Author: Kalashian Nyrie

PROVISION IN LAW ON SOCIAL INSURANCE CARDS FOUND UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Panorama.am
19:26 19/10/06
Minister of employment and social affairs, Aghvan Vardaynyan, said, “I
do not feel bad” in applying some provisions which the Constitutional
Court recognized as unconstitutional. Vardanyan said similar cases
may be observed in all laws.
The issue is about the Law on Social Insurance Cards.
The Constitutional Court recently has ruled out that point 2, article
22 of the mentioned law is unconstitutional. The provision inhibited
hundreds of citizens to receive pensions or engage in any financial
transaction in the banks.

GOVERNMENT APPROVES GIVING ARMENIAN POST COMPANY TO A DUTCH FIRM
Armenpress
Oct 20 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian government has
reconfirmed revoking an agreement with Converse-Invest company that
was granted by it the right to manage Hay Post (Armenian Postal
Services) company.
Armenian transport and communication ministry said the government
has approved the process of giving Hay Post to concession management
of Hay Post Trust company. It said this process was managed with the
assistance of a Dutch ING consulting firm.
The ministry said Hay Post Trust is owned by PostFinance Dutch
investment company, which the ministry said is offering assistance
to postal companies of developing countries.

THE SITUATION IN EUROPE ISN’T SO BAD
By Taha Akyol
Turkish Press
Oct 18 2006
MILLIYET- Turkey isn’t opening its harbors to the Greek Cypriots, and
the European Union isn’t lifting the embargo on the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It’s a deadlock, isn’t it? It seemed this way,
but EU Term President Finland suggested a solution. So we saw that
there may be searches for interim solutions and meanwhile Turkey’s
membership talks with the EU can continue. This is a very important
development. Instead of asking us to open our harbors this year,
a new terminology is being developed. According to this, Luxembourg
wants us to do it in the following months or years. This was said by
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn. So Turkey will continue
its membership talks, while the issues of harbors and isolation are
being discussed. Our image of a country engaged in EU membership
talks attracted $20 billion in capital to Turkey. This image will
continue uninterruptedly. Meanwhile, strong EU countries are against
the idea of suspending the process of Turkey’s membership talks,
and the Greek Cypriot administration isn’t strong enough to suspend
it. However, for example, the Greek Cypriot administration can hinder
the opening of certain chapters on transportation. Then Turkey would
continue its membership talks, in other words, the train would go on
its way. In Luxembourg, when I talked with Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul’s advisors during the breakfast break, I heard that this is what
they are thinking.
Another problematic issue for Turkey is Article 301. When we were
talking on the plane, Gul said, ‘Turkey is a free, democratic
country. Everybody can talk and write freely. All the charges filed
under Article 301 ended in acquittal. Of course we know our problems
but we’ll address them. Turkey is developing in the areas of the
economy and democracy. France is the engine of the EU. You saw
what’s going on even there!’ Stating that the EU criticized France
for removing freedom of thought on the Armenian issue, Gul said that
the Turkish public should know this and shouldn’t think that only
Turkey is always criticized. Diplomats are looking for a solution
about Article 301. This issue will be discussed a great deal.
During the press conference later, nobody had a sour face and the
atmosphere wasn’t tense. Rehn started by saying that there are good
developments. It seems that what Gul said about Article 301 had a
positive effect. Finland’s intercession to solve the Cyprus deadlock
on harbors and isolation softened the atmosphere. Nobody is especially
stressing the Cyprus issue. So what will happen if the Finnish plan
doesn’t work? Finnish Foreign Minister Erki Tuomioja and Rehn gave
the same answers to this question. They said that now this was on the
table and that they don’t want to think of another possibility. These
are all positive developments. We can say that the Nov. 8 EU progress
report won’t be as harsh as expected. The situation in Europe isn’t
bad at all.

PICKETERS THREW EGGS AND VEGETABLES ON FRENCH EMBASSY IN BAKU
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.10.2006 15:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 16 a group of Karabakh Liberation
Organization (KLO) activists and veterans of Karabakh war held an
unsanctioned picket in front of the French Embassy in Baku. During
the action, having handed a resolution of the picket to an Embassy
representative, they threw eggs, tomatoes and egg-plants on the Embassy
building. KLO reported 18 picketers were detained by the police. The
resolution demands that the French Parliament repeal of the bill
criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, close the French
Embassy in Baku, expel France as OSCE MG co-chair, reports IA Regnum.

CELEBRATION OF FOUNDERS’ DAY AT HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
AZG Armenian Daily
18/10/2006
Monday, October 16, 2006
After the Lebanese anthem and an invocation by the Campus Minister
Rev. Nishan Bakalian, those participating in the celebration of
the Founders’ Day at Haigazian University received a call to find a
balanced life amidst the imbalance our country and the world at large
is experiencing these days.
The call came on Monday, October 16, 2006 at noon from the President
of Haigazian University, who addressed students, staff & faculty
who had gathered to remember the founders, who had the vision and
commitment to establish this unique institution of higher learning.
President Paul Haidostian’s message also stated that, other than
the Baccalaureate Service & Commencement exercises, the Founders’
Day was the most significant event during the whole academic year,
because it tells us all why we are here; it reminds us of who made
it possible for our university to exist and it allows us to move
forward. Talking about the need for a balanced leadership and finding
a balance, Dr. Haidostian said, “Education should help us find the
balance between the rebel and the conformist inside us, between the
egocentric part and the exocentric in each of us.”
“One does not need to be a prophet to know that the future of
Lebanon and of the whole world will be threatened by imbalance,
unbalanced perspectives, unbalanced power struggles, unbalanced views
of the other, unbalanced representations of religion, add to that an
increase in problems of emotional, physical, and ecological imbalance,”
he added.
After being introduced by Mr. Antranig Dakessian, the Student Life
Director, Michel Majdalani, Student of the Year 2006, addressed
the audience with a word, in which he acknowledged that Haigazian
University had enriched him with lifelong friends with whom “I spent
the most beautiful days of my university life” as he said. Calling
Student Life at Haigazian the “student door to experience and success”,
Majdalani urged his fellow-students to enjoy the opportunities at
Haigazian University and to transmit its culture to the society around
and the future generations.
An informative audio-visual presentation about the founders & the
founding of the University was presented by Mrs. Maria Bakalian.
The program of the celebration ended with the HU Alma Mater.
Public Relations Office, Haigazian University

PAPER CRITICAL OF GEORGIA’S ELECTION TACTICS IN ARMENIAN-POPULATED REGION
by Vrezh Aharonyan
Source: Ayots Ashkar, Yerevan, in Armenian 10 Oct 06, p 4
Hayots Ashkharh
Oct 10 2006
“They are trying to drive a wedge in the movement for autonomy”
Text of report by Vrezh Agaronyan in Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkar
on 10 October headlined
What has been taking place in Javakhk [Georgia’s Armenian-populated
Samtskhe-Javakheti region] following the local election on 5 October?
Some members of the United Javakhk movement who took part in the
local election as candidates of the Industrialists today said that
the election were rigged.
They said that first they had come forward as the governing party’s
candidates, but because the governing party had required getting six
seats out of 10 to be contested, the whole pre-election process had
gone a bit bizarre, and they decided to join another party.
Then there was an incident in which the police chief was beaten.
Reportedly, some young male members of the United Javakhk were being
secretly recruited by Georgian security agents prior to the election.
Reportedly, these young men had been promised by Georgian security
some material support in setting up their own businesses. By doing
this Georgian government was probably trying to undermine the movement
for autonomy. This also could explain the fact of a large group of
young men occupying a polling station without difficulty.
Nonetheless some worthy candidates were still elected to regional
councils, and the election results are generally considered
satisfactory. But although no irregularities were registered, it was
too evident that driving a wedge between Armenians had been designed.
We are sorry that the Georgian authorities had chosen such tactics.
They would be doing the right thing if they chose to solve social
problems of the population instead.
Today Armenia is investing heavily in this region to ease social
tensions, while Georgia should stand by its promises.

