Author: Hambik Zargarian

Armenpress
TOYOTA TO OPEN REPRESENTATION IN ARMENIA
TOKYO, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS: A Japanese delegation representing Japanese
small and medium-sized businesses and Japan’s International Cooperation
Agency is now in Armenia to explore ways for opening a representation of
Toyota company in Armenia as well as to examine on the ground Armenia’s
investment legislation and environment.
Japanese companies are particularly interested in establishing
partnership relations with Armenian agricultural processing industry and
high technology sector. Hrant Poghosian, a professor at Tokyo’s
International Christian University, who is also chairman of
Armenian-Japanese Association, told members of the Armenian delegation,
visiting Japan, negotiations are underway with Japanese Sumitomo company in
search of opportunities to start joint ventures.
During a meeting today with prime minister Andranik Margarian members of
the Association emphasized a June 24 Armenian-Japanese business forum to be
held in Moscow. The Armenian-Japanese Association has around thirty members,
including private businessmen and leading companies, such as Sumitomo and
Mitsubishi. Prime minister Margarian and Japanese officials signed today in
Tokyo an agreement on Armenian-Japanese technical cooperation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armament of Armenia to make negative impact on peace process in a Caucasus
Today, Azerbaijan
May 31 2005
31 May 2005 [14:27] – Today.Az
“Azerbaijan’s position calls on the regional countries to avoid any
military actions promoting the tension in the region and appearance
of military spirits, Khalaf Khalafov, the Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign
Minister, to journalists on Monday.
He was commenting on Russia’s plans on dislocation of part of its
arms from Georgia to Armenia.
“While the Armenian occupation in regard to Azerbaijan continues,
delivery of arms and ammunitions to Armenia will indeed have negative
impact on peace processes and establishment of stability and security
in the region,” Khalafov underscored.
He noted that despite the good level of the Azerbaijani-Russian
relationships, the Azerbaijani government had repeatedly informed
Russia on its conñerns in this respect. The replacement of the
additional arms in the territory of Armenia contradict the interests
of Azerbaijan, as well the region. “So, the regional countries should
understand their responsibility,” the Deputy FM said.
He noted that the South Caucasus countries enter Europe, where
the Treaty on ordinary armed forces in Europe is applied, and the
European security system. “Taking into consideration all factors,
all actions damaging the stability and security, should be cancelled,
and prevented further,” Khalafov underlined.
URL:
–Boundary_(ID_CPpRTVwgXqgMWwZY1Aj6TQ)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Return to Iran
Inside Higher Ed, DC
May 16 2005
Before the 1979 revolution in Iran, the country’s ties to American
higher education were extensive. Thousands of Iranian students enrolled
at American colleges. And American researchers maintained numerous
long-term projects in Iran, studying its archaeology, history, faiths,
and languages.
For 25 years after the revolution, ties between academics in the two
countries were negligible. In the last year, however, contacts have
started to resume. The presidents of Oberlin College, the University
of California at Davis, and the American University in Cairo all went
to Iran to discuss exchange efforts in the last year – and their visits
are believed to be the first by American college presidents since 1979.
In another first since ’79, Tufts University sent a group of students
to Iran, and is hoping to send another delegation soon. Oberlin,
following up on its president’s visit, is in negotiations to send
a student quartet to visit the leading music conservatory in Iran
– a trip that would have both cultural and political significance
because hostility to Western music in Iran is still strong in some
religious quarters.
These and other efforts are happening despite the immense challenges
of organizing exchanges with a country with which the U.S. has no
diplomatic relations and a recent history of considerable hostility.
Some of the initial trips took years to arrange, and took place
only after initial attempts were aborted due to visa difficulties,
tensions in the region or poor communication.
And organizers say that they fear any worsening of tensions could lead
to last-minute cancellations. But they say that the initial efforts
have been so successful that they are determined to expand them.
“What is starting to happen is quite extraordinary,” said Sherman
Teichman, director of the Institute for Global Leadership, at Tufts.
“We’re not trying to make policy or do anything official. This is
about intellectual engagement.”
Enthusiasm is also high in Iran. “Iranian academics would like to
expand their exchanges with all accredited universities around the
world, especially with the top American universities, where many of our
professors have received their degrees,” said Alireza Anushiravani,
head of the Office of International Relations at Shiraz University,
in an e-mail interview. “American universities are among the best in
the world.”
Not so long ago, it would have been difficult or impossible for an
Iranian academic leader to publicly praise American institutions in
that way. But despite that change in attitude, there is no official
American backing for the exchange efforts and international educators
say that most foundations are also nervous about supporting these
programs. So a few groups and colleges are moving ahead, largely on
their own.
The Search for Common Ground, a nongovernment organization that
promotes international conflict resolution, has been focused on Iran
for several years. The group sponsored a wrestling exchange in 1998
that was the first American delegation to visit Iran officially since
the revolution there. And the group spent several years organizing the
trip that included the presidents of Oberlin and American University
in Cairo.
Rebecca Larson, program manager for the organization’s U.S.-Iran
efforts, said the trip was designed to have the American presidents
meet with officials at several Iranian universities and to identify
possible ways for academic relationships to grow. “We want to
