Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARAM SARGSYAN: “DO NOT BECOME GADAFFIS!”

09:11 pm | September 09, 2011

Politics

During today’s opposition’s rally in downtown Yerevan,

Leader of the Hanrapetutyun (Republic) Party Aram Sargsyan started
his speech at the opposition’s rally by congratulating great conductor
Ohan Duryan posthumously. Duryan was born on September 2, 1922.

Referring to the slogans [“Armenia is you”] circulated by the
authorities in the recent weeks, Sargsyan said addressing the country’s
leadership, “This is marasmus. Gentlemen, we have different notions
about Armenia. You should love your homeland the way the ten victims
of the March 1 did. I want you to understand that you cannot behave
like Gadaffi. You have burnt all bridges. It is time to sober up.”

Sargsyan congratulated the presentees on the 20th anniversary of
Armenia’s independence, promising to the 21st anniversary together.

After the speech the ralliers stood for a moment of silence, holding
up their fits.

LONG-AWAITED SEPTEMBER: MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR ANC

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 9, 2011 – 09:24 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Yerevan’s Freedom Square will host a regular rally
of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) on September 9, after almost
a month’s pause.

As opposed to previous demonstrations, this one will proceed amid
the deadlocked political dialogue and looming perspective of ANC’s
open confrontation with authorities.

Today’s rally will mark the beginning of a hot political autumn in
Armenia mentioned by all political forces. This event has long been
mused by the ANC supporters who conditioned their silence by waiting
for September. It is supposed to demonstrate the power of the Congress
and force concessions from the authorities.

ANC’s demand in the talks with the ruling coalition was holding
pre-term presidential and parliamentary elections which the authorities
are not likely to agree upon.

According to Stepan Safaryan, Heritage party deputy, the dialogue
largely advertised by the two sides turned into a “national
reading.” People are ironic towards coalition-ANC working group
meetings, with ANC citing their 80-page document to on the necessity
of snap election, followed by authorities’ 130-page document, proving
pre-term elections unnecessary. This is why the incident involving ANC
supporters serves as a favorable excuse to withdraw from the process,
which was only leading to a slump in ANC’s reputation. Interestingly
enough authorities made some concessions at the beginning, releasing
many of the detainees. However, Tigran Arakelyan is kept under custody,
thus formally causing ANC to suspend the dialogue.

Today’s demonstration is supposed to demonstrate ANC ability is able
to gather enough people to make authorities return to negotiations
on ANC’s conditions. The demand for snap elections, leaves no room
for maneuvering and concessions. Unless satisfied, beginning of
ANC’s decline will be marked. They will lose their role as the key
oppositional force in Armenia’s political arena. Which mean, ANC
will have to prepare itself for regular elections, which has long
been named as inevitable by coalition representatives.

BETWEEN TWO STONES
By Nazik Armenakyan

ArmeniaNow
09.09.11 | 16:25

Upon returning to their dreamed-of homeland it was far from the minds
of many Iraqi Armenians that they would encounter so many problems
on arrival. Living as a small, separate community, mainly in Baghdad,
they had decided to return after the US-led invasion of their adopted
country in 2004.

Instead of the open-armed heartfelt welcome they had expected, they
were struck by difficulties in language, relationships with locals and
simply making a living. All utilities and basic food supplies were
free in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and they now needed to pay for gas,
electricity and other bills.

About 16 Iraqi Armenian families live in Darbnik, a village 8km from
the capital Yerevan where the population is 90 percent refugees. The
village has a history of housing displaced people. In Soviet times
it was populated by Azerbaijanis, who then left at the start of
the Armenian-Azeri conflict in the 1980s, leaving their village to
Armenians who under the same circumstances had fled Azerbaijan.

The families have been living in Darbnik’s former agricultural college,
renovated by the UN. There are no churches, drug stores, markets or
normal transportation.

Iraqi Armenians have created a small Baghdad in their apartments,
saving memories with photographs and other items brought from their
former homes in Iraq. They often spend their time watching news or
soaps from their native land on cable TV.

They continue to live in a closed community as they did before,
neither Iraqi nor Armenian, living, as they say in Armenia, “a life
between the stones”. But unlike in their previous lives, there is
now no more idealized motherland to yearn for.

WILL MARGAR OHANYAN REVEAL CORRUPTION SCHEMES?
Naira Hayrumyan

Lragir.am News

16:48:04 – 09/09/2011

Since our independence the Armenians have developed a unique ability
to generate 500% profit without any investments.

In the Soviet times when everything was state-run, the greater part of
the population lived at the expense of the establishment they worked
for. Workers carried away goods produced by the factories they worked
in, builders sold construction materials, drivers used office cars to
earn extra money, officials drove office cars for their personal needs.

After independence and privatization, it seemed that people would stop
stealing public property and would not protect private property too.

20 years have passed, and we still observe the Soviet traditions.

Margar Ohanyan ran three minibus routes on petrol allocated for police
cars, and forced traffic wardens to have their office cars washed in
his carwashes.

Once we were trying to explain to an Iranian Armenian what “writing
off” the costs means. He could not understand that “state-run” meant
ownerless. That the budgets of the ministries are calculated so as
to include the money that goes into the pockets of the leadership,
and privately-run companies that participate in “tenders” include
money for kickbacks in their budgets.

No Armenian official will set up a business without making sure to
raise the initial capital, raw materials, maintenance at the expense
of the Treasury or anyone else. Senior army officers work hectares
of land, using diesel for the tanks, soldiers are “used” as workers,
so their gross and net profits are almost similar. Costs are zero.

investing their own money in their own business is considered
shameful. Others may laugh at them. Don’t you have the brains to make
money at the expense of others? And the Armenians do not go for a
business with a net profit of 100%.

Those who make the state budget know what part of it will be spent on
real work, and what part will go to officials. It will be meaningless
to fight corruption until “costs” on the budgets of ministries and
departments are cut.

It makes no sense to fight monopolies until limitations are imposed
on excessive profit, tax arbitrariness for those who draw 500% profit
and those whose net profit is 20%.

How will Margar Ohanyan behave in court? Will he reveal the corruption
schemes that overwhelm the police and other agencies? In this sense,
it is interesting if the matter will be brought up in court at all.

The fact that Hovhannes Tamamyan hasn’t faced the court makes me think
that they were not arrested in order to give testimonies, they were
isolated rather, otherwise they might have conveyed certain things.

YEREVAN CHIEF ARCHITECT BELIEVES CAMPAIGN AGAINST HIM A SETTLING OF ACCOUNTS

epress.am
09.09.2011

Yerevan’s chief architect, Narek Sarsgyan, believes that the criticism
directed against him is intentional.

“There’s an aspect of clearing personal accounts here. At one time
I proposed Northern Avenue – the Union of Architects was against
it. I suggested to tear down the National Assembly gates and turn
the grounds into a public park – again, the same union opposed it,”
he said, adding that it would be interesting to hear the Union of
Architects’ position. “Not to build [anything] in Yerevan; not to
lay stone upon stone.”

Sargsyan believes the Union is coming out against him this way
because he left the organization – because he believed it doesn’t
have a principled position.

As for the Facebook group created against him, Yerevan’s chief
architect said there is only one youth actively campaigning against
him and the existence of 2,000 people in the group is fake.

“I’m a professional architect, with white gloves, and I have made a
great contribution in building the city of Yerevan. They can say it
as much as they want: Yerevan is not the Yerevan of 10 years ago,”
said Sargsyan.

FRANK PALLONE-JUNIOR SENT A CONGRATULATORY LETTER TO B. SAHAKYAN

Aysor.am
Friday,September 09

American Congressman Frank Pallone-Junior sent a congratulatory letter
to the President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic on the occasion of
the 20th anniversary of the NKR proclamation.

“Dear President Sahakyan, I am writing to congratulate the people of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh and you on the Anniversary of
Independence. This 20th anniversary symbolizes yet another important
milestone in your struggle for freedom. On September 2, 1991 the
people of Artsakh declared their intention to build a free and
democratic state, and they have been steadfast in this mission. You
have successfully defended your country against military aggression.

Many of Artsakh’s brave sons and daughters sacrificed their lives to
ensure the triumph of liberty in your Homeland. The unwavering faith
in your righteous cause and your commendable perseverance led you to
many more victories in restoring your war-torn economy, strengthening
your democracy and creating a firm basis for a continued development
and prosperity”, reads the letter.

In his letter, the Congressman emphasizes that “for the past 20 years,
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh has proven its vitality,
its strong commitment to the universal values of freedom, peace
and democracy”.

“I deeply appreciate your constructive approach and ongoing
contribution to peace and stability in the region and assure you of
our steadfast commitment to Artsakh’s security and development. I
have been proud to stand with you along your heroic path to liberty
and to aid you in your efforts to achieve formal, international
recognition of your independence. I look forward to the day when
the flag of an independent Artsakh would proudly fly all over the
world as a testament to the realization of your democratic dream”,
noted Frank Pallone-Junior in his letter.

FACEBOOK USERS AGAINST CONSTRUCTION OF HPP ON TRCHKAN WATERFALL

arminfo
Friday, September 9, 16:28

Facebook Armenian users are concerned over another environmental
problem. This time, users alarm that construction of a hydro-power
plant on the waterfall threatens with Chichkhan river diversion. The
construction will endanger both the waterfall and ecosystem.

Environmentalists held an action of protest in front of the government
Thursday demanding the construction to be stopped.

Facebook users created a group ‘Let’s Save Trchkan Waterfall’,
which comprises already 3750 people, including journalists and
environmentalists, and come out against the plans of the private
construction company. It is not the first effort of Facebook users
to achieve settlement of environmental programs. Previously, users
came out against open pit mining of Shahumyan deposit, exploitation
of Hrazndan metal mine. Another group “We are the owners of our city”
was created to protect the Student Park. The group has grown into a
solid initiative group monitoring destruction of green areas under
illegal construction.

PAN-ARMENIAN EXHIBITION OF FINE ART TO BE CONDUCTED

ARMENPRESS
September 9, 2011
YEREVAN

Pan-Armenian exhibition of fine art will open September 15 in the
showing hall of the Armenian Artists’ Union. The exhibition dedicated
to the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence is being organized
by the Diaspora Ministry in collaboration with the Armenian Artists’
Union.

Press office of the ministry reported that works of Armenian artists
of Syria, the USA, Canada, Georgia, Estonia, Italy, Belgium, Iraq,
Ukraine and Australia will be presented.

THE GUARDIAN ABOUT ARMENIA BORN JAZZ PIANIST

Tert.am
09.09.11

The Guardian has devoted an article to Tigran Hamasyan, an Armenia
born jazz pianist who, despite his young age,, is already a winner
of several big international prizes.

The British publication has compared the 25-year old musician with
the American singer and song-writer and poet Bob Dylan.

“Listening to his account of Someday My Prince Will Come on this
mostly solo set ~V a mix of Chick Corea’s gliding touch and his own
darker melodic atmosphere ~V it isn’t hard to tell why Hamasyan
floored the judges. That’s the only jazz standard on this set,
however, the rest being folk originals or pieces influenced by his
Armenian childhood. Fans of Avishai Cohen will warm to this newcomer’s
song-rooted melodic sense: he likes embroidering gentle folk melodies
with dazzling instrumental variations and lilting singing. The songs
unfold over rolling ostinato patterns or climax in chord clamours,
and some are wistful and mystical,” says the article.

Tigran Hamasyan was born in 1987 in Gyumri. The First International
Jazz festival of Yerevan (held in 1998) marked an important stage in
his creative life. His participation estimated as a real discovery
in jazz community, then he received a lot of invitations to play on
concerts and sessions. The Second Yerevan Jazz Festival held in 2000
was more fruitful for young musician. He was acquainted with jazz
stars Chick Korea, Avishai Cohen, Jeff Ballard, Ari Roland. There
he met Stephane Kochoyan who played pivotal role in presenting and
promoting Tigran to European jazz community. In 2001 he invited
Tigran to take part in several festivals in France, where he played
with Philip and Christophe Le Van.

NO ‘POMEGRANATE REVOLUTION’ IN ARMENIA, BELIEVED US AMBASSADOR

epress.am
09.09.2011

“One year after an opposition rally was forcibly broken up Armenia
is decidedly not on the verge of a ‘Pomegranate Revolution’,” wrote
then US Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans in a Apr. 13,
2005 unclassified cable recently published by whistle-blowing site
WikiLeaks, Evans, incidentally, will be one of the speakers at the
upcoming TEDxYerevan’11 event.

“With a fractured opposition, lack of a clear opposition leader,
a steadily improving economy and a government with few fault lines
we do not anticipate a change of power in Armenia before the next
scheduled elections in 2007 and 2008,” he opined.

The cable includes comments by former president Robert Kocharian on the
unlikely prospects for revolution in Armenia – “regardless of what its
color is.” Speaking to students Apr.11, Kocharian said there has been
no revolution “not because of the fact that our opposition is too bad,
but because the situation in Armenia is better, and state authorities
are more effective” than in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.

In the cable Evans mentions a roundtable on the topic of revolutions
in which organizers also agreed that a revolution in Armenia was
unlikely. The US diplomat also includes opinions by opposition members:

“Stepan Demirchian, one of the leaders of the opposition Justice Bloc
and wanna-be opposition leader, admitted privately to us that unless
the government slips up and hands its opponents an opportunity the
opposition would have to wait until elections. Demirchian hoped that
if the GOAM [Government of Armenia] managed to come to agreement on
proposed changes to the Constitution or electoral code, the opposition
could turn the subsequent referendum into a plebiscite on President
Kocharian’s ‘legitimacy”.”

The US diplomat concludes with the embassy’s view which is that
“despite persistent discussion of a possible ‘Pomegranate Revolution’
we simply see little chance of forced regime change in Armenia.”