Author: Jidarian Alex

EXAMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE LEVON TER-PETROSIAN’S APPLICATION STARTS AT CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

Noyan Tapan
Feb 11, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The examination of RA presidential
candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian’s application started on February 11,
at 11:00 at the RA Constitutional Court. The application demanded
considering insuperable the obstacles, which have emerged in
Ter-Petrosian’s way of participation in the elections. It should be
mentioned that according to Article 52 of the Constitution, in case
insuperable obstacles emerge for one of the candidates, the election
of the RA President is delayed by two weeks.

Unless the insuperable obstacles are liquidated in that period, a new
election is fixed and the voting is held after the expiration of the
above mentioned two-week term, on the 40th day.

The claimant’s representatives are Ruben Torosian, the Chairman of
the Supreme Council deputy club, Artak Zeynalian, a member of the
Political Board of the Hanrapetutiun (Republic) party, and Robert
Sanoyan. They represent the monitoring group of L. Ter-Petrosian’s
preelection headquarters. As Gagik Haroutiunian, the Chairman of the
RA Constitutional Court, explained to journalists, no respondent is
envisaged on the case of recognizing the insuperable obstacle.

The application mentioned that Public Television three months
running broadcast biassed and anti-agitation reportings against
presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian. This statement was,
in particular, grounded by the data published by the organizations
conducting media monitoring. Use of the administrative resource by
Ter-Petrosian’s opponent, presidential candidate, Prime Minister
Serge Sargsian, as well as President Robert Kocharian’s critical
speeches addressed to Ter-Petrosian were also among the arguments
of the representatives. L. Ter-Petrosian’s preelection headquarters
tried to overcome the obstacles by applying to the RA Central Electoral
Commission, RA Administrative Court, National Commission of Television
and Radio with the demand of liquidating the violations of the
suffrage, but in vain. As a result, the presidential candidate found
himself in a situation when he is not able to carry out preelection
agitation on equal conditions because of reasons not depending on him.

After hearing the explanations of the claimant’s representatives the
court started a consultation behind closed doors to make a decision
on the case.

The decision can be published no later than by 24:00.

19th extraordinary conference of Constitutional Law Union’ party in
Yerevan

2008-02-09 13:41:00

ArmInfo. The 19th extraordinary conference of "Constitutional Law
Union" party is being held in Yerevan.

The conference, in which 321 delegates are taking part, was organized
by Hayk Babukhanyan’s supporters. It will reelect the Board that
consists of 9 people and adopt a resolution on the party’s position
regarding the forthcoming presidential election, on 19 February. As
editor-in-chief of "Iskakan Iravunk" newspaper Hovanes Galajan told
ArmInfo correspondent, members of the Constitutional Law Union party
are free in the rights to vote for any candidate for president except
the first Armenian
president Levon Ter-Petrosyan. "We call members of our party not to
vote for Ter-Petrosyan stemming from the interests of national security
of the country, taking into consideration Ter-Petrosyan’s defeating
position on Karabakh conflict settlement and his intention to sharply
reduce the number of the armed forces of the country", – Galajan said.

To note, today Hrant Khachatryan disseminated a statement in which he
called decisions of today’s conference unlawful.

Public TV, Armenia
Feb 6 2008

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, EU OFFICIALS DISCUSS TIES, FORTHCOMING POLLS

[Presenter over video of the meeting] President Robert Kocharyan
received the European Union Troika headed by theforeign minister of
the country presiding in the EU Slovenia, Dimitrij Rupel.

The sides exchanged thoughts on ongoing cooperation with the European
Union, touched on the Action Plan within theframework of the European
Neighbourhood Policy.

Speaking about dynamically developing cooperation with the European
Union, Kocharyan said that due to the jointaction programme
cooperation had become much more coordinated. He welcomed the opening
of a new diplomatic mission ofthe European Commission [in Yerevan],
which would provide an opportunity for closer cooperation.

Robert Kocharyan said that the forthcoming [19 February] presidential
election was extremely responsible time for thecountry. We are
interested in holding a really good election in compliance with
international standards and we haveeverything necessary to organize
it in the best way, the president emphasized. Robert Kocharyan also
talked about thelatest developments in the peaceful settlement of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and Armenia’s approaches in theissues of
energy security and regional cooperation.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Gaz de France won’t be involved in Nabucco project by
reason of Armenian Genocide issue
08.02.2008 13:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey opposes Gaz de Frances (GDF)
inclusion in the Nabucco gas pipeline project over
France’s positions on the Armenian Genocide and
Ankara’s European Union bid, a senior energy official
said.

His comments, reiterating Turkey’s previously stated
opposition, followed expressions of support from
Romania’s president and Hungarian firm MOL MOL.BU for
GDF’s involvement in the project that would bring
Caspian gas to Europe.

The five billion-euro ($7.4 billion) pipeline is
designed to pass via Turkey and the Balkans to Austria
and is a key plank of the European Union’s plans to
reduce its dependence on Russian gas imports. It is
planned for completion in 2012.

The Turkish official, who declined to be named, said
in normal conditions Turkey would be glad to accept
GDF as a partner given its experience and success in
the energy sector. "Turkey avoids using energy as a
political instrument, it has no such aim," he said.

Ankara has previously said it opposed Gaz de France’s
involvement in the project because of France’s
approval of a bill making it a crime to deny that
Armenians suffered a genocide at the hands of Ottoman
Turks in 1915-16.

Turkey is also upset about French President Nicolas
Sarkozy’s opposition to Ankara’s quest for EU
membership. Sarkozy says the EU cannot absorb Turkey,
a relatively poor Muslim country with 70 million
people, and says Brussels should instead negotiate a
"privileged partnership."

The Nabucco consortium is equally owned by oil and gas
companies in the transit countries – Austria’s OMV,
Hungary’s MOL, Romania’s Transgaz, Bulgaria’s
Bulgargaz and Turkey’s Botas.

The Nabucco consortium on Tuesday confirmed German
utility RWE will join the project.

The Turkish Energy Ministry official said six partners
was enough for the project but that a seventh partner,
from a gas-producing country, could join.

He said Turkey was in favor of Turkey’s Botas
constructing the pipelines as far as Ankara, from
where Turkey wants the Nabucco project to begin. It
could construct these pipelines in cooperation with
other companies, he said, Reuters reports.

PEOPLE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH ELECT NKR AND NOT RA PRESIDENT
By Aghavni Harutyunian, translated by L.H.

AZG Armenian Daily
07/02/2008

People in Baku don’t know it; they don’t know even the country’s
constitution.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry started its recurrent disinformation
campaign – maybe they are getting a preparatory training on our
presidential elections before Azerbaijani presidential elections.

Anyway, Azerbaijani political thinking is facing a crisis, confidently,
as they have no conception of some simple questions. Mainly,
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Press Service Department Chief Khazar
Ibrahim announced that the process of presidential elections in
Azerbaijan and Armenia "…brought to various violations of Azerbaijani
legislation and International Law connected with Nagorno Karabakh".

According to Ibrahim, it becomes clear that "…the Azerbaijani
citizens of the occupied territories of Armenia cannot participate
in Azerbaijani presidential elections".

Another violation of law, according to Ibrahim, is "…the
participation of Nagorno Karabakh people in RA presidential elections".

"Electoral districts are being formed in Nagorno Karabakh connected
with RA presidential elections. We don’t have its supervision
mechanisms", probably the wail was directed to international society.

First of all, we would like to underline that only RA citizens can
participate in RA presidential elections and Azerbaijani citizens, even
in case of strong desire and with the help of international society’s
"persuasions", cannot take part in Armenian election processes. At
the same time, they cannot participate in NKR elections, as only
Nagorno Karabakh citizens have right to participate in them.

Azerbaijanis cannot understand an elementary thing – Karabakh has no
connection with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Moreover, many of Karabakh
people have gained RA citizenship, and some of them even US citizenship
and the Azerbaijani approach is ridiculous, for example the hopes to
make US citizens participate in Ilham Aliev’s re-election process.

Besides, the same Ibrahim should think that if he really considers NKR
citizens as Azerbaijani, he will be concerned of the fact that every
election can be considered as illegal because of non-participation
of the half of the population.

We would like to quote several articles from Azerbaijani constitution
about citizenship. According to Azerbaijani constitution the documents
that confirm citizenship are birth certificate and Azerbaijani
passport. And as Karabakh people don’t have even one of the mentioned,
the talks about as if Karabakh people are Azerbaijani citizens are
worthless.

Moreover, Azerbaijani constitution article 52 defines who is
Azerbaijani citizen. And Nagorno Karabakh people cannot be placed in
that definition.

What about Armenian presidential elections and so-called participation
of Nagorno Karabakh people in it, we want to recall that NKR has its
own election processes, and elections are held there independent of
Armenian and Azerbaijani elections. And though Azerbaijan doesn’t
recognize those elections, they are de facto processes that regulate
Nagorno Karabakh’s life and development.

Participation of RA citizens (of Karabakh origin) in Armenian
presidential elections corresponds to International Law principles
and normatives. And all of them who have RA citizenship and election
franchise are part of that process even if Azerbaijan is against it.

Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

February 6, 2008
Contact: Haig Hovsepian
Tel: (818) 500-1918

ANC-WR JOINS RECEPTION FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS HOSTED BY THE WESTERN PRELACY

Los Angeles, CA – On the morning of Saturday, February 2, 2008 an open
house and reception for Southern California elected officials took
place under the auspices of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, at the Western Prelacy headquarters. Jointly organized by
the Western Prelacy Outreach Committee and the Armenian National
Committee – Western Region (ANC-WR), the open house familiarized
officials with the endeavors and mission of the Prelacy.

"The Western Prelacy’s new home represents more than brick and
concrete. It’s about transformation and relating to future
generations," said ANC-WR Board Member and Western Prelacy Outreach
Committee Member Pattyl Aposhian-Kasparian. "Today’s open house
provided a forum to bring together the leaders of the Armenian
community with leaders of Southern California – the Western Prelacy
has emerged stronger, more energized, more efficient and more capable
of meeting the needs of the community in the years ahead," she added.

Among those in attendance were Deputy Consul General of the Republic
of Armenia Mesrob Shaboyan, Congressman Adam Schiff, Assemblymembers
Mike Feuer, Anthony Portantino, and Paul Krekorian, Los Angeles City
Council President Eric Garcetti, Councilmember Dennis Zine, former
State Assemblymember Carol Liu, Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian, Glendale
Unified School District board member Mrs. Nairi Nahapetian, Glendale
College Board of Trustees members Dr. Armine Hacopian and Dr. Vahe
Peroomian, and representatives from the offices of Congressman Brad
Sherman, State Senator Jack Scott, Councilmember Wendy Greuel and Los
Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich. Various community leaders
also attended the opening.

As the guests arrived, Executive Council, ANC, Outreach, and Ladies
Auxiliary members led them on a tour of the headquarters starting at
the "St. Dertad and St. Ashkhen" Chapel and concluding at the "Dikran
and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian" Hall. The tours were followed by welcoming
remarks from Aposhian-Kasparian, who described Prelacy activities
emphasizing the special attention given to the spiritual nourishment
and education of community youth. The Prelate then thanked those in
attendance for accepting the invitation to assemble under one roof and
to become more closely acquainted with the endeavors and mission of
the Prelacy. The Prelate noted that this reception brings together
friends of the Armenian people with our community members, expressing
hope that this collaboration continues in the future.

Remarks were subsequently offered by Congressman Adam Schiff, City
Council President Eric Garcetti, Assemblymembers Paul Krekorian and
Anthony Portantino, Councilmember Dennis Zine, Mayor Ara Najarian, and
representatives from the offices of Supervisor Michael Antonovich and
Congressman Brad Sherman, all of whom congratulated the Prelate on the
realization of the new headquarters and offered their well wishes.
The officials presented the Prelate with congratulatory resolutions
>From their respective offices and in turn the Prelate presented each
of the officials or their representatives with mementos. Governor
Arnold Schwarzenneger, who could not attend the reception, graciously
sent a congratulatory letter which was also presented to the Prelate.

Guests then enjoyed an opportunity to interact with the officials and
with each other during breakfast which was hosted by the Ladies
Auxiliary.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in
the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States
and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR advances
the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.

There was a time when state champions lost regional titles

The Daily Herald
By Bob Frisk | Daily Herald Columnist
Published: 1/11/2008 12:26 AM

The win-or-go-home format is what makes the state high school
basketball tournaments so entertaining.

Entertaining and, yes, a little terrifying at the same time.

There’s no tomorrow.

You’ve heard those words many times before, and you’ll hear them again
when the IHSA tourneys begin in February for girls and boys.

Every high school gets at least one chance, but you have to win to
survive and play another day.

It wasn’t always that way in the IHSA boys basketball tournament.

Illinois had back-to-back state champions in 1940 (Granite City) and
’41 (Morton of Cicero) that had lost regional championship games but
still got a second chance.

There was a tomorrow.

That piece of state sports history is just one of the fascinating
parts in the new book "Men of Granite" by Dan Manoyan (Authorhouse,
$24.95).

Manoyan, sports writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and native
of Waukegan, looks at how young men with a hard-knocks background from
the wrong side of the Granite City tracks in Southern Illinois became
an agent for change in society by mastering the game of basketball.

The steel mills attracted Hungarian, Armenian, Yugoslavian and
Macedonia immigrants who left behind genocide and oppression in search
of a better life for their families.

The players learned their skills at Lincoln Place Center, a settlement
house built by their parents with materials provided by the steel
mills. They learned discipline from a woman, a former school teacher
who considered her work at Lincoln Place Center a higher calling.

The teenager who paved the way for the foreigners in Granite City
basketball was future University Illinois Whiz Kid and NBA star Andy
Phillip, who was born Andras Fulop of Hungarian stock.

While Manoyan’s book does a wonderful job showing how these Granite
City kids battled tremendous odds and perceptions to win the state
championship in 1940, I was particularly interested in finding out why
the IHSA had adopted a second-chance format.

Who could possibly think a double-elimination tournament made sense?

"A spate of regional upsets in the 1930s forced the Illinois High
School Association to re-evaluate its tournament format," Manoyan
answers. "Interest was down because many observers felt that often the
best teams had been eliminated in regional play.

"To remedy the situation, the IHSA adopted a rule in 1936 that allowed
both the regional champions and the runners-up to advance to sectional
play. And, for the first few years, at least, the new format seemed to
work."

Manoyan points out that in 1936, four regional runners-up won
sectionals, including Johnston City, which placed third in
state. Carbondale, Woodstock and Ziegler made it to the state finals
in 1937 after losing in regional title games.

Other schools lost regional title games and advanced to state over the
next two seasons, but 1940 magnified the need for change.

Thirteen teams that lost in the regional finals worked their way back
into the sectional championship games. Seven of those teams, all
regional losers, advanced to the Sweet 16 in Champaign.

State champion Granite City, runner-up Herrin and fourth-place
Champaign all lost in the regionals.

Granite City had lost to rival Wood River in the regional finals but
then reversed the decision in the sectional title game.

In the historic 1940 title battle, Granite City posted a 24-22 victory
over Herrin for its only state basketball championship.

Phillip fired up 23 shots and made 6, also hitting 3 free throws.

In 1941 Morton of Cicero beat Urbana for the state title, and both
schools had suffered regional defeats.

"Two consecutive blemished champions was not what the IHSA envisioned
when it put the rule into effect," Manoyan writes. "Only two regional
losers — Cicero Morton and Olney — made it to state in 1942, but
those two teams became the final two teams ever to make it to the
state finals with a loss.

"The IHSA had seen enough, and the experiment was scrapped."

In today’s world, fans would demand asterisks by those 1940 and ’41
state titles.

9883

RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA TONIGHT

armradio.am
05.02.2008 11:06

Tonight Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov will arrive in Armenia on
an official visit. The delegation headed by the Prime Minister will
comprise Minister of Transport Igor Levitin, Minister of Information
Technologies and Ebnergy Andrey Dementev, Head of the Federal Tax
Service Andrey Belyanikov, Head of the Federal Atomic Agency Sergey
Kirienko, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Kirill
Androsov, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, Deputy Minister of
Finance Dmitri Pankin, First Deputy Director of the Federal Service
of Military-Technical Cooperation Alexander Fomin, other officials.

On February 6 Viktor Zubkov is expected to meet with RA President
Robert Kocharyan, Speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan,
Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and the Catholicos of All Armenians
Garegin II.

Following the meeting the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Russia will
sign documents and will give a joint press conference. The same day
the Prime Minister of Russia will visit Tsitsernakaberd to lay flowers
at the memorial to the Armenian Genocide victims.

JOE KNOLLENBERG CALLF FOR IN MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

armradio.am
05.02.2008 10:17

Given Armenia’s support in the global war against terrorism as well
as the ongoing attempts by Turkey and Azerbaijan to isolate Armenia,
the Armenian Assembly of America today expressed its opposition to
the Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Budget.

As in years past, the Budget proposal calls for asymmetrical military
assistance to Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Administration’s spending
plan recommends $3 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to
both countries, but Azerbaijan is slated to receive $600,000 more
than Armenia ($300,000) in Military Education and Training (IMET)
assistance.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently proclaimed that "Armenia
did not win the war. The war is not over. Only the first stage of the
war has been completed." He added that Nagorno Karabakh will never
be independent.

"Given Azerbaijan’s increased war rhetoric, I have strong concerns
with giving any military aid to Azerbaijan, and we definitely should
not give them more than we’re providing Armenia," stated Armenian
Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI).

"I will work with my colleagues to ensure that Armenia has the
resources needed to continue to strengthen its democracy as well as
ensure its security," continued Knollenberg.

The FY 2009 Budget also calls for $24 million in economic assistance
to Armenia, the lowest request to date made by the Administration. The
figure represents $34 million less than what Congress approved last
year, and $11 million less than the Administration’s request in
FY 2008.

Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny echoed Congressman
Knollenberg’s concerns, stating: "President Bush missed an important
opportunity to demonstrate that his Administration is serious about a
policy of regional cooperation and economic integration in the region."

"Azerbaijan’s continued threats to resume war, undermines
U.S. objectives in the region and I am confident that Congress will
reject this approach," Ardouny added. "In a budget that calls for
over $39 billion in the International Affairs account, $24 million
for Armenia is woefully inadequate. Rather than reduce funding to
Armenia, we urge the Administration to work with Congress to end the
dual blockades imposed upon her by Turkey and Azerbaijan."

Head of ‘Ukrferry’ to discuss possibilities of future cooperation in
Yerevan

2008-02-02 13:26:00

ArmInfo. Ilyichevsk-Poti-Batumi ferry crossing is an important
transport corridor ensuring foreign trade of the Republic of Armenia.

As ArmInfo was told at the press service of the Ukrainian Embassy to
Yerevan, almost half of the 588thsd tons of freight transported on that
line over 10 months in 2007-237thsd tons were freights from/to Armenia.
Commercial Director of "Ukrferry" CJSC shipping company V. Chernievski
and Logistics Manager S. Gorshkov will visit Armenia February 4-6, 2008
for search of possible ways of optimization of the cooperation. The
program of visit foresees meeting of the "Ukrferry" shipping company’s
leadership with RA Minister of Transport and Communication A. Manukyan,
as well as working meeting in the Union of Armenian Industrialists and
Businessmen, who cooperate with "Ukrferry" SC more closely. The
Ukrainian embassy expresses confidence that the coming visit will
promote further strengthening and development of the Ukrainian-Armenian
economic cooperation.