Author: Jagharian Tania

ZHARANGUTIUN PARTY DOES NOT GET PROPOSAL TO ENTER NEW GOVERNMENT STAFF

Noyan Tapan
May 22 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. "It is impossible to compare the present
elections with the previous ones, what is proved also by the positive
estimations of international observers,’ Karen Avagian, the head of
the youth branch of the Republican Party of Armenia stated at the
May 22 discussion at the Hayeli (Mirror) club. He explained the great
quantity of votes given for the RPA by the fact that votes of those
political forces which were not able to unite were given for the RPA.

Hovsep Khurshudian, a representative of the Zharangutiun (Heritage)
party expressed an opposite opinion concerning the May 12 elections. In
his words, there were many violations during the elections, no equal
conditions were created for holding the pre-electoral campaign,
etc. Responding Avagian’s question how a party passed through all
the difficulties of the pre-electoral struggle may speak from such
positions, H. Khurshudian said: "In any case, the elections results
did not reflect the real number of votes given for our party."

Reponding the question if the Zharangutiun party got a proposal
to enter the new government staff, H. Khurshudian gave a negative
answer. In his words, Heritage is an opposition party which is for
system changes. He also mentioned that any proposals are discussed
at the sitting of the party Council. "We see borders of cooperation
with other parties. We do not observe anybody as our enemies and
suppose that there are issues on which all the political forces must
cooperate," H. Khurshudian stated.

ARMENIA ELECTED MEMBER OF UNCITRAL

armradio.am
23.05.2007 16:35

On May 22 in New York Armenia was elected members of the United
Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) for the term
of six years.

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
was established by the General Assembly in 1966. In establishing
the Commission, the General Assembly recognized that disparities
in national laws governing international trade created obstacles to
the flow of trade, and it regarded the Commission as the vehicle by
which the United Nations could play a more active role in reducing
or removing these obstacles.

The General Assembly gave the Commission the general mandate to
further the progressive harmonization and unification of the law of
international trade.

The Commission has since come to be the core legal body of the United
Nations system in the field of international trade law.

The Commission is composed of sixty member States elected by the
General Assembly. Membership is structured so as to be representative
of the world’s various geographic regions and its principal economic
and legal systems.

Members of the Commission are elected for terms of six years, the
terms of half the members expiring every three years.

VILLAGES OF FUZULI REGION UNDERGO WOLVES’ ATTACKS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 22 2007

Residents Ahmadalilar, Kazakhlar and Mirzanagili villages of Fuzuli
region undergo attacks of wolves. Local residents told the APA’s
Karabakh bureau.

Wolves’ attacks became intensified.

Wolves tore domestic animals and damaged private farms. Nearly 50 cows,
buffalos, sheep, horses and donkeys underwent wolves’ attacks.

The residents said the injured domestic animals are dreadful as a
source of hydrophobia.

The residents also said that wolves squeeze themselves into stables
and tore big and small cattle. They do not allow their children to
play in the yard because of the threat and say they children can
confront with the wolves any time.

"We are under the threat of Armenians’ fires on one side and pack of
wolves, jackals and foxes on the other side," he said.

THE YEARLY CAUCASUS CONFERENCE AT CMI

ArmRadio.am
22.05.2007 15:02

The Caucasus Media Institute (CMI) holds its fourth Yearly Caucasus
Conference in. The event will be held in Yerevan on May 24 and will
bring together experts from the Caucasus and beyond in an effort to
identify the region’s main development trends.

The main topics of the conference are main trends of political,
social and economic development in 2006 of every country of the South
Caucasus and adjacent parts of the Northern Caucasus, and the ways
those trends affected the region as a whole, with view to external
influences and the impact of neighboring states and world powers.

Speakers and presentations will include Arif Yunusov (Baku),
Marina Muskhelishvili (Tbilisi), Richard Giragosyan (US), Alexander
Iskandaryan (Yerevan), Sergey Markedonov, (Moscow) and Sergey Arutyunov
(Moscow).

CHARGES OF FALSIFYING VOTING RESULTS BROUGHT AGAINST 9 MEMBERS OF No 15/16 POLLING STATION’S ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Noyan Tapan
May 21 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The prosecutor’s office of Aragatsotn
marz completed the investigation into the criminal case opened
in connection with the fact of falsifying the voting results, as
a result of which charges were brought against 9 members of the
electoral commission of polling station No 15/16.

The investigation has revealed and substantiated that after the end
of the elections to the RA National Assembly on May 12, 2007, being
motivated by personal interest, Armen Eloyan, chairman of precinct
electoral commission No 16 (electoral district No 15) located in the
village of Getashen (Armavir marz), during the counting of votes by
the propotional electoral system, put 92 ballots with votes in favor
of a number of parties on the ballots with votes for such parties as
"Prosperous Armenia" party, "Alliance" party, Republican Party of
Armenia, People’s Party of Armenia, United Labor Party and "Orinats
Yerkir" party. On 21 out of the 91 extinguished ballots, he made marks
for United Labor Party, on 20 ballots – for "Orinats Yerkir" party, on
12 ballots – for "Alliance" party, on 38 ballots – for Republican Party
of Armenia, and then he put them on legally voted ballots – by parties.

Along with committing the above mentioned actions, A. Eloyan, while
summarizing the final results of the voting by the proportional
electoral system, made obvious mistakes in the counting of votes
and dictated it to the commission secretary Gyulnara Grigorian, who,
being aware of these figures’s being false, put them in the summary
protocol, after which A. Eloyan and G. Grigorian, as well as the
commission members Vasil Yenokian, Saro Petrosian, Manvel Shahinian,
Magtagh Kyarimian, Davit Gevorgian and Garik Abgarian approved the
summary protocol with the obviously wrong data in it, thus falsifying
the voting results.

According to a press relase of the RA Prosecutor General’s Office,
based on the evidence obtained, charges were brought against A. Eloyan,
G. Grigorian, V. Yenokian, S. Petrosian, M. Shahinian, M. Kyarimian,
D. Gevorgian, G. Abgarian and H. Khachatrian under Article 150 of
the Criminal Code of the RA.

The criminal case was sent on May 21 to the court of first instance
of Armavir marz for examination.

ARMENIAN MERITED ATHLET GARNIK GHUKASIAN’S MEMORY TOURNAMENT HELD IN ARTASHAT

Noyan Tapan
May 21 2007

ARTASHAT, ARARAT, MAY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The traditional memory
tournament after Garnik Ghukasian was held in Artashat on May 20.

Aram Davtian (400 m run, 49.1 seconds, Artashat), Vahagn Javakhian
(100 m quick run, 10.3 seconds, Yerevan), Melik Janoyan (spear, 72
m 39 sm, Gyumri), Arsen Sargsian (long jump, 7 m 64 sm, Vanadzor),
Yeghish Karapetian (800 m run, 1 minute 56.2 seconds, Yerevan) and
Anna Kochinian (100 m run, 12.3 seconds, Vanadzor) showed high results.

PRIME MINISTER DANIELIAN MET DELEGATION FROM GERMANY

Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
NKR Government Press Service
21 May 07

On May 17 NKR Prime Minister Anushavan Danielian met the German
delegation including German politicians, representatives of NGOs and
businessmen, as well as reporters of influential media of the country
visiting Artsakh. The director of the European Academy of Berlin
Dr. Eckhart Strattenschulte heads the delegation. The prime minister
welcomed the initiative and underlined the importance of this meeting
with the country’s government and non-governmental organizations,
especially that the international recognition of NKR is on the agenda,
and mutual visits and contact may be fruitful. Anushavan Danielian
said the German delegation will manage to get enough information on
the Karabakh issue, the ongoing political developments and the social
and economic state and wished them good luck in their mission. The
head of the delegation thanked for the warm welcome and shared
their impressions from their visit to Nagorno-Karabakh and meetings
with the country’s leadership, the foreign ministry, the NGOs and
people. At the request of the guests the prime minister answered their
questions. Namely, he touched upon the recent foreign investments in
Nagorno-Karabakh fostered by the tax reforms. Anushavan Danielian said
unfortunately the country cannot cooperate with international donors
because it is not recognized, otherwise new possibilities would open
up for the economic development of NKR. One of the German reporters
wondered why the claim of a part of a nation to unite with the other
part is neglected if there is a principle of self-determination of
nations, why Azerbaijan bombed the peaceful population of Stepanakert
if there are civilized ways of settlement of the problem.

The reporter said this referring to the fact of demolition of the
wall in Berlin, which marked the unification of two parts of the same
nation. "In that case Moscow (the Kremlin) welcomed the demolition of
the wall of Berlin, whereas the claim for the unification of Armenia
and Artsakh was accepted with a mysterious, even dangerous silence,
which authorized Azerbaijanis to attack the people of Nagorno-Karabakh
and destroy the country," said Anushavan Danielian. "Fortunately, our
freedom fighters defeated the foe and won the war, though the sacrifice
was great." At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Anushavan
Danielian and the head of the delegation Eckhart Strattenschulte
exchanged souvenirs.

REPORTERS ON THE JOB
David Clark Scott World editor

Christian Science Monitor, MA
May 21 2007

~U Who Are You? While in Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory claimed
by Azerbaijan and populated mostly by Armenians, correspondent Nicole
Itano was struck by two things. First, while talking to young Armenians
about their future, she expected them to tell her that their most
important ally was the US (see story).

"Surprisingly, they said it was Russia," says Nicole. "The older
generations all speak Russian. Fewer of the younger ones do, but many
of them know people who have migrated to Russia for work. They don’t
need a visa to go there."

The other surprise? How often she was asked about her ethnicity
during interviews. "They knew I was American, but asked about my
ethnicity. I’m half Japanese, half Mexican. But, because of my surname,
they thought I might be Italian. The question seems important here
because ethnicity is more important to Armenians than nationality. If
you’re Armenian, your defining identity is not found in your passport
or your place of citizenship."

CURRENTLY ARMENIAN ISSUE ON 2ND PLACE OF TURKEY’S FOREIGN AGENDA

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2007 16:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish FM Abdullah Gul secures the inflow of Islamic
capital into Turkey, with the help of which he contributes both to
the development of the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party
and the Turkish business, Anoush Hovhannisyan, research assistant of
the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RA NAS (National Academy of
Sciences) stated at the round table organized by the Turkish Department
of that institute. She said it is being done in order Turkey would
become an example for other Islamic countries. "Currently Armenian
issue is on the 2nd place of Turkey’s foreign agenda. However taking
into account the recent agreement between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
and Russia on constructing Caspian gas pipeline the Armenian issue
may appear in the first place. If Iran joins the project, it means
that Moscow-Tehran-Yerevan axis can become a reality," she underscored.

GENOCIDE MUSEUM DIRECTOR SAYS NO CHANCES TO CHANGE SAFAROV’S VERDICT

Panorama.am
19:36 18/05/2007

Defense attorneys of Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani military who
stabbed an Armenian officer in Hungary, say that they are going
to appeal life sentence in Hungarian Appeal Court. Haik Demoyan,
director of Genocide Museum, told a news conference today "there
are no chances to change the verdict." He said the newly appointed
Azerbaijani defense attorneys just want to show they can do something.