Author: Kalantarian Kevo

BELARUSIAN TRACTOR SERVICE CENTERS TO BE ESTABLISHED IN ARMENIA

News from Armenia – NEWS.am
January 12, 2012 | 10:52

YEREVAN. – Along the lines of his visit to the Belarusian capital
Minsk, Armenia’s National Security Council (NSC) Secretary Arthur
Baghdasaryan toured the Tractor Plant of Minsk, during which the
parties discussed the establishment of Belarusian tractor service
centers in Armenia, NSC Press Service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Also in Minsk, Arthur Baghdasaryan met with the Belarusian Minister
of Agriculture and Food, Mikhail Rusy. The interlocutors examined
matters concerning food safety and bilateral cooperation in the
agricultural sector.

Baghdasaryan also met with the Belarusian Minister of Defense,
Yuri Zhadobin, during which they discussed the deepening of
Armenian-Belarusian ties in the defense sector.

Armenia’s NSC Secretary is scheduled to meet with Belarusian President
Alexander Lukashenko, too, and the Armenian National Security Council
and the Belarusian Security Council are expected to sign the 2012-2013
Cooperation Program.

LES REVENUS DE LA POPULATION DU NAGORNO-KARABAKH ONT ATTEINT 96,9 MILLIARDS DE DRAMS EN 2010
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 12 janvier 2012

La population du Nagorno-Karabakh a gagne 96,9 milliards de drams de
revenus en 2010 et a depense 98,7 milliards de drams a annonce Manush
Minasyan, le chef de l’agence nationale des statistiques du Karabakh.

Elle affirme que le revenu est en hausse de 9,7 % et les depenses en
hausse de 11,8 % en 2010 compare avec 2009.

La population du Karabakh a depense 94,3 milliards de drams pour des
achats et pour des services. Les prelevements obligatoires se sont
eleves a 4,9 milliards de drams et les versements volontaires pour des
prelèvements complementaires se sont eleves a 4,9 milliards de drams.

L’OPPOSITION VEUT FORCER UN DEBAT AU PARLEMENT SUR UNE REFORME DU CODE ELECTORAL
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 12 janvier 2012

Les deux partis de l’opposition representes a l’Assemblee nationale ont
annonce qu’ils veulent obtenir un debat au Parlement sur une reforme
du code electoral qu’ils permettrait selon eux d’augmenter les chances
de justes elections lors des prochaines elections parlementaires.

Dans une declaration commune parue a la fin du mois dernier, la
Federation Revolutionnaire Armenienne (Dashnaktsutyun) et le parti
Heritage (Zharangutyun) ont appele a l’abolition des elections a
mandat simple.

Selon Armen Rustamian, un des leaders du parti Dashnaktsutyun ”
Nous verifierons ainsi le point de vue officielle de la majorite
parlementaire ” ajoutant ” Il ne faut pas etre guide par des
declarations faites [par des representants de la majorite] ici et la “.

Selon la loi armenienne, l’opposition a l’Assemblee nationale peut
inclure la moindre question a l’ordre du jour du Parlement une fois
par mois sans le consentement de la majorite.

Armen Rustamian a dit que les deputes des partis Zharangutyun et
Dashnaktsutyun emploieront ce droit si la majorite progouvernementale
s’oppose a un debat sur la question.

Armen Rustamian a pretendu que le rejet du projet de loi de
l’opposition ” signifierait que ceux-ci [les declarations du
gouvernement] sont des declarations vides et que leur unique but
reste l’assurance de la reproduction de leur regime “. ” La balle
est maintenant dans leur camp ” a-t-il dit.

L’idee de supprimer des circonscriptions electorales a mandat simple
est aussi fortement appuyee par le Congrès National Armenien N(HAK),
un autre groupe de l’opposition non represente dans la legislature
actuelle.

Ruben Hakobian, vice-president de Zharangutyun, a confirme que les
deux partis sont prets a cooperer avec le HAK a la fois sur une
reforme du code elecorale et la conduite des elections.

WHO WILL ASSUME THE MOUSE’S ROLE
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:38:42 – 10/01/2012

The main intrigue of the Armenian political life is the relations
between the Bargavach Hayastan Party and the Republicans. It became
tenser when the ANC leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan made his famous
“political analysis” on the BHP. Here, another tactical scenario
by Levon Ter-Petrosyan can be discerned. Understanding that the
Congress seems to have run out of the resource for sustaining the
home political intrigue, Ter-Petrosyan tried to blame the government
for the intrigue. Moreover, there was a greater potential in the
BHP-RPA sector.

It is also evident that the Bargavach Hayastan Party and the
Republicans justify Ter-Petrosyan’s scenario, surely if it exists.

None of them wants or is able to close the chapter by expressing
their clear approaches in the political field.

In addition, the Republicans are in a more favorable position because
it is the ruling majority and arguing all the allegations in its
address it keeps affirming that it is going to hold free and fair
elections. It is another issue whether its words are convincing
or true.

The situation of the BHP is becoming more and more incomprehensible.

This party refuses to specify its attitude towards the RPA, the
policy of the Armenian leadership, the government, Robert Kocharyan,
the civil society and the opposition. The attitude “Guys, let’s live
in peace” can hardly be considered as political approach in a country
where there are many fundamental issue requiring clear assessments,
diagnosis, clear definition of the frame of those responsible.

The BHP avoids all this. But everyone keeps staring at the BHP,
many even keep “fighting” for it. Apparently, this is what the BHP
considers as its success. Gagik Tsarukyan has perhaps been persuaded
that the more he keeps the “floating rate” and the more others “fight
for it”, the bigger the likelihood that Tsarukyan will win in the end.

A situation has been created when those who “fight” for the BHP also
benefit from Tsarukyan’s “floating rate” – “let him float as much
as he wants, he will not find a place in any harbor”, this way think
those who “fight” for him.

Everyone can be the mouse, but the society is perhaps destined to
assume the role of the cat. Consequently, it will be more beneficial
to the political subject, instead of “fighting” for BHP, to fight for
the society. And it will be beneficial to BHP, instead of enjoying
the role of the apple of discord, to join the fight for the society
in order not to become the mouse.

HARABIN: SLOVAKIA TO JOIN SARKOZY’S SUGGESTION

Panorama.am
10/01/2012

“I appeal to the President of France’s Senate and to its members saying
the law to be approved is a great necessity and I think Slovakia will
join French President Sarkozy’s suggestions of passing a similar law
in address to the EU member states. I will also appeal to Slovakia’s
Security Council to support French Senate in adopting Armenian Genocide
denial bill and to share our experience with EU parliaments in adopting
a similar bill and in a fight against Turkey,” the Chairman of Supreme
Court of Slovakia, Stefan Harabin said in his address to the Assembly
of Armenians of Europe.

AAE President Ashot Grigoryan said once Turkey was holding a extensive
campaign to demolish Armenian Genocide monument erected in the center
of Bratislava, but when Slovakia passed a bill criminalizing the
denial of Armenian genocide, Turkey stopped its demands.

AAE launches an extensive campaign to encourage through its members
EU parliaments to pass a bill criminalizing the denial of Armenian
Genocide.

MAN STEALS ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT FROM ARMENIA’S MEGHRI CITY CANNERY PLANT

News from Armenia – NEWS.am
January 10, 2012 | 17:03

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Police Force received information Monday from the
director of Meghri city’s cannery plant that eight electrical engines,
a hoist control panel, a variety of equipment, copper cords, and other
merchandise-all totaling 800,000 drams (approx. $ 2,075)-were stolen
from the plant’s warehouse between December 29 and January 9.

It was found out that the theft was committed by a 33-year-old Alvank
village resident, who is taken into custody, police press service
informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

An investigation is underway.

A LONGED-FOR GUARANTEE?
Haik Aramyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 23:44:01 – 10/01/2012

Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree to approve the staff of the Committee
of Ethics of High-Ranking Officials. Meeting with the members of the
Committee, Serzh Sargsyan said that their activities will include
analysis and publication of declarations on the property and income
of high-ranking officials, detection of conflicts of interest and
violations of rules of ethics, as well as other functions.

The committee is important, indeed, considering who the high-ranking
officials in Armenia are, at least their 99.99%, the standards and
“merits” that made them such, their behavior, their wealth. They have
immense possessions, misusing their official position, committing
different crimes and unlawfulness, engaging in the sophisticated
schemes of corruption, ranging from misuse of the public budget to
becoming “shareholders” of different companies.

In this situation, the amount of work to be done by the committee
of ethics is huge, if the committee is certainly going to cover the
scope mentioned by Serzh Sargsyan. However, judging by the experience
of other committees and councils, this committee will deal with
laundering their property and legitimizing their behavior.

The Committee of Ethics is brand new and has done nothing yet
and may not do anything at all because after its establishment
the Armenian high-ranking officials may be more cautious to avoid
scandals and showing off. It is not ruled out that by establishing
a similar committee Serzh Sargsyan offers the so-called “longed for”
guarantees, setting his rules and logic of the game. The system lacked
these guarantees in the past few years and without them has become
an amorphous and dangerous threat for the government.

In other words, January 10 is officially an “amnesty day” and the
ground zero to set out again.

RPA DEEMS SHIFT TO PROPORTIONAL VOTING SYSTEM INAPPROPRIATE

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 10, 2012 – 16:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) member commented
on the proposal of opposition forces to shift to proportional voting
system. From legal perspective, Hovhannes Sahakyan ruled out the
possibility of implementing the shift due to the need to introduce
amendments to RA Constitution and Electoral Code.

“From political standpoint, the arguments issued by the opposition are
not weighty enough to justify the shift to the proportional system,”
Mr. Sahakyan stated.

RPA member further noted that majority system enables MPs to raise
issues of direct interest to voters, adding that distant rural
community members don’t familiarize themselves with party programs
preferring to trust the candidates they know in person.

In this context, Sahakyan cited U.S. and France as examples of
developed countries with 100% majority system.

Today, December 27, Heritage and ARF Dashnaksutyun opposition parties
issued a joint statement claiming authorities to drop majority election
system and shift to 100 % proportional voting one.

The parties noted that proportional voting system will ensure
equal competition for the political forces, expanding their public
responsibility, reducing the impact of both political and electoral
factors on election process.

FRENCH GENOCIDE BILL SPARKS RETALIATORY MEASURES IN ANKARA

Today’s Zaman
Jan 10 2012
Turkey

The Ankara City Council has decided to take action within the
municipality against France in retaliation for the French National
Assembly’s approval of a “genocide bill” last month.

The Ankara City Council convened on Monday to consider their reaction
to France in response to a bill which was approved by the French
National Assembly that proposes penalizing those who refuse to
recognize the 1915 killings of Armenians as genocide.

Convened under the chairmanship of City Council Deputy Chairman Ali
Ä°hsan Olmez, the council unanimously decided to take action against
France for its attitude toward Turkey.

The council’s decision read: “The genocide that France carried out in
Algeria is still in our memory, and Paris Caddesi, where the French
Embassy is located, will be renamed Algerian Street. The name of
another street, Dögol [a transliteration of “de Gaulle”], will be
changed to the name of an Algerian hero, and a monument in memory of
the deaths in Algeria will be built close to the French Embassy as sign
of the sympathy and support the people of Ankara have for the Algerian
people, who were the victims of French cruelty in the 20th century.”

The City Council’s decision was sent to the Nomenclature Committee
for approval.

Ankara Mayor Melih Gökcek first mentioned, at a reception on Jan. 4
held in honor of the 92nd anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s
first arrival in Ankara, that the municipality was waiting for the
French Senate to approve the bill before committing to its next steps.

Gökcek said at this reception: “We expect to start building a monument
for the Algerian dead because of the French by the end of February,
but now we are waiting for the French Senate’s decision. We will
monitor the attitude of the French Senate in February and decide
whether we will implement the steps or not.”

If it is approved in the French Senate, the bill will make it illegal
to deny that the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks
was genocide.

FRENCH SENATE TO VOTE ON BILL JAN 23

Hurriyet Daily News

Jan 9 2012-01-10

France is prepared to require all EU countries to penalize the denial
of Armenian genocide allegations by using an EU framework decision on
the Fight against Racism and Xenophobia approved by the EU Justice and
Interior Affairs Council on April 19, 2007, daily Hurriyet reported
yesterday.

The Presidential Board of the French Senate will include the bill
penalizing denial of 1915 incidents as genocide in its agenda today.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy gave instructions to French
bureaucrats and diplomats in Brussels to start a new initiative in
the EU Council and Commission.

If the French Senate approves the bill at the end of this month, then
French bureaucrats will lobby to make Armenian genocide allegations
a part of the EU’s framework decision. According to the EU framework
decision, EU member countries made legal amendments to fight against
racism and penalize the denial of Jewish genocide.

French officials believe if the French Senate approves the bill at the
end of this month, the passage will be “legal ground” for allowing a
regulation in all EU countries. The French lower house approved the
genocide bill December 22 and the Senate is expected to vote on the
bill between Jan. 23 and 31.