Author: Jagharian Tania

AZG Armenian Daily #005, 12/01/2008

Regional

BLACK SEA REGION EXPANDED.

Science Conference in Yerevan

January 14-15 a science conference on expansion of the
Black Sea region and regional and international
security cooperation is to be held in Yerevan,
Armenia. The event is being organized by the Armenian
Union of Swedish Graduates and the Armenian
International Studies Group. Vice-Chairman of the
Russian Diplomats’ Union Vladimir Kazimirov and
Assistant to US Vice-Secretary of State Matthew Bryza
are expected to take part in the science conference.

The idea of expansion of the Black Sea region, the
Armenian point of view of the problem, and the
institutional role of the region in resolution of
conflicts, as well as a number of other regional and
international issues are to be discussed on the
conference.

Political and social figures, representatives of mass
media from CIS states, as well as from Bulgaria,
Romania, Greece, Turkey, Slovenia, Germany, Great
Britain and Portugal are to be present to the
discussions.

By A. Haroutiunian

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 12 2008

Chingiz Asgarov accuses those who against list of Azeri judges to the
ECHR of favoring Armenians

[ 12 Jan 2008 15:30 ]

Heads of a group of NGOs have made an appeal to the PACE Committee of
Ministers about winter session discussions on appointment of Azeri
judges to the European Court of Human Rights.

The Law Awareness Society told APA that the appeal was undersigned by
lawyers Intigam Aliyev, Annaghi Hajibayli, Alovsat Aliyev, Rashid
Hajili, Hafiz Hasanov, right defenders Leyla Yunus and Avaz Hasanov.
The appeal says that two of the judges in the list submitted by
Azerbaijan are not famous persons in the public and compared to the
current judge Khanlar Hajiyev, they have no chance to do anything.
The appeal calls for sending back the list to Azerbaijan for
reconsideration.
Chingiz Asgarov, Azerbaijan’s representative to the European Court,
told APA that the undersigned are against the national interests of
Azerbaijan.
`So called lawyers and right defenders appealed to the Council of
Europe when Azerbaijan submitted the list last time. They then
claimed that the selection process had not been transparent in
Azerbaijan. So, the PACE sent the list back.
Azerbaijan Judicial Council, under recommendation of the PACE, posted
notices and held procedures to select candidates. All the NGOs,
lawyers and law organizations were invited to nominate candidates. I
think they are against the national interest of Azerbaijan. This is
an order made by Armenia. The European Court is about to consider
complaints of Azeri IDPs against Armenia. So, we need strong lawyers
in hearings. Some pro-Armenian forces want to obstruct this. They
don’t want to see strong judges in the European Court,’ he added.
He noted that three judges nominated by the Azerbaijan government are
stronger.
`Three of all them are judges who speak English fluently. They know
European Human Rights Convention and they know precedent law of the
European Court. Each of them can represent Azerbaijan,’ he noted.
Azerbaijan nominated Khanlar Hajiyev, the current judge to the
European Court, Rashad hasanov, Judge of Azizbayov District Court and
Aygun Abdullayeva, Judge of Nasimi District Court. /APA/

ONE FOURTH OF SCALES CHECKED IN TRADE ORGANIZATIONS OF ARMENIA IN 2007

ARKA News Agency
Jan 10 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, January 10. /ARKA/. One fourth of scales of Armenia’s trade
organizations were checked in 2007, said Chairman of "Protection of
Consumers’ Rights" NGO Abgar Yegoyan. He said that 6ths scales out
of 25ths registered in Armenia were checked in 2007.

He pointed out that according to Armenia’s Law "On providing unity
of measurement" all scales in the territory of Armenia should be
checked minimum once a year according to the application of the
economic entity, and in case if they are not checked a fine of AMD
50-100ths is envisaged.

"It is a small fine, because this sum can be earned in a week by
short-weighing consumers," he said.

Yegoyan pointed out that the problem of short-weight is intensified
on New Year eve, and it serves a serious factor forming pricing.

"If during the New Year holidays the price for bananas increased
up to AMD 1200, and the oranges – AMD 800, when short-weighing the
product the price will increase by 15-30% more," he said.

Yegoyan pointed out that mostly it concerns the street trade despite
the practice of using electronic scales.

"Today the practice of interfering in inner structure of scales is
largely used, as a result of which the short-weight may reach 200-500
grams," he said.

Yegoyan said that the organization that he heads intends to make
some proposals for the solution to these problems, in particular,
to create firm mechanism of information exchange between the state
structures, reconsider the types of scales allowed and used in trade,
provide full transfer to easily checked electronic scales and establish
certain seals that are prohibited to break.

According to Yegoyan, in order to except short-weight it is necessary
to introduce the practice of control scales, which would be placed in
trading centers. "Moreover, the weights of control scales should be
checked, which will give consumers a possibility to check the weight
of the purchased products," he said.

He also proposed to increase the fine for not checking the scales up
to AMD 200-300ths, "which is a more significant sum and can become a
stimulus for introducing legal activity of the economic entities in
the field of trade."

Yegoyan pointed out that the organization is going to make all these
proposals to the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development.

"Protection of Consumers’ Rights" NGO was founded in 1997, the sphere
of its activity includes the provision of safe consumer environment and
protection of the impaired right of consumers. ($1 – AMD 307.09).

OVER 74,000 ARD CASES RECORDED IN ARMENIA IN JAN-NOV 2007

ARKA News Agency
Jan 8 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, January 8. /ARKA/. 74,081 cases of acute respiratory diseases
(ARD) were recorded in Armenia in January-November 2007 against 74,568
in the corresponding period in 2006.

Òhe RA Statistical Service reports that 49,800 ARD cases were recorded
among children under 14 against 48,300 in the corresponding period
in 2006.

On average, 2,299.9 ARD cases per 100,000 people were recorded in
Armenia, with 7,675 ARD cases per 100,000 children recorded.

–Boundary_(ID_nPmnq5ueo9VpkR1CasPD5w)- –

OSCE CIO ILKKA KANERVA PLANS TO VISIT ARMENIA

armradio.am
07.01.2008 17:01

Assuming the presidency of the OSCE on January 1st, 2008 OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Finland Ilkka Kanerva described
the structure as a "unique forum between 56 participating states,
the strength of which is the solidarity in decision-making." According
to Mr. Kanerva, the OSCE will continue the activity in the direction
of prevention of conflicts, crisis management and post-conflict
rehabilitation.

Spokesman for RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Karapetyan told
Armenpress that the OSCE Chairman-in-Office plans to visit Armenia
in the first quarter of the current year.

EDGAR SEDRAKIAN APPOINTED RA CEC MEMBER

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. By the December 25 decree, RA
President Robert Kocharian made a change in the RA Central Electoral
Commission’s staff. According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by
the RA President’s Press Office, the commissions of CEC member Ashot
Abovian were stopped ahead of the schedule. Edgar Sedrakian was
included in the CEC as a representative of the RA Judicial Department.

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 26 2007

OYP OFFERS A PROPOSAL TO ALL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Who will Arthur Baghdasaryan support in the second round of the
election or whom he will not support if he loses the first round of
the election, the reporters asked the leader of the Orinats Yerkir
Party Arthur Baghdasaryan in a news conference on December 26 when he
said they think there will be a second round, despite the statements
of the government.

Arthur Baghdasaryan said they are not discussing the option of losing
the first round and supporting another candidate in the second round.
`Even the sham polls which are used to hide the truth rank the
Orinats Yerkir two. Naturally, we do not react to an option which is
not under consideration, because it is not true for our supporters,
for all those people who follow us, and they count hundreds of
thousands. Naturally, we were and we remain opposition, we are for
the consolidation of healthy forces, and time is a fair judge, and
will prove the justification, truth and consistency of the stance of
each of us,’ Arthur Baghdasaryan says.

As to polls, Arthur Baghdasaryan thinks they are false and are meant
to wash the brains of the society. There are some reservations
regarding the poll by the Gallup Institute which suggests that the
leader of the Orinats Yerkir Party ranks two after Serge Sargsyan.
`The Gallup Institute, in this case the American Republican
Institute, orders the poll. The poll is conducted by Gevorg Poghosyan
we all know and the Armenian Sociological Association he leads. I
would like to tell you that these polls are conducted at homes of
respondents. According to the polls by Gallup, over 60 percent of
people are afraid. Imagine they call in on people 60 percent of which
are afraid and ask who they would vote for. Naturally, most people
cannot tell the truth, because most mayors of villages are
propagating the ruling party. Moreover, every mayor is obliged to
assure a given number of votes. And no community member wants to have
a conflict with the mayor of the community. The same is with
condominiums,’ Arthur Baghdasaryan says.

Therefore, he says the polls by the Gallup Institute cannot be
reliable because nobody guarantees their confidentiality. Gallup is
also aware of this. Nevertheless, according to Arthur Baghdasaryan,
the results of polls by the Gallup Institute are more reliable than
by other sociological organizations. As to public polls, the Orinats
Yerkir Party offers a proposal to all the candidates. `We propose all
the presidential candidates to shape groups of 2-3 professional
pollsters and conduct a real public poll, with reporters,
professional quota, and this group will conduct a poll and release
the results, and the reliability of these results should be known to
everyone. We have voiced concern with the Gallup Institute, and they
promised to make efforts to guarantee the anonymity of respondents,’
Arthur Baghdasaryan says.

At the same time, however, Arthur Baghdasaryan says the climate of
intimidation seems to have become milder, and evidence to this is
that more people go to rallies in Yerevan despite the pressure of the
government to prevent people from participating in rallies. Arthur
Baghdasaryan thinks violence expresses the fear of the government,
saying that a government with such a high rating would not use the
administrative resource to this degree. Meanwhile, according to the
presidential candidate Arthur Baghdasaryan, without fear in
government and among people there would be a society of free citizens
who would elect a president.

Russia & CIS General Newswire
December 21, 2007 Friday 11:07 AM MSK

One of Armenia’s biggest parties backs Sarkisian’s nomination for
presidency

YEREVAN Dec 20

Leader of the Prospering Armenia (PPA)

party Gagik Tsarukian, who leads the second largest parliamentary
faction, said he backs Prime Minister and leader of the Armenian
Republican Party Serzh Sarkisian as the Armenian presidential
candidate.

"The party’s decision is based on the coalition agreement and on our
cooperation," Tsarukian said at an expanded session of this party’s
political session in Yerevan on Thursday.

Sarkisian is able to better address the country’s task of preserving
political stability in Armenia, he said.

For his part, Sarkisian gave thanks for supporting his nomination,
adding that the PPA, which is present in the parliament and
participates in the work of executive authorities, is one of the
country’s most influential and biggest political forces.

"To have the backing of such a political force at the presidential
election is an honor for any politician," he said.

The May parliamentary elections in Armenia led to a new political
situation and laid a good foundation for efficient work. The
cooperation between the Republican Party and Prosperous Armenia is
also a good example, the premier said.

"The presidential election is particularly important from the point
of view of further development of the country. The praised
parliamentary elections were a surprise to many, so in case of a good
presidential election we must prove that this is a rule and not an
exception," the prime minister said.

The presidential election in Armenia is due on February 19, 2008.

STANDING SUBCOMMITTEE ON FROZEN CONFLICTS MAY BE FORMED IN PACE

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.12.2007 14:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The PACE co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan, Andres
Herkel stands for formation of a permanent subcommittee on frozen
conflicts. "I do support the idea of formation of a permanent
subcommittee or organization of public hearings. The issue should
certainly be discussed," Mr Herkel said.

"Resolution of frozen conflicts is a very important issue for the
Council of Europe. It refers not only to Azerbaijan but also to
Georgia and Moldova. We can’t hope that these conflicts will be
resolved tomorrow," he said. "Public diplomacy is also significant
for the purpose. Absence of civil ties will badly prevent development
of the process."

When comparing the Nagorno Karabakh and South Ossetian conflicts,
Mr Herkel said the later is remarkable for existence of dialogue and
contacts, what allows to speak of prospects, Trend reports.

RPA WILL TRY TO BRING THE POSSIBLE FRAUDS TO MINIMUM

armradio.am
21.12.2007 16:15

Press Secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Eduard
Sharmazanov declared in Yerevan today that RPA will make every
effort to hold the upcoming presidential elections on February 19,
2008 better than the parliamentary elections held in May, 2007.

Mr. Sharmazanov recalled that in May, 2007 the nation-wide elections
were the first in Armenia to receive the positive assessment of
international observers. He expressed confidence that the upcoming
elections will proceed at high level, and all the possible violations
will be brought to minimum.

Summing up the year of 2007, the MP stated that, as a result
of parliamentary elections, "the radical political forces were
defeated." According to him, "the new constructively functioning
coalition Government presented an ambitious, but at the same a
realistic program." Eduard Sharmazanov noted that in the course of
the past 7 years "the Government, headed by the Republican Party,
fulfilled the responsibilities assumed, as a result of which the
level of poverty in the country was decreased from 56% to 29.8%.

"In the course of the starting second-generation reforms we plan to
reach equal development of the capital and the regions of our country,"
he stated.