Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIA’S RULING ELITE ALREADY EXCHANGES MINISTERIAL POSITIONS AMONGST ITSELF – NEWSPAPER

news.am
April 11, 2012 | 06:07

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s parliamentary election campaign has just started,
but the ruling echelons are already discussing the future ministerial
shifts, Yerkir daily writes.

“Our sources claim that when the new government is formed, the
[Republican Party of Armenia] RPA and the [Prosperous Armenia Party]
PAP will exchange the positions of the health and the education and
science ministers.

Incidentally, according to our information, Education and Science
Minister Armen Ashotyan is not that much against relinquishing his
position. He prefers a calmer position, let us say, an ambassador in
any other country.

Contrary to him, Health Minister Harutyun Kushkyan is unable to cope
with the idea of leaving the minister’s post,” Yerkir writes.

CHRISTIAN CLERGYMEN WORRIED ABOUT GROWING THREATS IN TURKEY

news.am
April 11, 2012 | 06:42

ANKARA. – Christian clergymen expressed concern about the growing
threats in Turkey, with which they come across it after the April
7 attack on a Protestant clergyman in Istanbul, Hurriyet Daily News
reports.

Attacks on the Christian clergymen may decrease for some time, however,
it again intensifies.

“We hesitate when opening our doors and welcoming the faithful inside,”
Pastor Krikor Agabaloglu of the GedikpaÅ~_a Armenian Protestant
Church in Istanbul said adding the state intentionally refused to
grant permission for the construction of a church building.

“They are trying to stymie the spread of Christianity in this way,”
he said.

SOME YEREVAN VOTERS ARE REGISTERED AT CHURCH COURTYARDS, FUEL PUMPING STATIONS – NEWSPAPER

news.am
April 11, 2012 | 07:37

YEREVAN. – Comical “scenes” are discovered in the lists of voters
registered at Armenian capital Yerevan’s Election Precinct No.

12-which comprises the Erebuni and Shengavit administrative regions-for
the forthcoming parliamentary elections, Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun
daily writes.

“Specifically, ‘church courtyard,’ ‘adjacent garage of adjacent
building,’ ‘cellar,’ ‘fuel [pumping] station, base’ are written across
the addresses of several thousand citizens of this community.

Let as await the Police adjustments.

By the way, the precinct maps and their representation, which
are posted at the Central Election Commission of Armenia, have no
connection whatsoever with the true geographical locations of the
precincts,” Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun writes.

LE FILS DU MARCHAND D’OLIVES : IL N’Y A PAS D’ARMENIENS ICI…
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 11 avril 2012

Le documentaire signe Mathieu Zeitindjioglou, reflechit sur le deni
du genocide armenien.

Cela se passe a Van, ville du nord-est de la Turquie où les Armeniens
vivaient nombreux jusqu’a la Première Guerre mondiale. À un jeune
couple d’aujourd’hui qui cherche trace de leur presence, on repond :
” Desole, il n’y a pas d’Armenien ici. ” Et comme si les voyageurs
s’etaient trompes de destination : ” Vous n’etes pas en ­Armenie. ”

Certes. Mais pas meme de memoire historique ? Pas meme de mention de
l’antique presence armenienne dans les musees archeologiques ? Cet
effacement de tout un peuple, cette omission programmee, officielle,
non seulement du genocide de 1915 mais de siècles d’histoire, voila
ce que decouvrent Mathieu Zeitindjioglou et sa jeune femme, Anna, dans
leur voyage de noces en Turquie, au pays d u Fils du marchand d’olives.

Implication personnelle Le titre est la traduction du nom de Mathieu,
Zeitindjioglou. Un nom armenien turquifie, qui permit a son grand-père
d’echapper aux massacres. En s’interrogeant sur ce bizarre patronyme
qui est devenu le sien par son mariage, Anna, qui est polonaise, decide
d’entraîner Mathieu a la recherche de son passe familial et national.

Ce documentaire au style original et vivant commence par une petite
fable en forme de dessin anime sur des loups et des moutons, use
d’accelerations humoristiques pour evoquer le contexte particulier
du voyage : c’est a la fois un pèlerinage a des sources evanouies,
et l’affrontement de deuils et de peurs enfouis dans l’inconscient.

Cette implication personnelle donne au film la tonalite affective d’une
irremediable nostalgie, d’un heritage de malheur. Mais le film a aussi
un veritable contenu intellectuel. Au fil d’un voyage-enquete, nourri
de rencontres, de documents d’archives, de paysages, de discussions,
se forge une reflexion critique approfondie sur le mensonge historique
institutionnalise, le negationnisme d’Etat.

Il y a l’ignorance des gens ordinaires. Mais du côte des gens de
savoir, historiens, directeurs de musee, il y a pire : une construction
dogmatique volontaire qui inverse le sens des evenements et fait des
Armeniens les massacreurs des Turcs qui ont voulu les proteger en les
” deplacant “. Double injustice, double peine.

CONTENT OF LETTER SENT BY ARMENIAN-CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SERVICEMAN MADE PUBLIC

APA
April 10 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva – APA. The content of the letter sent by
Azerbaijani serviceman Mammadbagir Akhundzadeh, who was captured
by Armenian servicemen in Terter region on January 23, has been
made public.

The captive’s father Talib Akhundzadeh told APA that the letter
is short.

“I am safe and sound. Don’t worry about me. Give my regards to
everybody,” reads the letter.

Corporal of Azerbaijani Army Akhundzadeh Mammadbagir Talib was captured
by Armenians on the line of contact, near Yukhari Chayli village of
Terter region.

