Author: Kajoyan Gevork

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY WILL NOT JOIN THE COALITION

armradio.am
24.05.2012 12:08

“The Prosperous Armenia Party has no constitutional opportunity to
form government and implement its programs,” leader of Prosperous
Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan said in a statement, adding that the
Party does not consider it proper to participate in the formation of
a coalition government.

“Taking into consideration the results of the elections, Prosperous
Armenia will continue to play an essential role in the political life
of the country. We’ll have a greatly constructive and balanced role
and participation in the social-political life of the country.

Prosperous Armenia will have an active faction,” PAP leader said,
promising that their MPs will always stand by the people and will do
their best to protect the rights and interests of the citizens.

41,4 % DES ENFANTS VIVENT DANS LA PAUVRETE EN ARMENIE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 24 mai 2012

L’UNICEF a invite le Gouvernement d’Armenie a instamment concentrer
ses efforts en vue de s’occuper de la pauvrete des enfants.

Plus de 300000 enfants en Armenie ou 41,4 pour cent vivent dans la
pauvrete contre 35,8 pour cent pour reste de la population, selon
un rapport officiel. Plus de 27000 enfants ou 3,7 pour cent vivent
dans une pauvrete extreme contre trois pour cent pour le reste de
la population.

Les enfants vivant dans des familles avec 4 enfants et plus sont les
plus pauvres selon le rapport. Le seuil de pauvrete total parmi ces
familles est presque de 71 pour cent, tandis que seuil de pauvrete
extreme est de 26,4 pour cent.

Les enfants avec des handicaps sont le deuxième groupe le plus
vulnerable.

5 pour cent de ces enfants vivent dans une pauvrete extreme, tandis
que 54 pour cent est pauvre.

Ce rapport produit par le Service National de la Statistique d’Armenie
est une source essentielle de donnees.

Pointant le fait que les enfants en Armenie sont les plus pauvres parmi
les pauvres, il est fait appel a chacun pour serieusement examiner
ce problème et rechercher les facons de s’en occuper a declare la
representante de l’UNICEF en Armenie Henriette Ahrens.

IRANIAN AMBASSADOR LEAVES FOR TEHRAN FOR CONSULTATIONS

Interfax
May 22 2012
Russia

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohammad Bagher Bahrami returned to
Iran for consultations on Tuesday, the Iranian embassy has reported.

The diplomat was recalled due to a recent protest organized by a
group of Azerbaijani citizens in front of the building of the Iranian
embassy in Baku, in which statements were made about Iran’s spiritual
leader that Iranian officials found to be offensive.

In the meantime, the press service for the Iranian embassy has
issued a report citing charge d’affaires Ahmed Nemati saying that
the Iranian ambassador had left for Tehran in the evening of May 21
“for consultations on the insult of religious saints.”

Several protests organized by opposition activists and diaspora
organizations were conducted in front of the Iranian embassy building
in Baku last week to protest Iran’s anti-Azerbaijani policies and
the encroachments on the rights of the Azeri population of Iran. The
protesters used photos of the Iranian president and spiritual leader
with critical comments.

Gudrat Gasanguliyev, chairman of the Azeri opposition People’s
Front of the United Azerbaijan party, said Iran’s actions constitute
interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan.

“There are reports stating that Iran is recalling its ambassador
[in Baku]. However, I believe the Iranian ambassador should have
been driven away from here,” Gasanguliyev told the Azeri parliament
on Tuesday.

Gasanguliyev said Iran’s spiritual leader Homeini, whose country
makes anti-Azerbaijani speeches in connection with the Eurovision
song contest in Baku, “once found shelter in France.” “Why did he
[Homeini] not find shelter in Muslim countries, but in France, which
is one of the organizers of Eurovision?” Gasanguliyev said.

Mubariz Gurbanly, parliamentarian and deputy executive secretary of
the ruling party Yeni Azerbaijan, has sharply condemned the organizers
of the anti-Azerbaijani protests in Iran. “The Islamic Republic of
Iran has the word ‘Islamic’ in its name and therefore should not have
worked with Armenia, which has occupied the territory of Azerbaijan.

Therefore, it is logical that Azerbaijani youth are protesting in front
of the Iranian embassy [in Baku]. Anti-Azerbaijani speeches made by
some religious figures in Tebriz, Tehran, and Ardebil are bad not only
for Azerbaijani-Iranian relations, but also for Iran,” Gurbanly said.

Parliamentarian Azai Guliyev, in turn, said the anti-Azerbaijani
campaigns in Iran are targeted against Azerbaijani people living in
Iran. “All these things will harm Iran,” he said.

A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IS NOT A TAXI TO BE STOPPED WHEREVER AND WHENEVER ONE LIKES
by Alexander Avanesov

arminfo
Wednesday, May 23, 01:36

The license for delivery of electric power from Georgia to Armenia will
expire on 31 December 2013. The official buyer of Georgian electric
power is the Yerevan Thermal Power Plant (TPP), which thinks that the
electricity is imported thanks to its cheaper price. In 2011 alone
Armenia imported 210 mln KW/h of electric power from Georgia, which
was as much as throughout 2010. Georgia, unlike Armenia, has a market
pricing for electric power, which is a crucial factor for attracting
investors. No wonder that Inter RAO has sold the Sevan-Hrazdan HPP
Cascade to RusHydro. The Sevan-Hrazdan HPP Cascade proved to be
loss-making and burdened with a big investment program, which made
its payback period longer.

Against this background, the attempts to implement a project
on construction of a new nuclear power unit in Armenia seem at
least strange. A natural question arises – what for, if we buy the
electric power abroad? Moreover, at the moment the republic has 3200
MW installed capacity, whereas in winter only 1300 MW is used. Even
if one takes into account a possible two-digit economic growth in the
country within the next 5-6 years (which is rather doubtful), it will
all the same be impossible to reach the maximum level of consumption.

Nevertheless, when implementing a project on perspective development of
the energy sector, Armenia has made its decision in favor of nuclear
potential development. The given fact in itself was predicted.

But the accident at Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan was not
predicted. This accident has once again raised worldwide the problem
of safety of the nuclear power units. As a result, the Government of
Germany made a decision on gradual decommissioning of its nuclear
power units. China also wonders whether it is expedient to build a
new power unit.

We wouldn’t like to hurt the Armenian nuclear physicists, but their
professionalism is unlikely to outstrip that of the Japanese or German
specialists. The experienced power engineers remember the incident in
the early 1980s, when a fire occurred at the Armenian Nuclear Power
Plant, which could have led to a disaster. There are no guarantees
that no such emergency situation will happen again. Realizing all
these factors, the European Union insists on decommissioning of the
Armenian NPP as soon as possible. Moreover, Euroatom Organization
is ready to lend 200 mln EUR for decommissioning of the NPP. It is
also noteworthy that the EU is not ready to stimulate the project on
construction of a new nuclear power unit in Armenia.

In terms of politics, the intentions of the Armenian authorities are
quite easy to understand. Nuclear technologies give the country access
to the nuclear club and its privileges. But in terms of economics,
there are lots of questions. After the Fukushima accident in Japan,
the requirements to nuclear power plants have been toughened. The
new reactor will cost Armenia as much as $5bln, which will become
a heavy burden for its economy as the investors will insist on high
tariffs in hope to return their money as quickly as possible.

But the main question is what we will do with the excess of
electricity. Georgia does not need it. Iran is going to build as many
as 20 nuclear and thermal power units. Turkey is also planning to
have its own NPP and, as a big consumer of Iranian, Russia and Azeri
gas, is actively developing its thermal and hydro energy sectors. The
arguments of our Energy and Natural Resource Ministry that renewable
and alternative energy sources will not suffice Armenia for meeting
its basic needs are not very convincing, especially considering our
real needs. For our economy, the way it is now, it is enough to have
what we already have, plus the planned water power plants in Meghri,
Shnokh and Lori-Berd (of course, if they are built). Taken together,
these plants will be as powerful as the existing unit of Armenian
Nuclear Power Plant. You may add to this the small water power plants
that are supposed to be built in the next four-five years and to
produce as much as 900mln KWh against 480mln KWh in 2011.

