Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIA: LAW ON PRESERVING ORDER CRITICIZED FOR CREATING POTENTIAL POLITICAL IMBALANCE
Marianna Grigoryan

EurasiaNet.org
March 29 2012
NY

A recently adopted law that opens the way for the army’s potential
intervention in public political disputes is fostering worries about
the fairness of upcoming parliamentary elections in May.

The bill, passed by parliament on March 21, would allow President
Serzh Sargsyan, a former defence minister, to call in the army under
a state of emergency to fulfil certain law-enforcement functions,
provided the police and “state-authorized national security forces”
were deemed incapable of doing so. Among those functions would
be: protecting the government and “special guarded facilities;”
securing transportation routes; preventing “emergency situations;”
and quelling the “activities of illegal armed groups.” In addition,
the law specifies that the army’s “functions” in such situations would
be governed by “regulations for [Ministry of Internal Affairs] troops.”

Given that memories are still fresh of the deadly clashes that
followed Armenia’s controversial presidential election in 2008,
government critics fear the law creates an uneven political playing
field during the present electoral season. The parliamentary vote is
scheduled for May 6.

The international community harshly criticized the excessive use of
police troops and armed forces during the 2008 crackdown.

International rights groups have not yet commented on the 2012
state-of-emergency law.

Arthur Sakunts, a leading human rights activist in Armenia, argues
that the law’s danger lies in its “vague” wording, which gives
“authorities a certain flexibility.” As the post-election clashes in
2008 demonstrated, the government and opposition are unlikely to agree
on what constitutes a threat to public order, and what defines an
“armed” individual.

“The concerns voiced are really to the point,” said Sakunts, head
of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly’s office in the northern town
of Vanadzor. “The law does have many gaps which are worth being
criticized.”

Gagik Jhangirian, a former military prosecutor under former President
Robert Kocharian, contends that the bill violates Article 55 of the
Constitution, which states that the armed forces may only be used to
repel “an armed attack on the republic, an imminent danger thereof,
or declaration of war,” or when martial law is declared, or troops
are mobilized.

In passing the law, the government is sending “sort of a message
addressed to the people,” said Jhangirian, a member of the opposition
Armenian National Congress, the coalition that bore the brunt of
the arrests that followed the 2008 bloodshed. “They want to say,
‘See, we have a law already, so you should behave yourselves.'”

Under the constitution, the president can declare a state of emergency
after consulting with just the prime minister and parliamentary
speaker. Currently, both the prime minister and parliament speaker
are members of the Republican Party of Armenia, which is headed by
President Sargsyan. Some leading politicians contend that checks on
presidential authority need to be strengthened.

“The law gives the authority to decide whether or not there is a
threat to the constitutional order to a single person and his immediate
supporters,” noted Vahan Hovhannisian, head of the nationalist Armenian
Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun’s parliamentary faction. A
special task force, Hovhannisian asserted, would be better suited to
decide on whether or not a state of emergency should be declared. “Our
army, which is under the authority of the Defense Ministry, must not
be involved in politics,” he stated in parliament.

Defense Ministry officials did not respond to questions from
EurasiaNet.org about the law in time for publication.

Government representatives dismiss contentions that the governing
Republican Party of Armenia harbored a hidden agenda when it pushed
the state-of-emergency law though the legislature. Responding to
opposition concerns expressed during a February 29 parliamentary floor
debate, Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasian gave “my name as a pledge”
and stressed “that the government is not thinking up any plots with
regard to this law.”

In an apparent bid to underline that message, the chief of Armenia’s
police, Lt. Gen. Vladimir Gasparian, on March 23 “reminded” police
that law-enforcement officers “serve all the people.” At the same
time, Gasparian said that security agencies should act “as a cold
shower for all those seeking adventures,” news outlets reported.

Editor’s note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based
in Yerevan.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT: METSAMOR ATOMIC ELECTRIC STATION IS A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF DISASTER FOR THE REGION AND CLOSE NEIGHBORS

APA
March 28 2012
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the global nuclear safety

Baku-APA. “Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the global nuclear
safety, and joined the major international agreements such as the
International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear
Terrorism and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear
Material”, – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during his
speech at the opening plenary session of the Summit on Nuclear Safety,
which took place in Seoul, APA reports.

Ilham Aliev thanked the President of the Republic of Korea for hosting
this important event and Azerbaijan sent an invitation to take part
in the summit: “Azerbaijan considers the important role played by
the International Atomic Energy Agency in the establishment of norms
and standards to ensure nuclear safety. Our country has established a
successful cooperation with the agency on various aspects of nuclear
safety. We intend to further expand the existing successful partnership
through the State Agency for Regulation of nuclear and radiological
activities, established by us in 2008. Given the threat of nuclear
proliferation and our geographic location, Azerbaijan attaches great
importance to the prevention of cases of use of its territory as a
transit route for nuclear smuggling. Working closely with international
organizations, Azerbaijan, through high standards based on sound legal
framework has created an effective system of export controls. This
system justifies itself as a reliable mechanism to prevent nuclear
smuggling” , – Head of State said.

“Unfortunately, due to the continuing occupation of neighboring
Armenia, 20 percent of our land there is no control over the 130 miles
of our internationally recognized southern boundary and a large part
of our border with Armenia. As a result of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, these territories for 20
years under Armenian occupation. In these areas of Armenia held a
policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis. Armenia ignores the
four UN Security Council resolution calling for the unconditional
and immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from the territory
of Azerbaijan”, – Ilham Aliyev said.

Azerbaijani President emphasized that considering the geographical
conditions and potential transboundary environmental effects,
Azerbaijan fully supports efforts to strengthen safety and security of
civilian nuclear facilities. “You should be very serious consideration
to the terrible accident that occurred recently in the nuclear power
plant in Fukushima in the tsunami. Azerbaijan is extremely concerned
about the activities of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia,
which became operational in 1976 and is now outdated. Metsamor station
is a potential source of disaster for the region and nearby neighbors.

It is located in a highly seismic zone, where the lack of water
needed to cool the living out its last years of the reactor. The
European Union recognized the Metsamor reactor “the most outdated
and unreliable” of 66 Soviet reactors built in Eastern Europe and
former Soviet Union. The report Metsamor called “a threat to the
entire region”, – he said.

“However, we propose to use modes of establishing a regional nuclear
safety and reliability and providing the authority of the party seeking
to build nuclear power plant. In this case, may be provided for such
procedures as obtaining consent from his neighbors, a transparent
exchange of information on safety and security of these areas,
receiving inspections and compensation for risk. In an effort to
further strengthen international understanding and cooperation in the
framework of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and the
Body of Principles, to which Azerbaijan, we have during the presidency
of the UN Security Council in May this year, plan to hold high-level
discussions. This will be resembling an opportunity for discussions
on such broad issues as anti-terrorism, including the fight against
nuclear terrorism”, – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.

VAHAKN DADRIAN TO SPEAK ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE “SECOND PHASE” PERPETRATOR

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 29, 2012 – 13:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Prof. Vahakn Dadrian will present a lecture in
honor of Luther and Anne Eskijian, on Sunday, April 1 at 4 pm at the
Ararat-Eskijian Museum, in the Sheen (Geovkalayjian) Memorial Chapel,
Mission Hills, CA, Asbarez reports.

The lecture is sponsored by the Ararat-Eskijian Museum and the National
Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). There will
be a musical program by Ani String Quartet and a reception and book
signing to follow in the Ararat-Eskijian Museum.

Salih Zeki, known as Zeki Bey, was born in the city of Samsun on
the Black Sea in 1879. By the early 1900s he had entered the Ottoman
Civil Service and began to rise through the ranks: kaymakam (county
executive) of Tirebolu (1906), Vakfıkebir (1909), Unye (1910), Bafra
(1911), AlaÅ~_ehir (1912), Ä°ncesu (1914), and Develi (1915). Serving
in this last post, near Kay-seri/Gesaria, at the outset of the Armenian
Genocide, he earned a reputation for extreme cruelty and continued
to receive promotions for his work.

In summer 1916 Zeki was appointed mutasarrif (deputy governor) of
Deir Zor and given the task that his predecessor, Ali Suat Bey, had
refused: the liquidation of the vast number of Armenian refugees
in the region. Zeki unleashed his genocidal fury against those
deportee convoys that had arrived there as destitute survivors of the
then-raging empire-wide deportations and massacres of the Armenian
people. As such, Zeki is one of the principal perpetrators of this
“second phase” of the Armenian Genocide.

Prof. Vahakn Dadrian is currently the Director of Research at the
Zoryan Institute and a pioneer in the fields of genocide theory
and comparative genocide. Dadrian is the author of several books,
including The History of the Armenian Genocide: Ethnic Conflict from
the Balkans to Anatolia to the Caucasus, Warrant for Genocide, and
the recently-published Judgment at Istanbul: The Armenian Genocide
Trials (co-authored with Taner Akcam), as well as more than seventy
articles in numerous languages around the world. He is the recipient
of many honors and awards, including the Khorenatsi Medal, Armenia’s
highest cultural award. He was inducted into the ranks of the Academy
of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia in 1998.

THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER’S ASSESSMENT OF THE RA PUBLIC SERVICES REGULATORY COMMISSION ACTIVITIES IN 2011

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:56:35 – 29/03/2012

Shortcomings and problems identified

Though in 2011 new rates were prescribed by the Commission for the
services, however, the list of rates- approved by N340 N decision made
by the Commission on 24 August, 2007 and also by decision N530 N on
16 November, 2007 – has not been complied with the list of services
subject to rate regulation – approved by decision N273 made on 20th
May, 2008.

In the sphere of wireless telephony, in certain cases, the service
company did not provide equal facilities for the population.

The society has not been properly aware of handling of disputes on
electric power fluctuations or outages and the Commission’s powers
on resolution of such problems.

Lack of alternative laboratories (basically inspection of gas
and electricity meters) caused distrust of the population towards
reliability of metering devices test results. The Commission has not
raised the problems.

The problem of twenty-four-hour water supply is still topical.

Positive Developments

The Commission has provided free “short” telephone numbers to 19
public bodies and organizations (ESM, HRDO and etc.).

In 2011 the Commission reconsidered tariffs for drinking water and
made a decision to reduce the tariff in 8 AMD.

Certain changes have been made -in electric energy supply and
utilization rules, as well as in fees of new consumer or the consumer’s
reconstructed consumption system accession to electrical network-
according to decisions made during the session of the RA Public
Services Regulatory Commission, held on 7 December, 2011.

Prepayment dimensions of installation of single-phase and three-phase
electronic multi-tariff meters have been reduced according to decisions
made by the Commission.

The Republic of Armenia is the fifth in the world, which has invested
4G wireless Internet network (LTE).

Karen Andreasyan,

Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia

The list of the identified positive developments, gaps and shortcomings
is not exhaustive.

The introduced Chapter (13) of the HRD Annual Report 2011 is available
in full at The HRD
Annual Report 2011 was developed based on the complaints received
by the Staff of the Human Rights Defender, legislation analysis,
trustworthy and non-disclaimed publications in press, reports of
the international and local organizations as well as information
received during the interviews with field specialists and human
rights defenders.

ARMENIA NEEDS TO NATIONALIZE BANKS
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:45:30 – 29/03/2012

The fact that the world’s current economic order is reviewed is proven
by the revolutionary protests in the most developed countries. Last
year was marked not only by the Arab revolutions which were attempts
to absorb these countries by the system but also by the movement
Occupy Wall Street which questioned the existing system.

More people in the world come to think that the global financial system
is a web in which people are caught like flies, and all the income
goes to “spiders”. The banking system which has been steady for many
years is blamed for devouring 99% of profits of the world population.

In Armenia, banks are prospering like never before. The ratio
of bank assets to the GDP amounted to 54.1% which is 9.6% higher
year-over-year. The income of the banks in the fourth quarter of 2011
amounted to 8.7 billion drams (over 22.5 million dollars).

With the absence of growth of production, the growth of assets and
profits of bank means that each of us pays a significant portion of
their income to the banks which are empowered to accept our deposits
at an interest rate of 7-8% and lend us money at an interest rate
of 18-20%. It means that the banks are legally robbing 10-12% of the
potential revenues of the population.

In the world this difference is 1-2%. However, there is more traffic
there, and in absolute numbers, bank profits are more. But overall,
the banking interests of Armenia look simply draconian.

It is symptomatic that Armenia’s government is doing everything to
keep the financial system stable. Moreover, addressing the Republican
congress, Serzh Sargsyan noted as an achievement: “We closed the
ways which were leading to the collapse of the banking system, while
everyone would remain under the ruins its ruins”.

Is it so? Would the Armenian economy resist if the banking system
collapsed?

It is difficult to do without banks today but obviously non-commercial
financial organizations will replace the current system one day which
will fulfill the same functions but to ensure the financial blood
circulation later than to generate profit.

Such a system operated in the Soviet Union. Banks are national in Iran,
and, according to experts, this is one of the reasons why the West is
“angry” with Iran. It would not join the global financial network
and it affects the whole system. By the way, they tried to localize
and nationalize the banking systems in Syria and Libya too.

Armenia could also nationalize the banking system which slows down
economic development. This would increase return on deposits, and,
conversely, reduce interest on loan. This would lead to increased
investments and economic growth.

It is clear that the nationalization of banks would not be welcome
in the world. So, it will be possible to start with a law enabling
the state to have a share in each commercial bank and thus influence
its interest rates.

Otherwise, it turns out that the government is working to ensure the
welfare of the banks. Already half of the GDP is ensured through the
banks, leaving the interests there. With such tendencies, the banks
will soon replace the government.

NKR PRESIDENT, OSCE CIO REPRESENTATIVE DISCUSS THE SITUATION ALONG THE LINE OF CONTACT

armradio.am
29.03.2012 11:09

President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan met with the
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Issues related to the recent developments and current situation along
the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan armed forces were
discussed during the meeting, Central Information Department of the
Office of the NKR President reported.

LE JOUR DES ELECTIONS PRIMAIRES DANS L’OHIO JEAN SCHMIDT ETAIT EN REUNION AU SUJET DE LA TURQUIE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 29 mars 2012

La presse americaine attaque en ce moment la representante pro-turque
Jean Schmidt qui selon eux ” est plus proche des interets turcs que des
habitants du secteur de Cincinnati ” et ” jamais le problème de cette
proximite a ete plus flagrante que ce mardi quand les Republicains
ont refuse d’accrediter Schmidt pour une nouvelle candidature “.

” Tandis que les electeurs deposaient des bulletins ce jour, Schmidt
etait a Washington, district federal de Columbia, a un dejeuner prive
avec l’ambassadeur Turc Namik Tan ” ont affirme plusieurs sources au
site internet POLITICO.

Son rival lors de la primaire Brad Wenstrup, l’a attaque pendant la
campagne pour avoir recu 500000 $ d’aide juridique des activistes
turco-americains, une somme que le Comite d’Ethique de la Chambre
des Representants lui a demande de rembourser après avoir etudier
les allegations que le versement de cet argent constituait un cadeau
incorrect.

Barrett Brunsman porte-parole Jean Schmidt a refuse de faire des
remarques directement sur le pourquoi de la recontre de Schmidt avec
Tan ou si elle regrettait d’avoir accepte un dejeuner plutôt que
d’etre a Cincinnati pour passer le dernier jour de la Primaire.

Dans un long echange d’email, Brunsman n’a pas reconnu que la reunion
a meme eu lieu.

Au lieu de se battre pour gagner les primaires Schmidt etait fourre
avec Tan, des fonctionnaires du Departement d’Etat, des Analystes
du Service de Recherche du Congrès, des representants du Conseil
Turco-americain, l’ancien Representant Connie Morella (R-Md) et
les Representants Sue Myrick (R-N.C), Gerry Connolly (D-Va) et Jim
McDermott ( D-Wash.).

Schmidt a longtemps cultive des liens avec la Turquie, visitant le pays
deux fois comme membre du Congrès et rassemblant des contributions
de campagne de la part d’Americains turcs. Elle s’est heurtee a des
problèmes d’ethique quand elle a accepte l’aide legale d’un groupe
turco-americain dans un procès contre un adversaire politique d’origine
armenienne qui l’avait accuse d’avoir pris ” l’argent ensanglante ”
des Turcs.

Ce groupe, la Coalition Turco-americaine, a patronne un de ses voyages
en Turquie.

L’Armenian Weekly s’est vante dans un titre la semaine dernière que
” la cherie du lobby Turc ” a ete debarquee de son bureau.

Wenstrup a reuni 49% des voix contre 43% pour Schmidt.

LE NOMBRE D’ELECTEURS ENREGISTRES A AUGMENTE
Laetitia

armenews.com
jeudi 29 mars 2012

Le nombre d’electeurs enregistres en Armenie a augmente de près de 7%
depuis la dernière election nationale il y a quatre ans, selon la
mise a jour des listes electorales avant les prochaines elections
parlementaires.

Le nombre de personnes en Armenie autorisees a voter pour les elections
du 6 mai est un peu plus de 2.485.000 – soit une augmentation de plus
de 165.000 electeurs par rapport a l’election presidentielle de 2008.