eventually promote some larger exchanges, but for now, it’s very
important that we got presidents over there. It’s important for them
to see it, and to picture what it would be like to have their students
participating in programs there,” Larson said.
Nancy Dye, the president of Oberlin, said that in all of her meetings
in Iran, she was moved by the desire of academics there for more
contact with students and professors from the United States. When she
met music educators at the University of Tehran, she said it became
clear that Oberlin – with its noted music conservatory – would be
“the perfect institution” to set up an exchange.
Dye’s idea is to send a student quartet from Oberlin to perform at
universities in Iran, and to then invite an Iranian group to come
to the Ohio college. Students are signed up for the project, and the
lengthy visa process is the main obstacle, but Dye hopes to see the
visit take place this fall. “It’s very slow work, but very important
work,” Dye said. “We are trying to create a path, which currently
does not exist, for more traffic between Iran and the United States
in higher education.”
Once trips are actually arranged, organizers report that they have
no difficulties in Iran and are received with great hospitality.
Teichman, of Tufts, said that students on his university’s “precedent
setting” trip toured many sites, had many meaningful discussions with
Iranians, and were treated well throughout.
Women who travel in Iran need to alter their dress, of course.
“Everyone asks me if I wore a hijab, and the answer is, of course. If
you are a woman and you want to go to Iran, you wear a hijab,” Dye
said. She added that none of the officials she met were hesitant to
deal with a woman who was a college president, and that she met many
university administrators (although not any presidents) who are women.
Teichman said that the Tufts student group included a Jewish student
and an Armenian student. Detailed biographies of students were provided
to Iranian officials in advance of the trip, and the students were
treated with the same respect as others in the program.
Faculty contacts are growing as well. George F. McLean, a professor of
philosophy at the Catholic University of America, was one of the first
American academics to start a regular relationship with an Iranian
university. He has been giving periodic lectures at Mofid University,
in Qum, since 1998. But in a breakthrough beyond his visits to Iran,
he was able to host nine scholars and clerics from Iran in a visit at
Catholic last month. He stressed that the discussions did not avoid
“the hard issues – we talked about Islam and political order.”
For some of the American colleges returning to Iran, extensive
relationships predate the Iranian revolution. For many years before
1979, Iran was the top provider of foreign students at the University
of California at Davis. The agriculture, engineering, and economics
program at Davis were particularly popular, and alumni of those
programs hold prominent positions in many academic departments in Iran.
Bill Lacy, vice provost for university outreach and international
programs at Davis, said that interest in Iran has remained strong
over the years because of those connections, and because of the
involvement of active alumni from Iran who stayed in California. Last
year’s trip by Larry Vanderhoef, Davis’s chancellor, was designed to
build on those ties.
As the chancellor recounted in a diary of the trip, Davis first
attempted to invite the president of the University of Tehran to
visit Davis, and when a visa was denied, “we decided then that we
would take UC Davis to Iran.”
Since the trip, the university has followed up. An Iranian cleric
will be visiting Davis this summer to participate in a course on
Islam. And this week, Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian civil rights leader
and winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, is visiting Davis.
The growth in contacts between the United States and Iran has been
especially important to the American Institute of Iranian Studies,
a group that was founded in 1967 and that until 1979 maintained a
research center and hostel in Tehran for visiting American students
and scholars, helped those visitors in their dealings with the American
government, and offered a range of fellowships for those scholars.
After the Iranian revolution, the institute shifted its fellowships to
support work about Iran, but the work was all conducted in the United
States. In the past few years, the institute has started offering
fellowships once again for work in Iran. Currently the institute
is offering fellowships for Ph.D. students to do language study in
Iran in the summer, for senior professors to make brief trips to the
country to conduct research and for a junior professor to spend a
few months on a research project.
The institute has helped a few Iranian scholars visit the United
States, and is working to bring four prominent Iranian archaeologists
this summer to a major conference, the International Congress of
Assyriology and Near Eastern Archaeology, which is being held in July
at the University of Chicago.
Erica Ehrenberg, executive director of the institute, said that all of
these efforts remain fragile. “There is theory and there is practice,”
she said. “You can plan everything and then end up with visa problems.”
But she said that the trends are encouraging – and she is thrilled
that more colleges are getting involved in Iran. “One of the really
great things is that you have this increased interest and activity
among American colleges and there is also growing interest and
support in Iran,” Ehrenberg said. “Clearly the Iranians are keeping
the door open.”
Larger exchange organizations are also watching the openings with
interest. Mark G. Pomar, president of the International Research and
Exchanges Board, said that larger organizations like his have to put
Iran programming “on a board burner” until relations between the U.S.
and Iran stabilize. As a result, he said that the efforts of colleges
like Oberlin and Tufts are “fantastic” in that they build the knowledge
base in the United States for an era when larger efforts can start.
Pomar traveled to Iran on the trip organized by the Search for Common
Ground, to prepare for that day. “We’re going to be in the second
wave,” he said.
– Scott Jaschik

PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
395 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
Phone: 617-489-1610
E-mail: [email protected]
Contact: Marc Mamigonian
CONFLICT SPECIALIST TO SPEAK AT NAASR ON GENOCIDE, TRAUMA, AND HEALING
Dr. Pamela Steiner of Cambridge, Mass., will speak at the National
Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) Center in Belmont
on Thursday evening, May 19, at 8 p.m., on “When a Traumatized People
Tries to Resolve Past Hurts.” The evening will be part of NAASR’s
ongoing efforts to present a variety of perspectives on understanding
the Armenian Genocide and its legacy.
Healing and resolution following the trauma of genocide may require
special kinds of dialogue and action, and in the case of the Armenian
Genocide this calls for engagement both within the Armenian and Turkish
communities and between them. Dr. Steiner will talk about different
types of Track Two work and other steps that the Armenian community
could consider to augment current efforts to gain recognition about
the Genocide and to achieve healing and resolution regarding the
past, in light of the history of Turkish/Armenian relations, the
controversial Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC),
and recent advances on how to heal from trauma.
Experienced Specialist in Conflict Resolution
As a member of the Program on International Conflict Analysis
and Resolution at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard
University, Dr. Steiner has been a member of interdisciplinary teams
working with traumatized communities. She has conducted workshops
and dialogues between Israeli Jews and Palestinians, Germans and
Jews, and Greeks and Turks, as well as written articles and given
presentations on a wide range of issues in conflict resolution, mass
trauma, and intergroup dynamics. As a psychotherapist, she has worked
with individuals who have been traumatized by a range of horrors.
Steiner is the great-granddaughter of Henry Morgenthau, the American
ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time when the Genocide began.
Special Exhibition of Photos of Genocide Memorials
In addition to the lecture by Dr. Steiner, NAASR will be featuring a
special exhibition of more than three dozen photographs of Armenian
Genocide memorials worldwide taken by renowned photographer Hrair
“Hawk” Khatcherian. The exhibit, which was featured last month at
the UCLA conference “After Nine Decades: The Enduring Legacy of the
Armenian Genocide” and subsequently at the California State House
and elsewhere, was mounted by Richard and Anne Elbrecht of Davis, CA.
The Elbrechts have loaned these impressive photographs to NAASR for
a limited time only. The photographs will also be on display during
NAASR’s usual business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.
Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated). The NAASR
Bookstore will open at 7:30 p.m. The NAASR Center and Headquarters
is located opposite the First Armenian Church and next to the U.S.
Post Office. Ample parking is available around the building and in
adjacent areas. The lecture will begin promptly at 8:00 p.m.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Today, Azerbaijan
May 10 2005
Azerbaijan ombudsman calls on int’l organizations to apply sanctions
against Armenia -aggressor

09 May 2005 [19:14] – Today.Az

Violation of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan by Armenia and
Armenian nationalists, occupation of lands, destruction and
appropriation of historical and cultural values, violation of
cultural rights of people contradicts fully to universally accepted
international legal norms.
These are expressed in the appeal of the Azerbaijan ombudsman,
Elmira Suleymanova to the international community, authoritative
international organizations and people of the world in connection
with the 13-th anniversary of occupation of historical Azerbaijani
town Shusha by the Armenian aggressors.
“Taking into account the above said”, the Appeal reads, “addressing
the world community and international structures and people of the
world I believe that the Armenian aggression and genocide will be put
an end, there will be support to peaceful settlement of the conflict,
returning of occupied lands and thousands of refugees And IDPs will
be back to their lands and their violated rights and freedom will be
restored.
“I hope, that international organizations will back the legal
position of Azerbaijan, justice will be restored and against Armenia,
which turned occupation, terror and genocide into its state policy,
sanctions will be applied”, the document reads. The Appeal is
addressed to the UNO Secretary General, the UNO Human Rights High
Comissariat, the Council of Europe, OSCE, international ombudsmen
institutions, embassies of foreign countries.
At the result of occupation of Shusha 193 people were killed, 102
became invalids, 27 industrial and 103 cultural objects had been
destroyed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WILL THE ARMENIANS BE ABLE TO STAY IN RUSSIA WITHOUT A VISA FOR 90 DAYS?
A1plus
| 17:06:24 | 22-04-2005 | Official |
On April 22 NA President Arthur Baghdasaryan received RF State Duma
deputy President Georgy Boos. The RF State Duma deputy President
gave the NA President the condoling message of Boris Gryzlov, RF
State Duma President, in connection with the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
On RA President Arthur Baghdasaryan~Rs offer the possibilities
of the regulation of the status of Armenians living in Russia in
the legislative or law field were discussed. As a result of this
Armenians may be able to live in Russia without a visa not 3 but 90
days. Mr. Boos offered to discuss the issue in the law field.
The sides found the re-operation of the companies given to Russia
according to the agreement ~SProperty for the Debts~T extremely
important.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO ITALY: ARMENIA READY TO COOPERATE IN ALL DIRECTIONS WITH NATO DEFENSE COLLEGE
YEREVAN, APRIL 18. ARMINFO. Armenian Ambassador to Italy Ruben
Shugarayn expressed Armenia’s readiness to cooperate with NATO Defense
College in the course of his meeting with Director of the Defense
College Lt.General Vankersbick.
The Press and Information Department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry
informs ARMINFO today that the sides discussed the issues related
to establishment of contacts of military educational establishments
of Armenia and NATO Defense College, as well as the prospects of
Shugaryan’s delivering lectures at the College on the processes in
the South Caucasus. Lt.General Vankersbick, who took his post in
March 2005, expressed interest in development of cooperation with
the Armenian party. He stated that his College closely cooperated
with strategic and defense educational establishments of NATO member-
and partner-states. General gave a high assessment of participation
of Armenia’s representatives in various measures taken by the
College. Then Shugaryan informed General of the present level of
relations Armenia-NATO, pointing out that Armenia did not yield
to the neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan as to the involvement in
NATO programs.
To note, NATO Defense College is the only educational establishment
of NATO in Rome, whereto high-ranking militaries and diplomats
direct themselves intending to take leading posts at NATO
headquarters. Starting from 1991, the College began admitting
representatives of NATO partner-states as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Web Designer Helps the World Remember

Website lists Genocide commemorative events

Glendale Independent
April 14, 2005 – April 20, 2005
By Nimfa Rueda, Glendale Independent Weekly Editor

Armen Vartanian’s 100-year old grandmother, Lucy was 10 years old when 1.5
million Armenians were said to have been killed by Ottoman Turks. Armen
Vartanian grew up hearing stories about the genocide, and also learned about
it in his history classes.

It greatly frustrates him that the Turkish government continues to refuse to
recognize the genocide, and also that it has not yet been fully recognized
here in the United States.

So three years ago, the 20-year-old web designer did what he does best:
create a website, where events commemorating the genocide all over the world
can be publicized.

“I feel that it is my duty to my community,” said Vartanian, who graduated
from Crescenta Valley High School. “People should not forget (the genocide)
and man’s inhumanity against man.”

The website , which started with a listing of Los
Angeles events, had a slow start in 2003.

“It took a while for people to know about the site,” he said. The following
year, the site started listing national and even international events.

This year, the 90th anniversary of the genocide, the response has increased
dramatically, Vartanian said. Now, the website is so comprehensive it even
includes video clips about the genocide from broadcast news sources.

Increased interest in the website, however, also meant attracting the bad
guys. Vartanian, who runs a web design business on Broadway, had to deal
with hackers.

“They tried to redirect the site to websites that say the genocide never
happened,” he said.

“They resort to hacking because they know they’re losing the battle. The
genocide will soon get its much-deserved recognition.”

Vartanian said they not only want recognition from Turkey and the United
States, but also “restitution” or the return of historical Armenian land and
property to the Armenian people.