RUSSIA DOES NOT NEED NEW TENSIONS IN SOUTH CAUCASUS – EXPERTS

Vestnik Kavkaza
April 10 2012
Russia

Many experts have been predicting conflicts between the US, Israel
and Iran these days. The same concerns the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
where violations of the ceasefire are frequent.

Alexey Vlasov, Editor-in-Chief of Vestnik Kavkaza, says that there
are reasons to worry indeed, but the Russian government, unlike
experts, is monitoring the situation attentively without coming to
hasty conclusions.

Vlasov says that the price for leasing the Qabala radar is a totally
different topic and there are no pre-decided negative tendencies
in the issue. Moreover, the statements by some experts, saying that
Moscow wants to use Guba lezgins and Zakatalsk avarians to pressurize
Azerbaijan, seem strange.

The methods used by Washington in the Middle East, the South Caucasus
and Central Asia should not be associated with Russian diplomacy, as
stated by Ismail Agakishiyev, head of the Center for Caucasus Studies
of the Russian State University for the Humanities. Moscow is more
interested in President Ilham Aliyev’s efforts to maintain stability
in the region during the elections in 2013, the expert believes.

ARMENIAN COURT SENTENCES 5 TO PRISON TERMS IN SPY CASE, ONE MORE FINED

Interfax
April 9 2012
Russia

An Armenian court has found three Armenian citizens guilty of
high treason and sentenced them to long prison terms, the Armenian
Prosecutor General’s Office told Interfax on Friday.

The court of the Yerevan administrative districts of Center and
Nork-Marash agreed with the investigation’s findings and sentenced
Karen Megrabian to 15 and Romik Matevosian and Ashot Chtrkian to 10
years in prison each.

Another two defendants, Karen Petrosian and Artur Avetikian, have
been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months each, and the sixth defendant,
David Avetikian, fined 500,000 drams (about $1,300)

The Prosecutor General’s Office said that, based on proofs obtained
during the preliminary investigation, Megrabian, Matevosian and
Chtrkian, while being in Turkey, received a proposal on cooperation
for reward from Azeri special services.

“They were instructed to gather information on the Armenian and
Nagorno-Karabakh armed forces, their commanding staff, units and the
number of vehicles. Petrosian, Artur Avetikian and David Avetikian
knew that Megrabian committed himself to passing this information to
Azeri intelligence services for money but did not report this to law
enforcement bodies,” it said.

Hence, Megrabian, Matevosian, and Chtrkian were charged with high
treason and Petrosian and the brothers Avetikian with failure to
report a crime.

“RENAISSANCE” 4TH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF MUSICIAN-PERFORMERS LAUNCHED

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 10, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 10, ARMENPRESS: “Renaissance” (Veratsnund) 4th
international music contest and festival launched 10 April at State
Drama Theater after V. Achemyan, Gyumri. For a regular time the
festival is conducted on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture
of Armenia, Gyumri branch of Komitas State Conservatory and “Pyunik”
human resources development fund under the high patronage of First
Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan. The festival aims to promote the spread
of classical art and to create ties between artists of different
nationalities.

First Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan, Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosyan,
world famous musician-performers attended the event, according to
Armenpress.

USSR People’s Artist Eduard Mirzoyan and People’s Artist of Armenia
Jan Ter-Merkeryan are the honorary presidents of the festival this
year. 1365 musician-performers from 25 countries will participate in
the festival. “Armenia and Global Culture” 4th international scientific
conference will be held within its frameworks.

Youth State Orchestra of Armenia conducted by Sergey Smbatyan,
award-bearers of the festival of the past years as well as jury
members delivered speeches at the solemn opening of the festival.

During the concert 2 works were donated to the memory of prominent
composer Alexander Harutyunyan.

ARF PROPOSES TO PASS FROM PRESIDENTIAL TO PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 10, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 10, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) proposes to pass from presidential to parliamentary system
of government, Armen Rustamyan, member of ARF Supreme Body, said
April 10 at Freedom Square, according to Armenpress. “We strive to
decentralize the leadership, simultaneously adding the parliament’s
authorities and improving its quality,” said Mr. Rustamyan.

He also called on to involve representatives of the opposition in
oversight bodies.

Armen Rustamyan noted that almost all forces speak of changes, but is
the ARF that proposes radical, systemic changes. “Elections should
justify people’s hopes, so that after any election some positive
change takes place in the life of people,” member of ARF Supreme
Body concluded.

NEW WITHDRAWALS OCCUR IN ARMENIAN HERITAGE PARTY’S PROPORTIONAL LIST

news.am
April 10, 2012 | 15:57

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission excluded 5 candidates
from proportional lists on its session on Tuesday.

There are withdrawals from the proportional list of opposition Heritage
Party. The CEC excluded Yervand Zurabyan and David Arakelyan from
the list. They both are members of the Free Democrats Party and are
friends of Ararat Zurabyan.

According to the rumors, Ararat Zurabyan has serious controversies
with Heritage Party because of the joint pre-election list. He himself
was not included in the list.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the leader of Heritage
Party Raffi Hovhannisian met Ararat Zurabyan and they had an open
discussion, Raffi Hovhannisian told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to him, their meeting took place in a positive atmosphere
and not otherwise.

Opposition Heritage Party is a liberal party founded in 2002. The
leader is the first Armenian Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian.

Heritage and Free Democrats Party are running for the parliament with
joint proportional list.

The proportional list of the party includes members of
extra-parliamentary opposition Free Democrats Party and civil society
representatives.

Heritage has also nominated MP candidates with the majority election
system.