Author: Emil Lazarian

A1 Plus | 15:13:26 | 04-05-2004 | Social |
GENERAL PROSECUTOR TO FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
On March 30, 2004, Armenian General Prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan signed a
decree on establishing a Department for Struggle against Corruption. The
Department will have a head and 4 prosecutors.
“Tax and customs systems will be checked to disclose corruption crimes.
There is a political will to prevent corruption”, Hovsepyan says.
According to him, corruption crimes will be precluded in both economic and
legal spheres. The newly-set up Department will cooperate with the Control
Chamber of President.
Mihran Minasyan, Head of Department for Struggle against Corruption, has
phrased the purposes of activity: it turns the department will yet clarify
corruption cases. “The aim of the Department is to synthesize which of
crimes corruption is and to fight against it. It will increase efficiency of
averting corruption”. There are now corruption cases under jurisdiction that
are examined.
By Aghvan Hovsepyan’s word, the journalists will be given to the
information, which won’t run counter to the interests of preliminary
investigation.

Human Rights Watch: Human Rights News
Armenia: Investigate Abuses in Political Crackdown
Hundreds of Opposition Members Detained; Protests Put Down by Police
Violence
(New York, May 4, 2004) – Armenian authorities must investigate abuses
committed in the government’s recent crackdown against the political
opposition, Human Rights Watch today said in a briefing paper that provided
new details on the mass arrest and police violence against opposition
supporters.
On Wednesday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
held an urgent debate on Armenia, calling on the government to investigate
abuses and to create “fair conditions for the media,” and warned the
government that if no progress on this by September, the PACE may
“reconsider the credentials of the Armenian delegation.” PACE also called on
the opposition to work within the country’s constitutional framework.
In early April, Armenia’s political opposition united in mass peaceful
protests to force a “referendum of confidence” on President Robert Kocharian
and to call for his resignation. The government responded with mass arrests,
violent dispersals of demonstrations, and raids on opposition party
headquarters. Hundreds were detained, many for up to 15 days, and some were
tortured or ill-treated in custody.
“The Armenian government is repeating the same sorts of abuses that called
into question the legitimacy of last year’s election and sparked the
protests in the first place,” said Rachel Denber, acting executive director
of Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division. “The cycle of
repression must end.”
Excessive police force, particularly at a nonviolent opposition rally on the
night of April 12, caused dozens of injuries among demonstrators. The Human
Right Watch briefing paper, based on an investigation in Armenia in
mid-April, documents this violence and other abuses. Human Rights Watch
found that some of the worst injuries at that rally were caused by stun
grenades, which inflicted deep wounds in many protesters. Police also beat
journalists and confiscated their cameras.
The opposition protests derived from the government’s failure to redress the
deeply flawed 2003 presidential election won by Kocharian, the incumbent. At
that time, the authorities detained about 250 opposition activists and
supporters in an attempt to intimidate and disable the opposition in advance
of the vote. The Armenian Constitutional Court subsequently recommended that
the government hold a referendum of confidence. The government rejected the
recommendation, while the opposition insisted that the referendum be held.
In its report on the 2003 presidential election, the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) found the vote to be “marred by
serious irregularities,” owing to “a lack of sufficient political
determination by the authorities to ensure a fair and honest process.”
“Armenia has to address the underlying causes of the opposition’s
demonstrations,” said Denber. “A first step would be to implement the
recommendations made by the OSCE following the 2003 elections.”
Human Rights Watch also called on the Armenian government to investigate the
excessive use of police force on the night of April 12, and to cease the use
of stun grenades and electric-shock equipment for the control of nonviolent
public demonstrations.
Armenia’s international partners – including the European Union, the United
States government, the OSCE and the Council of Europe – should closely
monitor the situation and condemn any new abuses that occur, Human Rights
Watch said. In particular, the United States and the European Union should
closely monitor any security-related funding, particularly for crowd-control
equipment, to ensure that it does not fuel human rights abuses.
Human Rights Watch urged the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers to
put the ongoing crisis in Armenia on the agenda of its upcoming ministerial
meeting and to call on the Armenian government to take urgent measures to
comply with its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe.
—
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
May 4 2004
BSEC ESTIMATED HIGHLY PARTICIPATION OF AZERBAIJAN IN THE
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
[May 04, 2004, 14:59:56]
On May 3, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov
has met the general director of the International Black Sea Center of
Researches Yannis Papanikolu.
As was informed to AzerTAj from the press center of the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs, Yannis Papanikolau thanked for hearty welcome and,
representing information on the Center, has noted, that the said
structure has been founded in December 1998 in Athens on the basis of
decision of the sessions which have been carried out in 1995-1996 by
Ministers for Foreign Affairs within the framework of the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. Having
emphasized, that the Center is more known as the coordinator of the
academic cooperation, Yannis Papanikolau informed, that the mentioned
structure carries out a number of actions and projects and in the
activity pays attention to some spheres of cooperation between the
BSEC member-counties, in particular, to scientific – technological
questions. Highly estimating the role of Azerbaijan in the field of
economy and energy carriers, the visitor has noted that Azerbaijan
holds a favorable geographical position for strengthening potential
of external links of member-states.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mamedyarov has emphasized that the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation is the important
structure for our country not only from the economic point of view,
but also for regional cooperation. The Minister has regarded
achievement on the carried out in 2000 in Kishinev the second session
of Council of Foreign Ministers put arrangements on the introduction
of our country in the International Black Sea Center of Researches as
the important step of wide cooperation. Having emphasized
participation of our country in a number of large economic projects,
including within the framework of projects to the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, TRACECA, Minister Elmar Mamedyarov has informed
the visitor that Azerbaijan possesses potential opportunities for
fruitful cooperation within the framework of structure. Having noted
the importance of stability in region for the further cooperation,
the Minister has especially emphasized necessity of settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorny Karabakh conflict on the basis of joint
efforts of the international community.
At the meeting some questions, representing mutual interest also have
been discussed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Washington Times
May 4 2004
Georgian prez blasts ex-Russian general
Tbilisi, , May. 3 (UPI) — A retired Russian general is masterminding
sabotage attacks in former Soviet Georgia, Georgia’s president told
CNN.
Mikhail Saakashvili, president of the remote and mountainous Caucasus
republic told the network that Maj.Gen. Yuri Netkachov had commanded
forces supporting rebel Adzharian secessionist leader Aslan Abashidze
who blew up two bridges Sunday.
“I am certainly addressing the Russian government today to help us,
to spare us and to get rid of some people who fly in and blow up
bridges and stir up trouble,” he told CNN.
Russian paramilitary forces have been active in the Caucasus, aiding
Armenia against Azerbaijan and supporting the Adzharians, traditional
Russian allies, against the Georgian central government in Tbilisi.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Eurasianet Organization
4 May 2004
WATCHDOG GROUPS CRITICAL OF MEDIA CONDITIONS IN CENTRAL ASIA,
CAUCASUS
5/04/04
Two media monitoring groups have singled out Central Asia as having
one of the most hostile working environments for journalists in the
world. Media observers also noted that journalists in the Caucasus
countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan experienced an increasing level
of harassment in recent months.
The Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders (RWB) and the New
York-headquartered Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) both cited
Turkmenistan as Central Asia’s most repressive nation, where the
totalitarian system built by Turkmen leader Saparmarat Niyazov has
stifled free speech. “The regime controlled all written and broadcast
media and also did everything it could to block news from the outside
world by banning foreign newspapers and blocking access to Internet
websites,” Reporters Without Borders said in its 2004 Annual Report,
which was issued May 3 to coincide with World Press Freedom Day.
Meanwhile, CPJ detailed Turkmen government persecution of freelance
journalists working for US government-financed Radio Free Euope/Radio
Liberty, one of the few independent media outlets that operates in
Turkmenistan. “In September 2003, National Security Service agents
detained a RFE/RL stringer in the capital Ashgabat for two days,
threatened him with 20 years in prison for betraying his country, and
injected him multiple times with an unknown substance,” CPJ said in a
May 3 statement. The group added that Turkmen authorities arrested
two RFE/RL freelancers in February 2004 after one was caught
attempting to smuggle 800 copies of his banned novel. The freelancers
are face charges of inciting social, ethnic and religious hatred.
Media watchers say Uzbekistan, which was the scene of militant
attacks in late March, also tightly controls the press. “Censorship
was officially abolished in 2002, but the media was still being
censored in 2003 and no criticism of President Islam Karimov and his
policies was allowed,” the RWB Annual Report said. Uzbek media
coverage of the recent violence in Tashkent and Bukhara underscored
the government’s heavy-handed control of free speech. State-run media
largely avoided coverage of the attacks, while Uzbek officials
castigated those foreign media outlets and independent journalists
who challenged the official view of events. [For additional
information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
In public comments May 2, Britain’s ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig
Murray, offered a scathing assessment of Uzbekistan’s media
conditions. Murray assailed the government for its censorship
practices, and criticized journalists for being “tame and useless”
and for not working harder to overcome official restrictions.
“It is not that journalists cannot do their job, it is that they will
not do their job. It is time they start it,” Murray said. “Uzbek
journalists are rather parasitical people who do not publish any
truth, don’t seek the truth, don’t try to publish it and really they
are a disgrace to their profession.”
Press conditions are comparatively better in other Central Asian
states. Yet the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
have all taken action to restrict independent media, RWB said.
In Kazakhstan, President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently drew praise
for refusing to sign a restrictive media bill into law. [For
additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. At the same
time, media rights groups remain critical of the Kazakhstani
government for its harassment of prominent opposition journalists, in
particular Sergei Duvanov. [For additional information see the
Eurasia Insight archive].
According to RWB, Kyrgyzstan damaged its reputation for having
Central Asia’s freest media by approving constitutional amendments in
early 2003 that impose “further curbs on press freedom.” The RWB
Annual Report also criticized the Kyrgyz government for forcing Maya
Stolitsa, a leading opposition newspaper, out of business. On the
positive side, the report expressed hope that a new US-financed
printing press would facilitate the publication of independent
newspapers and periodicals. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive].
In Tajikistan, President Imomali Rahmonov recently proposed
substantial tax breaks to stimulate print media development. However,
Tajik broadcast outlets, which enjoy far greater audiences than do
newspapers and periodicals, would not be eligible for the tax breaks.
[For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Despite
Rahmonov’s recent support for press independence, the RWB report said
the Tajik government “continued their extensive harassment of
independent newspapers and refused to issue operating licenses to
privately-owned TV and radio stations.”
The Caucasus has also witnessed a fair share of media harassment.
Observers say politically-related violence in Armenia and Azerbaijan
has prompted authorities in both countries to crack down on its
critics.
Robert Kocharian’s administration in Armenia has come under growing
pressure from his political opponents, who maintain the country’s
presidential and parliamentary elections in 2003 were rigged. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. In April, authorities
used force to break up opposition protests in Yerevan, with riot
police apparently targeting journalists for beatings. [For additional
information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. On April 30, an ad hoc
group calling itself In Protection of Journalists appealed to the
government to stop harassing media representatives, the Arminfo news
agency reported. “It is not known why violence against journalists is
continuing and does not get authorities’ adequate assessment,” the
group said in a written statement.
Azerbaijan has long presented independent journalists with difficult
working conditions. Since the disputed October 2003 presidential
election, President Ilham Aliyev has maintained considerable pressure
on opposition-allied media outlets. [For additional information see
the Eurasia Insight archive]. “The hoped-for wave of reform after
Ilham Aliev, son of longtime leader Heidar Aliev, became president
… did not come,” the RWB report said. “Opposition media remained
under broad pressure, there was no diversity in broadcasting and the
regime did not fulfill its international commitments.”
Meanwhile, Georgia received a mildly favorable review from RWB, which
noted that the coming to power of President Mikheil Saakashvili’s
administration in January “raised fresh hopes” that the development
of independent media would accelerate.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Reuters, UK
4 May 2004
Armenians rally to demand president resign

YEREVAN, May 4 (Reuters) – About 6,000 Armenians braved heavy rain on
Tuesday to demand the resignation of President Robert Kocharyan in
the latest in a series of mass protests in the capital.
The Armenian opposition, which accuses Kocharyan of rigging last
year’s presidential election, has hoped to emulate the example of
neighbouring Georgia, where protesters overthrew the president last
November in a bloodless revolution.
“We must decide in what country we want to live: in an isolated one,
ruled by force; or in a developed democratic country,” Stepan
Demirchyan, leader of the Justice Party and runner-up in the
elections told the rally in Yerevan.
“The size of this meeting in such weather shows that we support
democracy,” he said, while supporters waved flags and chanted
“Kocharyan resign”.
Kocharyan has dismissed any suggestion that Armenia might follow
Georgia in overthrowing its leader. The authorities used water
cannons to disperse a similar meeting last month.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Times Union (Albany, NY)
April 27, 2004 Tuesday THREE STAR EDITION
Capitol gathering marks massacre of Armenians
Two dozen people gathered at the steps of the state Capitol Monday to
recognize the 89th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian massacre in
Turkey.
Local politicians including U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park,
and Assemblyman Ron Canestrari, D-Cohoes, paid tribute to the 1.5
million Armenians massacred by the former Ottoman Empire.
“It is critically important, not just as Armenians but as Americans,
to remind people of this massacre,” said Sweeney, whose grandfather
was from Armenia.
The official anniversary was Saturday, which Gov. George Pataki
designated as Armenian Remembrance Day in a proclamation.
— Erin Duggan
ASHCROFT HONORS MOM WHO ADVOCATES JOAN’S LAW
While she waits for New York state to enact a law named after her
murdered daughter, Rosemarie D’Alessandro was honored by U.S.
Attorney General John Ashcroft with a “Special Courage” award as part
of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
The recognition last week came 31 years after the body of her
7-year-old daughter, Joan, was found in Harriman State Park, Rockland
County. She had been raped and murdered by a neighbor while selling
Girl Scout cookies.
The killer is eligible for parole, but has been repeatedly denied
release. D’Alessandro has been fighting for Joan’s Law, already
passed in New Jersey and at the federal level, to mandate life in
prison without parole for people who molest and kill a child under
14.
The bill failed to pass in the Legislature in 2001 or 2002, but again
has majority sponsorship and appears headed for a vote in the Senate,
where is it sponsored by Thomas Morahan, R-Nanuet. It remains in the
Codes Committee in the Assembly, where it is sponsored by David Koon,
D-Fairport.
— Staff report
BLOOMBERG BUDGET REFLECTS IMPROVED FISCAL HEALTH
NEW YORK — Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a $46.9 billion budget
Monday that offers pay raises to city workers, property tax rebates
to homeowners and extra funds for lead paint abatement as the city’s
fiscal health continues to improve.
The centerpiece of the mayor’s plan is a $400 property tax rebate —
proposed almost 18 months after Bloomberg pushed through an 18.5
percent property tax increase in December 2002.
The program will cost the city $250 million. About 600,000
owner-occupants of one-, two- and three-family homes, co-ops and
condos will receive the rebate.
The mayor estimated the budget surplus for fiscal year 2004, which
ends June 30, will be $1.3 billion. The plan, which must be approved
by the City Council, sets aside $104 million for the city’s new lead
paint abatement law and $533 million to pay for municipal labor
contracts.
— Associated Press
STOPGAP SPENDING OK’D AS BUDGET TALKS STAY STALLED
ALBANY — State legislators approved another emergency spending bill
Monday while their leaders reported no progress in talks with Gov.
George Pataki over a new budget for the fiscal year that began April
1.
The stopgap spending bill was worth $2.04 billion. Counting others
approved by legislators on March 31 and April 20, lawmakers have
authorized the spending of just under $14.5 billion so far in the new
fiscal year. A permanent budget, when adopted, is expected to total
about $100 billion.
Pataki and legislative leaders said they remained at odds over
complying with a court mandate to improve education aid distribution
to aid New York City school children.
“We’re just not making the progress that we have to make and should
be making to be able to reach an agreement,” Pataki said.–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/04/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Canada's Dalphond-Guiral Captivates Capitol Hill Audience 2) Conference Explores National Priorities, Diaspora Collaboration 3) A New Body Established To Fight Corruption 4) Ajaria's Abashidze Vows to Tighten Rule 1) Canada's Dalphond-Guiral Captivates Capitol Hill Audience The champion of the recently adopted Armenian Genocide resolution in Canada's House of Commons, the Honorable Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, along with Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau member Hagop Der Khatchadourian, attended the 10th annual Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Observance on Capitol Hill to honor victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The program, which took place on April 28, was held in the historic Cannon Caucus Room. During her one-day visit, Dalphond-Guiral took the opportunity to visit the ANCA offices, and was briefed by Khatchadourian and ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, on the numerous and diverse ANCA activities. ANCA Representatives, along with regional and local ANC representatives, accompanied the Canadian parliamentarian to offices of those Congressmen who work diligently to advance Armenian American issues. In what was a most memorable visit, Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) bombarded Dalphond-Guiral with questions about the activities and details that led to the positive vote in Canada's House of Commons. During the Capitol Hill Observance that evening, author Peter Balakian, along with Dalphond-Guiral, were honored for their tireless efforts to advance the Armenian Genocide issue, and their commitment to the Armenian community. Many Senators and Representatives expressed their support not only for official US recognition of the Armenian Genocide, but also for monetary and other assistance to strengthen the government of Armenia. They commended the ANCA for their work, unwavering commitment, and ability to rally absolute support. They also addressed the importance of Canadian Parliament's resolution--its potential to spur similar activity in US Congress. Over 400 community members and guests greeted Dalphond-Guiral with lingering cheers as she got up to speak. After presenting her brief biography, Dalphond-Guiral explained that the debate on the Armenian Genocide is nothing new in Canada's House of Commons, beginning with efforts in the 1980s. Since then, five motions and several debates have succeeded one another in the House, all aimed at having Canada acknowledge the 1915 genocide of Armenians. After three attempts by Dalphond-Guiral, (the first two motions were never put to a vote) Motion M-380 was adopted on April 21. "What seemed to be impossible--voting on acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide--became possible..." She applauded Canada's Armenian community, particularly the network of Armenian National Committees. "This community's determination, perseverance, and attachment to its identity are models for all of us. Over the decades, through its unwavering demand for acknowledgment of the genocide of 1915, it has given us the right to think that faith can move mountains. It was the steadfast support of Armenians--young and old--that persuaded Canada to join its voice to those of the parliaments of Argentina, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, the Vatican, the European Parliament, the European Council and almost 30 American states, including Missouri, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Washington, Virginia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, and California. Here is the true glory of freedom and democracy," concluded Dalphond-Guiral. 2) Conference Explores National Priorities, Diaspora Collaboration YEREVAN (Armenpress/Yerkir)--As a follow-up to the Armenian Diaspora conference, representatives of European and US-based Armenian organizations met with Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and ministry officials to determine how to collaboratively tackle advocacy issues on Armenia's foreign policy agenda. Organized by the Foreign Ministry, the conference ended on Tuesday in Yerevan. Armenian ambassadors were also on hand to examine national priorities and the fundamental direction of Armenia's foreign policy. Security, development, European integration, peaceful regulation of Karabagh conflict, and preservation of historical rights and values were targeted as Armenia's primary priorities. Oskanian said that Diaspora organizations and the foreign ministry will be working more effectively in the coming years to advance those priorities, while considering interests of the countries where they are based. He also explained that as Armenia's foreign policy expands daily, the necessity to mobilize the potential of all Armenians becomes even more vital. He praised the already persistent efforts of Diaspora organizations in the US, Europe, Canada, and Latin America. Meeting participant Hilda Tchoboian, who is the chairwoman of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy, said that international diplomacy and formation of policy must consistently be monitored by not only Armenia's diplomatic force, but also Diaspora organizations in order to act promptly and effectively. 3) A New Body Established To Fight Corruption YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Armenia's Prosecutor General's Office announced that a special division to combat government corruption has been established. Chief prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepian, said the department's regulatory powers will be clarified in the coming ten days to establish the direction of its activities, but that no new employees will be hired to carry out the job. The special division will work uncover and prevent corruption in the judicial system, tax and customs agencies, as well as the prosecutor's office. The new body is expected to cooperate closely with the presidential oversight service. 4) Ajaria's Abashidze Vows to Tighten Rule TBILISI (Reuters)--The head of Georgia's rebel Ajaria region on Tuesday defied central government threats to depose him and promised to tighten his hold on the territory as his followers crushed an opposition demonstration. Aslan Abashidze has declared a state of emergency and curfew in the Black Sea region of Ajaria, which includes the important oil shipping port of Batumi. Tbilisi has given him until May 12 to recognize its authority. Armed men broke up a demonstration in support of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in central Batumi on Tuesday, opposition politicians said. To prevent students gathering, Abashidze has closed all schools and universities for two weeks. Saakashvili has promised not to use force to crush the region's autonomy but militiamen blasted bridges linking Ajaria to the Georgian heartland on Sunday, saying they feared invasion from troops stationed nearby. "The humane approach that the autonomous republic's leadership has followed has not brought results," Abashidze told local television. "Any criminal acts, actions or slogans will be treated with the utmost severity...No one will be forgiven for attempts to create a hotbed of disorder." Saakashvili came to power in a bloodless revolution in November, promising to end corruption and sweep away figures such as Abashidze who have held office since Soviet times. But Abashidze has not backed down. He has refused to disarm his militias as demanded by Saakashvili and kept a firm grip on the opposition. "A group of people armed with metal poles fiercely beat the demonstrators. Before this, fire engines with water cannons were used," opposition politician Tamaz Diasamidze told Reuters. He said there had been 200 demonstrators. Abashidze told local television that the universities and schools had to be closed for a fortnight to prevent "tension." "We had to take preventative measures. No one can calmly watch as preparations are made for tension. They have to be cut off at the roots," he said. Washington is watching the stand-off with concern, fearing for stability in a country that will be part of the route for a major pipeline taking oil from the Caspian Sea to a Turkish port. It has called on Abashidze to disarm local militias. Two Georgian regions are currently completely outside central government control, having gained de facto independence in bloody wars in the 1990s. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Monday that the US stayed in constant touch with Russia on Georgia's defiant autonomous region of Ajaria, trying to prevent a military confrontation in Georgia. He stressed that the US supported the Georgian government in its bid to restore constitutional order in Ajaria. "We welcome President Mikhail Saakashvili's announcement that he would not use force and we continue to encourage the government of Georgia to use political and economic tools in its efforts to restore the rule of law in Ajaria," Boucher said. Moscow has also called for calm, fearing that the crisis could descend into bloodshed. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said, "We regard relations between Batumi and Tbilisi as an internal affair of Georgia, but we think that attempts to resolve the problem with militant statements and threats to use force are absolutely impermissible." "Tbilisi should realize that the use of force will inevitably have in the gravest consequences, primarily for Georgia itself," he remarked. Saakashvili appealed to Moscow on Monday to help rein in former Russian servicemen he said had blown up bridges around the restive region of Ajaria. But Saakashvili, clearly wary of stoking tensions with Georgia's mighty neighbor, told CNN television he did not think Moscow had ordered the action. He said he sought a peaceful end to his dispute with Ajaria, the site of an important oil terminal. He said the action had been conducted by militia led by retired Russian officer, Major-General Yuri Netkachov. "But I am certainly addressing the Russian government today to help us, to spare us and get rid of some people who fly in and blow up bridges and stir up trouble," he told CNN. Tbilisi has frequently accused Netkachov, once a top commander in the Transcaucasus region, of raising rebellion. Tensions in Georgia, which faces rebellion in several regions, are fraught with implications for the West as well as the former Soviet Union. The country is a transit territory for a planned pipeline to bring Caspian oil to the Mediterranean. Russia's two military bases, remnants of past Soviet power, are a source of tension between Georgia and Russia. Russia is also viewed warily by Tbilisi for its tacit support for rebel administrations in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
April 27 2004
DEPUTIES LEAVE FOR ISRAEL
[April 27, 2004, 14:17:12]
The Milli Majlis deputies Shaiddin Aliyev and Asad Hajiyev are
shortly going to visit Israel to take part in the international
conference Re-establishment of Peace in XXI Century initiated by the
Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation OBSEC and Israeli
Parliament.
The conference participants will discuss regional problems, ways of
cooperation for their settlement and re-establishment of peace.
The delegation of Azerbaijan is expected to update the attendees in
detail on the situation in the South Caucasus, historical roots
current state of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, international approach to the problem and role the
OBSEC and other organizations would play in its resolution.
The Azerbaijani deputies will also presented material confirming the
facts of genocide committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis, and
destruction of historical and cultural monuments of the Azerbaijan
people.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Globe and Mail, Canada
April 27 2004
Putting faith in the domino theory

Last year, Georgia toppled its leader; now Ukraine hopes to do the
same, MARK MacKINNON says
By MARK MacKINNON

KIEV — When Yulia Tymoshenko watched on television as Georgians rid
themselves of their despised president last fall, one thought buzzed
through her mind: Why couldn’t the same thing happen in Ukraine?
She may get her answer this fall, when Ukrainians vote for a new
president. Opinion polls suggest opposition candidate Viktor
Yushchenko would easily win a fair vote. But most analysts believe
Ukraine’s ruling clique, President Leonid Kuchma and his allies,
won’t let that happen.
Anger over a rigged election drove tens of thousands of Georgians
into the streets last November, in weeks of mass demonstrations that
finally forced Eduard Shevardnadze to give up power in what was
dubbed the Rose Revolution (after an opposition politician’s single
red rose, carried as a symbolic substitute for a gun).
Georgia’s political earthquake is still reverberating across the
former Soviet Union, and the strongest tremors are felt in Ukraine.
Mr. Kuchma, who is accused of running a government fraught with
corruption and of personal involvement in the killing of an
opposition journalist, is deeply disliked and will not be running for
a third term.
However, he has thrown the weight of his administration behind Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovich’s bid.
Ms. Tymoshenko, 43, an influential opposition politician and one of
Mr. Kuchma’s harshest critics, is among those who expect Ukraine’s
ruling authorities to fight dirty during this fall’s election
campaign.
If the vote is seen to be rigged, she said, the opposition will have
no choice but to take to the streets and try for their own Rose
Revolution.
“If the authorities try to falsify the presidential election . . . I
would hope to see the Georgian example repeated here in Ukraine,” the
charismatic former deputy prime minister said in an interview.
“I personally will be calling people to go into the streets.”
Ms. Tymoshenko enjoys the parallels between herself and Mr.
Yushchenko, and the young politicians who led Georgia’s revolt:
Mikhail Saakashvili (who carried the red rose) and Nino Burdzhanadze,
now respectively that country’s President and parliamentary Speaker.
Like the two Georgians, Ms. Tymoshenko and Mr. Yushchenko have put
aside their ideological differences to form a united front for the
campaign.
Political tension has long been building in Ukraine, and many
observers believe that a recent mayoral election in the western city
of Mukachevo was a trial run for the presidential showdown.
With the opposition set to coast to victory in an area considered a
stronghold of Mr. Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine movement, police sealed
off the electoral commission offices in Mukachevo and prevented
journalists and observers from watching as votes were tallied.
After officials announced that a pro-Kuchma candidate was the winner,
thugs in leather jackets are reported to have beaten several
observers and Our Ukraine officials who tried to enter the election
offices.
Some see the events in Mukachevo as a signal that Ukraine will be
less tolerant of dissent than was Mr. Shevardnadze, who let
demonstrators occupy the main street of Tbilisi for weeks while
independent television stations called for his resignation.
There is little independent news media in Ukraine; most TV stations
and newspapers are under government control.
“The [message] of Mukachevo is to threaten the public, to let them
know that [the authorities] could use not only administrative
resources, but could use physical force,” said Yevgeny Bistretsky,
director of the Kiev-based International Renaissance Foundation, an
affiliate of billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Institute.
Mr. Soros is accused in many quarters of providing financial support
to the Georgian revolt. When he visited Ukraine last month, he was
attacked in the state media and pelted with eggs and a
mayonnaise-filled condom by Kuchma supporters.
It is clear that while opposition parties across the former Soviet
Union, a region dominated by authoritarian regimes, have pounced on
the Georgian example as proof that change is possible, governments
too have learned from it.
In Armenia, the opposition has been rallying thousands into the
streets for weeks, calling for a vote on President Robert Kocharian’s
rule. Police recently broke up a crowd near Mr. Kocharian’s residence
using water cannons, batons and stun grenades.
“The Armenian opposition, encouraged by the Georgian ‘velvet
revolution,’ has clearly decided that the situation in the country
will enable them to achieve the same outcome,” Mr. Kocharian told
Russian state television recently.
“But the situation cannot be compared.”
Even in outright dictatorships such as Belarus and Uzbekistan,
Georgia’s example has shaken up the political status quo and
invigorated the opposition.
Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the beleaguered opposition to hard-line
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, says that his country’s
people privately cheered the Georgian revolt but can only dream of
similar events because they face a much more repressive regime.
“People will sit in their flats tonight and criticize Lukashenko . .
. but so far we have not been able to turn that into opposition on
the streets,” Mr. Lebedko said in his Minsk office, his desk decked
out with a small Georgian flag.
“But I’m an optimist. I have to be.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress