
the pro-government party won the most votes.

In April, Armenia’s Constitutional Court confirmed the results of the
presidential vote but suggested that a referendum be held within a
year to gauge the public’s confidence in the nation’s
leaders. Opposition leaders have pressed for the plebiscite.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri Speaker warns Turkey against opening Armenian border

Trend news agency
6 Apr 04

BAKU

“If Turkey opens the border with Armenia, it will deal a blow not only
to Azerbaijani-Turkish friendship but also to the entire Turkic
world,” Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov told a meeting
of the Milli Maclis today, Trend reports.

Alasgarov said that the opening of the border could undermine the
strengthening friendly and fraternal relations between Turkey and
Azerbaijan.

As for the calls for the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity militarily, the parliament speaker said there should be no
haste in this issue. We give preference to a negotiated settlement to
the conflict, but if this does not yield any fruit, then “Azerbaijan
is ready to liberate its lands in other ways”, he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Secretary of the National Security Council and Defense Minister of Armenia Serge Sarkisian arrived today in Tbilisi for a four-day official visit.

The Armenian official will push the issue of restoration of the railway link between Russia and Armenia via Georgia, which has been terminated after the Abkhaz conflict.

“The issue of restoration of the Sochi-Tbilisi-Yerevan railway link is of huge importance for Armenia. So, this issue will top the agenda of talks,” Serge Sarkisian said upon his arrival in Tbilisi.

The Armenian Security Council Secretary and Defense Minister will hold meetings with Secretary of the Georgian Security Council Vano Merabishvili, President Mikheil Saakashvili and Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian opposition to stage protest in Yerevan on 9 April

Mediamax news agency
5 Apr 04

YEREVAN

The [opposition] Justice bloc and the National Unity Party leaders,
Stepan Demirchyan and Artashes Gegamyan, said in Yerevan today that
they “will start mass protest actions on Freedom Square at 1600 [1100
gmt] on 9 April”.

They called on their adherents “to take part in the struggle for
returning power to people”.

Demirchyan and Gegamyan’s joint statement was announced at a briefing
at the Armenian National Assembly today, Mediamax reports.

“One year’s existence of the authorities formed through election fraud
was enough to prove that the existence of an illegal regime threatens
the national interests of Armenia,” Demirchyan and Gegamyan’s
statement reads.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1 Plus | 15:44:49 | 05-04-2004 | Politics |

MATENADARAN SURROUNDED BY POLICE

>From early morning the police surrounded Yerevan’s Matenadaran museum in a
bid to bar Artashes Geghamyan, National Unity leader and MP, from installing
microphones there and prevent him from holding the meeting with his
constituents scheduled for Monday.{BR}

Almost all roads to connected provinces with Armenian capital are closed for
the same reason.

—

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1 Plus | 20:55:36 | 05-04-2004 | Politics |

LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTION IMPOSES ORDER IN OWN WAY

Opposition bloc Justice released the list of those illegally arrested,
beaten or disturbed recently.

68 underwent police harassment – 41 of them are Armenian People Party
members, 17 are from Republic party, 7 are Justice’s supporters and 2
Democratic Party members – are listed here.

Besides, 47 activists of National Unity have been arrested. Total amount of
the law enforcement victims is 115.

—

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
April 5 2004

Azeri journalists will rally in Turkey

Azeri journalists will protest in Turkey against alleged opening of
the Turkish-Armenian border tomorrow, according to ANS.
The reporters will call the Turkish government to resist outside
pressures into opening the border with Armenia. They will also state
the regional threats that might emerge following the border opening.
The protest rally will start in bordering with Armenia Turkish
territories and then will move to the capital city Ankara.

Local people will join journalists to peacefully express their
objections, ANS said.

ArmenPress
April 5 2004

7,950 DONORS REGISTERED AT ARMENIAN BONE MARROW REGISTER

GORIS, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Bone Marrow Register
representatives are back from Lebanon where they have registered 450
donors. According to Executive Director of the register Sevak
Avagian, Catholicos Aram I was the first donor of bone marrow.
Currently there are 7,950 donors registered at the Armenian Bone
Marrow Register. This number is expected to considerably increase in
the course of this year. The first action is expected to be held in
Russia.
Two transplantation operations were performed , one of which was
recently in Poland.
Armenians have a unique genetic structure of bone marrow.
Therefore, probability of finding matches for transplantation is
higher among Armenians. Transplantation is the last hope for survival
for people with blood diseases, most of who are children. The
probability of survival by transplantation is 40-50 per cent among
adults and 60-70 per cent among children.
The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry Charitable Trust was
founded in July 1998 in Armenia as a non-profit, non-sectarian,
non-governmental and independent organization. Its mission is to save
precious Armenian lives by creating a bone marrow donor registry
which, with the volunteer recruitment of Armenian donors worldwide,
will increase the pool of existing international donors and thus give
a chance of survival to patients with Leukemia or other blood related
diseases. Although Armenians are considered Caucasian, their unique
genetic make up makes it very hard for them to find matches for
transplantation.
The Trust’s honorary chairperson is the First Lady of the Republic
of Armenia, Dr. Bella Kocharian and the chairperson is Dr. Frieda
Jordan, a biochemist whose expertise is the establishment of bone
marrow registries.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario)
April 5, 2004 Monday Final Edition

Area artists shut out in Edmonton

SOURCE: Guelph Mercury with files from The Record

by ERIC VOLMERS

A Juno Award is considered by some to be the highest honour bestowed
by the Canadian music industry, but at least two of the area artists
nominated this year didn’t appear to be on the edge of their seats
awaiting results over the weekend.

While winners were announced over the weekend in Edmonton, both Elora
guitarist Kevin Breit and Constantines drummer Doug MacGregor had to
be informed by the press yesterday that they did not win in their
respective categories.

Neither appeared to be particularly distraught by the news.

“I didn’t win?” said Breit, who was up for best blues album, when
contacted yesterday afternoon at his home in Elora. “I didn’t even
hear. I was gigging (Saturday night). I’ve been sort of touring since
the time I was nominated. From the beginning to the end I was really
out of it. I didn’t internalize the nomination . . . It’s great to be
nominated. I guess it would be great to say I won.”

None of the Kitchener and Guelph performers nominated for Junos won.

Kitchener’s Juno connections reached to the classical with Karina
Gauvin who was nominated in the voice, classical album category for
her work with the Canadian Canadian Chamber Ensemble (members of the
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony) with conductor Raffi Armenian. The award
was won by Isabel Bayrakdarian and James Parker’s Cello Ensemble.

Bec Abbot of Kitchener was nominated for her debut CD Shine Like
Stars in the contemporary Christian/gospel album of the year
category. The award was won by Jill Paquette.

Breit was nominated for best blues album for Jubilee, which he
recorded with vocalist and songwriter Harry Manx. That award went to
Painkiller by Morgan Davis.

Danny Michel, who lives just outside of Guelph, was defeated in the
best new artist category by Vancouver swing revivalist Michael Buble.

Blackie & the Rodeo Kings’ latest album BARK lost in the roots and
traditional group category to Maudite Moisson’s Le Vent du Nord. The
trio, which includes Guelphite Stephen Fearing, performed at last
night’s awards.

Halifax hip-hop artist Buck 65 won best alternative album for Talkin’
Honky Blues, beating out competition that included former Guelph band
The Constantines. The Constantines were nominated for their sophomore
disc, Shine A Light.

MacGregor, the band’s drummer, hadn’t been informed yet about not
winning. “Yeah, it’s kind of like . . . Junos are more for your
parents,” he said with a laugh.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Los Angeles Times
April 5, 2004 Monday
Home Edition

DANCE REVIEW;
8 Troupes celebrate agility and passion

by Victoria Looseleaf, Special to The Times

If dancers are the new athletes, there was much to laud in the
strongly performed “Celebration of Dance” on Saturday night at the
Alex Theatre in Glendale. The second annual offering, produced by
Ballet of the Foothills’ Jill Sanzo, showcased eight companies in a
diverse program of mostly new — and engaging — works.

Females dominated, with Djanbazian Dance Company premiering its
powerful “Can Shadows Dance?” Choreographed by Anna Djanbazian, the
opus paid homage to Armenian women brutalized in 1915.

Set to a haunting score by Komitas, seven women in bleach-colored
caftans created tableaux in which chest-pounding angst gave way to
astonishing backbends, and ferocious leapers morphed into crumbled
heaps on the floor. The work ended in silence, a specter of death.

On a different note: Denise Leitner’s new “Pathways #10,” performed
by her company, a Dancer’s Voice, blended quicksilver jazz gyrations,
threaded with high kicks and feral energy, as the female quintet
bobbed to the Creatures’ propulsive score.

Four plucky Bela Fleck arrangements (including some full-tilt Bach)
made the perfect sonic accompaniment to Backhausdance’s latest,
“Sitting on January.” Choreographed by Jennifer Backhaus McIvor, the
work featured six women and a lone male (William Lu), gamboling with
chairs. All sweetness and charm, there was a Paul Taylor feel to the
work, with technical finesse equal to the spirited footwork.

Nuevo flamenco reared its passionate head in Deborah Greenfield’s
new, “Juego Flamenco,” dramatically danced by the choreographer’s
company, Rosa Negra Flamenco. Split kicks, unexpected partnering and
saucy shoulder dips rocked, although Greenfield’s costuming —
unfortunate leggings and tunics for the gals, bland pants and white
shirts over muscle tees for the guys — screamed for help. Even
worse, Greenfield’s solo was overpowered by an onstage pair of
amplified musicians.

Completing the program: the previously reviewed “Light,”
choreographed by San Pedro City Ballet’s Patrick David Bradley; and
Jazz Antiqua Dance and Music Ensemble’s deft performance of Pat
Taylor’s take on excerpts from John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress