Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Armenian President: Edward Mirzoyan’s music was the best what the
creative spirit of the Armenian people has ever produced

ARMINFO
Saturday, October 6, 16:30

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has sent a letter of condolences
to the family of composer Edward Mirzoyan, who died on Oct 5 at the
age of 91.

The President expresses regret at the death of the great Armenian
composer. “His wonderful music taught people to be optimistic and
kind. It was the best what the creative spirit of the Armenian people
has ever produced. It reflects the beauty of Armenia and the nobleness
of an Armenian. We will always remember him as a great composer,
outstanding public figure and merited teacher,” Sargsyan says in his
letter.

Mirzoyan was born in Gori, Georgia, in 1921. Initially schooled in
music in Yerevan and graduated from the Komitas State Conservatory,
Mirzoyan went on to Moscow to further refine his art. In late 1956 he
was elected president of the Armenian Composers’ Union, a position he
held until 1991. He is currently a professor of composition at the
Komitas State Conservatory, and president of the Peace Foundation of
Armenia. Mirzoyan’s compositional output is relatively small but quite
distinguished, combining graceful lyricism with intense drama. With
its formal structure and tonal design, his style has been
described as Neoclassical, with elements of Armenian folksong always
present. Mirzoyan’s String Quartet, Cello Sonata, Symphony for
Strings and Timpani, and Epitaph for String Orchestra have become
notable additions to the international music repertoire.

Political expert: Georgia’s new policy towards Abkhazia and South
Ossetia more likely to be based on the formula: problem remains,
relations develop

arminfo
Friday, October 5, 17:21

“Georgia’s new policy towards Abkhazia and South Ossetia is more
likely to be based on the formula: problem remains, relations
develop”, Aghavni Karakhanyan, Director of the Civil Society and
Regional Development Institute, told ArmInfo when commenting on the
perspectives of mutually advantageous settlement of conflicts with
change of power in Georgia.

“Tough and non-constructive policy of Saakhashvili towards South
Ossetia and Abkhazia has finally brought them out of Georgia’s
control. As regards possible change in the given policy, one can judge
only by the electoral rhetoric of the Georgian leaders for lack of any
political program of the opposition bloc. The rhetoric does not even
hint that Georgia may ‘yield’ Abkhazia and South Ossetia and stop
considering them as part of its territory. Now, when the opposition
came to power, it will hardly change its stance,” Karakhanyan said.

For lack of a strict nationalist rhetoric the opposition bloc will
easily collapse within a short period of time, she said, which does
not mean that the opposition leaders have no feeling or understanding
of the national values and interests. Consequently, the most
reasonable policy towards Abkhazia and South Ossetia is based on the
formula: problem remains, relations develop, she said.

Karakhanyan is sure that to settle these conflicts, power and
political will are not enough. Such serious issues are not settled at
once. It is necessary to study the position of the opposite party,
Karakhanyan said. She believes that for Abkhazia Saakashvili is more
preferable for he will hardly made any arrangement with Moscow.

According to results of processing data from 98,81% of polling
stations, the election bloc of Bidzina Ivanishvili-Georgian Dream got
at the parliamentary elections through the proportional system 54,94%
of electors’ votes, CEC of Georgia reports. The party United National
Movement got 40,33% of votes. 2,04% of electors voted for the bloc
Giorgi Targamadze- Christian-Democratic Union, 1,24 – for the Labor
Party, 0,43% for New Rights. By the present time data from 3 652
polling stations (+69 special polling stations) out of 3 766 have been
processed. 150 MPs will be elected according to results of the
parliamentary elections in Georgia, 77 will be elected according to
the proportional system (party lists) and 73 – according to the
single-mandate system. 2 election blocs and 14 parties participated in
the parliamentary elections. Political parties that have overcome 5%
threshold will get seats in Parliament Voter turnout totaled 61%.

Provision on normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations without
preconditions is removed from Armenia’s budgetary message – newspaper

NEWS.AM
October 05, 2012 | 07:46

YEREVAN. – Great majority of the budgetary message of Armenia’s 2013
State Budget draft is copied and pasted from the 2012 budgetary
message which likewise is copied and pasted from the 2011 message,
etc. Nonetheless, there are some changes, Haykakan Zhamanak daily
reports.

`One such change is in the `foreign policy’ section. In the 2012
budgetary message, the following point is noted as a priority of
Armenia’s foreign policy: `The normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations without preconditions.’ [But] This provision is absent from
the message of the 2013 State Budget draft.

Our reporter asked Deputy FM Shavarsh Kocharyan why it was removed,
and Kocharyan stated: `What do you mean it’s removed? [But]
Irrespective of this, the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
without preconditions is a priority of our foreign policy.’

So, if it is a priority, why was it removed? Who removed it? And why
is the Deputy FM not aware of this?’, Haykakan Zhamanak writes.

6 Schoolchildren, 7 Families, and a Vanishing Village Grisha Balasanyan*

17:12, October 5, 2012

Today nearly nothing remains from the once-prosperous village of Geghakar,
one of the most neglected in the province of Gegharkunik. Situated in the
mountain slopes, it is cut off from the outside world for 2-3 months,
particularly during the winter season, as the road is closed from the
snowstorms.

The village is more of a mountain than a village: in the summer, people
come to Geghakar with their livestock, while in the late autumn, shutting
their doors, they return to other villages. Geghakar’s former residents,
not being able to withstand the conditions of the village today, have been
forced to settle in other villages. During the winter months, only 7
families live in the village.

In Geghakar, people mainly work in animal husbandry. Farming isn’t
developed because the village has a lack of irrigation water, which comes
from the village of Akhpradzor, the residents of which don’t allow their
water to reach Geghakar residents. The villagers say the lack of irrigation
water forces people to move to other villages.

There’s also the problem of drinking water. Many of the villagers don’t
have water in their backyard. Often, water is cut off for weeks, and people
bring drinking water from neighboring villages by taxi or tractor.

“In our village there are only two young families that are growing; the
rest have left, gone; only the older folks have remained. This was a normal
village. I’ve been living here for 22 years; they destroyed, demolished;
there were 80 families here – now only 7 families remain. We too want to
move to the villages below because it’s not possible to live here. We have
acquaintances in the villages below; we’ll stay in their empty house until
we see what will happen=85 we’ll send our grandchildren to the school there
too,” says Mrs. Marieta.

Principal of Geghakar’s main school Taguhi Atayan says that the situation
of the village is bad. The school only has 6 children, while this year
there weren’t any 1st, 4th and 7th grade classes.

“It can be said that in this village we survive not live. At first,
[Armenian] refugees from Azerbaijan were living here, but they didn’t stay
long; they had no means to live, so they left. During the year, the roads
to the village are closed for 2-3 months. Using tractors and horses, we
took those who were ill to medical clinics in neighboring villages; there
were cases were women gave birth at home. The only car in the village is
ours; there isn’t even a bus. A few years ago, there was a bus working once
a week – now there isn’t even that,” says the school principal.

Note, the school operates out of a building that was previously a shop,
which the school doesn’t even own. According to Atayan, the building
belongs to the district committee and the school is required to pay for its
use.

Atayan says it’s quite possible that the village school will also shut down
since there are no students. It’s likely that there won’t be a 1st grade
class in the coming year either since that child’s family is also preparing
to leave the village.

“If the school shuts down, the teachers will leave too, while the
neighboring village is 7 km away and the roads are shut in the winter=85 I
don’t know what will happen,” Atayan said.

According to the principal, the teachers receive their salary on account of
the school’s maintenance costs, since the school is funded based on the
number of students and with that amount it’s possible to pay only half a
month’s salary (per month).

Furthermore, wolves, sensing that the village is forgotten, attack often.
According to Atayan, last year, wolves attacked and killed 120 sheep, and
the government provided no compensation to the villagers, who were
subsequently reimbursed by the herdsman.

“In short, this village is going extinct,” concluded Atayan.

Vartan Oskanian was issued a summons

news.am
October 06, 2012 | 13:52

YEREVAN.- Former Armenian FM, Prosperous Armenia MP Vartan Oskanian
was issued a summons, spokesperson for Prosecutor General Sona Truzyan
told Armenian News-NEWS.am. He is summoned for interrogation on
October 8. She did not rule out that the charges may be brought
against Oskanian on the same day.

The National Assembly on Tuesday voted – by 64 ballots for, six against,
and with one invalid vote – in favor of Prosecutor General’s petition to
include Vartan Oskanian as a defendant in a criminal lawsuit. A total
of 71 MPs participated in the voting.

To note, on May 25 the National Security Service (NSS) Department of
Investigation filed a criminal lawsuit on charges of money laundering
with respect to The Civilitas Foundation.

The NSS Press Center had informed that an investigation is underway in
connection with selling the 100-percent shares of the Huntsman
Building Products Company for around $2 million, but not informing
Armenia’s tax authorities about this business deal; not using for
charitable purposes $1,135,000 of that amount envisioned for charity;
transferring this amount to the bank accounts opened under the names
of the Civilitas Foundation’s founder Vartan Oskanian, and of the
Foundation’s Board of Trustees member Tigran Karapetyan; and using
some of this amount for private purposes.

In addition, as per the NSS Press Center, The Civilitas Foundation had
not presented a report on the $2 million allocated for charitable
purposes. In his turn, Vartan Oskanian considers the charges to be
politically motivated.

The Civilitas Foundation was founded in 2008 by Vartan Oskanian. After
joining Prosperous Armenia Party ahead of the May 6 parliamentary
elections, however, Oskanian gave up his post as the Foundation
Chairman.

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 5 2012

Bulgarian Ex-President: Attempts to Resolve Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
by Force Will Reignite it

Friday, 5 October 2012

An attempt to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict by military means will reignite it, Bulgarian ex-President
Zhelyu Zhelev told media in Baku today.

“I hope that the conflict will be resolved soon,” he said.
“Negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group must continue. It is
necessary to use the experience of other countries.”

He said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been on the
international agenda for a long time.

“When I was the president, I negotiated with Azerbaijanis and
Armenians and tried to convince them that the conflict can be resolved
only peacefully, through negotiations.

“It is impossible to resolve the issue by using guns and violence,” he said.

“Even if it is resolved for some period, later it will break out with
the same arguments and emotions. I do not know how soon it will be
resolved, but the OSCE Minsk Group is necessary. It is essential to
use the experience of other countries having similar conflicts.”

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. – are
currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

Friday, 5 October 2012

EurasiaNet.org, NY
Oct 5 2012

Azerbaijan: Ramil Safarov and the Making of an Anti-Hero

October 5, 2012 – 1:32pm, by Shahin Abbasov

When Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned then-Lt. Ramil
Safarov last summer for his 2004 slaying of an Armenian junior
officer, Baku was initially defiant in the face of international
criticism. But defiance has given way to reticence in recent weeks.

Since Safarov’s pardon, the debates within Azerbaijan about whether or
not `we did everything correctly’ have not died down. And Safarov,
once the official toast of Azerbaijan, has turned into an anti-hero
virtually overnight.

Once fêted with flowers, given a promotion and a new Baku apartment,
Safarov now seems like a wayward relative, tolerated for the sake of
family honor, but no longer praised among friends and neighbors.
Officials no longer tout his patriotism, and he has become a
non-person in the eyes of pro-government media.

Maj. Safarov himself does not grant interviews, or make public
appearances. His expected job at a Ministry of Defense training center
in Baku is not known to have begun; perhaps because of concerns about
Armenian revenge attacks.

The government has not commented on its sudden cold-shouldering of
Safarov, but Baku-based political analyst Elhan Shahinoglu believes
that international and domestic criticism of Azerbaijan’s handling of
the matter prompted the government to change course. `Of course,
Safarov will not be returned to prison, or sent back to Hungary, but
he will not be presented as a national hero anymore,’ Shahinoglu said.

That stance could be seen in the circumspect media coverage of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s October 5 session,
an event at which Azerbaijan’s pardon of Safarov came up for
discussion.

In the days after the pardon, Aliyev bristled at outside criticism.
The Azerbaijani president took particular issue with criticism from
the Council of Europe’s Norwegian secretary general, Thorbjørn
Jagland, asking if it was `admissible’ for Norway to have sentenced
Anders Behring Breivik to only 21 years in prison for the murder of 81
people in 2011.

Contrary to perceptions abroad, the government has faced ongoing
domestic criticism for its `glorification’ of Safarov. No opinion
polls have been conducted on the topic, but one recent survey on the
popular news site Contact.az showed that 52 percent of 584
self-selected users condemned Safarov’s release from prison.

In a September 26 statement, the Public Council on Karabakh (PCK), a
non-registered Baku-based group made up of about 30 prominent
political analysts, human rights defenders and mostly pro-opposition
politicians termed the government’s handling of Safarov’s case
`inadmissible and wrong.’

`It harms Azerbaijan’s image,’ the statement read. `It also seriously
harms the legal and moral guidelines for the younger generation.’

One of the most widely circulated criticisms of the government’s
policy was a September 6 opinion piece from the Kultura.az portal,
written by Rahman Badalov, a Baku-based political analyst. The
glorification of Safarov is `an insult to the memory of the real
heroes who died in [the] Karabakh’ conflict, Badalov wrote.

Eldar Namazov — a former presidential aide to the late president
Heydar Aliyev, and currently a leader of the opposition group, For the
Sake of Azerbaijan Public Forum – said a court should have handled the
matter of a pardon for Safarov, not the president. `[T]he government,
by its immediate pardon, took a clearly political decision, which was
criticized internationally,’ Namazov explained.

Of late, international criticism has faded, in large part because of
geopolitical factors. In particular, the United States and the
European Union don’t want to alienate Azerbaijan, given the ongoing
crisis with Baku’s southern neighbor, Iran, over Tehran’s nuclear
program.

It’s not surprising, then, that newly arrived US Ambassador Richard
Morningstar did not touch on the Safarov matter during his first news
conference on September 28, and, similarly, PACE, usually an outspoken
critic of Azerbaijan, discussed Safarov on October 5 without offering
official condemnation.

For now, the conclusion appears unanimous: some things are better left unsaid.

If turks enter Aleppo, Syrian Armenians will relive Genocide

15:33 – 05.10.2012

Turkologist Artak Shaqaryan said today during the press conference
that if NATO enters Syria, Syrian Armenians will have the same fate as
iraqi Armenians.

`If turks enter Aleppo, Syrian Armenians will relive Genocide’, said
he and added that Syrian Armenians are on Assad’s side.

According to him, Armenian authorities were not able to take serious
steps of helpig syrian Armenians. One part says that Armenians must
stay there as Syrian colony has a great importance to Armenia, another
part says that the number of victims is growing and they must leave
the country at once.

AGBU internship programs in New York, Yerevan draw dozens of youth

Published: Friday October 05, 2012

AGBU interns with local kids in Armenia.

New York – Every summer, participants in the AGBU New York Summer
Internship Program (NYSIP) tap into an expansive network of industry
experts, add a top Manhattan organization to their resumes, and form
lifelong friendships with young Armenians from across the diaspora.

This year, the NYSIP interns also helped make AGBU history by
celebrating the program’s silver jubilee. Whether they were working,
attending educational and cultural events, or exploring the city,
every day of NYSIP’s 25th anniversary summer was unforgettable.

In 2012, prominent institutions such as Merrill Lynch, Mirrorball, The
New York Resident, the New York University Medical Center and numerous
others, benefitted from the enthusiasm and talent that the 30 NYSIP
students brought with them from their hometowns in Argentina, Armenia,
Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Russia, and the UK and across the
US. NYSIP supervisor Craig Avedisian, who hosts interns at his law
office, discussed why he joined the program, stating, “It is immensely
satisfying to impart knowledge, and hopefully wisdom, acquired from
years of working in the field, to young adults starting their journey.
I am confident that the NYSIP interns learn from this experience and
will have more successful and fulfilling careers because of it.” The
interns, in turn, took advantage of the opportunity to gain a deeper
understanding of their chosen professions, working under the personal
guidance of seasoned specialists who helped them realize their career
aspirations.

The students’ hours in the office were complemented by a professional
lecture series, which gave them the chance to meet both as a group and
one-on-one with leaders in different fields to discuss strategies for
job hunting and ways to advance themselves following graduation. Guest
speakers included NYSIP Co-Chair Raffi Balian, a foreign service
officer with the US State Department; Anna Bruno, a NYSIP supervisor
and financial consultant for AXA Advisors; and NYSIP alumnus Serge
Kassardjian, a strategic partner in mobile commerce at Google. An
interactive entrepreneurship panel organized by NYSIP alumnus Taleen
Mangassarian, which featured Hamilton Colwell of Maia Yogurt, Joe
Hallett of Company Connector and Nil Sen of Examville, was one of the
highlights of the series, leaving interns with insiders’ knowledge of
how to establish a start-up company. NYSIP participant Areni Shahinian
of Los Angeles, California, reflected on those seminars, and the
program as a whole, commenting, “The AGBU Summer Internship Program
not only gave me the tools I need to become a successful professional
but gave me the confidence and inspiration to strive to be better, as
well. It was inspiring to see so many successful Armenians giving back
to the community and I look forward to the day when I can supervise my
own AGBU intern. Also, thanks to NYSIP, I now have friends around the
world who have become my family.”

When they weren’t working, the NYSIP interns could be spotted all
across the city taking in New York’s famous landmarks and sites.
Picnics in Central Park, tours of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and
the Museum of Modern Art, and a celebratory gathering for the 4th of
July fireworks were just some of the planned activities that kept the
group busy on their weekends and every day in between. While the
students immersed themselves in the culture of New York City, they
also stayed connected to their Armenian cultural heritage. A special
invitation from the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
brought the interns to see the church headquarters. There, they
enjoyed a traditional Armenian dinner with His Eminence Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, the Diocesan Primate.

Community service is a key component of NYSIP, and in keeping with an
annual tradition, the interns visited the Armenian Home for the Aged
in Queens, where they brightened the residents’ day with a talent
show. The community service project, known as “Sunshine for Seniors,”
is organized by the AGBU Young Professionals of Greater New York
(YPGNY) and is just one of the YP group’s many initiatives that have
strengthened the internship program over the years. Since 1999, YPGNY
has annually sponsored student scholarships for NYSIP and since 2000
has coordinated Mentorship Night, an evening of professional exchange
between local young professionals and visiting interns. The success of
Mentorship Night prompted the launch of a mentorship program in 2007,
which pairs interns with accomplished professionals who offer guidance
and advice during regular meetings throughout the summer. Interns and
mentors establish a relationship that they often maintain long after
the program has concluded, which is a testament to NYSIP’s lasting,
positive impact.

At the NYSIP 25th anniversary weekend celebration, the interns saw the
ways that, decades from now, they will continue to reap the program’s
countless benefits. The weekend festivities, which kicked off on
Friday, July 20, 2012 at the anniversary mixer, and continued with the
Saturday night gala, reunited hundreds of NYSIP alumni and supporters.
They looked back on over two decades of great memories, and celebrated
the many individuals who have made the program such a success. The
alumni who were present have risen to the top of their fields and they
continue to stay active and give back to the AGBU community. The 2012
NYSIP interns are sure to follow in their footsteps. Though their
internship program officially ran from June 17 – August 11, 2012, they
are now lifelong members of the AGBU family, and can look forward to
many more of fun and excitement with the organization.

Yerevan program in its sixth year
For six years, the AGBU Yerevan Summer Internship Program (YSIP) has
provided Armenian university students from across the diaspora with
the unique opportunity to gain valuable hands-on work experience, bond
with their global peers, and witness firsthand the natural beauty and
ancient landmarks that have been the subject of their studies and
their family histories for as long as they can remember. This year, 27
students from Germany, Lebanon, Syria, the UK and the US took
advantage of everything that YSIP has to offer, enjoying a complete
cultural immersion experience that left all participants already
planning a trip back to Armenia when the program came to an end.

On June 25, 2012, planes that had taken off from various parts of the
world touched down in Armenia’s Zvartnots Airport, carrying this
year’s talented and enthusiastic YSIP participants. The interns
immediately settled into their new home and new routine, which was
filled with work, weekly language classes at the American University
of Armenia and dance classes at the AGBU Nork Children’s Center, as
well as volunteer projects. They also met with government officials
and community leaders, including the Speaker of the Karabakh
Parliament, Ashot Ghulyan, Diaspora Minister, Hranush Hakobyan, and
Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, who gave them a well-rounded view of
Armenia and Karabakh.

Students were placed in a broad range of organizations, which included
the Arabkir Children’s Hospital, the American University of Armenia’s
Engineering Department, ArmNews TV, the Ministry of the Diaspora, the
United Nations Development Program, and many others. They shadowed
neurologists and cardiologists, provided much-needed social services,
and even oversaw the construction and development of AGBU’s newest
headquarters, a building that will soon stand tall in the heart of the
city. Chair of the Department of Neurology at Yerevan State University
and supervisor Hovhannes Manvelyan commented on YSIP’s positive
impact, stating, “Programs such as these are essential in order to
ensure future ties with the homeland especially for those young men
and women who have never been to Armenia before and were raised in the
diaspora. It’s important for them to come to Armenia, get a better
understanding of their culture and make friends.”

The students’ internships opened their eyes to both the complexities
and rewards of their chosen career paths, while their daily encounters
opened their minds to a country they thought they knew, but which
continued to amaze them. They were overwhelmed by the ever-present
hospitality, the city’s large squares constantly filled with music and
people, and the breathtaking landscapes of the countryside.

As in previous years, highlights of YSIP 2012 included excursions
around the country and a journey to Karabakh. Bella Arutyunyan, a
University of California, Los Angeles student reflected on her trip,
noting, “One of the best experiences this summer was getting the
chance to get out of Yerevan and take a four-day trip to Karabakh.
Everyone kept telling me how beautiful the wilderness was going to be
and how much I was going to love it. In all honesty, however, I didn’t
think I could find any connection to a piece of land and a people I
didn’t know much about. But if there is one thing I’ve learned from
being in Armenia, it’s how important it is to see things with your own
eyes because stories alone aren’t enough.” Her words underscored the
importance of connecting Armenian youth with their ancestral homeland,
which AGBU has accomplished through YSIP and a number of other
Armenia-based programs that drew over 500 participants to the country
this summer alone.

In addition to the trip to Karabakh, the YSIP group toured the Garni
Temple and the architectural wonder, the Geghard Monastery, before
climbing Armenia’s highest peak, Mt. Aragats. Gyumri was another
destination outside of the capital, where the interns visited the
Terchoonian Home, an orphanage that provides shelter and care for more
than 20 children. The YSIP interns brightened the children’s day,
bringing them new toys, playing together outside and admiring their
rug weaving, a favorite hobby in the home. The visit was one that had
a lasting impact on intern Kathrine Kazanjian, from the US, who
stated, “After this program and the interactions I have had with the
people of Armenia – everyone from taxi drivers and sales people to the
children of Karabakh and the orphans of Gyumri – I returned home
feeling a great sense of responsibility to my homeland and its people.
Now, I want to learn even more about where I come from and do more to
create a better future for Armenia.”

After six weeks of making memories and making a difference, the YSIP
participants prepared for their departure. But they couldn’t leave
without showing the youth and staff of the AGBU Nork Center all they
had learned during their weekly dance classes. On the evening of July
31, 2012, the group stepped on the Center’s stage for a special
performance, hand in hand, to the sound of Armenian music. Their
routine drew applause everywhere in the auditorium, as well as praise
from their new friends and colleagues. It was one last great moment
that they would all share before YSIP officially came to an end. On
August 3, 2012, the participants headed home, leaving a part of
themselves behind in Armenia.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

MP from ARFD: Republicans’ all comments on Robert Kocharyan’s
statement are dictated by one center

arminfo
Friday, October 5, 18:50

All the critical comments of the members of the Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) on Robert Kocharyan’s statement supporting the
ex-minister, member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Vartan
Oskanian are dictated by one center, Aghvan Vardanyan, representative
of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Faction,
said at a briefing in Parliament.

Vardanyan is sure that the process against Oskanian is politically
charged and has signs of political persecution. In the meantime, he
expressed concern over the fact that the PAP boycotted the past
four-day session in the Parliament. He is sure that this step of the
PAP may lead to serious consequences, and it is not known yet whether
the faction will return to the Parliament or not.

Vartan Oskanian was deprived of deputy immunity on October 2. To
recall, Robert Kocharyan said on this occasion: “I have thoroughly
studied the materials of Oskanian’s case and could not find the answer
to the question what the NSS, prosecutor general’s office and the
parliament had in common with the friendly relations of Vartan
Oskanian and John Huntsman”. Oskanian has always been one of the most
successful ministers and a sincere figure, which is an extremely rare
feature in our political reality, he said. “People like him, with such
features and merits, should be cherished and not persecuted,
especially taking into consideration the fact that he represents a
political force with a very big electorate. I am sorry for what had
happened and express my support and sympathy to Vartan Oskanian”, –
the statement of the second president of Armenia says.