RAFFI LEFT PRESIDENT’S OFFICE AND DID NOT SPEAK
15:20 21/02/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
Raffi Hovannisian left the president’s office and is now among people
who have gathered at the president’s palace. He says today he will
not answer any question but will answer all the questions during
tomorrow’s rally. He urged people to pursue their rights. People are
shouting but Raffi does not reply to them.
BORIS NAVASARDYAN: HOLDING NEW ELECTION IS THE ONLY DEMAND NOT RUNNING COUNTER THE CONSTITUTION
12:08 21/02/2013 ” COMMENTS
President of Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan posted a statement
on his Facebook page regarding the demands made by Raffi Hovannisian.
The statement says, in part, “Let’s assess the situation
realistically. Serzh Sargsyan has no right, even if he wanted it,
to pass the power to anyone, even to Raffi Hovannisian, at 14:00 on
February 21. He can step down from his post, Hovik Abrahamyan will be
Acting President and new election will be appointed. Vote recount is
another option. If the winner changes after vote recount, the election
should be invalidated and then see above. There is perhaps no other
option that would not run counter the Constitution and the laws. So
holding new election is the only fair demand. All other options are
from the field of coup or political commerce.”
Source: Panorama.am
KILLED ARMENIAN SOLDIER HAD RETURNED FROM RUSSIA TO OFFER HIS MILITARY DUTY
NEWS.AM
February 21, 2013 | 05:21
Armenian military serviceman Gor Ghazaryan, 19, who was killed at the
posts, had returned to Armenia from Russia to offer his military duty
to the Motherland. Furthermore, his parents were in Russia when they
received the news of the death of their son, but they already have
arrived in Armenia, prefect Ararat Gabrielyan of Berdavan village of
Armenia’s Shirak Region told Armenian News-NEWS.am.
“Gor was the only son in the family; he has a younger sister,” the
prefect added.
To note, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Defense Army conscript,
Private Gor Ghazaryan (born in 1992) on Tuesday sustained a fatal
gunshot wound by the adversary. At the time, he was at a military
post that is located toward the northeastern direction of the line
of contact between the conflicting military troops.
The NKR Defense Army press service informed that an investigation is
underway to find out the details of the incident.
In addition, and by the decree signed on the same day by NKR President
Bako Sahakyan, Private Gor Ghazaryan is posthumously awarded with the
Military Service Medal, for his bravery in protecting the national
border of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
THIRD OPTION OF SARGSYAN-HOVANNISIAN MEETING
JAMES HAKOBYAN
13:13 21/02/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
Republican Vice-Chairman Galust Sahakyan told aravot.am that RPA
postpones today’s rally on Freedom Square. The reason is of course
Raffi Hovannisian who stated yesterday that he is going to meet Serzh
Sargsyan on the Square to receive the power from him. Hovannisian
appealed to the citizens to go to Freedom Square.
Actually, Serzh Sargsyan rejects the proposal to meet at Freedom
Square. Earlier, Raffi Hovannisian had rejected Sargsyan’s invitation
to meet in president’s office.
Ex-candidate for president Hrant Bagratyan called on Raffi Hovannisian
and Serzh Sargsyan on Facebook to meet because if everything goes
otherwise, the society may choose the path of rebellion which will
bring about clashes. Hrant Bagratyan notes Hovannisian and Sargsyan
tend to dialogue.
Actually, both of them rejected two possibilities of dialogue. Will
there be a third option? The point is that there is the possibility of
a dialogue through delegations representing the leaders. Armenia has
the experience of dialogue which, of course, was not in a
post-election period, but in a politically heated period in 2010.
Then, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Serzh Sargsyan didn’t meet personally.
The famous incident involving ANC young men was the cause or the
reason of interrupting the dialogue. ANC said interested in continuing
it, but Serzh Sargsyan didn’t cede winning time to ease the home
political tension, which was becoming dangerous for him.
The current situation is different, but one thing is sure: the
dialogue must be held between the first figures and in public. One of
the reasons of the failure of the previous attempt of dialogue was
because it was held through delegations and in almost complete
secrecy. The society was urged to believe.
