Author: Jalatian Sonya

Interfax, Russia
Russia & CIS
February 21, 2008

Turkish president upbeat about Sargsyan presidency

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has congratulated Serzh Sargsyan on
his election as Armenian president and expressed hope that Sargsyan’s
presidency would lead to better relations between the two countries,
Sargsyan’s press service said on Thursday.

"I hope that your new position will help create an environment for
the normalization of relations between the peoples of Turkey and
Armenia, who have lived together in peace and harmony for centuries.
It is my sincere desire that an atmosphere based on mutual confidence
and cooperation should help achieve peace and prosperity for the
region," Gul said in a message to Sargsyan.

LEADERS OF DIFFERENT WINGS OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT UNION MAKE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE STATEMENTS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 25, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The chairmenship of the
Constitutional Right Union party is not indifferent to the future of
the country and the security and health of the peaceful demonstrators
gathered on the Freedom square of Yerevan and claims to hold up the
intentions on using force towards those peaceful demonstrators. As
it is said in the February 24 statement of the party in the face of
Chairman Hrant Khachatrian, the Constitutional Right Union claims
to set free their political colleagues or provide exhaustive and
reliable information on the reasons of their detention. According
to the statement, citizens and numerous young people, who always
support the claim of legal and fair elections, are taking part in
the multi-thousand twenty-four-hour peaceful demonstrations, which
are continuing on the Freedom square.

Hayk Babukhanian has made another statement on behalf of the
chairmenship of the Constitutional Right Union on the same day. Thus,
the council of the representatives and the chairmenship of the party
congratulate Serge Sargsian on the occasion of gaining a victory
in the presidential elections of Armenia. "Pursuing the political
resolution passed at the 19th conference, the Constitutional Right
Union welcomes the refusal of the attempt for returning to the past
by people," is said in the statement signed by Hayk Babukhanian.

1000S CHALLENGE VICTORY OF ARMENIAN PM IN PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 2ND DAY OF PROTESTS

AP
2008-02-21 22:30:45

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Tens of thousands of opposition supporters
rallied for a second straight day in Armenia’s capital Thursday,
claiming the presidential vote was rigged and vowing to continue
their protest until new elections are held.

Activists set up about dozen tents on a central Yerevan square in an
effort to stage round-the-clock protests, but authorities warned they
could intervene to maintain order.

Election officials said Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian _ the favored
successor of outgoing President Robert Kocharian _ received almost 53
percent in Tuesday’s vote, enough to win the presidency outright. The
leading opposition candidate, Levon Ter-Petrosian, had 21.5 percent.

The opposition say the real winner was Ter-Petrosian, who was
Armenia’s president following the 1991 Soviet breakup, and his
supporters have claimed widespread violations and violence targeting
opposition activists.

An estimated 25,000 protesters waved flags, raised clenched fists and
shouted, «Levon! Levon!» as Ter-Petrosian claimed that two deputy
defense ministers had switched to his side and promised that the army
would not intervene in the demonstration. The Defense Ministry later
denied the claim.

«Both deputy ministers stand together with the people and they will
defend the candidate who has the people’s trust,» Ter-Petrosian
said. «The army will not intervene in politics.

Opposition activists later erected tents on the main square and
a steady supplies of warm clothing and blankets could be seen
arriving. The mood was festive despite freezing temperatures and
people set off fireworks and danced traditional Caucasian dances as
loud music blared through loudspeakers.

«Today we begin nonstop protests and rallies,» Ter-Petrosian aide
Nicol Pashinian said. «We’re going to stay here until we win.

The crowed thinned to several thousand by late Thursday who said
they were determined to stay through the night. Several dozen police
officers patrolled the area.

The opposition faces an uphill struggle in mustering support for
a new vote, after the election received endorsement from regional
power Russia. Western observers noted violations but said the vote
was generally positive.

The standoff has raised concerns of instability in the volatile,
strategic country at the junction of the energy-rich Caspian Sea
region and southern Europe, with Russia and Iran nearby.

Memories of economic hardships of the early 1990s are still fresh
for most Armenians, as is the devastating conflict with neighboring
Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The mountainous
region in neighboring Azerbaijan has been under ethnic Armenian
control since a cease-fire ended six years of fighting in 1994.

The capital was the scene of weeks-long protests following Kocharian’s
re-election in 2003, which the opposition also called fraudulent,
but the protests never gained momentum.

Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia on Sunday added an
element of uncertainty for Armenians, many of whom see clear analogies
between Kosovo and Nagorno-Karabakh.

–Boundary_(ID_p94HTltLFgyGOb6V m0I0sg)–

EU LINKS SARGSYAN ELECTION TO KARABAKH PROCESS ACTIVATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.02.2008 14:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Union links election of Serzh Sargsyan
the President of Armenia to activation in the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement process, Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the
Common Foreign and Security Policy, said in a statement.

"Election of new President offers a possibility to improve relations
with neighbors, to redouble efforts for resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. The EU supports the endeavors of the OSCE Minsk
Group," the statement says.

Mr Solana said he is satisfied with the interim assessment provided
by the International Election Observation Mission. "The international
observers concluded that the presidential election was mostly in
line with Armenia’s international commitments. But I call on the
authorities to look into all violations fixed," he said.

"The European Union intends to strengthen cooperation in the framework
of the European Neighborhood Policy," he said, RIA Novosti reports.

EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF PLEASED WITH IEOM REPORT ON ARMENIAN ELECTION

ARMENPRESS
Feb 21, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS: EU High Representative for the Common
Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, said he was pleased with the
preliminary report of the International Election Observation Mission
(IEOM) on Armenian presidential election, which has found that ‘the
February 19 presidential election was conducted mostly in line with
the country’s international commitments, although further improvements
are necessary to address remaining challenges."

Solana welcomed the high voter turnout and urged Armenian authorities
to investigate carefully all reported cases of vote fraud and
irregularities.

In a statement Solana said the European Union hopes that electing
Serzh Sarkisian as Armenia’s new president, will step up efforts for
seeking a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"Being elected as a new president of Armenia gives Serzh Sarkisian new
opportunities to improve Armenia’s relations with its neighbors. This
includes resumption of efforts for resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict," he said.

The statement says that the EU assist the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts
and will provide assistance to the conflict resolution process.

The statement says also that the EU remains committed to strengthening
ties with Armenia as part of the European Neighborhood Program

Agence France Presse, France
Feb 19 2008

PM favoured to win Armenia presidential vote

YEREVAN, Armenia (AFP) – Armenia’s Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian was
headed for victory in the country’s presidential election Tuesday, an
exit poll indicated, but his opponents cried foul and vowed to stage
a mass protest. Sarkisian won the election in a first round with 57.1
percent of the vote, according to the exit poll commissioned by
Armenian Public Television.

Former president Levon Ter-Petrosian came in second with 17.4
percent, while former parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian came
third with 14.6 percent, according to the poll conducted by British
pollster Populus.

If confirmed by official returns, the poll victory would clear the
way for 53-year-old Sarkisian to take over from his close ally,
outgoing President Robert Kocharian.

With eight percent of the vote counted, Sarkisian was ahead with 53
percent, election officials said in televised comments. Figures for
other candidates were not provided.

Even before polls had closed, Ter-Petrosian’s campaign team had
denounced the vote as a fraud and called for a mass rally in the
capital on Wednesday.

Ter-Petrosian, Armenia’s president between 1991 and 1998, said
election day had been marred by serious violations.

"Very dirty things are happening," he said after voting.

His campaign spokesman Arman Musinian said that dozens of
Ter-Petrosian’s supporters had been beaten Tuesday across the
country. He also claimed that ballot stuffing, multiple voting and
voter intimidation had been widespread.

"It’s already clear that this is not an election. This is an attempt
by the authorities to seize power," Musinian told AFP.

He also dismissed the exit poll result, saying "these figures have
absolutely no connection with reality. They were written by Serzh
Sarkisian’s campaign headquarters."

Voter turnout was 69.25 percent, the Central Elections Commission
reported.

Pre-election polls showed Sarkisian well ahead of his eight rivals in
the race to replace the long-serving Kocharian, who is
constitutionally barred from seeking a third five-year term.

"The most important thing is not how many rounds there are, but that
the election is conducted well and that its results are trusted by
the people," Sarkisian said after voting.

Opposition candidates had warned they would call street protests if
they believed the vote was unfair, raising fears of unrest in a
country known for its volatile politics.

At one Yerevan polling station Roland Serobian said he voted for
Sarkisian because of the prime minister’s promises to improve living
standards.

"I trust him. He’s a man of his word," the 76-year-old said. "Look
how much he has already done."

Kocharian handpicked the prime minister to succeed him after
Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia swept parliamentary polls
last May.

The two are long-time associates, both hailing from Azerbaijan’s
rebel Nagorny Karabakh region.

Together they have been credited with ensuring relative stability and
strong economic growth.

Analysts predict Sarkisian will follow in Kocharian’s footsteps,
pursuing close ties with Moscow and a hawkish stance in relations
with neighbouring Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The latter two have cut diplomatic ties and sealed their borders with
Armenia over its support for Armenian separatists in Nagorny
Karabakh.

Ankara has also been angered by Yerevan’s campaign to have the World
War I-era mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire recognised
as genocide.

Ter-Petrosian has called for a more conciliatory approach with
Azerbaijan and Turkey, saying the government has left Armenia deeply
isolated.

About 600 foreign observers were monitoring the vote and the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was to
issue a report on the election Wednesday.

PRESS TV, Iran
Feb 20 2008

Armenian PM ahead of election rivals
Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:11:30

Armenian Prime Minister, Serzh Sarkisian
Armenian preliminary election results have indicated Prime Minister
Serzh Sarkisian’s victory over his rivals by 57 percent of the votes.

With ballots from more than 10 percent of precincts counted,
Sarkisian had received 57 percent of the vote, the Central Election
Commission said on Tuesday.

His closest contender, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian won no
more than 17 and the Former parliament speaker, Orinats Erkir Artur
Bagdasarian, just 14 percent of the votes.

Meanwhile, the opposition leaders said the election day had been
marred by serious violations and warned of calling nationwide
protests against the election results.

According to the Central Elections Commission reports, seventy
percent of the Armenians turned out for the presidential elections.

Pre-election polls showed Sarkisian well ahead of his eight rivals in
the race to replace the long-serving Kocharian, who is
constitutionally barred from seeking a third five-year term.

Eleven violations of election legislation registered: opposition parliamentarian

2008-02-19 13:28:00

ArmInfo. Parliamentarian representing the Heritage opposition party
faction Stepan Safaryan told journalists that 11 violations have
already been registered at different polling stations. He stressed
that the active voting arouses concern. He stressed that the campaign
agent of the candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan Larisa Tadevosyan found
350 false data in election registers on February 18. ‘In response,
the bodyguard of Gagik Tsarukyan, Leader of Prosperous Armenia party,
parliamentarian, warned her not to interfere into the work of the
polling station. Earlier in the morning on February 19, three unknown
entered the polling station and kidnapped L. Tadevosyan. She was
viciously beaten up. Afterwards, she applied to the Police at 10:30am.

The Police explained that they have no right to interfere without
mediation of the election commission. Tadevosyan was sent to medical
examination, he said.

Today, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2008

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry: "Information about movement of PKK
terrorists to Azerbaijan’s occupied lands evidences seriousness of
the situation"

18 February 2008 [16:02] – Today.Az

Information about the displacement of PKK terrorists in the occupied
lands of Azerbaijan should be treated seriously.

The due information has been announced by Khazar Ibragim, spokesman
for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan at a traditional briefing in
the Ministry.

He noted that the danger underlies in the facts that Azerbaijan can
not control these territories by some objective reasons; second,
these territories are controlled by Armenia, which has great
experience in the terrorist activity; third, PKK is an active
terrorist organization and the announcements of their
representatives, who stressed the intention to undermine Azerbaijan’s
infrastructure prove this.

"These facts evidence the seriousness of the situation and therefore
not only Azerbaijan but also the countries of the region, as well as
due international organizations should react to it", Ibragim said.

He noted that Azerbaijan is able to face the challenge and at the
same time it continues cooperation with other states on the
international arena.

/Day.Az/

URL:

European Hockey.Net News, UK
Feb 18 2008

Armenia disqualified by IIHF
– iihf

Greece promotion is confirmed

The directorate of the IIHF World Championship Division III
Qualification decided that both games of Armenia will forfeited and
will count as 5-0 wins for the opponents, Greece and Bosnia and
Herzegovina.

Armenia refused to show the passports of its players on four
occasions until its first game was in progress. Originally, Armenia
lost to Greece 8-5 on Saturday and won against Bosnia and
Herzegovina, 18-1. Even without the forfeit, Greece earned the
promotion outright to this year’s World Championship Division III
with two victories on the ice.