Author: Jagharian Tania

Armenian politologist is surprised with Russia’s decision to transfer $500 million to Armenia

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
02.06.2009 18:55 GMT+04:00

"I knew that Eastern Partnership program will be signed, and I
expected Mayoral elections to be held the way they were. Still, I
had my doubts about the situation with $500 million to take the turn
it took," Alexander Iskandaryan told a news conference, responding to
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter’s question on what the politologist considered
to be the most significant event of the last month. According to him,
Russia’s statement on the transfer of $500 million is important to
Armenia in financial crisis circumstances, considering problems the
region is currently facing.

OBAMA PIVOTS PRAGMATIC, ANYTHING BUT BUSH GONE
By David Paul Kuhn

RealClearPolitics
http://www.realclearpoliti cs.com/articles/2009/06/01/obama_pivots_pragmatic_ anything_but_bush_gone_96765.html
June 1 2009

The illusions appear gone. On the world stage, the idealistic candidate
has become the pragmatic president.

George W. Bush took five years to pivot away from neo-conservative
idealism. Obama has turned away from his tepid idealism in a matter of
months. The words will remain grandiose. But the gauntlet before Barack
Obama has compelled him to be practical. Marriages of convenience
are again dominating U.S. foreign policy.

Obama flies off to Saudi Arabia and Egypt this week, ahead of traveling
to Europe to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day. We recall
D-Day as a big moment of last century’s big moral war. Good and evil
were clear and we were good. But we were also willing to ally with
Joseph Stalin’s repressive regime to face down the far greater evil.

Today’s Middle East politics offer more shades of grey. But democracy,
as with World War II, is not this president’s chief concern. At
this point, it’s the avoidance of war from East Asia to the Middle
East. Obama has responded to rapid escalation with a rapid, and
healthy, turn towards full-on pragmatism.

Every new administration has a learning curve on international
affairs. In recent decades, there has been a pattern of a new White
House attempting the opposite of its predecessor.

George W. Bush’s early strategy was ABC (Anything but Clinton). Clinton
engaged North Korea so Bush would not. Clinton tried a shotgun
wedding on Palestine and Israel. Bush left the fraught relationship
alone. Clinton conveyed the image of consensus on treaties like
Kyoto. Bush scuttled them. Clinton tolerated a Saddam Hussein who
stayed within his borders, and Bush, well we know what happened there.

Obama initially attempted an ABB (Anything but Bush) policy. Bush
spoke in Manichean terms about national security threats. Obama would
do nuance. Obama directed the Pentagon to trash the term "Global
War on Terror" in favor of "Overseas Contingency Operation." It was
rhetorical de-escalation. He pledged to close the detention center
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as a bold stroke to symbolize his turn
away from Bush (though Bush eventually moved towards that policy as
well). Obama publicly reached his hand out to Iran, where Bush only
finally resigned himself to quiet efforts. Obama is engaging the
Israel-Palestine issue early and hard.

But Obama has kept more Bush than he intended. Obama has rankled his
left flank by continuing Bush’s military tribunals for Guantanamo
detainees despite calling them an "enormous failure" nearly a year
ago. Elsewhere, citing Bush’s argument that national security requires
secrecy, Obama has defended warrantless wiretapping and withheld
photos depicting prisoner abuse.

Obama’s talk in Prague of a world without nuclear weapons has given
way to the concern that Iran and North Korea could spark a nuclear
arms race in East Asia and the Middle East.

Obama’s open-ended promises for a "new beginning" on Iran now carry
a caveat. Obama recently set a year-end deadline for significant
diplomatic progress.

Last month, Obama sat beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and decided not to give him the full-court press. Obama did not say
all settlement building must stop. But last week, Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton did. "Not some settlements, not outposts, not natural
growth exceptions," she said.

This White House initially shied away from setting diplomatic
trip-wires for North Korea, relying on consensus and containment. But
just this weekend, following North Korea’s latest nuclear test, Defense
Secretary Robert Gates offered the first explicit red line. Gates
said the Obama administration intends to hold North Korea "fully
accountable" should it sell or transfer any nuclear material.

Obama’s early decision to flip on his pledge to call the Armenian
genocide, genocide, now appears to be a harbinger of a full-turn toward
pragmatism. Even U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is walking lockstep.

The woman who in 1991 unfurled a banner in Tiananmen Square that read,
"to those who died for democracy in China" and attempted to push
a human rights petition to President Hu Jintao, was mostly mum on
human rights during her recent visit to China. The visit came only
days before the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Obama has more immediate needs from China: a partner on the economic
recession, North Korea and environmental policy.

Bush also shifted by the winter of his presidency. He quietly engaged
North Korea and Iran. His good-and-evil language faded as he came to
work with all but the most hardened adversaries in Iraq. Bush came
to mildly push for a two-state solution in the Middle East and even,
to the chagrin of Dick Cheney, moved to close the Guantanamo detention
center. Bush realized hard power was not enough.

Obama is now adding some hard to his soft power. It’s this move to
have realism reign over idealism that frames Obama’s speech in Cairo
Thursday, a heavily anticipated address to the Muslim world. Few
expect a sequel to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s 2005 speech
in Cairo, when she recanted a policy that put stability before "the
democratic aspirations of all people."

Democracy is not the ends for Obama in his Middle East. It’s
peace. More immediately, the absence of war between Israel and
Iran. Jordan exemplifies why some monarchs are better for peace, just
as Hamas’ 2006 victory demonstrated that elections can undercut peace.

Bush attempted in his last years to walk back his commitment to
"ending tyranny in our world." But it’s the Democrat who has ended
the democracy agenda. Obama heads to authoritarian Egypt with more
pressing problems on his mind than tyranny.

David Paul Kuhn is the Chief Political Correspondent for
RealClearPolitics and the author of The Neglected Voter. He can be
reached at [email protected]

SEEMED TO BE GUNSHOTS

A1+
01:41 am | June 01, 2009

Politics

An alarm was received today that there had been shots and one injured
at the Nor Nork 4th quarter district.

Head of the ANC headquarters at the Nor Nork 1st quarter district
Gurgen Yeghiazaryan told "A1+" that a group of terrified citizens
came to the ANC headquarters and quickly informed that somebody was
transferred to the hospital after receiving gun shots at the Nor Nork
4th quarter district.

"I sent people to our sub-headquarters to verify the information on
the scene, but it was not possible because there was nobody there,"
said Gurgen Yeghiazaryan, adding that they had tried to find out
from the Nor Nork hospital if the person with the gun shots had
been transferred there or not. It turned out that nobody had been
transferred to the hospital with gun shots.

Later, Republican Party press speaker Eduard Sharmazanov informed
that there had been no gun shots at Nor Nork connected with the
elections. "The elections are being held in a calm environment and
there is a large voter turnout. In general, we condemn any dispersion
of false information and senseless stir of emotions," said Sharmazanov.

COORDINATOR OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS: THE TIME AND CONDITIONS OF THE NEXT BATTLE WILL BE DEFINED BY US

ArmInfo
2009-06-01 19:02:00

ArmInfo. ‘As a result of yesterday’s election we have finally formed
as the leading force which will lead the people to the final victory’,
– coordinator of Armenian National Congress Levon Zurabyan said at
today’s rally of the opposition.

He also added yesterday’s election were the battle the rime and
conditions of which were defined by the authorities. But the time
and conditions of the next battle will be defined by us, Zurabyan
promised. He thinks that the authorities managed to create am awful
totalitarian system all the structures of which are functioning to
ensure falsifications. Even the army serve this purpose. ‘Nevertheless
we did not become weaker as a result of yesterday’s election. On the
contrary, we have become stronger and more united. Having organized
the election in such a way the authorities demonstrated to the whole
world that they can be spoken to only the language of violence’, –
Zurabyan said.

Fund for Armenian Relief Fellowship Alumni Association
Roubinyans 29, Yerevan, Armenia

phone:37410249677

Musical Support for Salzburg International Medical Seminars

Yerevan, May 29th, 2009

FARFAA-Salzburg Group together with the Yerevan State Medical
University and Youth Orchestra of Armenia ( conductor Sergey
Smbatyan) has organized a benefit concert for Salzburg International
Medical Seminars, Open Medial Institute Program , and its seminar
center – Schloss Arenberg , which was damaged in a filre recently. The
concert took place on May 29th , at the Main Conference Hall of the
YSMU.

The AAF/Salzburg Medical Seminars director Prof.W.Aulitzky arrived from
Vienna to join the benefit event.

The American Austrian Foundation’s Salzburg Medical Seminars program
participated over 10,000 physicians from countries in transition s,
over 450 physicians from Armenia. Over 1000 faculty members from the
leading USA medical institutions as NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, the
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center and others, have trained these physicians the newest advances
in all the medical specialities.

Schloss Arenberg is a conference center, where the Seminars take place
During the summer months the Schloss is home to cultural programs linked
to the Salzburg Music Festival and the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra.

On April 20th, 2009 a fire broke out on the roof of Schloss Arenberg,
where two welders had been doing some repairs. Fire fighters arrived
within minutes, but had difficulty accessing the burning wooden beams
under the copper roof. The fire was finally extinguished only in 12
hours . 180 Firefighters used 3,000 liters of water per minute to try
and put out the blaze, which coupled with the smoke damage totally
destroyed the building. Fortunately no one was seriously injured.

FARFAA-Salzburg Group with the alumni of Schloss Arenberg, YSMU and
Youth Orchestra of Armenia. extended their helping hands to the
Schloss Arenberg Center to support its rebuilding. Prof Aulitzky
announced that the Armenian Lounge will be opened in Schloss Arenberg
after its reconstruction.

The Youth Orchestra of Armenia was founded in November 2005, with the
efforts of the students of the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory.
Despite its recent formation, the Youth Orchestra of Armenia had already
the occasion to present Armenia with honour all over the world. Sergey
Smbatyan, violinist and prize-winner in international competitions, is
the chief coductor and artistic director of the orchestra.

W.A. Mozart, Komitas-Aslamazyan and E.Mirzoyan pieces were performed
with high level of artistry and sophistication, and twelve year old
piano soloist Anahit Arushanyan amazed the audience. YSMU has
sponsored the Youth Orchestra for performing the concert.

Open Medical Institute (OMI) is a program of the American Austrian
Foundation (AAF) whose main goal is to educate physicians and health
care providers from countries in transition and foster their
professional growth ()

FAR FAA is a non-for-profit organization of medical professionals, aimed
at improving the health care system of the community and advancing
medical sciences in Armenia

SIMON BAHCELI’S ARTICLE ON THE RENOVATION OF THE OLD SOURP ASDVADZADZIN CHURCH IN TURKISH-OCCUPIED NICOSIA FAILED TO REVEAL A NUMBER OF TRUTHS BY THE TURKISH-ORIGIN JOURNALIST
Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra

Gibrahayer
27-05-2009
Nicosia

Dear Gibrahayer readers,

I am writing this letter regarding Simon Bahceli’s article on the
renovation of the old Sourp Asdvadzadzin church in Turkish-occupied
Nicosia, in the interest of revealing a number of truths the
Turkish-origin journalist failed to write.

To begin with, Bahceli contacted me on 5 May, informing me on
his intend to write the article in question. We met on 8 May
and I personally took him to Dr. Antranik Ashdjian’s office, the
Armenian Prelature of Cyprus and Nareg Elementary School, devoting
a whole morning for him; it was also I who provided him with the
B/W photographs he used in his article, as well as a large amount of
historical information. Sadly, he neglected to include my name, or the
names of Dr. Ashdjian – with whom he spoke for about an hour -and Mr
John Guevherian, with whom he also spoke at the Arachnortaran. Also,
I stressed to him, in person, on the phone and over e-mail that it
is very important that also he speaks with the Representative, Mr
Vartkes Mahdessian, which I very much doubt he did.

Not only that, Bahceli failed to mention that we attempted to visit the
chu rch on 14 May, after claiming he20was told by the UN we could. Upon
arriving at the gate, the guard (an illegal Turkish settler) told us
we needed a permit to enter. Bahceli phoned the UN and the UN told
him to phone EVKAF, but unfortunately it was not made possible to
enter the church site. He did, however, wanted to take pictures of
the church, so we went behind the Melikian mansion, where we saw two
Turkish-speaking persons inside the compound, claiming to be bidders
for the restoration. Asking them how they got inside, they told him
they had entered through a passage. We went back to the guard to ask
him if he could let us in too, since they were obviously in, and to
my utter surprise and fury the guard, together with two trespassers,
told us that they entered the site by themselves, he couldn’t kick
them out, but he couldn’t let us in either…

Now, with regard to the article itself, an unsuspected reader will get
the idea that there was never a problem with the Turkish Cypriots,
and that Armenian Cypriots left only because they felt safely in
the Greek Cypriot side of Nicosia… However, there is more to that
story (simply ask Manoug Mangaldjian, he will tell it to you as he
remembers it). Moreover, I was there when the people were speaking
to Bahceli, and I know that much more was said. Not to mention the
complete absence of any reference to the Armenian Genocide monument,
for which everyone he spoke with made mention, including myself.

Another thing: southern Nicosia for the government-controlled parts
but simply Nicosia for the Turkish-occupied parts of Nicosia? The
use of this makes not only the journalist but also the newspaper,
Cyprus Mail, responsible for this illegality.

Historical inaccuracies are also observed: the Armenian presence in
the area is about 500-600 years old, NOT 1000 years, and the church
was re-built in 1308, not the 13th century.

Geographical inaccuracies also exist: the church compound is NOT
located in the Arabahmet, but in the Karaman Zade quarter; this is
not a simple mistake, as the Turkish pseudo-state calls the whole area
Arabahmet, in the same way it designates 3 of the 4 Turkish-occupied
Larnaca district villages as belonging to the so-called "LefkoÅ~_a
kaza" district and 1 to the so-called "Gazimagusa kaza". Upon our
conversations, I stressed to Bahceli this fact, which he blatantly
ignored. And one more thing: why would the church not hold that much
importance for the Greek Orthodox? A church is always a church.

Finally, again stressing his T/C outlook, it is Ottoman Armenians
NOT Anatolian Armenians he should refer to.

I am very upset for this whole thing, and I hope the newspaper never
allows such mistreatment of the truth again.

PlayBill
May 31 2009

Couples Test Limits in Ayvazian’s Make Me, Opening in NYC May 31

By Kenneth Jones
31 May 2009

Atlantic Theater Company’s world-premiere production of Leslie
Ayvazian’s relationships play, Make Me, with Anthony Arkin, Candy
Buckley, Jessica Hecht, J.R. Horne, Richard Masur and Ellen Parker,
opens May 31 after previews from May 20.

The production, directed by Atlantic associate artistic director
Christian Parker, plays to June 14 at Atlantic Stage 2 at 330 West
16th Street.

According to ATC, "In Make Me, six pent-up Americans in three
different relationships have reached the end of their ropes. In this
naughty comic fugue, Leslie Ayvazian explores what happens when the
rules are changed just at the moment when people think they are
perfectly comfortable and the lengths to which some will go to be
seen, heard and obeyed."

*

With this play, Ayvazian makes her Atlantic Theater Company debut. Her
acclaimed Off-Broadway play, Nine Armenians, won the John Gassner
Outer Critics Award, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the Kennedy
Center’s Roger L. Stevens Award. Her film credits include Showtime’s
"Every Three Minutes" starring Olympia Dukakis.

Parker most recently staged the New York premiere of Tina Howe’s play
Birth And After Birth. Other Atlantic credits include Jeff Whitty’s
The Hiding Place and 10X20, a festival of newly commissioned
ten-minute plays by writers previously produced at Atlantic for which
he directed plays by Tina Howe, Keith Reddin and Rolin Jones.

Make Me features scenic design by Anna Louizos, costume design by
Theresa Squire, lighting design by Josh Bradford and sound design by
Jill BC DuBoff.

Arkin appeared in Broadway’s I’m Not Rappaport and Off-Broadway’s The
Waverly Gallery; Buckley appeared in Broadway’s After the Fall,
Thoroughly Modern Millie, Cabaret and Ring Round the Moon and
Off-Broadway’s Shockheaded Peter, Valhalla and Communicating Doors;
Hecht most recently appeared in Julius Caesar on Broadway and in
Howard Katz; Horne returns to Atlantic following starring in the world
premiere of Ethan Coen’s Almost an Evening at Atlantic Stage 2 and The
Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street; Masur appeared in Broadway’s Democracy
and The Changing Room and Off-Broadway’s Dust, A Feminine Ending, The
Ruby Sunrise and Sarah, Sarah; and Parker’s New York City work
includes House/Garden, Plenty, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, Fen, The Heidi
Chronicles and more.

Ayvazian’s other plays include High Dive, her one-woman show about
turning 50; Rosemary and I, which was named a Susan Smith Blackburn
Prize finalist; Lovely Day, which premiered at City Theatre in
Pittsburgh; Footlights, a one-woman show about shoes; and one-act
plays Practice; Hi There, Mr. Machine; Twenty Four Years; Deaf Day and
Plan Day.

Make Me received workshop productions by the Cape Cod Theatre Festival
and the Adirondack Theatre Festival, both directed by Martha Banta.

Make Me will play Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Saturday and
Sunday matinees at 2:30 PM. All tickets are $45 and are available by
calling Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or by visiting

Visit

news/article/129698-Couples_Test_Limits_in_Ayvazia n’s_Make_Me_Opening_in_NYC_May_31

MG OSCE Co-Chairs met RA President
30.05.2009 13:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerevan hosted a meeting of MG OSCE Co-Chairs for
NKR conflict settlement with RA President Serzh Sargsyan. After the
meeting with RA Government Leader, MG OSCE Co-Chairs, Matthew Bryza
(US), Bernard Fassier (France) and Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) will meet
RA FM Edward Nalbandian for the second time.
MG OSCE Co-Chairs have arrived in Yerevan to prepare the oncoming
meeting between RA and Azeri Presidents in St. Petersburg on June 4.

Assyria Times
May 30 2009

Assyrian Universal Alliance Congress Declaration

5/30/2009 0:39:00

The 26th World Congress of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) was
held in Sydney Australia from 20 to 24th of May, 2009. About 50
delegates gathered from Iraq, Iran, USA, Armenia, Russia, Holand,
Japan, and Australia. The AUA delegates declared:

Assyrian Universal Alliance 26th World Congress
20-24th May 2009
Resolution

On Iraq

1. CALLS UPON AND DEMANDS that the Federal Republic of Iraq amend the
Iraqi Constitution and add the statement in its preamble `The
Assyrians are the Indigenous people of Iraq’.

2. COMMENDS the Federal Republic of Iraq for its efforts in improving
country security.

3. DEMANDS that the Federal Republic of Iraq implements and executes
further measures to prevent attacks against Assyrian people.

4. DEMANDS that the Federal Republic of Iraq publicly release the
results of its investigation into the Mosul Massacre of October
2008.

5. DEMANDS the Federal Republic of Iraq acknowledge and declare that
the Assyrians are the indigenous and original people of Iraq, and
as promulgated under article 110 of the Iraqi constitution, the
Assyrian people of Iraq are therefore entitled to an Assyrian
autonomous region encompassing the Assyrian ancestral lands,
located between the Greater Zab and Tigris rivers with
international borders to the north and west, as part of the Federal
Republic of Iraq.

6. COMMENDS the Federal Republic of Iraq for the assistance provided
for the displaced Assyrian Refugees and further demands that such
programs are adequately implemented.

7. DEMANDS that the constitution of Iraq contain a minimum guaranteed
quota for Assyrian representation, consisting of Assyrian
ethnicity, at all levels of government, based on the Iraqi census
of 1957, which on current official population count, amount to
2,500,000 or approximately 10 percent of the total population.

8. Pending the fulfillment of the amendment to the Iraqi constitution
as demanded in Resolution 7 herein, IN THE INTERIM DEMANDS that the
Federal Republic of Iraq reinstates article 50 of the provisional
election law as it was without reducing the number of originally
allocated seats.

9. DEMANDS that the Federal Republic of Iraq support, establish, train
and arm an Assyrian security force as part of Iraq’s national
security and police force to adequately and sufficiently maintain
the security of all Assyrian towns and villages, thereby protecting
them from all attacks and harassment.

10. DEMANDS that the Federal Republic of Iraq ensures the equitable
and/or proportionate distribution of all aid including any
reconstruction aid to Assyrians via the then current appointed
Assyrian representative in the local government.

11. DEMANDS that the Kurdish Regional Government of Iraq returns
and/or implements the return of all Assyrian lands and villages to
date occupied by non Assyrians to the Assyrians.

12. IS HOPEFUL and prays that Iraq will ultimately secure its full
independence as a democratic state without any foreign forces.

On Iran 13. COMMENDS the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
for its efforts in strengthening ties between the Assyrians and the
wider Iranian community.

14. CALLS UPON the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to
formally recognize that the Assyrians are the indigenous people of
Iraq.

15. CALLS UPON the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to
support the demands set out in this Resolution in respect of the
Assyrian political rights of Iraq.

On Turkey 16. COMMENDS the government of Turkey in assisting in the
resolution of the dispute in respect of the Mor Gabriel Monastery in
Turkey.

17. CALLS UPON and DEMANDS that the government of Turkey provides
security to the Assyrians living in Turkey.

18. CALLS UPON the government of Turkey to adequately protect
Assyrians in Turkey from all persecution arising as a result of
the Assyrian practice of their religious and human rights.

19. DEMANDS that the Turkish government formally and officially
recognize the genocide of the Assyrian, Armenian and Greek People
during World War I.

20. CALLS UPON the government of Turkey to support the demands set out
in this Resolution in respect of the Assyrian political rights of
Iraq.

On Syria 21. COMMENDS the Syrian Arab Republic in its treatment of
Assyrian refugees of Iraq in Syria.

22. REQUESTS that the Syrian Arab Republic encourages and support all
cultural rights of the Assyrian People and Assyrian institutions
and organizations in Syria.

23. CALLS UPON the Arab Republic of Syria to support the demands set
out in this Resolution of in respect of the Assyrian political
rights of Iraq.

On Jordan
24. COMMENDS the government of Jordan in its treatment of Assyrian
refugees of Iraq in Jordan.

25. CALLS UPON the government of Jordan to support the demands set out
in this Resolution in respect of the Assyrian political rights of
Iraq.

On Lebanon
26. COMMENDS the government of Lebanon in its treatment of Assyrian
refugees of Iraq in Lebanon.

27. CALLS UPON the government of Lebanon to support the demands set
out in this Resolution in respect of the Assyrian political rights
of Iraq.

On Australia 28. EXTENDS its deep appreciation and gratitude to the
Australian government for supporting and assisting the Assyrian
Universal Alliance- Australia Chapter to successfully host the 26th
World congress of the Assyrian Universal Alliance.

29. CALLS UPON Australia, to support and support implement the terms
of this resolution to the extent that it pertains to the Assyrian
situation of Iraq.

30. As an interim measure, REQUESTS that the government of Australia
provide economic, educational and medical assistance to the
Assyrian refugees of Iraq currently living in impoverished and
disadvantaged circumstances in various countries outside Iraq.

31. CALLS UPON the government of Australia to support the demands set
out in this Resolution in respect of the Assyrian political rights
of Iraq.

ON USA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
32. CALLS UPON the governments of the United States of America and the
European Union to support and support implement the terms of this
resolution to the extent that it pertains to the Assyrian
situation of Iraq.

33. As an interim measure, REQUESTS that the governments of the United
States of America and the European Union provide economic,
educational and medical assistance to the Assyrian refugees of
Iraq currently living in impoverished and disadvantaged
circumstances in various countries outside Iraq.

34. CALLS UPON the governments of the United States of America and the
European Union to support the demands set out in this Resolution
in respect of the Assyrian political rights of Iraq.

United Nations and International Communities
35. APPEALS AND CALLS UPON the United Nations and the international
communities to recognize that the Assyrian are the indigenous
people of Iraq.

36. APPEALS AND CALLS UPON the United Nations and the international
communities to treat the displaced Assyrians of Iraq within Iraq
in a fair and equitable manner and comparable to other displaced
people of Iraq.

37. APPEALS AND CALLS UPON the United Nations and the international
communities to treat the Assyrian refugees of Iraq outside of Iraq
in a fair and equitable manner comparable to other refugees from
Iraq.

38. CALLS UPON the United Nations and the international communities to
support the demands set out in this Resolution of the Assyrian
Universal Alliance in respect of the Assyrian political rights of
Iraq.

Yonathan Betkolia MP
Secretary General
Assyrian Universal Alliance

es/news/article.php?storyid=3378

ACCORDING TO ZHARANGUTIUN REPRESENTATIVE’S PREDICTION, POSITIVE CHANGES WILL BE MADE IN ARMENIA AFTER MAY 31 ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
May 29, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Positive changes will be made in Armenia
after the May 31 Yerevan Council of Elders elections, at that, in case
of any election outcome. RA NA Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction head
Armen Martirosian predicted at the May 27 meeting with journalists.

According to him, the opposition has won all elections in Armenia
since 1996, but it was not recorded officially. This time, if free
and fair elections are held, which is improbable, opposition’s
inevitable victory will bring positive results. If the elections are
held as always, under the circumstance of no elections in the near
future, President Serzh Sargsyan will have enough time to make real
changes. A. Martirosian is sure that the March 1 events will not recur,
as neither the authorities nor the people have sufficient resource
for it.

According to the deputy, talks that an amnesty will be announced
soon are circulated at NA, at that, among pro-governmental sector
representatives.

And though the recent statement of NA Speaker about it was presented
as a good wish, the process is becoming mature. He expressed the hope
that an amnesty will be announced one of these days, which will also
have a positive influence.

A. Martirosian considers that it will be politically more beneficial
if the amnesty is announced before Yerevan Council of Elders
elections. Though in that case the political prisoners on the March
1 case will not have been released yet and cannot go to ballot,
nevertheless, the fact of amnesty itself can discharge the strained
atmosphere in society.

Granting an amnesty will be also right in consideration of the expected
discussion of the issue of Armenia in PACE. A. Martirosian reminded
that the Monitoring Committee meeting will take place on June 5 and
the PACE plenary sitting on June 24. He said that this structure
attaches importance to the May 31 elections, and the Congress of
Council of Europe Local and Territorial Authorities will also observe
the elections.

A. Martirosian stated that Zharangutiun is going to control elections’
legality with all possible means. According to him, this time party’s
task is not supporting this or that political force, but protecting
fairness and legality.