Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Serzh Sargsyan Kindles Fire

HAKOB BADALYAN
Thursday, 14 February 2013, 13:03

Serzh Sargsyan has kindled a political fire with his election speech
on February 13 in Gegharkunik Marz. He urged people in Vardenis to be
active on the voting day otherwise their votes will be stolen. It is
not news that votes are stolen in Armenia. But the interesting thing
is who, according to Serzh Sargsyan, is going to steal the votes.
Refraining from detiails, Serzh Sargsyan said: `[…] your silence will
be filled with the votes of those who have been trying for years to
render Armenia a marsh, not to change anything for their group or
personal interests. The votes of those who have been ignoring your
vote, stealing your future and doing everything to rule out that the
vote is yours and the elect is yours. Those who are used to buying
everything they want, those who are ready to grab what they cannot
buy, and those who earn their daily bread defending the interests of
the aforementioned people. All those who are used to giving up and
grabbing, being humiliated and humiliating, those who want to direct
everyone’s actions and decide everything for others. Only you, dear
citizens, only you can break this vicious chain,’ Sargsyan said in
Vardenis. Though he did not mention anyone, his description is quite
transparent and interesting. It is obvious that Serzh Sargsyan does
not mean his main competitors. It would be difficult to believe Paruir
Hayrikyan, Raffi Hovannisian or Hrant Bagratyan will grab others’
votes or that they have ever stolen anything, humiliated anyone, etc.
In other words, Serzh Sargsyan does not mean those who are running for
president now. Consequently, others who are not running in the
election are supposed to seize votes. But Serzh Sargsyan tries to hint
that as a political process the presidential election is broader than
the electoral process. He expects help from the citizens hinting that
there are two options. Either citizens vote for him or the ruling
system rigs the elections in his favor and the dictatorial atmosphere
is sustained in the country. At least his sincerity is worth respect
because Serzh Sargsyan really needs to be elected by means of real and
not force voting. It is clear that the compulsory and invented votes
will be assured by means of the criminal oligarchic resource so the
latter will have more arguments during forming government after the
election, ahead of 2017-18. At the same time, Serzh Sargsyan has made
clear commitments in return for international legitimacy. During his
first term, the international community was very patient and
concessive but the possible second term will be different. The West
will never break relations but it may create unpleasant situations for
Serzh Sargsyan. Consequently, in the second term Serzh Sargsyan will
undergo more pressure to fulfill his commitments regarding reforms
since the international community points to specific names demanding
to get rid of them. But if these people do a favor to Serzh Sargsyan
and help him get elected he cannot but compensate them. At the same
time, during the last five years citizens have seen nothing but
cosmetic steps so they are not sure whether their cooperation with
Serzh Sargsyan will last, or the latter will use and forget them for
his personal interests. In other words, Serzh Sargsyan’s image of a
reformer is not convincing, and he is weak ahead of the elections. The
citizens do not care for the political or geopolitical nuances of the
situation. They care for their life. Surely, there can be decisive
moments when citizens should be interested in other issues but the
current situation in Armenia is different. It is obvious that the
Armenian society is not ready for such situations just because the
government has never tried to prepare the society.

True causes of persecution of Ekrem Eylisli, author of book about
massacres of Armenians…

22:02 14/02/2013 » MISCELLANEOUS

`Armenian theme’ for the Azerbaijani government is zero-risk bond if
it wants to divert public’s attention from really serious problems,
stated in an interview Analitika.at.ua expert on geopolitics of the
South Caucasus, candidate of political sciences Angela Elibegova,
commenting on the situation with persecution of Ekrem Eylisli, the
author of the book “Stone Dreams” which is about massacres of
Armenians.

`If you pay attention, the novel that was published in December’s
issue of the magazine `Friendship of Peoples’, with the filing of the
ruling party caused wide public resonance in Azerbaijan, just as soon
as the situation in the country exacerbated because of the unrest in
the Ismailli district, and then a chained reaction began. Who in
Azerbaijan speaks of `Gyulyargeyt’, Ismayilli, a disproportionate
number of deaths in the army, and other acute problems that a couple
of weeks ago concerned the public!

This story, of course, has another side as well, which is presenting
`National leader’ Heydar Aliyev in unflattering light and indirect
accusation of organizing the Armenian massacres. In the Azerbaijani
press they openly speak about the fact that the ruling clan didn’t
forgive this impertinent deed committed by the popular writer and
winner of various state awards. The representatives of Nakhichevan
clan in the ruling elite surely resented more, because the historical
events connected with the massacres of Armenians in Agulis, that took
place in 1919, are, first of all a problem for them.

For decades, the government of Azerbaijan destroyed every trace of
presence of Armenians in Nakhichevan systematically. Today, critics of
Eylisli have practically trapped themselves. Those who accuse the
author of violating the parity in the novel, saying he describes only
the atrocities of the Turks against the Armenians in Nakhichevan
thereby recognize the fact of the massacre. Those who try to deny the
historical facts in the book, refer to sources which say that in the
village the Armenians and the Turks lived in peace for centuries, thus
contradicting the official position of the Azerbaijani propaganda
about fact that the Armenians were resettled in the region only after
the Turkmenchay treaty.

And of course special attention should be paid at the comments about
12 Armenian churches in Agulis. Part of the active critics denies
their existence, supporting their position by saying that there is no
need to build so many churches in one village. Though we all know that
earlier Agulis was a big city. Another part still recognizes their
existence, however argues that the church were not Armenian but
Albanian. A question arises with the Armenian historians and
ethnologists who repeatedly ask Azerbaijan, `Why in that case
Azerbaijanis destroyed 12 churches of Agulis, if they consider
themselves the descendants and successors of Caucasian Albania and
thus the bearers of that culture?’ The answer, I think, is obvious…

However, Azerbaijan found an original version for this disposition as
well; These `Albanian’ churches have been destroyed by the
Azerbaijanis in order to prevent anyone of thinking that they are
Armenian ones. This comment, in the context of the novel, perfectly
fits the current situation where they organize demonstrative
`funerals’ of the book in a coffin, deprive Eylisli all ranks,
publicly burn his works in fire, call on cutting off his ear and
deport from the country,’ the expert notes.

Ekrem Eylisli is national writer (since 1998) and Honored Artist of
Azerbaijan, holder of the highest order of Azerbaijan `Istiglal’
(2002) and the order of `Shokhrat’ for his outstanding merits in the
literature of Azerbaijan. Recently, on the website of Russian magazine
`Friendship of Nations’ was published his novel titled `Stone Dreams’
in which the author describes the massacres of Armenians in Baku in
1990 and in Nakhichevan in 1919. The author in his novel speaks
positively about the Armenian people and their culture. The novel
`Stone Dreams’ also contains criticism over the former Azerbaijani
President Heydar Aliyev and the tyranny of his system.

After the publication of the novel, Eylisli was exposed to severe
pressures in Azerbaijan; the pro-governmental youth held rally next
his home, his issue was discussed in the parliament of Azerbaijan, MPs
suggested to burn his books and to deprive him of citizenship and
deport from Azerbaijan. Many people `blamed’ Eylisli in his Armenian
origin, etc. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has deprived him of
personal pension and the title of National Writer, and accused him of
`purposefully distorting the history of Azerbaijan’ and `in distorting
realities about history of Azerbaijan in an inappropriate way.’

The leader of the pro-governmental party’Modern Musavat’ Hafis Hajiyev
announced that he would pay about 10 euros to the one who will cut the
ear of the writer. Only after the intervention of the media, the
politician was `warned’ by the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan about
the illegality of such appeals.

The U.S. Department of State and the OSCE Office in Baku condemned
persecution of Aylisli in Azerbaijan and called on the authorities to
fulfill their obligations.

Levon Zurabyan discussed issues of internal and external policies of
Armenia with Swedish Ambassador to Armenia

21:01, 14 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS: Office coordinator of Armenian
National Congress Levon Zurabyan had a meeting with Swedish
extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador to Armenia Diana Jansen.

As Armenpress was informed from central office of Armenian National
Congress, internal political developments and upcoming presidential
elections were discussed during the meeting.

Interlocutors have also referred to external political issues, mainly,
to issues over European integration, customs union and regional
processes.

196 voters aged over 99 reported in Armenia – TIAC

February 14, 2013 – 21:24 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Head of Transparency International Anti-corruption
Center (TIAC), Varuzhan Hoktanyan briefed on the results of the
electronic monitoring of Armenian presidential elections.
As Varuzhan Hoktanyan noted, the results revealed 196 voters aged
above 99, as well as 17 addresses with over 100 voters registered.
The voting lists comprise 10773 addresses, with over 10 voters
registered, while 49843 voters lack birth data.
Meanwhile, RA police explains that the voter register is based on
exclusively the public register, with all the requirements related to
the voting lists considered.

A. Hovhannisyan: “Reaching nothing in the negotiations Azerbaijan
trying to spread misconceptions in information field”

APA official agency of Azerbaijan spread another disinformation that
Armenian diversion was prevented and Armenian party left 7 killed and
4 wounded.
`Azerbaijani party continues juggling. Reaching nothing in the
negotiations Azerbaijan trying to spread misconceptions in information
field, and first of all – that hits its own people’, Artsrun
Hovhannisyan speaker of Armenian MOD answered Times.am.

Hovhannisyan has pointed that this information has nothing common with
reality. The reality is what was already informed – Armenian party
lost one soldier another was wounded.

Hovhannisyan also answered our question on the statement of the
Azerbaijani source that `in response of Armenian aggression Azerbaijan
has increased the number of snipers’ and said that that is a simple
coverup by which Azerbaijan tries to cover own violations of
cease-fire and show something to international community.

14.02.13, 19:11

Herding Controversy: Environmentalists warn against leasing grazing
land to Iranians

SOCIETY | 14.02.13 | 14:51

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow

By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The possible lease of grazing lands in Armenian’s southern Syunik
province to neighboring Iran continues to be a matter of concern among
environmentalists and some politicians, who held an act of protest
Thursday in front of the government building demanding to annul the
deal.

The Ecolur environmental NGO posted two documents on its site earlier
this month, one of which is titled `Memorandum of understanding
between Iran’s Eastern Atrapatakan (Eastern Azerbaijan) province and
RA Syunik province’. The NGO especially highlights Point 3 in this
document signed by the governors of Syunik and Eastern Atrapatakan on
July, 2012: `The Iranian side has expressed its willingness to use the
pastures and agricultural farming lands.’ The second document was
signed on January 15, 2013, during the Armenian delegation’s visit to
the Eastern Atrapatakan and is called an Agreement. In particular, it
becomes clear that Iranians want to rent 50,000 hectares of grazing
land for the minimum of 10 years and pay $25 per hectare of land per
month. An additional 2,000 ha would be given as settlement area.

Wednesday Iranian Ambassador in Armenia Mohammad Raeisi told the press
that no lease agreement has been signed between Syunik and Iran’s
Eastern Azerbaijani provinces concerning the Syunik pastures. He said
the issue has to be discussed, and should an agreement be signed, the
parliaments of both countries have to approve it.

During the Thursday cabinet meeting an act of protest was held in
front of the government building during which members of Hayazn Union
(nationalist organization) submitted a letter for the government
consideration with their strong concerns over the potential deal.

Hayazn press secretary Armen Hovhannisyan told the press that a deal
of such scale and content `creates a set of threats in terms of
national security, demography, environmental protection and other.’

`From the environmental point of view this deal will have catastrophic
consequences, because in an area where sheep breeding is the main type
of livestock husbandry, the grass layer vanishes shortly, recovering
it takes huge investment, and natural recovery takes 500-1,000 years,’
says Hovhannisyan adding that the deal will not be of serious economic
value to compensate for the damage.

Environmentalist Silva Adamyan says besides the environmental issues
there are also more disturbing national security concerns.

`I remember how the Azerbaijanis were quietly taking control of Syunik
during the soviet years. We have liberated it, and now we want to give
it to them again? Can’t we really understand that it is the same
Azeris – citizens of Iran – who would be coming back to Syunik, bring
their families, and so the blood shed for those lands would turn out
to be for nothing? It appears we are going back to where we started,’
says Adamyan.

Varuzhan Hoktanian: Voters were registered in church yard

Thursday,
February 14

There are problems with voter lists, the inclusion of names of
Armenian citizens absent from the country in voter lists may
contribute to multiple voting, Director of Transparency
International’s Armenian branch Varuzhan Hoktanian said at the meeting
with journalists today.

The inclusion of dead and nonexistent people’s names in voter lists
contributes to multiple voting: there have been cases when people were
registered in a church yard or a workshop of a factory.

Hoktanian stressed that both the observers and proxies of presidential
candidates should focus their attention on those electoral districts
where the likelihood of such violations is strong.

He reminded those present that although the population has officially
declined, there has been an increase in the number of voters. People
leave the country, but they remain on voter lists. One example is Lori
province where there are more voters than residents.

TODAY, 17:47
Aysor.am

Opposition member of parliament calls not to vote for Serzh Sargsyan

ARMINFO
Thursday, February 14, 16:09

Deputy of the National Assembly from the opposition Armenian National
Congress faction, Nikol Pashinyan, has called on citizens of Armenia
not to vote for the candidate for president from the ruling RPA, Serzh
Sargsyan.

Pashinyan’s statement says, in particular: “The forthcoming event on
18 February called “presidential election in Armenia” is not in line
with the logic of the Constitution and even contradicts that. The
Constitution foresees that the people should decide who will be the
president of Armenia. The group that came to the power after the
bloody take-over on 1 March 2008, as well as thanks to the opposition
mistakes, has managed to created an unprecedented situation, when not
only the people do not decide who will be the president, but also the
resident, the man which captured the palace, has been trying to decide
what and how the people must do. Incidentally, Serzh Sargsyan does
not even hide his intention and is proud of his unlimmited
opportunities to invent figures…I should confess that the
forthcoming election will not resolve the problem of returning the
power to the citizens, and will even give point to the problem.

Stemming from the above mentioned, I call on citizens of Armenia not
to vote for one of the organizers of the take-over of 2008 – Serzh
Sargsyan. Coming forward against the disappointment fixed by the
Kocharyan-Serzh regime, citizens should strictly display their
position: either by voting for the opposition candidate or damaging a
ballot or not visiting the ballot stattion at all. By stating the fact
of political and civic deadlock establishment in Armenia, I call on
Armenia’s citizens and our compatriots from Diaspora to be optimistic.
The Republic of Armneia has future and we have not yet refused
fighting for this future and passing free and happy Armneia to our
children. We have taken such an obligation, and we must bring it to
life”.

GPM continues help to Armenian students majoring at Russian and local
universities

YEREVAN, February 14. / ARKA /. GeoProMining, a diversified Russian
group of mining companies, started to prepare another six 11-grade
school students in Ararat, Vardenis and Agarak towns, for school
graduation and university entrance examinations. The school students
were selected by it to get higher education at Armenian and Russian
universities.

The first five participants of this project, selected last year, are
already majoring at St. Petersburg State Mining Institute after
Plekhanov and the Yerevan State University. The young people are from
the towns where the company is present. They were selected from tens
of applicants. The company has committed to employ them after they get
their diplomas. The selected young people will be provided with
accommodation, airfare, medical insurance, and a monthly stipend from
the GPM.

This project was launched by GeoProMining with the support of the
Russian embassy in Armenia in 2012. The students will be trained in
the field of mining. The project is part of a corporate program called
“Resources for Good”, which aims to ensure sustainable development of
enterprises in the regions of GeoProMining’s presence

“I still can not believe that I am a student of one of the best
technical universities in Russia. We have got a unique opportunity –
we have the best professors, a rich collection of research materials,
new laboratories. For me to be a participant of this program is a big
responsibility, and I will do my best to justify the trust and become
an excellent professional,’ Garegin Ghazarian, a participant of the
program, majoring at St. Petersburg Mining University, says.

GPM president, Roman Khudoliy said skilled personnel are a key
component of the company’s success.

“As a long-term investor in Armenia, GeoProMining is very serious
about selecting its staff that have to be professional and dedicated
to the company. We are very enthusiastic concerning this program
because we are sure that this initiative will help us to have
professionals,’ he said.

He stressed that the program will help reduce the outflow of the
workforce and open up new employment prospects for young people.

GeoProMining was founded in 2001. In Armenia it owns two assets – the
Agarak Copper-Molybdenum Combine and GPMGold, developing the Sotk gold
mine and running Ararat gold recovery factory. -0-

Armenia’s tobacco production climbs 57.1% to AMD 25.4 bln in 2012

YEREVAN, February 14. /ARKA/. Armenia produced a total of 25.4-billion
dram valued tobacco goods in 2012 which was 57.1% higher from 2011,
according to the National Statistical Service of Armenia.

The number of cigarettes produced in Armenia accounted to 6155
million, which was by 83.2% or 2794,5 million more from 2011.

Customs Service said Armenia exported total of 3860,2 million cigars,
cigarillos and cigarettes in 2012 versus 1414,3 million a year
earlier. The customs value of the exported tobacco goods rose 2.5
times or by $25.5 million to $41.8 million. ($1 – 406.74 drams). -0-