Un certain nombre de medias et des analystes ont exprime leurs doutes
concernant la possibilite d’une telle hausse, compte tenu des donnees
du recensement fait en octobre 2011. Selon eux, 400.000 personnes
environ dans le pays ont en fait moins de 18 ans.

Le chef de la police, Hovannes Kocharian, a explique que la hausse
provient des exigences d’enregistrement plus strictes pour recevoir
un passeport.

Le fonctionnaire a egalement exclu la possibilite qu’un grand
nombre de personnes seraient en possession de deux ou plusieurs
passeports valides pour etre en mesure de voter plusieurs fois. ”
Tout fonctionnaire de police pris en flagrant delit sera sevèrement
puni “, a-t-il souligne.

S’adressant a un groupe d’officiers superieurs de la police la
semaine dernière, le chef de la police armenienne Vladimir Gasparian
a mis en garde ses collègues a s’en tenir a la neutralite politique
pendant toute la duree du processus electoral en Armenie. Il a, en
particulier, souligne l’importance d’assurer l’exactitude des listes
electorales. Pourtant, differents groupes d’opposition, y compris le
Congrès national armenien, ont emis des doutes sur la veracite des
listes electorales presentees par les autorites. Ils ont de nouveau
accuse le gouvernement d’essayer de truquer le vote en gonflant le
nombre officiel d’electeurs inscrits.

FOR LADY GAGA’S BIRTHDAY, A DARING ARMENIAN IMITATOR

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
March 28 2012

In honor of Lady Gaga on this, her 26th birthday, here’s a priceless
clip of her scornful single “Bad Romance” with an Armenian twist.

We hope the American pop diva appreciates this, the sincerest form
of flattery, from Iveta Mukuchyan and her swanky male singers.

It’s quite a creative hybrid, with high-energy transitions between
traditional Armenian music and Gaga’s former Top 10 single.

See for yourself. And Ô¾Õ¶Õ¸O~BÕ¶Õ¤Õ¤ Õ·Õ¶Õ¸O~@Õ°Õ¡Õ¾Õ¸O~@, Lady Gaga!

SINGAPORE, ARMENIA SIGN AGREEMENT ON CULTURAL COOPERATION

Channel News Asia

March 28 2012
Singapore

SINGAPORE: Singapore and Armenia have signed an agreement on cultural
cooperation aimed at fostering greater inter-cultural understanding
between the two countries.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in Singapore for a
three-day state visit.

The memorandum of understanding would allow both countries to
explore possibilities of partnership between artists and experts in
co-productions, presentations, research trips and new commissions.

The agreement was signed by Transport Minister and Acting Minister
for Foreign Affairs Lui Tuck Yew and Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian. They also signed another agreement on the terms
of mutual waiver of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and
official passports.

Mr Sargsyan began his day early at the Singapore Botanic Gardens
where an orchid was named after him.

Singapore’s national flower Vanda Miss Joaquim was named after an
Armenian horticulturist resident in Singapore in 1893.

Mr Sargsyan then made a courtesy call on President Tony Tan Keng Yam
at the Istana before meeting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

In the evening, President Tan hosted Mr Sargsyan to a state banquet.

President Tan said people-to-people ties between Singapore and Armenia
extend far back into history before the establishment of the two
countries’ diplomatic ties.

Mr Tan said: “Armenians were among the first traders to arrive when
the British established a free port in Singapore in 1819. Apart from
trading, Armenians were also successful in our publishing, hospitality
and services sectors. The Straits Times, which was founded by Catchnick
Moses in 1846, is the largest-circulating newspaper in Singapore and
read by 1.4 million people daily. One of Singapore’s most photographed
landmarks, the Raffles Hotel, was built and managed by the Sarkies
brothers in 1887.

“Our bilateral relationship is one that is premised on many
commonalities and complementarities. As small countries, Singapore
and Armenia share many common challenges and interests and there is
much that we can learn from each other. Therefore, I am happy that
our countries have stepped up cooperation through the signing of MOUs
on cultural cooperation and mutual waiver of visa requirements for
holders of diplomatic and official passports earlier today.

“I am hopeful that the historically strong people-to-people ties
between our two countries will continue to be sustained. There is
much scope for our two countries to leverage on the good relations we
already enjoy and work together for the mutual benefit of our peoples.”

Mr Sargsyan returns to Armenia on March 29.