Author: Kalantarian Kevo

RAFFI THWARTED PROSPECT OF NON-ANTI-RUSSIAN AGENDA

On April 9, Raffi Hovannisian announced about his imminent visit to
Moscow to bring the victory of the Armenian people back from Putin.

This statement, like many others, was perceived as a pathetic phrase.

Hence, the visit itself was unexpected. Hovannisian didn’t explain the
purpose of his visit to Moscow. His team members are not aware of the
protocol and the meetings he is going to have. Hence we can only guess.

Heritage representative Styopa Safaryan stated that Armenia’s
independence should be returned from those places, which tried to
recognize the seized freedom. Such a statement by an oppositional
force which pretends to become power is nothing but refusal of its
political responsibility. Naturally, the Russian influence on Armenian
politics has always been significant but when the oppositional force
which received half a million votes makes such a statement, it just
shows infantilism towards its resources. However, leaving alone the
infantilism of this approach, again issues occur even in the context
of Raffi Hovannisian’s statement to bring back the victory of the
Armenian people. Raffi would hardly have enough power to be able to
bring something back from Moscow, moreover victory. It is possible
to receive something but never to demand.

Of course, with opposition moods on the square, against the
background of growing anti-Russian moods in Armenia, it is very
nice and fashionable to make such a statement. From another aspect,
anti-Russianness is what the Armenian political field lacks and in
this sense Raffi has a big chance if he uses his Western style. Raffi
Hovannisian knows that he cannot put forth such a claim to Vladimir
Putin. Not because Putin is powerful and inspires fear but because
such statements are not political. But if a meeting to discuss the
aforementioned issue is anyway held then it is necessary to say that
once again the opposition, having much resource, is trying to shift
the responsibility. We have already witnessed one incorrect episode
with the West when Raffi Hovannisian accused the European People’s
Party and received a tough response.

Ultimatums inside the country are expected but it is dangerous to
speak the language of ultimatums at the international level. It is
incorrect to state that someone has seized Armenia’s independence and
it is necessary to go and take it back in case you say to be elected,
and pretend to an electorate of half a million people. Instead, one
could search for and understand why great powers and not only Russia
prefer friendly relations with the authorities.

The opinion that the world needs a weak Armenia is wrong. Armenia is
still a stable partner in the region with predictable developments. It
would be right to speak a comprehensible language for all in terms
of foreign political issues. I mean Raffi Hovannisian’s foreign
political statements before and after elections. Raffi’s approaches
to the Karabakh issue, the genocide, relations with the neighbors
were margins of global processes. This is the reason why the outside
world didn’t understand Raffi Hovannisian the idealist.

Russia has a rich experience of work with the Armenian authorities.

Pressure on the government was different in different situations.

Often pressure was made by way of indirect cooperation with the
opposition. Moscow has been the best place for the opposition
leaders in the recent years. But these figures had no pretensions
or possibilities to introduce a new political culture. In general,
besides small episodes, the Armenian political field has never deviated
from the non anti-Russian course.

Raffi’s campaign was said to be Western culture. He may have
used some instruments but generally he thwarted the prospect of a
non-anti-Russian agenda. The same was needed by the authorities which
are under Moscow’s direct pressure. The same is needed by Armenia
to have a diverse political field. What the authorities couldn’t do,
Raffi could because he is the first “non-anti-Russian” oppositional
leader with a significant electorate. The fact is that Raffi, having
failed in Yerevan, didn’t leave for Brussels or Washington.

Levon Margaryan 11:13 12/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

HH THE EMIR CONGRATULATES ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Peninsula On-line, Qatar
April 11 2013

DOHA: HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has sent a
cable of congratulations to President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan on the occasion of his election as president of his
country for a second term.

HH the Deputy Emir congratulates Armenian President

HH the Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ,
has sent a cable of congratulations to President of the Republic of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on the occasion of his election as president
of his country for a second term.

HE the Premier congratulates Armenian President

HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim
bin Jabor Al Thani, has sent a cable of congratulations to President
of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on the occasion of his
election as president of his country for a second term. (QNA)

ARMENIAN ARTIST’S LOVE FOR HIS ADOPTED COUNTRY FLOWS THROUGH EXHIBITION

Herald Sun, Australia
April 13 2013

Troels Sommerville, Moorabbin Leader

ARTIST Hovik Israelian has spent years trying to capture the natural
beauty of Australia on canvass.

.

When he came out from Armenia 21 years ago he had no intentions to
stay, but immediately fell in love with the country.

In his latest exhibition, Beauty in Nature, he has tried to capture
those vistas that encouraged him to stay in the land that stole
his heart.

“I’m just trying to capture the Australian beauty that’s all around
– the light and the surroundings – and to put that on canvass,”
Mr Israelian said.

Most of his work is done with oil paints, which he said allows him
to continue tinkering with them until he gets them just right.

“Some paintings I do in four hours – big canvas and I’m finished.

“But I’m still working on others that I had done years earlier because
now when I look at them I have so much more to say.”

One of his paintings, a family portrait, has been in the works for
five years, but he still hasn’t quite captured the essence he wants.

“You think you’ve finished, but you know it needs something, you’re
looking for the master touch.

“The master touch is what brings the life out.”

One of the works on display is an oil on canvas painting from 2010,
Chelsea Lifesaving Club.

The exhibition opens at Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbinon Saturday,
April 20.

JUDGE RULES AGAINST TURKISH BANKS

Glendale News Press, CA
April 12 2013

Those that seized land during Armenian Genocide can be sued in U.S.

By Daniel Siegal, [email protected] April 12, 2013 | 4:26 p.m.

A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that the federal court system
has jurisdiction to hold Turkish banks accountable for seizing land
from Armenians during the Armenian Genocide.

This ruling was attached to judge Dolly M. Gee’s dismissal of a lawsuit
brought against the Central Bank of Turkey and T.C. Ziraat Bankasi,
which is a Turkish agricultural bank, as well as the Republic of
Turkey seeking roughly $65 million in damages.

Rajika Shah, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs, said that
despite the dismissal, the judge’s ruling handed down late last month
was important because it established that if a government takes its
own citizens’ property during human-rights violations, it isn’t immune
from being sued in the U.S. courts.

The lawsuit was filed in the fall of 2010 by three descendants of
Armenian Genocide victims seeking compensation for land they claim
was illegally seized when Ottoman Turks drove Armenians from the
Adana region of southern Turkey during the 1915-1923 genocide.

Shah said the plaintiffs will likely file an appeal with the U.S. 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals by April 25.

Gee dismissed the case under the “political question” doctrine,
which is applied when a matter should be handled by the executive or
legislative branch of the government, not the courts.

Vartkes Yeghiayan, of Yeghiayan & Associates in Glendale, represented
the plaintiffs and has previously pursued multiple lawsuits seeking
compensation for Armenian Genocide victims.

Yeghiayan was on a legal team that in 2005 brought a lawsuit that
resulted in a $17.5-million compensation fund, set up to pay claims
that two insurance companies failed to compensate descendants of
Armenian Genocide victims who bought policies.

The law firm of Schwarcz, Rimberg, Boyd, and Rader also represented the
three plaintiffs – Alex Bakalian of Washington D.C., Anais Haroutunian
of Pasadena and Rita Mahdessian of La Crescenta.

Mahdessian, who is Yeghiayan’s wife, is a lawyer with Yeghiayan &
Associates.

Lucy Varpetian, senior assistant city atty. for Glendale, said that
these types of lawsuits matter not only to the plaintiffs, but for the
Armenian community as a whole when they can hold Turkish institutions
accountable.

“It’s an important issue because, with the genocide commemorations
coming up, I think these issues continue to haunt the community and
at least they’re finding some degree of peace,” Varpetian said.

,0,6374672.story

CZECH REPUBLIC HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH ARMENIA – CZECH FM

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
April 11 2013

Armenia’s Acting Foreign Minister, Edward Nalbandian, on Thursday
met with Czech First Deputy PM, FM Karel Schwarzenberg, who is in
Yerevan on an official visit.

Nalbandian noted that relations between Armenia and the Czech Republic
have entered a qualitatively new phase in the recent years, reports
News.am

“We also succeeded in expanding the legal and contractual framework,”
he added.

In his turn, the Czech FM noted that progress in the aforesaid
relations is quite obvious, and stressed that the time has come
to focus on deepening economic cooperation. In this regard, they
emphasised the presence of Czech businessmen in the delegation led by
Schwarzenberg, and the holding of the Armenian-Czech business forum
in Yerevan.

The interlocutors discussed the joints steps to be undertaken to
deepen interaction, and highlighted the need to expand the legal and
contractual framework in the economic sector and to promote cultural
exchange.

They also reflected on the Armenia-EU cooperation, and the progress
Armenia has achieved along the lines of the EU Eastern Partnership.

In addition, Nalbandian briefed his Czech counterpart on the latest
developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, and presented
details on the efforts by Armenia and the international community
toward settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In this context, the
Czech FM reaffirmed his country’s assistance to the measures being
taken to pacifically settle this matter.

ARMEN MARTIROSYAN: POLICE EXECUTE AUTHORITIES’ ORDERS

A1Plus.am
07:52 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Heritage party member Armen Martirosyan does not blame the police for
the April 9 incident in which he suffered a bleeding nose and injuries.

He says that the police are enslaved by the authorities and are
executing their orders.

“The government does not give money to the police to buy meat and
eat in order to gather strength and break my nose at least after
the fourth blow,” Armen Martirosyan said during today’s rally led by
opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian.

Vice Chairman of the Heritage party says we witnessed an unprecedented
phenomenon on April 9: Raffi Hovannisian did not hide behind the
walls but he continued to struggle together with his family members.

“I am glad that we have a leader like Raffi Hovannisian,” said
Martirosyan.

HOVANNISIAN: SHAME ON THOSE WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES POLITICAL “VOZHDS”

Friday,
April 12

The rally of Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian started in
Liberty Square of Yerevan this evening. It was raining.

He began his speech by saying: “Hello, Armenia. We will keep the vow
taken on April 9”.

Hovannisian said that he does not recognize the “pseudo-inauguration
and the pseudo-authorities”. “The pseudo-authorities will resign and
so will the pseudo-opposition,” he stated.

He spoke about the April 9 events-related comments that Armenian
National Congress and ARFD have recently made.

“Shame on those who were not present on April 9 and secretly spoke
about the people’s failure in their party offices. Shame on those who
took advantage of my absence for an hour and decided on April 9 to
declare themselves “vozhds” (leaders). Where were you – Tadevosian
and Rustamian? A group of people want bloodshed… I will not allow
bloodshed,” Raffi Hovannisian declared.

According to him, among the participants of the April 9 procession
were people in civilian clothes who tried to incite a civil war.

“I promise you that I will not allow bloodshed. Representatives of
“Hello Yerevan” bloc of parties stand next to me. The next Mayor of
Yerevan Armen Martirosian is here. I demand that Vladimir Gasparian
punish policemen who assaulted Armen Martirosian. Our struggle goes
on and the people will win. We will be visiting again regions –
the triumphant Syunik, Gyumri and Vanadzor,” Hovannisian said.

TODAY, 19:32

Aysor.am

GLENDALE ELECTION RESULTS UNCHANGED AFTER FINAL VOTE TALLY

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

Glendale Votes

GLENDALE-The Glendale City Clerk’s office completed the count of the
remaining 3,500 vote by mail and provisional ballots and announced
the final tally of the 2013 Glendale Municipal elections Thursday
afternoon.

Armenian National Committee of America-Glendale Chapters roster of
candidates were elected with the exception of two.

In the City Council race where three seats were up for grabs,
ANCA-endorsed candidate Ara Najarian was re-elected with 10,165 votes,
Laura Friedman received 8,088 voted and ANCA-endorsed candidate
Zareh Sinanyan won with 7,379 votes. ANCA-endorsed candidate Chahe
Keuroghelian came in fourth place with 7,023 votes.

Incumbent City Clerk and ANCA-endorsed candidate Ardashes Kassakhian
handily won with 12,319 votes. ANCA-endorsed candidate for City
Treasurer Rafi Manoukian, who ran unopposed garnered 14,560 votes.

In the race for the Glendale Unified School District Board where
three seats were being contested, ANCA-endorsed candidates Greg
Krikorian and Dr. Armina Gharapetian won with 12,850 and 9,195 votes
respectively. Christine Walters was the second largest vote getter in
this race with 9,504 votes. ANCA-endorsed candidate Jennifer Freemon
was in fourth place with 8,892 votes.

The Glendale city ballot measures A, B, and C were defeated with
13,812, 8,954 and 9,933 votes respectively.

BAREVOLUTION AT A CROSSROADS: THOUGHTS ON THE ALTERCATIONS OF APRIL 9
By Christian Garbis

Posted on April 11, 2013

When Raffi Hovanissian addressed the crowd of approximately 10,000
at Freedom Square just after noontime on April 9, he repeated the
same rhetoric he had been stating for months-power to the people,
the nation belongs to the people, the people will be victorious,
the corrupt, dishonest leaders of Armenia will answer to the people
in Freedom Square and so forth. Essentially nothing new was said. The
oath he gave with the people, constitutions in hand, was inspirational,
even charming. But he let the crowd down when he sent them off to lunch
at 1:30p.m. There would be no march en masse as anticipated by many
to the Presidential Palace in a magnificent show of defiance against
what the people, what this movement, saw as a corrupt, kleptocratic,
illegitimate regime.

That march wouldn’t take place until the second rally of the day
held at 6p.m. adjourned, but by then the crowd had dwindled to only
a few thousand. It was the jeers in the crowd that coaxed Raffi into
agreeing to stride past the Palace while making yet another pilgrimage
to Tsitsernakaberd to say one more prayer. I heard firsthand people’s
frustrations, and they demanded that he take immediate action by
chanting “Now! Now!”, just as they had done earlier that afternoon. As
if to say, “you want it, you got it,” he suddenly announced that
they would move forward, only to be met by a wall of police in full
riot gear standing across the width of Baghramyan Avenue, at its
intersection with Tamanyan Street. Naturally a melee ensued, panic,
shoving, beating. And video recording-there were dozens of cameras and
cell phones thrust overhead in the crowd. His confidant and the top
Barev candidate for mayor of Yerevan Armen Martirosyan was detained
after a brutal struggle with the police at the line of contact, which
was captured on video. Even after watching it three times I couldn’t
determine whether the police provoked him to throw punches and kick,
or if they simply lost patience with his resistance.

I was in the crowd, taking photos and capturing video footage of my
own, which I promptly posted on my blog as well as Facebook shortly
after I returned home. Although I admired Raffi’s courage and that of
everyone in the crowd, as I was dozing off late at night I began to
have doubts as to whether the confrontation was worth it. For weeks
I have believed that a catalyst was necessary in order to activate
the dormant masses and thus take the movement to the next level,
another step forward in the tireless, snail-paced efforts to replace
the authorities. His near month-long hunger strike proved fruitless,
and so did yesterday’s symbolic pledge of allegiance to the nation
and constitution. Raffi could not continue stalling forever, everyone
knew this. But his unexpected change of plans last night in response
to a stream of goading catcalls demonstrated a lack of tactfulness,
even disorganization.

The entire spectrum of the opposition seemed silent today. The
student movement held its own protest separate from the Barevolution
block late in the afternoon near the National Assembly building,
which resulted in detentions and absurd shouting and shoving
matches with pro-government goons and the police-or as a friend
often jests, the authorities’ hired security service-cleverly
captured on video and distributed via Facebook and YouTube
[],
only to be followed by inactivity today.

The police near Bagramyan on April 9 (Photo by Serouj Aprahamian) Fact
is, the numbers of people needed for a peaceful transition of power,
similar to what transpired in Georgia during the Rose Revolution of
2003, are not there. It is clearly obvious that the vast majority of
citizens are still drowning in a fatalistic whirlpool, convinced that
nothing will change whether or not they are actually present at these
rallies. Perhaps realizing this all too well, Raffi decided not to
lead the crowds up Bagramyan Street in the afternoon.

Or maybe it was never on the agenda to begin with. But the seed of
confusion took root in me when I saw Jirayr Sefilian and other members
of the Sardarabad Movement gasp in disbelief when learning the rally
had broken up shortly before arriving on the scene. It was then when
I realized that Raffi is really not communicating his intent to the
leaders of the groups supporting him. If I am indeed right about that,
then it’s a catastrophe in the making.

This all leaves me and thousands of others in a tipsy state of
bewilderment. I simply cannot understand the logic of events that
transpired on the ninth, and virtually everyone I’ve spoken to confirms
the same. The moment to take to the streets should have been when
the crowd was 10,000 strong, although I understood full well that
number had to be ten times greater for a show of strength to have
been effective. And the evening standoff proved pointless-when I
revisited the site of the clash earlier tonight it was business as
usual, as if nothing had ever happened. I don’t really know what to
make of all these days off in between protest initiatives, it only
adds to the confusion and peculiarity of the disjointed opposition
groups. A concrete plan of action is being anticipated on April 12.

But before then, Raffi would be wise to invite seasoned politicians and
intelligent, reasonable thinkers like Armen Rustamyan, Nikol Pashinian,
Sefilian, Andreas Ghukasyan and Karapet Rubinyan to his headquarters
on Thursday and hammer out a concrete strategy on how the movement
should transform, or rather gain focus. Reconciliation with the Free
Democrats is long overdue, as the tried-and-true mobilization skills
of Alexander Arzoumanian are inexcusably being squandered. At this
point, he needs all the help he can get. Although he may not realize
it, Raffi’s pride is blinding his vision and stifling his expression
of intent, which will lead to his downfall unless he learns how to
listen and compromise, right now.

Raffi has less than 48 hours until the next scheduled rally to save
face and regain people’s confidence, or else risk becoming irrelevant.

And this movement cannot afford that, not after all the progress it
has made thus far.

OUTSIDE WORLD CANNOT CLOSE EYES ON DUAL POWER ESTABLISHED IN ARMENIA

15:20 ~U 11.04.13

April 9 developments in Yerevan showed that there is a separated
reality in Armenia, self-proclaimed and legal authorities which
the outside world should reckon with, Heritage party’s political
secretary Styopa Safaryan told Tert.am, commenting on the Moscow
visit of Heritage party leader Raffi Hovannisian.

He said the inaugurations of Serzh Sargsyan and Heritage party leader
showed who backs who.

“The countries of the world who sent their representatives to
attend the inauguration ceremony of the self-proclaimed authorities
witnessed that there are two Armenias. In one of them ex presidential
candidate is being crowned accompanied with the police and the other
where citizens took an oath with the elected president to take power
together,” he said.

Safaryan said Raffi Hovannisian’s foreign visits prove that the
outside world cannot ignore the situation created in Armenia when
there are two powers – self-proclaimed and legally formed.

“And naturally there is nothing strange in it. The explanation is
very simple and there is a new reality in Armenia about which we were
speaking before April 9. The regime preferred to follow its path, the
people have chosen to move forward with Raffi Hovannisian,” he said.

Safaryan said the foreign environment will reckon with the separated
situation and added that Raffi Hovannisian did everything to avoid it.

Styopa Safaryan said he cannot say whether Hovannisian received
invitation from Russia’s presidential residence or other political
circles.

On April 9 Raffi Hovannisian stated that he would visit Moscow to
meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Safaryan also said that the visit will last for a day as on April 12
he has scheduled a rally in the Liberty Square.

Armenian News – Tert.am