ARMENIAN FUTSAL NATIONAL TEAM BEAT BY NATIONAL TEAM OF CZECH REPUBLIC AS WELL
Noyan Tapan
March 3, 2008
YEREVAN, MARCH 3, NOYAN TAPAN. In the group tournament of the Futsal
World Championship being held in the city of Chrudim, Czech Republic,
the Armenian national team was defeated for the second time, this
time by the national team of Czech Republic. In the next game the
Armenian team will compete with the national team of Finland.
VATICAN SECRETARY OF STATE ARMENIA VISIT DELAYED
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.03.2008 18:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The visit of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary
of State of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, scheduled for March 2-6,
has been postponed owing to domestic situation in Armenia, the RA
MFA press office reported.
The Cardinal was expected to meet with RA President Robert Kocharian,
Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Garegin II, Prime Minister
Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian.
He also planned to attend the Depository of Ancient Manuscripts of
Matenadaran, Mother Teresa’s sisters’ center and Grigor Lusavorich
Cathedral.
In Shirak, Cardinal Bertone intended to meet with the Catholic
community of Armenia.
ACTING UNDER PRESSURE OF PUBLIC OPINION IS NOT WEAKNESS BUT DUTY OF GOVERNMENT
Naira Hayrumyan
KarabakhOpen
03-03-2008 13:53:38
March 1 will forever be a day of mourn for at least 8 Armenian
families. All the others will find consolation in long talks about
who was right, what could have been avoided and how it should have
been done.
We offer condolences to all the families who will not be able to
become engaged in such talks. And we are sorry that another day added
to the tragic dates for the Armenian people – March 1.
Political dialogue acquired special importance during the Armenian
presidential election. But it had also specificity. First of all, it
is due to the irreconcilability of the sides and refusal to retreat
by at least one step.
>From the very beginning, when the election campaign began, the
two main candidates Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Serge Sargsyan refused
dialogue and did not have even one live debate. Each of the candidates
states now that his opponent refused a debate. The reality is that
Levon Ter-Petrosyan said he would debate only with Serge Sargsyan,
and the latter said he had nothing to discuss with the first president.
Nevertheless, the Armenian voter did not get a chance to assess the
political stance of the main candidate during a live debate and to draw
conclusions. As a result much was not said, which grew into rumors,
emotions which burst on March 1.
The second possibility of a dialogue occurred immediately after
the vote, when it became known that Serge Sargsyan had won with
minimum advantage, that innumerable people are dissatisfied with
the conduct and outcome of the vote, that these people are likely
to go on protest. There was a feeling that there would be a second
round after the re-count of votes, which would lead to a dialogue,
and resolution of the situation in accordance with the law. But it did
not take place, the re-count of votes was marred by scandals, fraud,
as a result nothing changed, and the chance for a dialogue was lost.
The next stage of the dialogue started – the prime minister proposed
all the political forces to join in a coalition. Several political
forces responded, including Arthur Baghdasaryan, who had been believed
to be opposition in the Armenian "black & white" world. However,
not only he agreed to take up a position in the government which
does not exist yet but also justified himself on the Armenian Public
Television for about half an hour that he is not opposition because
Levon Ter-Petrosyan called him a betrayer.
Levon Ter-Petrosyan did not respond to the call for the coalition
because the demand of the people on the Square of Freedom was not
political positions or election of Levon Ter-Petrosyan as president
but they demanded that the rigged election were voided, and a new
election were held. Levon Ter-Petrosyan and another candidate Tigran
Karapetyan disputed the result of the vote at the Constitutional
Court, and the result of the election has no legal validity unless
the Constitutional Court makes a decision. The opposition stayed on
the square, making statements and dancing during intervals.
The government assessed the refusal to join the coalition as a
challenge, and without waiting for the decision of the Constitutional
Court, started to work out a scenario of forceful settlement of the
problem. At this point the possibilities of a dialogue vanished. The
speaker of the parliament Tigran Torosyan said the government had
no way out but to declare emergency rule and use force to disperse
the oppositionists.
