Author: Kajoyan Gevork

LAND MATTERS: EMERGENCE OF KURDISTAN LIKELY TO HAVE BEARINGS ON HISTORICAL ARMENIAN TERRITORIES

ANALYSIS | 20.03.13 | 15:20

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

The establishment of an independent Kurdish state, or perhaps an
ethnic supranational entity, is apparently becoming a reality.

Notably, this entity is likely to be established also on some of
the historical Armenian lands in what is known as Western Armenia
(part of modern-day Turkey) today. In that case, the descendants of
Armenians massacred and dispossessed during the years of the genocide
back in 1915 may face another fact by 2015 – their historical homeland
will be officially proclaimed Kurdistan.

After the establishment of Iraqi Kurdistan, which has gained nearly a
state status, Kurdish movements are also expected to prevail in Syria
and Turkey. A few days ago United States Secretary of State John Kerry
spoke to the president of the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government
(KRG) in Iraq, Massoud Barzani, about the ongoing crisis.

At the same time, the national coalition of opposition and
revolutionary forces of Syria elected ethnic Kurd Ghassan Hitto head
of the provisional government in the territory of the country which
is now controlled by the opposition, reports Anadolu news agency.

Hitto is the second Kurdish oppositionist after the head of the Syrian
National Council Abdulbasid Seid to have taken a top position in the
ranks of the Syrian opposition. And if the fight against the Assad
regime in Syria ends in favor of the opposition, the Kurds may insist
on a division of the state or at least a confederation.

Meanwhile, in Turkey, the government is trying to reroute a growing
Kurdish movement into the channel of so-called ‘constructivism’. Kurds
are building up resistance, and statements are already being made
about a confederation and changes in the Turkish Constitution,
repealing Article 66, which says that all citizens of Turkey are Turks.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, apparently worried over
such developments, has established ties with leader of the Kurdish
national liberation movement Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a
life sentence in a Turkish jail. Mixed reports have been made about
agreements reached between the two parties. While Turkish media say
Ocalan has urged his supporters to leave the territory of Turkey and
go to Iraq or Syria, the Kurds deny the existence of any agreements.

The Kurds themselves are demanding the release of arrested compatriots,
including Ocalan. A Kurdistan Workers Party leader has called for a
push for Ocalan’s release during the current celebration of Nowruz
(Persian New Year), as well as a campaign for a constitutional status
for Kurds in Turkey.

(There is a small Kurdish community in Armenia that also regularly
stages peaceful protests in Yerevan against oppression of ethnic kin
in Turkey or elsewhere in the Middle East).

Still a few years ago several American think tanks published a
map, according to which an independent state of Kurdistan will be
established on parts of the territories that belong to modern Iraq,
Syria and Turkey. Remarkably, in accordance with the same map a
part of Western Armenia is joined to the Republic of Armenia. And
now there is some expert opinion that soon the heirs of the victims
of the Armenian Genocide will have to negotiate on restitution and
financial compensation for the genocide and demarcation of the border
not with Turks, but rather with Kurds.

ARONIAN, CARLSEN, NOW TIED FOR 1ST PLACE
Vahe Sarukhanyan

12:20, March 20, 2013

Levon Aronian (Armenia) and Magnus Carlsen (Norway) now share the lead
with 3 points, after the fourth round of the Candidates Tournament
currently underway in London.

In Round 4, Aronian, playing the black pieces, drew with Peter Svidler
(Russia), while Carlsen, who was trailing Aronian by half a point,
defeated Alexander Grischuk (Russia).

Aronian will next play former world champion Vladimir Kramnik of
Russia in Round 5.

WHY TIGRAN SARGSYAN’S CABINET WON’T CHANGE
JAMES HAKOBYAN

16:22 19/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:

Serzh Sargsyan stated that the cabinet will not change. He said that
this government has achieved its objectives, and though the overall
situation is not satisfactory, one cannot dismiss a government which
has achieved its objectives. What’s the guarantee the new government
will work better, wondered Serzh Sargsyan.

What is the guarantee the old government can address new objectives?

Problems are different and have their particularities. Besides, one can
still question whether the government has achieved its goals or not.

Taxi drivers went on protest on these days since they now have to
replace yellow plates with white ones, as well as the age limit for
their cars has been removed. Both yellow plates and ten-year limit
were introduced by the present government. Most taxi drivers had to
buy new cars due to the car age limit. Now, they are told that they
had to spend so much money, often borrowed from banks, in vain. The
same goes for the plates.

The government has reviewed its decision which is an indicator of lack
of competence of the government. The activities of the government
are full of such episodes, which causes uncertainty. People do not
know when the government will change its mind.

The fact that Tigran Sargsyan’s cabinet will not change means that
Serzh Sargsyan cannot change the internal balance in government. In
addition, Serzh Sargsyan made a reverence to the oligarchy. At first
sight, this is a paradox. The prime minister known for his statements
about fighting oligarchy remains in his office while the president
makes reverences to the oligarchy. This paradox fully describes the
government of Armenia.

Serzh Sargsyan should be strong enough to make a decision of changing
the prime minister but he is not. This means that replacing the prime
minister supposed hard discussions not only at the geopolitical
centers but also with the oligarchy to reach a consensus over the
office of the prime minister.

In this case, Serzh Sargsyan would either have to make other
compromises or to surrender the premier’s office to the most
influential group or to keep the office by way of compromise with
that group. By keeping Tigran Sargsyan, Serzh Sargsyan frees himself
from the necessity to make compromises and concessions. But at the
same time he offers public guarantees to the oligarchs that Tigran
Sargsyan will continue speaking but will not touch them.

In other words, the issue is not that the government and the premier
will be the same. The problem is that the situation is the same,
which means that the taxi drivers had better not throw away the yellow
plates. Moreover, they should get also red, blue and apricot plates.

Who knows, what will occur to the government’s mind on May 28 or
during the harvest season of apricots.

SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY PURCHASED 3 BILLION AMD IN GOODS AND SERVICES FROM ARMENIAN COMPANIES

16:32, March 19, 2013

South Caucasus Railway purchased 3 billion 65 million AMD in goods
and services from 35 Armenian companies in 2012.

In 2011 SCR spent 2 billion AMD on purchases.

The expenditures were for various railway equipment, fuel, oil and
lubricants, clothing and footwear, various spare parts necessary to
ensure safe and non-stop operation of the railway.

The railroad terminated contracts with three companies that delivered
products of lower quality than the stated initial samples.

Purchasing of goods from domestic producers is a means adopted by
SCR to support the Armenian economy.

Such growth, in turn, helps to ensure stable work flows for companies
that supply specialized products to railway.

As a result of the company’s purchases about two thousand people were
employed in Armenian labor market.

STUDENT ACTIVISTS TO DEMAND RESIGNATION OF YSU RECTOR IF HE DOESN’T FIRE HIS ASSISTANT
Narek Aleksanyan

14:58, March 19, 2013

A group of activist students today told reporters that if their demand
for the dismissal of Yerevan State University Rector’s Assistant Gevorg
Melkonyan isn’t met by March 22, they will demand the resignation of
Rector Aram Simonyan.

The students will present their demands to Rector Simonyan today.

YSU students Arman Aleksanyan and Lilit Haroutyunyan said they had
collected 2,000 signatures of students attending the school and 1,000
attending other schools. Another 1,000 non-students have also signed
the resignation petition.

Another of their demands is that Serzh Sargsyan resign from the post
of president of the YSU Board of Trustees given that the university
has been subject to undue partisan interests as a result.

The same holds true at the Teachers College where Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan is president of the board and the Economic Institute, where
National Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan is the board president.

For the past few days, student activists have staged a sit-in outside
Yerevan State University collecting signatures for the dismissal of
Gevory Melkonyan.

WHY IS CEC AGAINST PUBLICATION OF SIGNED VOTERS’ LISTS? – HERITAGE PARTY REP ASKS CEC CHAIRMAN

TERT.AM
13:25 ~U 19.03.13

Heritage party’s parliamentary faction head Ruben Hakobyan asked
Central Election Commission head Tigran Mukuchyan in the NA today why
the CEC is against publication of the voters’ signed lists and what
the CEC does while receiving alarms about frauds.

Tigran Mukuchyan said the issue is not in the CEC or in the president.

“It relates to the legal norms. There is a clear rule that these lists
are not subjected to publication, cannot be pictured or videotaped,”
he said.

Today the National Assembly continues discussion of the CEC’s report
on changes in the organization of May 6, 2012 parliamentary elections.

Referring to election bribes, Mukuchyan said election bribes is a fixed
crime and the CEC has many times informed about the preventive measures
being undertaken. As to the investigation of the cases of election
bribes, it is not the CEC’s function but other relevant bodies.

VOLUME OF VEGETABLES AND JUICE EXPORTED FROM ARMENIA TO UAE, FRANCE AND RUSSIA INCREASED

09:49, 19 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, ARMENPRESS: The export volume of fresh, frozen
vegetables, fruit and vegetable juice has recorded growth as compared
with 2011 data. The State Revenue Committee of the Government of
the Republic of Armenia told Armenpress, 182,8 tons of fresh and
frozen vegetable was exported to the United Arab Emirates in 2012 in
comparison with 41,8 tons registered in 2011. The volume of fruit and
vegetable juice have grown for 44 per cent, reaching 2,6 tons. The
volume of fruit and vegetable juice exported from Armenia to France
have increased in comparison with 2011 data, reaching 112 thousand
500 liters. The export of fruit and vegetable juices to the Russian
Federation has recorded one million 489 thousand 800 liters, as
compared with 2011 recorded data, one million 286 thousand 200 liters.

UNE CEREMONIE POUR LE 25E ANNIVERSAIRE DU MOUVEMENT KARABAGH SOUS LE DÔME DU CAPITOLE A WASHINGTON

Le 18 mars, une ceremonie etait organisee sous la coupole du Capitole
a Washington, pour marquer le 25e anniversaire du Mouvement Karabagh.

Le president de la Commission des affaires etrangères de la Chambre
des Representants, Ed Royce (Republicain, Californie) a preside a
cette ceremonie bipartisane aux côtes de membres du Groupe Armenie du
Congrès des Etats-Unis. La ministre de la culture et de la jeunesse
de la Republique du Haut Karabagh, Narine Aghabalyan, etait l’invitee
d’honneur de cette ceremonie qui marque l’anniversaire du mouvement
d’emancipation et de la lutte pour la democratie des Armeniens de
l’Artsakh. Mme Aghabalian a prononce un discours devant les membres
du Congrès presents a la ceremonie.

mardi 19 mars 2013, Gari ©armenews.com

WILL RPA WIN “UNCEREMONIOUSLY” OR YIELD POWER?

Naira Hayrumyan
Country – Monday, 18 March 2013, 11:50

The municipal election of Yerevan has a chance to be the first “fair”
election in the history of independent Armenia. Chances are big taking
into account the wave of protest following the presidential elections
when it became clear that Serzh Sargsyan received majority of votes
mainly in remote villages where ballot stuffing is easier. It will be
hard to carry out the do the same thing in Yerevan. Hence, if good
control is ensured, fair elections are quite possible. Under these
conditions, the main question is whether the RPA will try to win
“unceremoniously” or if there is already a decision to cede Yerevan
Council to the opposition “for the sake of democracy”. The fact that
the head of Taron Margaryan’s headquarters is Eduard Sharmazanov means
that Republicans will not treat the upcoming election seriously. The
“young guard” is given a chance to perform and figure out if the
young generation will make it without the help of elder colleagues.

Although, the elder colleagues understand that the youth will be unable
to win through legal methods. The RPA political board will be happy
with any outcome, whether victory of young Komsomol through illegal
methods or victory of the opposition. In the second case, the RPA would
naturally prefer victory of Prosperous Armenia, not Heritage with its
civil list. If Vartan Oskanian is elected mayor, Europe will define it
as a leap toward democracy. If Oskanian tries to go against the flow,
the Mormons will be mentioned again. Actually, the main competitor of
the civil society in the municipal elections will not be the RPA but
Vartan Oskanian. It makes no difference whether Oskanian will “take”
Yerevan fairly or Gagik Tsarukyan will pay the bill.

ARMENIAN BOXERS BRING HOME 3 MEDALS FROM GRAND PRIX USTI NAD LABEM

March 18, 2013 – 14:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian boxers brought home 3 medals from 44th
Grand Prix Usti nad Labem.

At the Czechia-hosted tournament, Armen Simonyan (+91 kg) won silver,
while Narek Abgaryan (52 kg) and Ara Puluzyan (64 kg) gained bronze
medals.

In a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, Armenia team
coach Karen Aghamalyan confessed to being happy with the results. “We
had strong contenders to face, with winners of European and Olympic
championships participating,” he said.

As he noted, Armenian team for European championship will be formed
following the tournaments in Ukraine and Kazakhstan.