By Katia Peltekian
BEIRUT, LEBANON
Lebanese-Armenians Demonstrate
(© K. Peltekian)
“Martyrs’ square is a witness to Turkish inhumanity”; “A murderer
cannot become a peacekeeper”; “Turks have passed by here & left behind
death and destruction”; “Dear Lebanese: the Turkish dictionary does
not include the words ‘Justice’ and ‘peace'”; “Genocide, massacre,
deportation, annihilation: Turkish definition of peace”; “Turkey is
not welcome in Lebanon”. These were some of the banners written in
Arabic, Armenian and English carried by the Lebanese-Armenians who
converged at Martyrs’ Square in the center of Beirut. They came to
protest the deployment of Turkish troops as part of the
peace-enforcing UNIFIL troops in Lebanon.
Yesterday afternoon, thousands of Armenians, young and old, gathered
in downtown Beirut to express their rejection of the Turkish presence
in Lebanon. They came from all corners of Lebanon and met at the exact
spot where the Ottoman Turks hanged many Lebanese intellectuals in
1916. They came to remind both the Lebanese and Turkish governments
that there is an important community in Lebanon that will not forgot
the butchery that Turks committed not only to the Armenians but also
to the Lebanese.
Lebanese-Armenians Demonstrate
(© K. Peltekian)
The rally was organized by the Tashnak Party’s youth committee and the
ARF Zavarian Students’ Association. In addition to the school and
university students, there were delegates from Armenian organizations
from Ainjar, Zahle, Metn, Tripoli, and Bourj Hammoud. They carried
banners as well as the Armenian and Lebanese flags. Also present were
Bishop Kegham Khacherian, MPs Edgar Maalouf, Hagop Pakradouni, Saleem
Aoun, ex-ministers Sebouh Hovnanian, Hagop Joukhadarian, and Alain
Tabourian. However, with the exception of very few, the absence of
Lebanese public, officials and politicians was noticeable.
Speaking on behalf of the ARF Youth Committee, Khajag Balolian stated
that the Lebanese should not accept the military presence of a country
whose record shows numerous human rights violations and whose history
is full of massacres and hostility towards other nations. Turkish
forces are back on Lebanese soil desecrating the same land where they
had committed crimes against the Lebanese in 1916, he asserted, and
that no one could deny the fact that the Ottomans committed atrocities
against the freedom-loving Lebanese and that no one could deny the
Genocide of the Armenian people at the hands of the Turks starting
in 1915. Balolian stated that the Lebanese parliament recognized the
Armenian Genocide in 2000, yet the current government shows no respect
towards the feelings of the Armenians.
Lebanese-Armenians Demonstrate
(© K. Peltekian)
MP Hagop Pakradouni stated that this issue was not only an Armenian
issue. He said that although Turkey claims it is working towards
keeping peace between Lebanon and Israel, it does not believe in
peace. Turkey’s past and present are full of wars and hostility
towards the Armenians, the Kurds, the Cypriots, the Greeks and
Syria. He said that such a country could not act as a peacekeeper.
What is even more dangerous, according to Pakradouni, is that Turkey
has signed several military offensive and defensive cooperation
agreements with Israel, so it could not be considered a neutral party
in the conflict between Lebanon and Israel.
Lebanese-Armenians Demonstrate
(© K. Peltekian)
According to sources, Pakradouni stated that the Armenian community in
Lebanon will continue its peaceful demonstrations and declared the
Lebanese government responsible for not taking the Armenians’ opinion
into consideration. In an interview with the Lebanese An-Nahar
newspaper, Pakradouni said that although a number of cabinet ministers
also rejected the presence of Turkish troops in Lebanon, PM Fouad
Seniora ignored their views claiming that Moslem forces were needed in
the UNIFIL Peace-enforcing troops. Pakradouni also held the Lebanese
government responsible if a “third party commits a violent activity
against the Turkish troops.”
Lebanese-Armenians Demonstrate
(© K. Peltekian)
In addition to the Lebanese and Armenian flags, some carried the
French flag with banners saying “Merci, France” for voting on a bill
that criminalizes Genocide denial.
The rally was covered by local, regional and international TV stations
and news agencies, including the Turkish Cihan News Agency that has
been in Beirut for more than a week now to cover the Turkish
deployment in South Lebanon. Photos of the rally covered the front
pages of today’s Lebanese newspapers except for Al-Mustaqbal (The
Future), which is owned by the family of the late PM Rafiq al-
Hariri. The pro-government newspaper completely ignored the
demonstration in today’s edition.

REACTION IS A MUST; HOWEVER IT SHOULD CONTAIN COMMON SENSE
Sabah, Turkey
Oct 15 2006
The reactions against French parliament’s legal draft to penalize the
ones denying the so-called Armenian genocide are growing. The call for
common sense is also increasing besides the comments which call for
boycotting the French goods. The member of European parliament, Vural
Oger, stated that France has rejected the heritage of enlightenment age
with this legal draft. Oger stated that the voting of French Parliament
hit the country’s relations with Turkey through an inconsiderate and
arrogant act.

Sabah, Turkey
Oct 14 2006
Armenian flag at Aðrý
Armenian students are turned out to erect an Armenian flag to the
peak of Aðrý Mountain at the end of their climbing activity in
August.
Armenian flag erected in Aðrý Mountain
Armenian students who climbed to Aðrý Mountain on August 27 erected
an Armenian flag to the peak and took a photo.
Armenian students who climbed to Aðrý Mountain on August 27 erected
an Armenian flag to the peak. Armenian Diaspora announced the event
with the title of: “our flag is on the Peak of Aðrý Mountain.” The
students named Haroutune Armenian, Sona Armenian, Arsen Grigoryan,
Arthur Melkonyan, Varduhi Petrosian and Ara Tekian came to
Doðubeyazýt in Aðrý for the 15. anniversary of Amenia’s independence.

Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 13 2006
NKR draft Constitution presented for public discussion
13.10.2006 17:35
Draft Constitution of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, adopted at first
reading in the Parliament on October 6, was published today in a
special issue of `Azat Artsakh’ newspaper. The newspaper published
also the address of the NKR National Assembly to people, which says
in particular, `We anticipate your active and interested
participation in the discussion of the Main Law of the country.’
NKR citizens can present their remarks and suggestions both to the
Parliament and the working group of the NKR Constitutional
Commission.