Is it true that there was no other way out? Was it impossible to
wait until the decision of the Constitutional Court? Let alone that
the acting president, if he is so eager for a dialogue, could have
listened to the voice of several hundreds of thousands of people on
the square and hold a new election. Several hundreds of thousands
of people are half of the voters of Yerevan. And defiance of their
opinion is a defiance of a dialogue.
Unfortunately, the unwritten Soviet laws still work in Armenia,
according to which, it is a "shame" to listen to the voice of
people. Would it be appropriate for a post-Soviet government to
retreat under the pressure of public opinion? How can they listen to
the opinion of people? Others may think they are weak.
Meanwhile, it would be a genuine path leading to a dialogue. To make
a decision on a new election on the basis of public opinion. It would
not be weakness but a strong move. People are not indignant because
another person was elected president but because nobody asked for
and respected their opinion. Respect of opinion of a considerable
part of people would have soothed passions.
However, such a dialogue would be possible in case all the political
forces were interested in stability, regular development of the
country. It is impossible if the government is ready to hold on to
power at any price, if the struggle is not for the choice of the
way of development of the state but for staying at the top of the
government pyramid.
There is still a path, despite the victims, depression of people and
hidden rage.
WHERE WERE YOU, HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER?
A1+
[02:25 pm] 01 March, 2008
At 10.30 a.m. people who were made out of the Liberty Square at dawn,
relatives of detained and missing people, as well as ordinary citizens,
who did not participate in the strike but were beaten by special police
groups, gathered in front of the French Embassy in Yerevan. Here,
the police was standing in rows. The number of demonstrators was
growing and they were exclaiming "Levon President", "Freedom",
"Fight to the end", "Serge, leave".
No employee from the Embassy has met the demonstrators yet. New
groups of citizens joined the demonstrators, who had organized a
march through North Avenue. Policemen in shields, helmets and with
truncheons arrived and wanted to surround the demonstrators, but the
latter continued crying out "Armenians join". The traffic is stopped
on Grigor Lusavorich Street, people get off the transport and join the
demonstrators, and drivers express their sympathy toward demonstrators.
Two trolleybuses have blocked the road and the demonstrators covered
them with posters written "We will win". A garbage lorry brought and
poured out as garbage what was left in the Liberty Square – tents,
bloody mattresses, child’ shoes, food etc. After this incidents the
demonstrators could hardly keep themselves not to assault on the
policemen and cried out "Arthur, traitor".
Among the demonstrators in front of the Embassy, you could see
the NA Deputy from the "Heritage" party Anahit Bakhshyan and the
RA Ombudsman. People were asking the Ombudsman where he was when
the policemen assaulted on the people in the Liberty Square. "What
happened in the Opera will continue here", warned the people.
We should remind that 15.00 they will hold a rally in front of the
French Embassy.
Armenia opposition backs down after violent clashes
By Margarita Antidze
Reuters
Sat Mar 1, 2008 11:37pm GMT
YEREVAN, March 2 (Reuters) – Most of the opposition supporters locked
in a standoff with police in Armenia’s capital ended their protest
on Sunday but a group of around 60 refused to go home and set fire
to abandoned police vehicles.
Most of the crowd, which numbered about 2,000, headed away from a
square in the Armenian capital where they had been demonstrating after
a message was read out from opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan
urging them to go home.
Armenian leader Robert Kocharyan had declared a state of emergency late
on Saturday and said he would send in the army to end the standoff
with opposition supporters, who earlier in the day fought pitched
battles with police.
In a message read out by one of his supporters, Ter-Petrosyan told
the demonstrators to go home until the 20-day state of emergency
had expired.
"I do not want any victims and clashes between police and innocent
people. That is why I am asking you to leave," said the message from
Ter-Petrosyan, who has been barred by police from leaving his home.
His supporters had been staging daily protests since a Feb. 19 election
they said had been rigged to hand victory to Prime Minister Serzh
Sarksyan, a close Kocharyan ally.
A Reuters reporter at the scene of the protest said about 60
people refused to go, with some accusing Ter-Petrosyan of being
a traitor. They set fire to police jeeps left there following the
clashes on Saturday.
Armenia is an ex-Soviet republic of 3.2 million people in a Caucasus
mountains region that is emerging as a key transit route for oil
and gas supplies from the Caspian Sea. (Writing by Christian Lowe;
editing by Keith Weir)
DESIRED LEVEL ABSENT IN MILITARY
Panorama.am
20:45 29/02/2008
Chairperson of the Georgian parliament Nino Burjanadze received
Armenian Defense Minister Michael Harutunyan and the delegation
spearheaded by him today. The parties pinpointed to high level
of cooperation between the two countries on political, economic,
cultural and other fields. However, they mentioned that the desired
level is not ensured in military and military technical cooperation.
In this regard the parties voiced their assurance that the appointment
of military attache in Armenia will contribute to more active military
cooperation between the two neighboring countries. During the meeting
the parties reflected on issues of regional significance and attached
importance to stable development as a safeguard of regional peace
and security.
The visit of the defense minister and the delegation spearheaded by
him continues to Georgia.
Source: Panorama.am
OYP LEADER ARTHUR BAGHDASARIAN APPOINTED SECRETARY OF RA SECURITY COUNCIL
Noyan Tapan
Feb 29 2008
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. A memorandum of political
cooperation has been signed between Arthur Baghdasarian, the Chairman
of the Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) Party, and Serge Sargsian, the
Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, on February 29. According
to the information provided to a Noyan Tapan correspondent by the
OYP office, on the same day Arthur Baghdasarian has been appointed
Secretary of the RA Security Council. Before that the office was held
by Armen Gevorgian, the Head of the RA President’s Staff.
ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN MISS WORLD BEAUTY PAGEANT
ARMENPRESS
Feb 28, 2008
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, ARMENPRESS: Armenia was invited to participate
in the 57-th Miss World beauty pageant that will take place in July
in Vietnam.
Mr. Karen Aristakesian, head of the Miss Armenia agency, said to
Armenpress the winner of Miss Armenia contest, scheduled for early
summer, will represent the country in Vietnam.
He said the winner will also participate in Miss Globe and Miss CIS
beauty contests.
SKINHEADS ACCUSED OF MURDERING ARMENIAN AND AZERI FOUND GUILTY IN ALTAY REGION OF RUSSIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
27.02.2008 14:55 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The jury sentenced two residents of Biysk town of
Altay region, Russia, to 17 and 15 years in prison.
At the trial the accused claimed they assaulted people for robbery
but not through national hatred. The third accused, who was not found
guilty of perpetration of murder, was handed a 6-year sentence.
As reported earlier, Armenia-native Hrachik Baghramyan, 50, was
assaulted on October 15, 2006 in Biysk. Azeri Ziyadhan Eyvazov was
killed on November 1.
The investigation traced young men privy to the crimes. During a
search in their apartments the police found hammers, baseball bat,
flaps of fabric with inscription Skin Head, leaflets and various
nationalistic literature.
CEC PUBLICIZES THE FINAL RESULTS
Hayots Ashkhar
Tuesday 26 February 2008
After the end of the re-counting process, in all the constituency
committees, based on the 135 applications received from the
presidential candidates, CEC convened an extraordinary session on
Sunday and after doing corrections in the preliminary results of the
elections publicized the final results of the presidential elections.
Thus the votes for the 9 presidential candidates have been distributed
by the following proportion:
Arthur Baghdasaryan 272.427
Artashes Geghamyan 7.524
Tigran Karapetyan 9. 792
Aram Harutyunyan 2.892
Vahan Hovhannisyan 100.966
Vazgen Manukyan 21.075
Arman Melikyan 4.399
Serge Sargsyan 862.369
Levon Ter-Petrosyan 351.222