After all, if the opposition makes compromises and agrees to dialogue,
the system should compromise too and hold the dialogue with the
opposition’s rules, in other words, dialogue in public. Though, in
Armenia this rule can be conditionally called oppositional because the
Armenian opposition has been almost as shady as the ruling system.
There is one more issue here: Raffi Hovannisian has stated that he is
the elected president and Serzh Sargsyan should hand the power to him.
On the one hand, it is clear that if his statement was not so
unequivocal, he would have not ensured many people at the rally, but
on the other hand, it limits the activities leading to the situation
of “death or power” in political and direct sense of the expression.
Independently from the possible meeting with Serzh Sargsyan, Raffi
Hovannisian will need to gradually enlarge the course of future
political fight, which means that it is necessary to get rid of
pathetic vocabulary and start a dialogue with the society, moreover,
if there is no clear strategy to offer at the present moment. Many say
that it lacks at this moment. In other words, for Raffi Hovannisian,
it is a strategic issue to form a competitive and representative
movement which was not completed in case of Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
HERITAGE LEADER TO HEAD TO PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE IN CASE SARGSYAN FAILS TO GO TO LIBERTY SQUARE
TERT.AM
12:14 ~U 21.02.13
The leader of the opposition Heritage party says he will meet the
re-elected president in his office today in case the latter appears
unwilling to accept his offer for a meeting in Liberty Square.
“I cannot say whether or not he will come,” Raffi Hovhannisyan told
Tert.am in the square on Thursday morning. “I expect them to come. If
they do not, I will go where I have to. If they are unwilling to
meet the people for a public speech, accepting people’s victory and
handing over [power to the people] …”
The final official voting results, unveiled by the Central Election
Commission on Tuesday, suggest that Hovhanisyan received 36.75%
of the total ballots cast (539.672 votes), placing the second after
President Serzh Sargsyan. But Hovhannisyan, who considers himself
the real winner, claims the voting was tainted by fraud.
The Heritage leader thinks third president would do much favor to
Armenia’s future by agreeing to meet him.
Hovhannisyan, who spent the night in Liberty Square after his Thursday
rally, said in an evening speech that he will be waiting for Sargsyan
today to celebrate what he claims to be his victory. “We must meet them
tomorrow. We will not go away till we are a winner,” the opposition
politician told the crowd.
Hovhannisyan, and others supporters who stayed with him overnight,
were caught in snow and rain on Thursday morning. The night saw no
incident in Liberty Square.
Later in the night – after the crowd had dispersed – a former
presidential candidate, Hrant Bagratyan, met the Heritage leader to
discuss the current situation with him.
Hovhannisyan says he has had very little rest over this period,
having spent just a few hours at home.
Responding to the remark that Heritage is a member of the European
People’s Party (EPP), whose leader, Wilfried Martens, has already
congratulated Sargsyan on re-election, Hovhannisyan said he has made
a little haste like all the other officials who have managed to extend
their greetings to the president.
“He has made haste,” Hovhannisyan said. “I am a condescending man. I
also err and apologize to them for my criticism, but he is mistaken
this time.”
Commenting on the rally in Yerevan, Reuters said late on Thursday that
the event had gathered together 5,000 protesters. Asked to comment
on the reported figure, Hovhannisyan questioned its credibility,
noting that the square was too overcrowded for just 5,000 people. The
oppositionist added that their struggle is not just for quality,
but rather, for qualitative reforms.
ONLY WAY TO GET OUT OF DEADLOCK – TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT
TERT.AM
13:30 ~U 21.02.13
The only way to get out of the existing deadlock is not to reach
consent with the incumbent president which will discredit Heritage
party, but to conduct new parliamentary elections, ex MP from the
Heritage party Larisa Alaverdyan said speaking to reporters today.
“Raffi Hovhannisian is facing resolute steps: we hope he would
not chose scenario of clashes if to consider that in his personal
history Serzh Sargsyan avoided such clashes. I hope they will find
neutral territory to meet. But if they choose to cooperate it will
be the worst thing to do. The best is to dissolving the parliament
or government’s resignation,” Alaverdyan said.
She said the parliament formed by rigged elections has raised
dissatisfaction of the people. This legislative body is shameful with
its manifestations and does not bring honor to Armenia.
Asked whether the new elections will differ from the previous ones,
Alaverdyan said it will be difficult for the authorities if taking
into consideration the current moment.
“I have always been against boycotts and by working it is possible
to go out of the existing situation,” she said.
Larisa Alaverdyan noticed that it is necessary to pick lessons from
the Armenian National Congress’ experience though it was political
society’s maturing path. “We all lack one thing. Many countries have
passed such path and found the continuation. The ANC was successive
in its steps for three years and it is not excluded for it to find new
ways of continuative fight. For instance, the Preparliament, of which I
am a member, offers conduction of alternative public polls,” she said.
Larisa Alaverdyan said she believes these elections will close the
brackets of illegal elections in Armenia. “This already fifth elected,
but not recognized president,” she said adding that it is possible
to deceive a group of people but not all and not always.
THE BRITISH HEALTH DEBATE
The Telegraph, India
February 19, 2013 Tuesday
– There is no competition in the health system in Britain
WRITING ON THE WALL -ASHOK V. DESAI
In India, a darzi means a tailor, and so probably does it in Armenia.
But Lord Darzi is one of Britain’s most distinguished and influential
surgeons. He was born in Iraq, whence he went to Dublin to study
medicine in Trinity College. In 1991, he became consultant surgeon in
Middlesex Hospital at the age of 31; in 1996, he became professor in
Imperial College, London. He specialized in minimal invasive surgery,
also known as keyhole surgery.
In 2006, NHS London, the local health authority, asked Darzi to tell
it how to improve its working. He showed that people in East London,
which has always been poor, live 7 years less, and have much fewer
doctors per head. Originally, Britain nationalized doctors and
expected them to provide primary healthcare. But in London, they were
ever more concentrated in hospitals, so people were going to hospitals
for minor problems. Darzi suggested something intermediate between
doctors and hospitals called polyclinics: they would have doctors and
investigation facilities, but would not be hospitals. Some of them
would be urgent care centres, where people could go in accidents or
emergencies. Minor operations could be done there without keeping
patients overnight.
His report to London NHS was relevant and practical; it drew national
attention. In 2007, Gordon Brown, the prime minister, appointed Darzi
parliamentary undersecretary of state for health. Two weeks later he
was raised to Lord Darzi of Denham, which presumably saved him the
hassle of being elected to parliament. He was asked to make a review
of the NHS. This time he adopted a different strategy; he asked
clinicians all over the country to give their views. Some 2,000
contributed. The resulting report was not nearly as good as his own
for London; there was much vague idealizing in it. But it had a
central message: that what mattered in healthcare was quality, and
that together with their annual financial accounts, healthcare
providers should publish quality accounts. It envisaged a
decentralized system. There would be local primary care trusts; they
would represent patients. There would be regional strategic health
authorities: they would manage the healthcare providers. The PCTs
would buy medical services from the SHAs.
Quality was to be measured in terms of three parameters: patient
safety, patient experience, and effectiveness of care. In other words,
it was not enough that the patient should get good treatment; he had
to feel that he had been treated with compassion, dignity and respect.
Seven steps were worked out to raise quality: being clear about what
was to be measured, measuring it, publishing data on quality,
rewarding quality improvement, raising standards, safeguarding
quality, and innovation. There would be no national enforcement of
quality; each individual PCT would be required to aim at higher
quality. But PCTs’ performance parameters would be published so that
anyone could judge and compare them.
Meanwhile, the department of health also carried out an enormous
opinion survey in 2006. It eventually covered 42,866 people. It found
that while people were generally satisfied with the NHS, they wished
that their doctors would give them more time, that various services
would be coordinated and available together, that they provided the
latest treatment, that treatment was available more quickly and
readily for minor problems, and that the standards of treatment were
the same across the country.
After the survey, the health department published a white paper, Our
Health, Our Care, Our Say, which basically said that the government
would do what the survey told it that people wanted: it would invest
more in preventive services, give more support to emotional and mental
well-being, listen more to people, and make sure they could go to a
doctor of their choice close to them.
All these intentions were brought to an abrupt end when the Labour
government was voted out of power in 2010. The Conservative government
brought out its own white paper in 2010. Reflecting its own
predilections, it said that it would cut the administrative costs of
NHS by 45 per cent and save 20 billion pounds by 2014. But for the
rest, it repeated many of the assurances given by the previous Labour
government, for instance that patients would get information and have
a voice in the treatment they received, would have a choice of
doctors, and would be able to rate hospitals, that clinics and
hospitals would have to meet national quality standards, and would be
paid on performance.
But it has not been able to implement its election promises. Britain
has two institutions that are supposed to act as representatives of
patients: primary care trusts, which are essentially district-level
public bodies, and consortia of doctors, who register patients and
arrange treatment which they cannot themselves provide, for example in
hospitals. The Conservatives wanted to abolish PCTs and leave patient
servicing entirely to doctors; but they have not done so.
The Labour government had created a monitor to supervise major
hospitals; but they largely ran themselves, and the monitor did not
have much to do. The Conservatives had planned to turn it into an
overall regulator for the NHS, and tell it to promote competition; but
they have done nothing. They also wanted to transfer the overseeing of
the NHS from the minister of health to the regulator. But their
Liberal Democrat allies did not like that, so the minister continues
to be in charge as he has been for over 60 years.
Thus, all British governments in the past decade and a half have come
in with plans for radical restructuring of the National Health
Service; but hitherto, they have achieved little. Competition is an
ideal that appeals to non-socialists; but it is difficult to create
competition in a monopolistic situation, especially where those who
work for the monopoly are comfortable with it. Further, competition
can make a difference only if there is surplus capacity; only then do
buyers have a choice of sellers. There is no competition in the
British health system. Every patient is attached to a general
practitioner, as the British call their doctors. Patients can access
hospital and other facilities only through their GP; and there is no
surplus of GPs. And then, patients do not pay for medical services;
the government does on their behalf. It has made noises from time to
time that it would give them control over their medical expenditure;
but it has not been able to work out how to do so.
Tony Blair had one idea: he made Lord Darzi deputy minister of health.
If he had lasted, and left it to Darzi, quite possibly he might have
found a workable solution. But Blair lost the election and went on to
comfortable international assignments; I guess Lord Darzi went back to
keyhole surgery. The British are generally good at government; but
even they have been defeated by the NHS. They are handicapped by the
fact that the British people are by and large quite satisfied with
their NHS. They would like to see shorter waiting periods. That
requires surplus capacity, which would be costly. The Conservative
government wants to cut costs, which would cause shortages. The two
are unlikely to agree.
FIGHTING A COLD WAR, ON BEING A SOLDIER DURING PEACETIME
Haytoug Magazine
Feb 20 2013
– Hovhaness Mkhitaryan
Most of us will not give the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The
reasons we give to not join the armed forces will vary in validity,
but a time will always come when some of us are forced into physical
conflict for the sake of others. During those sad and unfortunate
times when might makes right, pens become less valuable and history is
written in blood. Yet, the times after war and tragedy are precisely
when great philosophies are forged, during the aftermath and digestion
of what has occurred.
The time that followed the culmination of WWII saw a revival and
evolution of many philosophies: Jean Paul Sartre brought the rebirth
of existentialism; J. Robert Oppenheimer saw himself “become death”
after his work on the Manhattan Project; the Geneva Conventions
sought to have humane wars in the future (if such things exist); and,
of course, the Cold War was born.
Today, Armenia seems to beg for a renaissance and a revolution. The
country has been independent for over twenty years and, aside from the
Artsakh War, the greatest threats to our nation have come from within.
The Armenian people have slowly allowed an oligarchy to take control –
an oligarchy that no longer feels the need to even mask itself as a
democracy. An authoritative government that preaches democracy yet
does whatever it wants is a government that fears the power of the
people. Armenian politicians no longer have that fear because even
the greatest philosopher cannot overcome tank shells and bullets. The
people’s responsibility is to stay involved in government and create
an atmosphere that welcomes critical discourse, debate and conflict.
Kings are mortal, but ideas are not.
The enthusiasm and nationalism that we have seen in America through
Armenian Students’ Associations, the Armenian National Committee of
America, the Armenian Youth Federation and other organizations is very
motivating – yet most of the American-Armenian population is out of
the loop and apathetic to the current and future welfare of Armenia.
The community leaders in America and in Armenia must nurture an active
populace and a rich marketplace of ideas. We must elect officials
unafraid of being wrong – officials who are not conservative or
reluctant to change because of their ego and image to uphold. In
our search for the truth, we must not forget that we can only seek
it and never posses it. We must humbly defend our opinions with the
knowledge that we may be wrong. Above all, we must respect others who
seek to find the truth, and distrust all who claim to have found it.
We as a people are not unique in our challenges. Countless other
societies have been conquered, enslaved and discriminated against. We
are not unique, but that does not diminish the amount of blood and
suffering our ancestors have endured for us to still be here. The
thought of losing all feeling provokes a great deal of emotion,
because to lose life is to pay the highest price. And to learn nothing
from those who gave all to death and abandon our memories of them is
to commit treason against humanity. On the cosmic scale, all human
drama, tragedy and conflict seems petty and anthropocentric. In 1969,
we went to the moon and discovered the Earth, yet on our pale blue dot
we continued to kill for our imperfect thoughts and opinions on life.
We must not forget that we are humans first and Armenians second,
although humans have not yet collectively evolved to care about one
another globally. Our genes are most common within family first,
culture second and finally in people from other ethnicities. Charity
starts at home, and so our most precious and grueling fights must
come from within.
The ways in which you choose to serve our culture are many, but
to do so is imperative. A stagnant culture is built from stagnant
individuals who resist change because of fear, bigotry and ignorance.
Paruyr Sevak, speaking of Armenia, once said “I have not participated
in any fights, but I have never in my life taken half a step that
hasn’t brought me to you, I start and end with you, like a circle.”
The resources are in front of us and the demand for bright ideas is
strong; all that needs to be done is to start walking towards the
truth – while never forgetting road we traveled.
THOUSANDS RALLY IN ARMENIA AGAINST PRESIDENT’S WIN
Global Post
Feb 20 2013
Thousands of opposition supporters rallied in the Armenian capital
on Wednesday against President Serzh Sarkisian’s victory in elections
seen as a crucial democratic test for the ex-Soviet state.
Some 5,000 supporters of the former foreign minister and Sarkisian’s
top challenger in Monday’s presidential polls, Raffi Hovannisian,
gathered in Yerevan’s central Liberty square to demand the overturn
of the election results, an AFP correspondent said.
“We must return to our people its victory!” Hovannisian told the crowd,
insisting that he was the true winner.
“Those who are misappropriating the power must be brought before
justice.”
Sarkisian won the elections with 58.64 percent of the votes against
Hovannisian’s 36.75 percent, the central election commission said
“Hovannisian has won. He must become our president. Sarkisian must go,”
64-year-old pensioner Susanna told AFP.
“We want change in our country, Serzh (Sarkisian) cannot bring in
such change,” said 58-year-old construction worker Vartan Babayan.
The European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and
Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule hailed on Wednesday the democratic
progress Armenia demonstrated during the vote, but stressed that the
country needs to address shortcomings identified by international
monitors.
“We welcome further progress made by the Armenian authorities in
their efforts to hold these presidential elections in line with
international standards,” the two said in a joint statement.
“We expect a number of outstanding concerns to be followed up
appropriately in the future,” they added.
Observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly said the election was
an improvement on past polls but lacked real competition after two
leading candidates pulled out late last year.
mkh-im/sjw/lc
DIASPORA MINISTER, FRENCH SENATOR DISCUSS SYRIAN ARMENIAN ISSUES
February 20, 2013 – 21:51 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan met
with French Senator Garrio-Meilam Joël.
Minister Hakobyan briefed the guest on the ministry’s activity and the
measures promoting identity maintenance in the Diaspora, particularly
in France.
She stressed the role of mother tongue education as a significant
factor for preservation of national identity, noting that series of
events are planned on the occasion of International Mother Language Day
marked on Feb 21. Minister Hakobyan further highlighting Armenia’s
joining the International Organization of La Francophonie as an
important event in 2012.
Dwelling on Diaspora Ministry’s priorities, Minister Hakobyan breed
the guest on Syrian Armenians outreach programs. Upon completion of
the meeting, Minister Hakobyan offered the French Senator to support
the programs targeting Syrian Armenians.