To view the most current listing of Genocide commemorative events, visit
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
April 15, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA REPRESENTS ARMENIAN AMERICANS AT
WHITE HOUSE RALLY AGAINST DARFUR GENOCIDE
— ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, Joins with Actor
Danny Glover, Congressman Donald Payne, and Africa Action
in Calling for U.S. Action to Stop the Genocide
WASHINGTON, DC – The voice of the Armenian Americans – and the
lessons of the Armenian Genocide – were heard this past week at a
White House rally organized by Africa Action against the genocide
in the Darfur region of Sudan, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian was joined in offering
remarks at the Lafayette Park rally by noted actor and activist
Danny Glover; Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ), the author of the
Darfur Genocide Accountability Act; Salih Booker, the Executive
Director of Africa Action; John Prendergast of the International
Crisis Group; Yves Twagirayezu, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide
in 1994, and; Fatima Haroun, a Darfuri woman working with the Sudan
Peace Advocates Network.
In his remarks, Hamparian noted that “The Armenian people, victims
of the first genocide of the 20th century, are working – with the
American government and with our allies in Africa Action – to bring
an end to the first genocide of the 21st century.” He called on
those present to apply the lessons of the past – including the
indifference of the world to the Rwanda Genocide and the dangerous
precedent set by Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide –
to work for a U.S. foreign policy that actively prevents genocide
and punishes its perpetrators. “We must all organize – here in
Washington, DC and at the grassroots level around the nation – to
educate our elected officials that there can be no more vital U.S.
interest or important American value than preventing genocide.”
The rally, which was organized by Africa Action and attended by
several hundred activists, was held on the eve of the anniversary
of the Rwandan Genocide, in which 800,000 people were massacred in
less than 100 days. Each of the speakers called for decisive U.S.
and multilateral action to end the genocide. Among those
participating in the rally were members of the Darfurian community
in Washington D.C., students, members of religious communities, and
human rights activists.
Marie Clarke Brill, Director of Public Education & Mobilization at
Africa Action, said, “The White House has called the atrocities in
Darfur genocide and failed to take the action necessary to stop the
violence. Instead, the U.S. stands back with eyes wide shut and
answers the suffering with silence. That is unacceptable! We demand
that President Bush break his silence and do everything necessary
to move the UN Security Council to form a multinational
intervention force to protect the people of Darfur.”
Salih Booker, Executive Director of Africa Action added, “In a mere
100 days in 1994, 800,000 people were butchered in Rwanda and the
U.S. government did nothing. As we commemorate that sad event 11
years later, the same atrocities are taking place in Sudan, and the
President’s apathy again reveals a flagrant disregard for African
lives. This time we will not allow the White House to twiddle its
thumbs in the face of genocide.” Booker added, “Would the U.S.
government act in the same way if this were happening to white
people? Why should African lives be any less valuable?”
Up to 400,000 people have died in Darfur over the past two years,
and recent reports confirm that the security situation on the
ground is deteriorating, and the humanitarian crisis is reaching
desperate proportions. The ANCA supports Africa Action’s call on
the Bush Administration to do everything necessary to secure a U.N.
Security Council Resolution authorizing a multinational
intervention force to strengthen the efforts of the African Union
force on the ground and to stop the genocide in Darfur.
For more information:
To send a free ANCA WebFax protesting the Darfur Genocide:
;type=CO
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PARLIAMENT DEPENDS ON PEOPLE’S VOTE
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
15 April 05
Laura Grigorian: `Mr. Nasibian, the nomination of candidates is
over. What are the results?’ Sergey Nasibian: `According to the
schedule of preparing and holding the election, on April 5-10 the
nomination of parliamentary candidates from constituencies and by
party tickets took place. For 22 constituency seats 127 candidates
have been nominated from 22 election districts. On average six were
nominated from each election district. 57 of 127 were nominated by
political parties, 70 by civil undertaking, by the decision of the
undertaking groups. The number of nominees for the election was
especially high in Stepanakert; 79 persons were nominated from 8
constituencies, which is on average 10 nominees from each election
district. In several election districts there are 10-11 nominees and
in the election district N 5 there are 14. In the regions the average
number of nominees per election district is 2 – 3 or 4, thehighest
number of nominees is 6. 8 of 9 political parties registered and
operating in the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh will stand for the
election. Six of them will run by separate party tickets, two will run
for the election by a common party ticket. These are the ARF Artsakh
and `Movement 88′ which will be presented by the name `ARF – Movement
88′. Of the political parties `Armenakan’ did not nominate candidates
on party tickets, only from constituencies.’
L.G.: `What is the reason for the rise in the number of nominees?’
S.N. `In fact, against the previous election the number of nominees
has increased by 30- 40 per cent. The reason may be the development of
democratization in the republic. Actually, the political parties were
given the opportunity, and the citizens feel that they also can be
elected and take part in the governance of the country.’
L.G.: `What else could you tell about the preparation for the
election?’
S.N.: `In the period between April 10 and May 5 the Central Election
Committee and district committees will check the documents of the
nominees. Then on May 10 – 15 the candidates will be registered. The
candidates nominated from constituencies and on party tickets can
start the election campaign on May 17. At present the documents are
checked for falsification and correspondence to the Election Code.’
L.G.: `What means of campaigning will be used?’
S.N.: `There are different means of election campaign: meetings with
voters, debates, the mass media. Special order of using the mass media
for electioneering will be maintained. The constituency candidates
will have free and paid television time and space in the republic
newspaper. The candidates on party tickets will not have this
opportunity. In the Republic of Armenia, by the decision of the
Central Election Committee the candidates may run political ads on
private TV channels. There are no private TV channels in our country,
so we are looking for other ways. Maybe the party candidates will also
be allowed to use the public television and newspaper but not free of
charge.’
L.G.: `What measures does the CEC take to prevent electoral
corruption?’
S.N.: `Bribing as well as promises of bribe is a crime. If such cases
are revealed in election committees and during other election
procedures, the relevant bodies will be involved, and actions will be
suited. The nominees and later the candidates must be awareof this not
to resort to such steps.’
L.G.: `What is the peculiarity of this election? How will it differ
from the previous elections?’
S.N.:`First of all, this will be the first election after the adoption
of the common election code. We used to have different election codes
for presidential, parliamentary and local governmental elections. Now
we will be guided by one election code. The election system was also
changed: there will be the Central Election Committee, and district
election committees instead of the former regional and town
committees. In each election district (22) there is an election
committee (22) and district election committees. The order of
constituting district election committees has changed as well: three
of the members are appointed by the NKR president, the present
parliamentary factions of the National Democratic Party and the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation appoint two members each. The
district election committees will be formed 20 – 21 days before the
election. Each district committee will appoint a person in each
district. According to thenew election code, the results of
presidential, parliamentary and local governmental elections will be
considered valid if turnout is above 25 per cent. There is innovation
in the order of the electoral registers. Formerly, we included in the
registers the persons who were residents or were temporarily living in
the given place. By the new order only the citizens who are residents
of the given area will be included in the electoral registers. The
work in this direction has already begun; this will be the most
difficult task in this election because there has been considerable
move within the republic because of thewar and other
circumstances. The lists of voters will be available at the voting
stations 45 days before the election. And another thing too: formerly
different signs were used to vote, such as `v’, `x’,`yes’. Now only
`v’ will be considered valid. Besides, the persons on military service
cannot vote for constituency candidates. They will vote for party
candidates only, which means that the soldiers can vote at the nearest
voting station to the military unit.’
L.G.: `What measures will you take to provide fair and transparent
elections?’
S.N.: `The CEC committee has worked out and published all the
definitions and orders for fair, free and transparent
elections. Certain work has been donewith the district
committees. After the stage of registering candidates is over,we will
hold a consultation with the candidates in order for them to be aware
of the maintained order. The rest depends on the district election
committees. After setting up the committees we will hold
seminar-consultations with them to clarify the procedure of voting.’
L.G.: `Are there many members of parliament among the nominees?’
S.N.: `Almost 70 per cent of the members of the present parliament
will stand for the election. There are members of parliament who will
run for the elections for constituency seats and by party tickets at
the same time.’
L.G.: `What is the motivation for becoming a member of parliament? ‘
S.N.: `I think there are persons who have certain experience as
parliamentarians and want to continue. There are also people who do
not imagine themselves in that position. I must add that the
percentage of votes has no importance, the candidates who will get the
highest number of votes will beelected.’
L.G.: `Do you mean that not all the candidates are worth of the title
of Member of Parliament?’
S.N.: `It is the people that should give anevaluation and not
us. According to the law, we admitted the documents which corresponded
to the order. If there are no mistakes, we will register them as
candidates.’
L.G.: `Can we be sure to tell after the elections that we elected a
worthy parliament which will efficiently operate for the sake of
development and stability in the country?’
S.N.: `The preliminary acquaintance with the nominees and their files
shows that among the 127 constituency nominees and nominees on party
tickets there are people of different occupations, people involved in
politics, who are worthy of being elected, and if they are elected,
the parliament will take a step ahead. Therefore, everything depends
on people, whether they will manage to make a right choice to form a
parliament which will stabilize the political plane of the country and
strengthen the foundations of democracy in the republic.’
LAURA GRIGORIAN.
15-04-2005
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress