Author: Hunanian Jack

ALIYEV-KOCHARIAN MEETING WAS DOOMED TO FAILURE – ARMENIAN ANALYST
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Aug 30 2005
Baku, August 29, AssA-Irada
The meeting of the Azeri and Armenian presidents Ilham Aliyev
and Robert Kocharian held last Saturday was ‘doomed to failure’, a
well-known Armenian political analyst said. “The meeting, held within
the CIS summit in Kazan, Russia certainly means some progress. But
both Aliyev and Kocharian understood well that it would be extremely
difficult to agree upon anything on the eve of the parliament
election in Azerbaijan”, Andranik Migranian told Russian media.
“The pre-election situation has heated up in Azerbaijan so much that
any talk of compromises is harshly disapproved there. The meeting
was therefore doomed to fail beforehand.” Asked what Azerbaijan and
Armenia should do to achieve success in the conflict settlement,
Migranian said that ‘the conflicting sides themselves cannot do
anything on their own’. “In this case, the decision may be imposed by
the international community or the status quo in the current situation
will remain. This may continue until one of the sides decides that
it is strong enough to solve the problem through military action.”
The analyst said that certain progress in the conflict resolution
could be achieved if superpowers ‘imposed a compromise solution on
the conflicting sides’. “Without this decision, it is difficult for
the authorities of Azerbaijan and Armenia to explain to their own
electorate why they would accept such unfavorable concessions.”
Asked if Russia may step up its mediating role in the conflict
settlement, Migranian said this country is involved in the process
anyway. “However, Russia’s current potential does not allow doing
more that it is doing now.” “Russia has limited financial, economic
and military-political potential, not to mention the fact that it has
almost lost its influence in Georgia and Azerbaijan…Many do not see
Russia as a country that has a key to the resolution of the Garabagh
problem any more. Azerbaijan binds greater hopes for Washington or
Brussels rather than Moscow in this respect.” The analyst said that
the increase of Azerbaijan’s military spending stated by President
Ilham Aliyev earlier is a ‘move aimed at pressuring Armenia’.
Migranian did not rule out that the Azeri government is ‘tempted to
make a decision to fight back’. “When they build up certain military
potential, they may resort to fighting back”, he said.*

COMPENSATION TO THOSE DISMISSED
A1+
| 13:56:05 | 30-08-2005 | Social |
The World Bank assigned $1 million 170 thousand for the program
supporting those dismissed due to the optimization of the general
education system.
The dismissed teachers will be rendered consultative and psychological
services. Those teachers, who wish to acquire a new profession will
be trained in accord with the market demand.
Till today 2000 teachers have been registered in the regional
employment centers. According to Deputy Minister of Science and
Education Norayr Ghukasyan, this figure does not coincide with the
real number of the dismissed teachers. As N. Ghukasyan told Tsayg TV
company, violations were fixed in the Shirak region, after what 10
million AMD was levied.
Head of the Gyumri employment center Amalia Badalyan confirmed that
violations were committed by school directors. There were also cases
when teachers did not get the salary fixed for them.
Only 206 out of 915 teachers were registered in the Gyumri employment
center. The others received consultative support. 91 teachers got
material assistance totaling in 9 million 210 thousand AMD. 2 million
732 was assigned 15 teachers, who were sent on mission to villages,
received teacher. To note, the program will last till 2007.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Malaysia Star, Malaysia
Aug 29 2005
Diversity the heart of unity
By MANGAI BALASEGARAM
EVERY now and then when I travel overseas, someone will say – or even
sing – `Malaysia, truly Asia’ to me. People certainly have been sold
by the country’s promotional ad on CNN. My Danish friend Pernille,
who lives in Manila, routinely asks me, with a little giggle: `So how
is Malaysia truly Asia?’ Corny as it may be, people don’t seem to
tire of that phrase.
Some people have asked me to explain exactly what it means. Others
who know multiracial Malaysia have told me something along the lines
of, `That’s one of the best things about Malaysia – the way all these
different people live side by side. That, and the food.’
Our multiracial mix seems to be one of our best selling points. It’s
our strength and wealth. It makes us unique among our neighbours.
So tell me, how come we don’t always see it ourselves? How come some
of us never see beyond our differences? How come some of us separate
ourselves so much from other races? As Merdeka approaches again, it’s
timely that we reflect on this again.
We identify ourselves so much by our `own’ race. Have you ever
considered that you also `own’ a part of the other races? If you are
Chinese, is it possible to feel a little Indian at times? Or if you
are Malay, can you have a little Chinese in you?

Ours is a history of rich racial and cultural diversity, which is
what Malaysia is today.
Don’t laugh. The idea is less absurd than it sounds. When I first
went to Britain, it was Chinese food that I missed most. Especially
wan ton mee and that preserved fruit delicacy, mo far kor. This used
to really puzzle a couple of Hong Kong Chinese who I knew.
For some time now, I have been calling myself `Malaysian’. That’s not
to say that supersedes my Tamil ethnicity – it doesn’t. But
`Malaysian’ is simply more inclusive of all the different elements of
the environment that I was raised in.
Anyway, as I’ve said before in this column, I find this simple
division of Malay, Chinese, Indian and lain-lain ridiculous. Because
most people are not that simple – they’re much more specific and
complex. For example, I’m in the Indian category, but my forefathers
actually came from Sri Lanka – or, to be precise, a tiny island of
this island.
Another example. A celebrated `Malay’ writer I know actually has no
Malay blood (and is not reluctant to say it either), but is a mix of
Javanese, Arab and Chinese.
Thinking along generalities makes us forget how heterogeneous we are.
Maybe the politicos and demographers find it easier, but it’s really
terribly imprecise, let alone racially divisive. The idea of a `pure’
race is a complete fallacy. Half the time, such talk simply serves
political purposes. (Remember Adolf Hitler?)
Take the English `race’. It’s actually a mix of Celts, Angles,
Saxons, Vikings and much more. Interestingly, in the north of
Britain, you can find local words of Scandinavian origin. Or take Sri
Lanka. Arab traders have been going there for over 2,500 years. The
tiny island of this island from which my forefathers originated bears
foreign influence in its name – it is called Delft, after the Dutch
who once ruled it.
There’s been all kinds of mixing. Many European languages have some
of their origins in Sanskrit. (The common heritage of Welsh and Hindi
– which have similar-sounding accents – was discussed in a BBC
article). Finnish is related not to Scandinavian languages but
Hungarian (the Finno-Ugric languages), which is spoken at the other
end of Europe!
History is all about the movement of people. (Remember, we’re all
supposed to have come from original man in Africa?)
The history of regional trade and migration in Malaysia dates back
thousands of years. Archaeological remains of 2,500-year-old Chinese
ceramics have been found in Sarawak. And ruins of Indian temples in
Kedah are just as old.
In the last few centuries, people from all over the place have
arrived on these shores. Once there were Jews here – there’s a Jewish
cemetery in Penang. There was even an Armenian community. In fact, it
was two Armenians, the Sarkies brothers, who built the Raffles Hotel
in Singapore and the E&O Hotel in Penang.
Our history is rich with such influence. Multiracial Malaysia, my
friends, is not new. And it is still very much alive. Yet some among
us refuse to accept this reality. On the eve of our 48th birthday,
don’t you think it’s about time that we really embrace and celebrate
our diversity?
The sooner we get beyond race and think `Malaysia’, the quicker this
country can progress. And then we really will be Malaysia truly Asia.

Mangai Balasegaram is a journalist who stubbornly remains an
optimist, despite more than a decade of working on bad news. She
still believes it is possible to change the world, if only by
changing the perspective a little bit. Send your feedback to
[email protected].
;sec=lifefocus

KOCHARYAN MADE CONCESSIONS IN VAIN
SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, August 24, 2005, pp. 1, 5
by Yury Simonyan, Sokhbet Mamedov
GEORGIA DOESN’T CARE ABOUT THE INTERESTS OF NEIGHBORS IN THE SOUTH
CAUCASUS
The Georgian authorities once again deliberately demonstrated that
they care little for the interests of their neighbors in the South
Caucasus. This was made clear at the close of the Eternity 2005 staff
command exercises, organized this week in Tbilisi on the basis of the
National Military Academy of the Georgian Defense Ministry for Russia
and its only military ally in the region Armenia. The exercises were
dedicated to guarding the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline.
Interestingly, this happened right after the two-day meeting of
presidents Mikhail Saakashvili and Robert Kocharyan, which analysts
took primarily as a demonstration of obvious establishment of closer
relations between Yerevan and Tbilisi. However, reality is evidently
a little bit different. Georgia seems to take into account Kocharyan
but until a certain limit.
The military exercises in Tbilisi that will last until the end of the
week include 52 officers of the armed forces of Georgia, Azerbaijan
and Turkey. Turkey finances the exercises. In the course of the
exercises servicemen of the three countries the territories of which
are crossed by the pipeline route are trained to act in emergency
situations in case of appearance of a threat to the BTC. A special
program makes provisions for their training to act efficiently in
case of terrorist acts and subversions. It was planned that military
specialists of the neighboring countries participating in the BTC
project would take part in the exercises in Tbilisi at least as
observers. In the special press release of the Georgian Defense
Ministry it was reported that the relevant invitations would be sent
to the military attaches of all diplomatic missions accredited in
Tbilisi. However, it seemed that organizers of the exercises changed
their mind at the very last moment.
Moscow takes the fact of closing of these exercises for
representatives of Russia as another unfriendly step of the Georgian
authorities. Alexei Bogaturov, deputy general director of the
International Security Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences,
told us, “Everything is clear at this point.” Bogaturov added,
“Overall, I don’t know a single expert or analyst who has hoped that
Georgian authorities may invite Russia party to such an event.
Actions of Tbilisi fully correspond to the line pursued by Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili. Georgian authorities want a halt to
military relations with Russia, have achieved withdrawal of Russian
bases from Georgian territory and its does not make sense for
Saakashvili to invite Russia to any joint actions and even to inform
Moscow about his plans. The German President has an absolutely
different logic. He wants to show that political activeness of not
only Georgia but also all Transcaucasian countries is quite possible
and profitable (both in political and military aspects) even without
participation of Russia. Saakashvili is permanently trying to create
a kind of illusory anti-Russian “resistance front.” Along with this,
he himself does not quite understand to what he needs to resist and
what is the prospect of such front. He simply wants very much to be a
member of at least something and not a simple member but an initiator
of a new coalition.”
Azerbaijan preferred not to notice the action of the Georgian party
because the problem of security of the BTC was much more important.
With regard to possible threats to the $3-billion project, Baku sees
at least two such threats. First, these are possible subversions at
the pipeline on the part of various terrorist organizations. Second,
this is unregulated Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Incidentally,
Steven Mann, advisor on energy resources to the US State Department,
points to this conflict too. In a recent interview with us in Baku,
Mann said directly that peaceful solution of the problem of
Nagorno-Karabakh was the most important condition for provision of
security of the BTC project.
Taking into account these threats diseased President of Azerbaijan
Geidar Aliev issued a special decree on April 20, 2002, on working
out of measures for production of the BTC. At the same time
responsibility for guarding of the BTC was laid on the State Security
Service headed by General Vagif Akhundov.
In any case, later Baku decided that the measures taken were
insufficient for protection of the pipeline. Because shares of the
company that has built the BTC belong primarily to Western
corporations, especially American and British ones, defense
ministries and special services of the West start taking an active
part in provision of security of the pipeline. Frequent visits to
Baku of US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, commander of NATO
forces in Europe General James Jones and top-ranking officers of the
Turkish Armed Forces are intended to lay the foundation for creation
of Caspian Guard in Azerbaijan. These will be special forces to
provide for security in the entire Caspian region. The role of the
outpost of the European command of the US, whose zone of
responsibility includes the Caspian region, is prepared for Caspian
Guard. The US government plans to spend approximately $100 million on
creation and functioning of this structure in the next ten years.
According to available information, headquarters of Caspian Guard
equipped with the most modern radar will be located in Baku.
Azerbaijan also does not object to the plans of Pentagon to deploy
American mobile rapid response groups in the territory of the country
in the framework of this program. Analysts expect that very soon
President of Azerbaijan Ilkham Aliev will make the relevant political
decision. Now Baku prefers not to speak about Russia’s interests in
the region controlled by American soldiers.
Translated by Pavel Pushkin

British man stabbed to death in Jerusalem

The Independent – United Kingdom; Aug 26, 2005
Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem
Police were last night hunting a lone Arab who stabbed to death a
21-year-old British Jew and wounded another as they returned from
praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Shmuel Mett, from Golders Green, north London, was stabbed to death
with a kitchen knife two months before he was due to get married in
England.
Mr Mett, an ultra-Orthodox rabbinical student at Jerusalem’s Mir
Yeshiva religious college, was with his close friend Sam Weissbart,
22, also from Golders Green, when the attack happened on David
Street. Mr Weissbart, also a yeshiva student, was stabbed but escaped
to a nearby police station. He was recovering yesterday in the Shaare
Zedek hospital.
David Street, one of the main alleys leading into the heart of the Old
City, runs through the Christian Quarter, which is mainly populated by
Christian Arabs. But Jews frequently go through it to pray at the
Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, without being attacked or
threatened.
Relatives of Mr Weissbart said that a man jumped out at him shouting
something he could not understand.
He said that he thought he had been punched before realising that he
was bleeding from a wound just above the hip bone. He had not seen
what had happened to Mr Mett, whom he had known from childhood.
The murder was caught on one of the many CCTV cameras throughout the
Old City and police were reported to be taking a photograph of the
assailant round the neighbourhood in an effort to find him. Police
said last night that a third yeshiva student, whom they did not
identify, had been walking with the two men and had come forward to
give information.
The dead man’s parents, Percy and Judith, flew immediately to Israel
from London for the funeral yesterday evening at the Mir Yeshiva in
the ultra orthodox Beit Israel neighbourhood. More than 1,000 yeshiva
students and local residents attended the funeral, conducted in
Yiddish and Hebrew, along with eminent scholars and leading rabbis
attached to the yeshiva. Mir Yeshiva is currently on holiday but is
normally attended by 400 to 500 students and is one of the leading
centre of Talmudic scholarship in world Jewry.
One leading mourner sobbed as he cried out in Yiddish: ‘Why do the
disciples of the wise die when they are so small?’ Mr Mett’s fiance,
Dina Rosenfeld, whom he was due to marry in two months, was understood
to have remained in London.
Earlier, Daniel Harrington, a 22-year-old American traveller from
Spokane, Washington, said he had heard a ‘commotion’ at around 8.30pm
on Wednesday and had left the Petra hostel where he was staying to see
what had happened. He said that he had been at the scene for about
four minutes when the police arrived and started to move people back.
Mr Harrington said the blade appeared to be in Mr Mett’s stomach and
that there appeared to be blood running from a second wound on his
leg. He added: ‘When I arrived he was still breathing and he had
colour, but by the time the police moved me on he was as white as a
sheet.’ Students at the yeshiva, largely foreigners unable to go home
for the August break, were among demonstrators on Wednesday evening at
the Hadassah Ein Karem hospital where Mr Mett had been taken,
protesting at reported police plans to hold an autopsy, which
ultra-Orthodox Jews regard as forbidden by their religion.
In the face of the protests ” and the resistance of Mr Mett’s sister,
who lives in Israel ” police announced yesterday morning that they
would not be holding an autopsy but instead there would be a ‘visual
inspection’ of Mr Mett’s wounds by a doctor approved by the dead man’s
family.
At the yeshiva, fellow students, who declined to give their names,
spoke of Mr Mett as a ‘smiley, quiet, boy who was very serious about
studies’. One student, also from Golders Green, said: ‘Shmuel was one
of those people who was impossible to dislike. This is a tragic,
tragic thing.’ The student said that both Mr Mett and Mr Weissbart had
regularly attended the Hagers synagogue in Golders Green.
One family friend, who asked for his name not to be used, said: ‘Sam
couldn’t sleep last night. He said that when he shut his eyes he saw
the man jumping out at him shouting.’ One of Mr Weissbart’s cousins
Noah Feld, said both men ” who had been friends since attending Pardes
House school in Golders Green and had been together at the Gateshead
Yeshiva before coming to Israel ” ‘wouldn’t hurt a fly. They were
gentle, special people’.
Mr Feld said Mr Weissbart had managed to reach the police station at
the Armenian quarter about 300 yards from where the attack took place
in David Street, where a small group of ultra-Orthodox mourners
gathered to pray yesterday afternoon.
Yoram Halevy, commander of the Old City’s police station, said a
Palestinian carried out the stabbings. Police said the attack was
‘nationally’ motivated.

TURKMEN CRISIS IN THE IRAQI CONSTITUTION ON THE WAY
by Mahir Nakip
Zaman, Turkey
Aug 24 2005
According to Arab, Turkish and Western sources, Muslim convert Turkmen
breaking away from Central Asia started to immigrate to Iraq during
the last decades of the Abbasids and settled in central and northern
Iraq as tribes during the Seljuk era in 1055.
The Kizilbash (literally “redhead”) Turkmen were attached to these
settlements during the Safavi dynasty and they composed the basis of
today’s Shiite Turkmen society in the region. According to Kerkuk
(Kirkuk) demographic records prepared by Matrakci Nasuh, clerk
of Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent when the Ottoman army
was returning from the Bagdat (Baghdad) conquest through Kirkuk,
Turkmen living on the Baghdad-Kirkuk route were Kizilbash and those
living in the Kirkuk Castle were Sunni. Immigration from Anatolia
to northern Iraq has been low since it began after Ottoman Sultan
Murad IV’s re-conquest of Baghdad. Those emigrating from Anatolia
to northern Iraq settled in Musul (Mosul), Erbil (Arbil), Kirkuk,
and Baghdad. Thus, current Turkmen settlements begin with Tel Afar,
which is near the Iraq-Syria-Turkey border, go through Mosul and Arbil,
and intensify in Altunkopru, Kirkuk, Dakuk, and Tuzhurmati. They lose
density in Hanekin and Mendeli close to the Iranian border of central
Iraq. The geographical band created by the Turkmen population includes
a buffer zone clearly separating the Kurdish region from the Arab
region. Turkmen live intermingled with Kurdish and Arab societies in
settlements near this band.
Turkey’s Turkmen policy
British control dominant in the region in 1918 perceived Turkmen as
descendants of the Ottoman Empire and the young Republic of Turkey
after 1924. Yet, it did not ban the use of Turkish as the official
language in Turkmen public offices, schools, courts, and press because
of a necessity felt for it. Treatment during the period of the kingdom
was no different to this. However, the Iraqi Communist Party trying to
seize power after proclaiming of a republic on 14 July 1958 reached an
agreement with some Kurdish political groups, who were their equivalent
and viewed Turkmen as potential spies working on behalf of Turkey. They
also accused them of being Turanists (ultra-nationalists) and Turkey
followers. Former Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes had ensured
Turkey’s acceptance as a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
member by pursuing a pro-American policy against the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics (USSR). Accusations directed against Turkmen at
that time can be seen as the outcome of Turkey’s pro-American policy.
The main reason of the Turkmen’s exile from Kirkuk to the south firstly
by the Baath Party in 1968 and secondly by Saddam Hussein in 1979 was
to banish them from oil resources and Turkey’s borders. As a matter
of fact, when Saddam ordered the execution of four prominent Turkmen
in 1980, Turkey was disturbed by these executions. If Turkey still had
citizens in Iraq from the Ottoman times, it should come and take them;
said Saddam during a television broadcast after hearing that Turkey
was disturbed by the executions.
Developments after the March 2003 war confirmed the above opinion. It
was observed that Turkmen, who were rapidly becoming organized, had
brought their Iraqi identity to the foreground in all their political
formations. All statements by these political formations aimed at
Iraq’s territorial integrity and the Iraqi people’s brotherhood. They
did not lower Iraqi flags, loot state buildings, and start fires
around in Kirkuk, Tuzhurmatu, and Tel Afar, where their population
density is high. As a result, there was almost no Turkmen among those
captured for petty offences and imprisoned during this period. Indeed,
Turkmen also neither resisted nor took up arms against the Baghdad
administration in earlier political periods. They never organized
secret organizations either for independence or to bind them to
another country. It has not even been recorded in various histories
that Turkmen killed either an Arab or a Kurd for political reasons,
although they have been subjected to many massacres by other societies
in Iraq. That is to say, although others have violated their rights,
Turkmen have never violated the rights of Arabs or Kurds. Turkmen
are known as pacifists, intellectuals and the learned society in
Iraq. They have never taken part in fanatic political streams during
the last 100 years. For instance, as Arabs and Kurds have acquired a
communist party, Turkmen have never had a communist party. They have
also never become a member of the Iraqi Communist Party, which has
displayed considerable political activity in Iraq.
Today, there are only a few Islamic Turkmen parties and they have
never been seen being involved in fanatic political acts.
Currently, three different Turkmen political masses are marked on
the Iraqi political terrain. They are nationalists, Shiite-inclined
groups and those having close relations with Kurdish political
groups. These groups have a total of 15 seats in the Iraqi National
Assembly today. When observed their political programs, declarations
and rhetoric, and significant differences of opinion are visible, but
none of them has the notion or the inclination to separate from Iraq.
Turkmen within Iraq have not been able to form an official political
party before 2003 as Baghdad governments have refused to permit it.
Still, the Turkmen Brotherhood Hearth formed with the permission of
Baghdad in 1960, and Mosul and Arbil offices of this hearth contributed
to Turkmen uniting under the same roof and carrying out their cultural
existence. As Turkmen tried to preserve their national identity,
they also showed a unique example of democracy in Iraq.
This institution elected its president, executive boards and sub study
commissions in a democratic way until 1977. This platform even set the
stage for groups with a different understanding of public service to
encourage competition between them. The institution was handed over
to a controlled team forcefully and the anti-democratic method used
by Saddam’s order in 1977 prevented Turkmen from conducting activities
in a democratic environment.
No place for Turkmen in the new Iraqi constitution
When we collect all the significant data, we see that Turkmen
voluntarily respect Iraqi territorial integrity, and are far from
racist and fanatic or aggressive in their views; but are a democratic
society that is peaceful, cultivated, having no dispute with anyone.
In this case, Turkmen may be perceived as a plaster that may bond
Arabs and Kurds, smothering their extreme activities and fill the
emptiness and gaps between them. As they did in their former regions,
Turkmen may take the political role of a strong, impartial and just
bridge between the two societies. Turkmen may be accepted as a good
balancing element; moreover, they may arbitrate in some ways to the
controversial issues since half Turkmen are Shiites and the other
half are Sunni. The differences of the sects never divided the Turkmen.
Upon the current situation, what do Iraqi policy-makers or policy
engineers, in fact, think about Turkmen? The first draft of the
permanent Iraqi Constitution will be handed around; however, the
rights of Turkmen remained extremely under the rights given at the
interim Iraqi Administration Constitution that came into force two
years ago. I wonder why Turkmen are always excluded from the system.
Does their exclusion derive from all segments or is it the doing of
a certain segment? Undoubtedly, we know there are serious conflicts
between Arabs and Kurds and even among Arabs themselves. Sunni Arabs
already object to the inclusion of ethnicity in the constitution.
Shiite Arabs, on the other hand, oppose nationalism as a sect;
however, they look at Turkmen being registered as the third nation
affirmatively in order to oppose the Kurds. Since there are so many
controversial issues between Arabs and Kurds, most of them do not want
to become involved in a new controversial topic. Furthermore, as far
as it is seen, since Kurds and Shiites share many common interests,
both parties demand the adoption of a decision by compromise. Let
us get to the Kurds… It is obvious that the Barzani group looks
at Turkmen with a hostile attitude. The most delicate part of that
is the knot in the Kirkuk issue. If Kurds were not the majority in
Kirkuk, many hindrances for their acceptance as the third nation
would be removed today. According to Barzani’s team, if Turkmen are
considered as the third nation, Kurdistan’s annexation of Kirkuk will
be toughened. Since Turkmen will be perceived as an asset, they will
be required to sit at the table to reach a conclusion on Kirkuk’s
future. Turkmen’s fate seems mostly to be indexed to Kirkuk. Turkmen
should be regarded as a separate entity from the Kirkuk issue in
order to gain their rights. Turkmen being considered the same as
Keldoashuris, Armenians, Subbis and Yezidis whose total population
barely reach one million is also the messenger of a new conflict.
Then, instead of waving at least 2.5 million Turkmen aside by
underestimating or announcing them as a minority, and perceive them
as the third major element and oblige them to a mission and a duty it
may result in more beneficial consequences in terms of Iraq’s future
while settling democracy and providing permanent peace in Iraq. The
most legitimate ground for this will be the Iraqi Constitution that
is being prepared. Approving Turkmen as the third largest element in
the new Iraqi Constitution will provide all Turkmen the chance to say
“YES” in the referendum and will prevent their opposition after being
dragged into the equation without a doubt.
*Professor Mahir Nakip is Erciyes University Faculty Member

A SOCIETY IGNORANT IN JUDICATURE
By Susanna Margarian
AZG Armenian Daily #150
25/08/2005
Concern
“Most of the citizens applying to courts are illiterate and are
unaware of their rights and obligations”, Razmik Tovmasian, first
instance judge in Malatia-Sebastia borough of Yerevan, says. This
fact, he argues, immensely complicates the procedure, as neither
plaintiff nor respondent are able to convey their thoughts. “Though
we have convenient compound and good working conditions, the citizens’
ignorance of judicature throws us into despair”, says the judge adding
that citizens having applied to the court often get sidetracked,
going into unimportant details, even absurdities.
The judge cites evil tongues saying that there are even ignorant judges
in Armenia and asks: if this is the case, what should we expect from
common people? The reason our society is so ignorant in legal matters
is in its low standard of life, my interlocutor says with concern in
his voice. Most of the civil cases that Mr. Tovmasian investigates deal
with arguable issues connected with debts, apartment and land deals,
alimony payment, divorce etc. Most of criminal cases are minor theft
and drug taking.
It’s not hard to guess that most of Armenian citizens do not turn
to private lawyers to help them understand their interests and
laws. Though various international organizations try to promote basic
literacy in judicature, their work is reminiscent of spooning out
water from the sea.

AZG Armenian Daily #149, 24/08/2005
Home
‘PEOPLE ARE WELL AWARE OF OUR POLITICAL FIGURES’, ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN SAYS
Artur Baghdasarian, chairman of RA National Assembly, paid a working visit
to Vanadzor, on August 20. He met with the residents of the city at the
Vanadzor State Theater. They came to meet him and share their problems with
him. The Vanadzor people were concerned about such issues as the payment of
pensions, the salary raises, the prices for healthcare services, the
necessity to open school for aesthetic education for the children and many
other issues. Naturally, they were mostly concerned about launching
“Prometey” plant. Artur Baghdasarian also emphasized the importance of fully
launching this chemical plant, as in that case, that would be possible and
necessary to open a series of other relative plants. But Mr. Baghdasarian
said that the state isn’t capable of sponsoring its activities, at present.
The residents of the city were also concerned about issues of local and
personal character. They inquired from Mr. Baghdasarian about the order of
electing the mayor of Yerevan, as well. They expressed the idea that the
elections should be direct. Mr. Baghdasarian assured that the relevant
constitutional amendments do not envisage indirect elections only, but in
this case, the increase of the board’s members secures fair elections.
Vanadzor residents also inquired why the representatives of the opposition
hold aggressive speeches, while the coalition members seem to be refrain
from them. Artur Baghdasarian emphasized that the society has already
recognized the aggressive speakers and all the rest, adding that they are
well aware of the political figures of our country. Mr. Baghdasarian advised
to vote for the people who are really concerned about the bright future of
our country.
By Nana Petrosian

Foreign Minister Leaves for Moscow
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has left for Moscow to attend a
meeting of the CIS foreign ministers due on Tuesday.
Mammadyarov will meet with his Armenian counterpart Vardan Oskanian
in the Russian capital on Wednesday.
During the meeting to be attended by the co-chairs of the mediating
OSCE Minsk Group, the two ministers will exchange views on the
unresolved issues and preparations for the August 26 meeting of Azeri
and Armenian presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian in Kazan,
Russia on the sidelines of the CIS summit.

European official, Azeri media chiefs, rights activists discuss
Karabakh, polls
Lider TV, Baku
22 Aug 05

[Presenter] The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe [PACE] held his first meeting with human rights activists
and mass media chiefs today.
[Correspondent over video of closed doors] The meeting held behind
closed doors focused on the situation in the run-up to the [November
parliamentary] election in the country, the participation of NGOs in
the parliamentary election and the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.
[Unidentified rights activist] He listened to us. He did not express
his opinion. He only asked us questions and we answered them.
[Rights activist Saida Qocamanli] He familiarized himself with the
situation in the run-up to the election and the problem of political
prisoners. We assess positively the work carried out in this sphere by
a [presumably, PACE] working group which has been established
recently. Moreover, we drew attention to the Nagornyy Karabakh
problem. The PACE president noted that NGOs and the public should
boost their efforts in this sphere as they are not strong enough in
Azerbaijan.
[Correspondent] The PACE president later met representatives of the
local mass media and familiarized himself with the media’s current
situation and its role in the election. Mr Rene van der Linden said he
expected the forthcoming parliamentary election to be free and
fair. He believes that normal conditions will be created for
representatives of the fourth estate to cover the process.
[Editor of Gun newspaper Arif Aliyev] The meeting initially focused on
the media issue. It was not discussed separately, but as an element of
society. They want to know to what extent the media in Azerbaijan is
independent and how much of political influence they have. As far as I
understood, they want to know the media’s reaction in case there are
some changes in the Nagornyy Karabakh problem. The media’s role in the
Nagornyy Karabakh problem was discussed individually. Naturally, the
third issue was the election and expectations in this regard. They
want to know about the media’s current resources, the level of its
preparedness for these issues and its behaviour at that time.