Generally, when planning energy development, they in the world
consider a similar plan for the economy. Are we planning any economic
back-up for the megawatts we are going to create? For tourism or,
say, information technologies we are not. So as to have an efficiency
energy sector, we need to restart all of our industrial capacities:
Nairit Plant, Yerevan Tire Works, Armkhimmash and the other 1,400
factories that enjoyed monopoly in the Soviet times but today are
either idle or no longer existent.

In one word, as Armenia’s Energy and Natural Resource Minister Armen
Movsisyan put it once, a nuclear power plant is not a taxi you can stop
wherever and whenever you like, an NPP is a complex mechanism requiring
close control and regulation. Let’s hope it will be the way he said.

BRITISH COMPANY TO MANAGE NAIRIT CHEMICAL GIANT?

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 22, 2012 – 15:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On May 21, the employees of Nairit were instructed
to clean the chemical plant’s production facilities. As the employees
were informed, a visit of representatives of a British company is
expected on May 24, with a decision on assuming control of the plant
management to be taken.

The plant press-service, however, refused to provide any info on the
news above.

As the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan
stated earlier, the selection of a managing company for Nairit is
to be finalized in the months to come, with the plant to resume
operations soon.

Last year, the government of Armenia developed a $512 million worth
program for reconstruction and development of Nairit; the investments
were to be allocated to upgrading the plant and covering the debts.

It will soon be 2 years since Nairit has stopped operations, with
3000 employees, left unpaid for months, periodically organizing
protest rallies.

As Eurovision starts, partnership cites Baku repression

CPJ BLOG

Press Freedom News and Views

Police in Baku arrest a man during a protest seeking reforms in
conjunction with Eurovision. (DAPD/Joern Haufe) Police in Baku
arrest a man during a protest seeking reforms in conjunction with
Eurovision. (DAPD/Joern Haufe) As the Eurovision song contest gets
under way in Baku, Azerbaijani authorities continue to suppress freedom
of expression, detaining 10 protesters on Monday, Reuters reported. The
International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan, a coalition of free
expression organizations that includes the Committee to Protect
Journalists, has launched a website, Facebook and Twitter pages to
highlight the country’s long record of repression. The website and
social media platforms detail the partnership’s efforts to promote
freedom of expression in the Caspian Sea nation, where over the past
decade authorities have jailed and harassed dozens of journalists
and fostered a climate of impunity in anti-press violence.

The launch follows a May 2 workshop in Geneva on press conditions in
Azerbaijan that was hosted by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU),
which oversees the organization of the Eurovision contest. Following
the workshop, CPJ and other IPGA members urged the EBU to publicly
condemn media freedom violations in the country, abandon its policy of
neutrality, and demand concrete steps from the Azerbaijani government
to improve its human rights record.

The partnership is coordinated by the UK-based free-expression
organization Article 19.

MILLI MAJLIS PREDICTS DETERIORATION OF IRANIAN-AZERBAIJANI TIES

Azerbaijan Business Center
May 22 2012

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Deputies of the Parliament of Azerbaijan, holding
now a regular plenary meeting, forecast further deterioration of
Iranian-Azerbaijani relationships.

Today in parliament deputy executive secretary of ruling party Yeni
Azerbaijan Partiyasi (YAP) Mubariz Gurbanli has sated that Tehran
authorities cause damage to Azerbaijani-Iranian links.

“I condemn flatly those who organize and conduct anti-Azerbaijani
rallies in Iran and give support to the Armenian lobby. Iran is a
Muslim country and should not support Armenia which has occupied 20%
of Azerbaijani territory. Instead of putting pressure on occupying
Armenia, the government of Tehran damages Azerbaijani-Iranian
relations. All this is beyond of the scope of interests of the Iranian
people. The recall of Iran’s ambassador to Tehran for consultations
also harms Azerbaijani-Iranian ties,” he thinks.

According to MP Ganira Pashayeva, the Iranian media publish offensive
materials against Azerbaijan. The Iranian newspapers are trying to
present “Eurovision” as an event against Islam.

“For some reason, speech is of the gay parade. Iran is a Muslim
country, but this May we heard no one statement from the Iranian
leadership concerning condemnation of Armenia’s occupation of Shusha
and Lachin (this May their occupation marks the 20th anniversary),”
Pashayeva said.

MP Azay Guliyev, in turn, said that it is a pity that instead of
having to deal with its own problems Tehran is trying to carry out
anti-Azerbaijani propaganda.

“The Iranian regime is trying to use our brothers living in Tabriz
against us. I urge the Azerbaijanis living in Iran not to become a
tool in the struggle against Azerbaijan,” he said.

According to Guliyev, such a policy can bring benefit neither to
Azerbaijan nor to Iran. He also criticized Azerbaijani opposition
“Public Chamber” and urged the opposition to refrain from holding
mass protests in the period of contest “Eurovision”.

WILL DISPUTES WITHIN TWO STRONGEST PARTIES NIX NEW ARMENIAN COALITION?

Radio Free Europe
May 21, 2012

Two weeks after the May 6 parliamentary elections, it remains unclear
whether President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
will again seek to form a coalition government as it did in 1999,
2004, and 2007. The HHK garnered 69 of the 131 parliament mandates.

Its two partners in the outgoing government, Bargavach Hayastan
(Prosperous Armenia, BHK) and Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law, OY),
received 37 and six mandates, respectively.

President Sarkisian met on May 16 with BHK Chairman Gagik Tsarukian
to discuss a new power-sharing agreement, but the outcome of those
talks remains unclear. The pro-opposition daily “Haykakan zhamanak”
predicted on May 17 that the new prime minister and parliament speaker
would be named at a meeting later that day of the HHK executive
committee, but no such announcements were forthcoming. HHK spokesman
Eduard Sharmazanov told reporters after that meeting that neither
the possibility of a new coalition nor personnel appointments were
discussed.

Sharmazanov did disclose, however, that the HHK has approached other
parties too to discuss forming a coalition. The daily “Zhoghovurd”
quoted OY leader Artur Baghdasarian as saying his party will have two
portfolios (agriculture and emergency situations) in the new cabinet.

There are several possible reasons for the ongoing stalemate. The first
is the increasingly strained relations over the past year between
the HHK and the BHK resulting from Tsarukian’s clear reluctance
either to back Sarkisian’s candidacy in the presidential ballot due
in February 2013 or to form an electoral alliance with the HHK for
the parliamentary elections. In early April, the BHK aligned with the
opposition Armenian National Congress and the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation — Dashnaktsutiun (HHD) to form an Inter-Party Center for
Public Oversight of the Elections with the aim of preventing fraud
and vote-rigging where possible and publicizing those procedural
violations it was unable to prevent. It was largely because Tsarukian
demonstratively distanced himself from the coalition that his party
came to be seen as a viable alternative to the HHK, garnering almost
twice as many votes as in the 2007 election.

The second is the lack of cohesion within the HHK, which one
Armenian commentator recently characterized as “a cartel political
structure comprising various factions ranging from conservatives to
neo-liberals.” For that reason, it is conceivable that its leadership
is split over whether it is expedient to form a coalition with the
BHK. True, the HHK’s 69 mandates give it an overall majority in
parliament. But OY’s additional six mandates add up to a total of
only 75, less than the 2/3 majority (88 mandates) needed to push
through changes to the legislative code.

There is also reportedly intense jockeying under way within the HHK
for the posts of prime minister, deputy prime minister, and parliament
speaker. Former parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamian, who stepped down
from that post late last year to manage the HHK election campaign,
is reportedly angling for the post of prime minister, while President
Sarkisian wants current Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian (to whom he is
not related) to remain in that post until the presidential elections
due in February 2013.

Third, there is a similar lack of unanimity within the BHK ranks
over whether to form a coalition with the HHK. Some core members are
reportedly reluctant to risk the loss of influence and privileges that
discontinuing cooperation with the ruling party would entail. Others
argue that continuing that cooperation would be a betrayal of those
voters who sought a viable political alternative, especially in light
of the HHK’s perceived responsibility for the numerous procedural
violations that cast doubt over the fairness of the ballot and the
accuracy of the officially promulgated results.

The BHK and its partners in the Inter-Party Center for Public Oversight
of the Elections issued a statement on May 11 alleging widespread
voter list manipulation and multiple fraudulent voting.

“Violating legal provisions, the Central Election Commission (CEC)
failed to ensure the proper application of passport stamps, the most
important tool for preventing multiple voting,” the statement read.

“The voter lists used in the elections and the officially announced
number of voters who took part in the elections are also extremely
dubious,” it continued, adding that the newly elected National Assembly
“does not therefore reflect the real picture of popular support for
political forces.”

In a May 8 statement, BHK Chairman Tsarukian thanked all those who
cast their ballots for his party and assured them that “my further
political decisions will be made after discussions with my team.”

Tsarukian did not specify whether he considers the CEC results, which
put his party in second place, to be credible. Nor did he say if he
will leave the governing coalition or strike a new power-sharing deal
with Sarkisian.

Senior BHK parliamentarian Naira Zohrabian, for her part, issued a
statement on May 16 that did little to clarify the situation. “I
want to emphasize once again that no coalition can be an end in
itself for us,” she said. “Having or not having several more or
fewer ministers does not matter to the BHK. Our objective is more
global: the formation of a government, whether a coalition one or
not, that would swiftly address the serious challenges facing the
country, improve the socioeconomic plight of the people, and change
the business environment and economic atmosphere in the country,”
read the statement. Zohrabian added vaguely that the BHK will take
no steps that would “undermine the people’s faith and trust in us.”

Zohrabian has separately declined to comment on a report in the daily
“Yerkir” that she is in line for the post of deputy parliament speaker.

Former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, who was second on the list of
BH candidates elected under the proportional system, said on May 11
that Tsarukian was “simply listening to various opinions.” Oskanian
himself has consistently argued forcefully that BH should not enter
a coalition that is not a genuine one.

Two other prominent political figures elected on the BH party list,
Association of Politologists head Hmayak Hovannisian and United
Labor Party Chairman and businessman Gurgen Arsenian, reportedly also
oppose BH’s participation in the new government. Some observers have
speculated that they might voluntarily surrender their mandates in
the event that BH does agree to enter a coalition. It has also been
suggested that Tsarukian might order them to do so. Hovannisian has
implicitly confirmed that possibility, saying the final decision on
whether or not he enters parliament lies with Tsarukian.

A further factor Tsarukian must take into consideration is that
the HHK is likely to make any invitation to join the new government
contingent on the BHK backing incumbent President Sarkisian in next
year’s presidential election. Whether Tsarukian might counter by
setting conditions of his own is unclear. The president is reputedly an
experienced and successful gambler, but Tsarukian may have an ace up
his sleeve: according to the Russian news agency Regnum, if the BHK
were to renounce all its parliament mandates, a new election would
have to be held.

The first session of the newly elected parliament is scheduled for
May 31, after which the HHK has 50 days to form a government.

MINISTER EXPLAINS ARMENIAN LEADER’S ABSENCE FROM NATO SUMMIT

Mediamax
May 21 2012
Armenia

Yerevan, 21 May: Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan said that
the generalized declaration of NATO Summit in Chicago on conflicts
in the South Caucasus and Moldova run counter to approaches of the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

As the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry informed
Mediamax, Edvard Nalbandyan said this at a meeting with representatives
of the Armenian community of Chicago.

“Despite certain changes as compared to NATO’s Lisbon Declaration,
this one runs counter to approaches of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs,
who have the international mediatory mandate to settle the [Nagornyy
Karabakh] conflict. These approaches have been frequently voiced by
US, Russian and French leaders. The formulation does not correspond to
statements and decisions on conflict settlement which have been made
within the OSCE in recent years. It cannot only harm the negotiation
process but also jeopardize the fragile peace in the region especially
given the unprecedented growth of Azerbaijan’s military expenses
and bellicose rhetoric of this country’s leadership. Taking into
consideration this concern, the president of Armenia decided not to
participate in the Chicago meeting,” said Edvard Nalbandyan.

AZERBAIJAN HOSTS EUROVISION CLASH OF GENERATIONS

AFP – RELAXNEWS (English International Version)
May 22, 2012 Tuesday

Azerbaijan this week hosts the Eurovision song contest, the biggest
event the ex-Soviet state has ever held, where singing pensioners
will challenge the younger generation for the kitsch pop crown.

The run-up to the event has been marred by accusations over
Azerbaijan’s rights record and forced evictions of locals, but the
government is hoping the event will be a unique shop window for the
increasingly glitzy capital Baku.

Among the favourites at the 57th edition are a troupe of dancing
grannies from an obscure Russian village, the Buranovskiye Babushki,
and veteran British crooner Engelbert Humperdinck who first topped
the UK charts 45 years ago in the era of the Beatles.

At 76, Humperdinck will be the oldest male ever to sing at Eurovision,
while one of the traditionally-costumed Russian ensemble will be the
oldest woman.

Forty-two countries will compete for musical supremacy and national
pride in Baku, where Eurovision is being held for the first time after
duo Ell and Nikki won in the German city of Duesseldorf last year.

Sweden’s high-energy techno-pop entry “Euphoria” by Loreen is this
year’s best bet according to many bookmakers, who also tip Russia,
Italy, Serbia, Romania and Britain as potential challengers at the
televised contest watched by an estimated 125 million people around
the world.

As usual most of the contestants will be singing in English, although
Russia’s Buranovskiye Babushki will deliver some lines in their Udmurt
language and the peculiarly-named Austrian entrants Trackshittaz
promise “tractor gangster party rap” lyrics in a little-known regional
dialect.

There will be two semi-finals on May 22 and 24, with 10 from each
going on to the final on May 26 alongside Azerbaijan, France, Germany,
Italy, Spain and Britain.

International viewers can vote for their favourites in the final by
phone or text message and these results will then be merged with scores
awarded by professional juries in each country to reach a verdict.

Some past winners, like Swedish pop maestros Abba who triumphed in
1974 with the irrepressibly catchy “Waterloo”, have gone on to lasting
fame and critical acclaim.

Other entrants however have been mercilessly mocked for their inane
kindergarten-style lyrics, even though the competition’s initial
aim was to “stimulate the output of original, high-quality songs”,
according to the book “Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History”.

The authorities in Azerbaijan, an oil-rich, mainly Muslim state of 9.2
million people, hope the contest will attract international acclaim
to a country until now mainly known as an energy exporter on Europe’s
eastern fringe.

Unlike some European countries which see Eurovision as little more
than frivolous fun, Azerbaijan has treated it like an event of major
political significance, spending millions of dollars on beautifying
the capital.

The organisers have promised a spectacular show spiced up with elements
of traditional Azerbaijani culture at the ultramodern, purpose-built
Crystal Hall on Baku’s Caspian Sea shore.

“Eurovision will make Azerbaijan famous worldwide. It is our pride that
it’s being held here in Baku,” said local student Lala Mirzoyeva, 22.

“I’m so happy that I managed to buy tickets and I will be part of
this historic event,” said another, 31-year-old banker Ramil Salayev.

But rights groups accuse the government led by strongman President
Ilham Aliyev of systematically violating human rights, jailing
opponents, persecuting journalists and suppressing free speech.

There has also been concern over the evictions of tenants whose homes
were demolished as part of an urban regeneration project which includes
the Crystal Hall.

“Azerbaijan is doing its best to put on a show but people should
know about the real problems behind all the glitz and glamour,”
said Giorgi Gogia of campaign group Human Rights Watch.

Neighbour Armenia has meanwhile boycotted this year’s contest, citing
alleged security concerns after the Azerbaijani president described
Armenians as enemies.