Author: Hunanian Jack

IDEOLOGICAL RIVAL OF SERGE SARGSYAN AND LEVON TER-PETROSYAN

Lragir, Armenia
Oct 4 2007

On October 4 the leader of the Marxist Party Davit Hakobyan stated
his likelihood to run in the presidential election. Hakobyan said
he decided to be nominated to fill in the ideological vacuum. "A
vacuum of ideological doctrines, a Torricelli vacuum. The victory is
not as important as the necessity to fill in the gap of ideological
doctrines in the political sphere. This is the problem," Davit Hakobyan
says. According to him, a leader should be natural. "In other words,
the bearer of an ideological doctrine can be natural leader."

"I am asked in which camp I am going to be, Serge Sargsyan’s or Levon
Ter-Petrosyan. I am telling you I am a free wolf of the free Marxist
pack. My prey is my people’s prey, my people’s prey is my prey," the
Marxist announced in Maugli’s words in Russian. At the same time, the
Marxist says he will help both Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Serge Sargsyan
if they need his help. Hakobyan says no political camp accepts him
because they feel as if under pressure beside him. The Marxist says
neither Serge Sargsyan’s camp nor Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s camp invited
him. Davit Hakobyan was especially insulted by Ter-Petrosyan who met
with every political nonentity but hid not invite him for a meeting.

"I am saying this because I was the first to appeal with great pathos
for unity, from Communists to the All-Armenian Movement. I urged not
to be like samurais. In the first stage it is necessary to overthrow
the Vikings to hold a fair election in the second stage because I
know the handwriting of the Republicans which can be described with
two words: lie and theft," says the chief Marxist.

"My struggle, as Hitler put it, mein Kampf, is against political
illiteracy. Today 90 percent of politicians are illiterate," Davit
Hakobyan says. He says Armenia needs serious politicians. "A leader
leads a nation and not a vulgar political simpleton," Davit Hakobyan
says.

He says the candidate who will resort to fraud and ballot staffing is
his rival. Davit Hakobyan says he will be elected to the second round
of the presidential election if there is no fraud. And if he has to
support either Serge Sargsyan or Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Davit Hakobyan
says he will probably support Levon Ter-Petrosyan. However, he has a
precondition, saying that he must shape Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s retinue.

Turkey and Armenia

Genocidal follies

Oct 4th 2007 | ISTANBUL AND YEREVAN
>From The Economist print edition

The trouble that might flow from an American congressional resolution

A RECENT evening in Istanbul, Turkey’s (and Europe’s) biggest city.
Armenia’s leading musician, Djivan Gasparyan, is playing his duduk, an
Anatolian-style clarinet, as Yavuz Bingol, an ethnic Kurd, belts out Turkish
folksongs. The event symbolises a budding rapprochement between ordinary
Turks and Armenians. But America’s Congress may now torpedo this fragile
process by voting for a bill calling the mass slaughter of up to 1m Ottoman
Armenians in 1915 a genocide.

Turkey has squashed previous attempts to pass such a bill by exploiting its
strategic significance and its clout as NATO’s only Muslim member. This time
officials fret that not only will a congressional committee approve the
resolution but also it may pass on the House floor. Turkey says that this
would plunge relations with America into deep crisis. "Placing the Turks in
the same category as Nazis is intolerable for us," says one official.

Possible retaliatory measures might include denying the Americans the use of
the Incirlik airbase in southern Turkey, which is a hub for the supply of
non-combat materiel for American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Turkey
could also seal its land border with Iraq. With positive Turkish views of
America at a low of only 11%, according to a recent German Marshall Fund
poll, such moves might give nationalists in Turkey a big boost.

Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, whose Californian district includes many
rich Armenians, is unswayed by pleas to back down. Eight former secretaries
of state have written to her to argue that, besides endangering "our
national security interests", the bill would kill "some hopeful signs
already that both parties are engaging each other". Vartan Oskanian,
Armenia’s foreign minister, retorts that "expressing concern about a process
that doesn’t exist is disingenuous". His own recent meeting with his Turkish
counterpart, Ali Babacan, in New York got nowhere.

Turkey has no diplomatic ties with Armenia and refuses to open its border
with the landlocked ex-Soviet republic. This was sealed in 1993 after
Armenia occupied a chunk of Azerbaijan in a vicious little war. Air links
have been restored, however, and recently Turkish diplomats have hinted at a
more dramatic move: formalising ties, over the objections of a vocal Azeri
lobby in Turkey, not to mention those of its hawkish generals. In exchange
Armenia would have to recognise its border with Turkey and make some
conciliatory gesture towards Azerbaijan.

Armenia counters that it wants to restore relations "without preconditions".
That is because of a widespread suspicion that Turkey is feigning change
merely to derail the genocide resolution. If Turkey were sincere, say the
Armenians, it would scrap article 301 of the penal code, under which
intellectuals have been prosecuted for daring to call the Armenian tragedy a
genocide. On October 3rd Turkey’s new president, Abdullah Gul, duly called
for changes to article 301 in a speech to the Council of Europe.

Turks claim that they want to delink the issues. As one official puts it,
"we strongly believe in decoupling our ties with Armenia from the genocide
bill and feel that over time the relationship will flourish on its own
merits." Should the bill be adopted in Congress, though, a change in policy
would become impossible because of the nationalist passions it would stoke.
These worries are shared by Turkey’s Armenians, still reeling from the
murder in January of an ethnic Armenian newspaper editor, Hrant Dink. Mr
Dink’s lawyers claim that the nationalist teenager who shot him was acting
under orders from rogue elements within the security forces.

David Shahnazarian, a former chief of Armenia’s National Security Council,
complains that Western countries are using the genocide issue to promote
their own agenda. "In the case of France, it is to keep Turkey out of the
EU," he says. The massacre of a million civilians is a matter in which Turks
should arrive at the truth on their own. But as Mr Gul has partly conceded,
that may necessitate an end to article 301’s restrictions on free speech.

"ECHO": OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY TO LEARN ARMENIA’S ACTIONS ON OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

demaz.org, Azerbaijan
Oct 3 2007

September 29, in Slovenia, autumn session of OSCE parliamentary
assembly started. It finished October 2. Vice speaker of Azerbaijani
parliament, Bahar Muradova, and deputy, Azay Guliyev, represent out
country there.

Agenda of the event included number of issues connected with
Azerbaijan. Particularly, hearings on energetic security were held
during which the issue on alternative energy suppliers to the number of
Azerbaijan is included was touched upon. Within the frames of session,
Mediterranean Forum joined by Azerbaijani delegation was also held. We
should remind here that previous session of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
was held in Malta.

Special envoy of acting OSCE chairman, Hosep Borrel, declared at the
meeting of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly that "for South Caucasian
region regulation of such conflicts as Nagorni Garabagh one is of
utmost importance".

Azerbaijani delegation declared about intention of our representatives
to raise the issue of firing opened at Azerbaijani territories,
burning of forests and destruction of cultural monuments by Armenians.

Head of Azerbaijani delegation, Bahar Muradova, declared that within
the frames of autumn session of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly chairman
of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Goran Lennmarker, would make report
on Nagorni Garabagh. "Report reflected situation concerning process
of regulation of Nagorni Garabagh conflict", said Muradova. Chairman
of OSCE PA is also special rapporteur on Nagorni Garabagh conflict.

He made special report on conflict, however, it hasn’t been discussed
at session of OSCE PA for many years.

Muradova also informed that Goran Lennmarker’s visit is expected to
the region, but date is not known. Moreover, in near future secretary
general of OSCE PA, Spenser Oliver, will come to the countries of
South Caucasus.

AZERBAIJAN’S KARABAKH LIBERATION ORGANIZATION TO PROTEST AGAINST ARMENIAN MPS’ VISIT TO BAKU

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr S. Ilhamgizi / Azerbaijan’s Karabakh
Liberation Organization (KLO) will hold protest actions against
arrival of Armenian MPs in Baku, the Chairman of the KLO, Akif Naghi,
said on 2 October.

The meeting of the Culture, Education and Science Committee of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation’s (BSEC) Parliamentary Assembly to
take place in Baku from 3 to 4 October is expected to be attended by
the MPs from Armenia. If it is certin that the representatives from
Armenia are to participate in the conference, a protest action will be
held in front of Gulustan Palace, where the conference will be held,
Naghi said.

According to him, the organization believes Armenian officials’ visits
to Azerbaijan, as well as mollification of the official Baku’s attitude
towards the aggressor country, does not correspond with Azerbaijan’s
national interests.

KLO had planned to hold a protest action before Armenians
participated in the meeting of the CIS Interior Ministers in Baku on
6 September. Police banned the action.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988
due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven neighbouring Districts. Since 1992, these
territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time
the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE and Minsk Group
( Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

The KLO was established in Baku on 28 January 2000, with the objective
of a public struggle for the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh. KLO
unites representatives of intelligentsia, refugees and Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs), old and young people as well as former
military soldiers.

–Boundary_(ID_MJEjMyE+tB2YFOmK426o/g)- –

BAKU POSES OBSTACLES FOR PACE DELEGATION VISIT TO KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.10.2007 17:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Lord Russell-Johnston, Chairman of the PACE Ad-hoc
Committee on Nagorno Karabakh, met today in Strasbourg with heads of
the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations to PACE, Davit Harutyunyan
and Samed Seyidov.

As it became known, the visit of the PACE delegation to Karabakh
scheduled for October 8-12 was frustrated by the Azeri side, which
demanded that the delegation should head for Karabakh via Azerbaijan.

Noting the importance of visits to Nagorno Karabakh, Davit Harutyunyan
emphasized that Azerbaijan creates artificial obstacles. "This time
Azerbaijan found fault in the visit format. However, for many years
representatives of international organizations, including PACE,
went to Karabakh via Armenia," he reminded.

Lord Russel Johnson with regret announced cancellation of the visit.

It’s known yet how the situation will develop, the RA NA press office
reported.

REPRESENTATIVE OF ARFD: AN ARRANGEMENT ON HOLDING ELECTION CAMPAIGN WITHIN THE FRAMES OF IDEOLOGICAL FIGHT WAS MADE AT THE MEETING WITH THE FIRST ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 1 2007

ArmInfo. ‘An arrangement on holding election campaign within the
frames of ideological fight was made at the meeting of our party
representatives with the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan’,
– representative of the ARF Dashnaktiutyun Spartak Seyranyan said
over the debates in Hayeli club, Monday.

At the same he added that possible running of the ex-president
for president will not enhance the ideological factor over the
campaign. ‘Everybody should understand that the political fight in
every civilized state should be held within the frames of certain
standards. At the same time we don’t forget our ideological and
political disagreements with Armenian Pan-National Movement. For
instance, I could say much about the APNM and Ter-Petrosyan, but I
won’t do that because we arranged’, – Seyranyan said.

When commenting on the meeting of the ex-president with representatives
of the ARFD Seyranyan added: ‘By this visit Ter-Petrosyan demonstrated
seriousness of his intentions, and said he is going to run for
president. And we demonstrated that we are not guided with emotions
in our political activity. We could meet several years ago and
it would be better. At present the history of relations between
Dashnaktiutyun and APNM did not become a topic of discussion at the
passed consultations. In the APNM nobody suffers of forgetfulness,
but at present stage there are more serious topics for discussion’.

To recall, on 28 December 1994 activity of the ARF Dashnaktiutyun was
stopped as it was accused of preparing terrorist actions and an attempt
of assumption of power. The party was "rehabilitated" on;y in 1998 when
Robert Kocharyan came to power. Representatives of APNM and ARFD used
to make statements against each other over the last years. but last
Saturday the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan suddenly
visited the office of ARFD and held consultations there which lasted
for 40 minutes.

VIOLENCE AGAINST REPORTERS BECOMING AN ELEMENT OF OUR EVERYDAY CULTURE

Panorama.am
17:54 25/09/2007

Armenian human rights ombudsman, Armen Harutunyan, spoke about
violence against reporters during a meeting with reporters today. He
particularly spoke about the incident against Hovanes Galajyan,
editor of "Real Right" newspaper. In the words of Armen Harutunyan,
it seems that violence against reporters is becoming an element of
our everyday culture.

"Our subconscious is getting used to the situation. I think it
is very dangerous," the human right ombudsman said also saying
article 10 of European Convention of Human Rights is endangered. The
ombudsman appealed to law enforcement bodies to be much more serious
and consistent.

OLD RIVAL DISMAYED BY UNREPENTANT TER-PETROSIAN
By Karine Kalantarian and Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Sept 25 2007

Opposition leader Vazgen Manukian expressed on Tuesday dismay at
Levon Ter-Petrosian’s first public speech in a decade, saying that
the former president failed to admit his responsibility for serious
political and economic problems facing Armenia today.

Addressing hundreds of supporters on Friday, Ter-Petrosian referred
to the Armenian government as an "institutionalized mafia-style regime
which has plunged us into the ranks of third world counties."

He accused the administration of President Robert Kocharian of
rigging elections, violating laws, engaging in corrupt practices and
restricting civil liberties.

"To be honest, I am disappointed because Levon Ter-Petrosian faced
the same accusations, made in stronger or softer terms, during his
presidency," Manukian told RFE/RL. "He should have structured his
speech in a different way. He should have shown the roots [of those
problems,] he should have given explanations."

"It can be inferred [from his speech] that what is wrong today was
right in the past," he said. "It turned out that nothing has changed in
[Ter-Petrosian’s] team in ten years."

Ter-Petrosian critics believe in particular that Armenia’s culture of
electoral fraud emerged during his eight-year rule. They specifically
point to the conduct of the disputed September 1996 presidential
election criticized as deeply flawed by Western observers.

Ter-Petrosian sent tanks to the streets of Yerevan to quell violent
opposition protests against the official vote results which showed
him narrowly defeating Manukian, the then main opposition candidate.

Manukian still claims to be the rightful winner of the vote.

The bitter standoff was the culmination of mutual antipathy that
Ter-Petrosian and Manukian developed during the first years of
Armenia’s independence. The two former scholars became the top leaders
of the 1988 movement for Armenia’s unification with Nagorno-Karabakh
before jointly heading the country’s first post-Communist government
in 1990.

Manukian, who is also highly critical of Kocharian, may have extended
an olive branch to Ter-Petrosian early this year when he agreed in
principle to make his National Democratic Union (AZhM) part of an
opposition electoral alliance comprising the former ruling Armenian
Pan-National Movement (HHSH). Talks over the formation of such a bloc
collapsed for reasons unrelated to the past rivalry between the AZhM
and the HHSh.

Manukian, who intends to contest next year’s presidential election,
claimed that Ter-Petrosian’s possible participation in the vote would
make it easier for the authorities to legitimize a planned transfer
of power from Kocharian to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.

Ter-Petrosian loyalists make similar claims about Manukian, saying
that his presidential run would further split the opposition vote
and thereby benefit Sarkisian.

Vahagn Khachatrian, a Ter-Petrosian associate who leads the opposition
Aylentrank (Alternative) movement, said on Tuesday that the former
president will act with a "totally new team" if he decides to join
the presidential race. He said that team will include not only the
HHSh, Aylentrank and the radical opposition Hanrapetutyun (Republic)
party but also the People’s Party of Stepan Demirchian, Kocharian’s
main challenger in the last presidential election.

Ter-Petrosian said on Friday that he has still not decided whether
to run for president. He argued that pervasive government control of
electronic media would make it very hard for him to get his message
across.

Victor Dallakian, a veteran opposition parliamentarian, predicted
on Tuesday that the 62-year-old ex-president will after all enter
the fray. "Common sense suggests that after such tough evaluations
of the situation in the country the first president of the republic
should run," he told reporters.

DEFENSE MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN CALLED ON THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL TO EXPRESS ITS ATTITUDE TO BREACHING OF CFE TERMS BY ARMENIA
Translated by Pavel Pushkin

Agency WPS
Turan news agency (Baku)
September 17, 2007 Monday
Russia

DEFENSE and SECURITY

Breaching the terms of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE),
Armenia has armament and ammunition arsenals much bigger than its
quota. Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, Safar Abiev, announced this at
today’s meeting with members of the committee of inter-parliamentary
cooperation European Union-South Caucasus. The major part of
these arsenals is placed on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
without any registration and control. Abiev called on international
organizations including the European Union to express a "principal
attitude" to this issue. All these circumstances forces Azerbaijan
to take the "necessary measures." Abiev threatens that tolerance
of Azerbaijan is not infinite. He said, "Both from the economic
and political standpoints, Azerbaijan can restore its territorial
integrity."

The Statesman, India
Monday, 24 September 2007

Anand close to another title

Press Trust of India

Mexico City, Sept. 23: Viswanathan Anand would be
aiming for a complete rout when he takes on Levon
Aronian of Armenia in the ninth round of the World
Chess Championship here.
The Indian ace has displayed fine technique so far,
and it looks he is set to regain the world crown he
won last in 2000.
According to experts, Anand will just need a couple of
victories more to win the championship and he looks in
fine fettle to achieve them if the games thus far are
any indication.
The `Tiger from Madras’, as he is fondly referred to,
will look forward to his second triumph over Aronian
here, having beaten him earlier in the third-round
clash. The championship is being played in a double
round robin format among eight players.
After the first eight rounds, Anand is on 5.5 points,
half-a-point ahead of nearest contender Boris Gelfand
of Israel. Interestingly, both these players happen to
be the oldest players in the championship at 37 and 39
years respectively.
While the experts rule out a Gelfand victory,
defending champion Vladimir Kramnik remains the
biggest threat for Anand in their opinion, despite
being a full point behind the Indian with only six
games to come. `It depends, Kramnik will have to win
some games and with a little luck he can be right
there, also he is known to peak towards the end only,’
opined a GM.
While Kramnik is alone at the third position, the
choices to pick a winner other than him, Gelfand and
Anand, are almost non existent at this point.