Author: Kamalian Hagop

LOYALIST REPEATS EX-LEADER’S COMEBACK PLANS
By Ruzanna Khachatrian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Aug 17 2007

The leader of Armenia’s former ruling party reiterated on Friday that
ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian is ready to engage in the battle
for presidency early next year.

Ararat Zurabian, who chairs the Board of the Armenian Pan-National
Movement (HHSh), said that while Ter-Petrosian is certain to run
for president, he will expressly state his desire at the stage of
nominations.

"I strongly believe that Levon Ter-Petrosian is determined to
participate in the political processes. It is certain that his
nomination as a presidential candidate will happen," he added.

Ter-Petrosian, who has avoided public appearances since resigning under
pressure in February 1998, reportedly traveled to Armenia’s northern
regions in recent weeks to hold meetings with local supporters. Despite
repeated statements by his loyalists about his plans to make a
presidential bid, the 62-year-old reclusive ex-leader has given no
indication yet that he is considering a political comeback.

According to the HHSh leader, active negotiations with other opposition
forces around a single presidential candidate are underway. He said
he held several meetings with opposition leaders and politicians
every day, including with Vazgen Manukian, who was Ter-Petrosian’s
main rival in the 1996 presidential election and claims to have been
deprived of a clear victory by the former regime.

Zurabian said that despite some personal disagreements that may exist
between the two politicians, the HHSh board has "contacts and normal
relations" with Manukian.

He described Manukian as a "very serious politician" who is capable
of gathering a certain team around himself ahead of next year’s
presidential election. "But unlike Levon Ter-Petrosian, he has no
chance to win the elections," Zurabian added.

Despite the ongoing negotiations, Zurabian does not think that
either the opposition or the authorities will eventually field single
candidates for the 2008 elections. But he said it is important for
the opposition to form an "alternative" center.

Zurabian expects that like it happened in the past the authorities
will have pseudo-candidates, who will be more outspoken about their
opposition rivals.

"I don’t think that [Prime Minister] Serzh Sarkisian can look into
Levon Ter-Petrosian’s eyes and say something against him. Naturally,
he should use pseudo-candidates for this purpose," Zurabian asserted.

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO BE BUILT IN GEORGIA

ANS
Politic / 17.08.2007 13:40

No exact date for construction is considered

Georgia intends to built a nuclear power station in its territory. A
special commission has been set up to study perspectives of the
project, said NIka Gilauti, minister of Fuel and Energy. Noting
there is no exact date for the construction, Gilauti said they are
considering applicability of the project. Here are some factors to
be considered as position of Armenia to the location of such station
as well as technical issues, stated Georgian minister.

DOWNTOWN DREAMS NO LONGER FROZEN: PROPOSED ICE RINK IS THE LATEST SIGN THAT ONCE-CHILLY BUSINESS CLIMATE IS STARTING TO THAW.

Sanford Nax, The Fresno Bee – California – KRTBN
Published: Aug 15, 2007

A proposed development next to Selland Arena was greeted Tuesday with
excitement by downtown proponents who say it’s in a good location
with potential to meet housing needs.

"If you had to pick a great location, that would be it," real estate
analyst Robin Kane said a day after Brian Glover announced that he
and partner Chris Cummings want to build an ice rink surrounded by
retail space and topped by about 160 apartments on three floors.

The property is near government offices, entertainment and the Old
Armenian Town project, which has kicked off with the construction of
a new appellate court and the prospect of more offices.

Eventually, Armenian Town developers Richard Gunner and George Andros
have plans for three office buildings and two five-story parking
garages on the site just across Ventura Street from Selland Arena.

Glover described his apartments as "the beginning of a small community
downtown."

He said he and Cummings have a plan to spark that vision. They are
among the partners in the Grizzlies baseball and Fuego soccer teams
that play at nearby Chukchansi Park and the Falcons hockey team that
they plan to move back downtown from the Save Mart Center for the
2008-09 season. The Falcons rent Gateway Ice Center for practices now,
but the future of the west-central Fresno ice rink is in limbo and
the downtown ice rink would resolve that issue.

The apartments in Glover’s project would be rented to the public,
but some of them likely would be set aside for hockey and baseball
players. The seasons overlap for only about a month, and Glover said
the team owners would save substantial housing costs.

The Grizzlies draw about 500,000 people per year, the Falcons
bring in 200,000 people and a public ice rink could attract 100,000
people. Those visitors mean more business for restaurants in the area,
Glover said.

"We saw the effect on the Hofbrau," he said.

The Old Fresno Hofbrau closed in February after 40 years in business,
in part because the Falcons and Fresno State Bulldogs stopped playing
at Selland.

The ice rink proposal was met by some as an opportunity to continue
the revitalization of downtown, especially with the apartments,
which would extend activity beyond office hours.

"There is an 8-to-5 market and no weekend," said Craig Capriotti, an
office leasing agent at Fortune Associates and a downtown businessman.

Downtown has made great strides in recent years, with the office
vacancy rate falling to 10%, from nearly 26% in 1994. It is a
government center with thousands of city, county, state and federal
employees. Advertising agencies and law firms also are relocating
to the area, while the number of service businesses is starting to
pick up.

But coffee shops and restaurants still struggle to survive. That’s
where housing comes in, said Reza Assemi, a developer with more than
140 apartments, row houses and other types of homes finished, under
way or proposed downtown.

The residents will eat and shop in the neighborhood, which will fuel
more demand.

"It builds on itself," Assemi said. "The more people move in, the
more people will want to move in."

But downtown living doesn’t appeal to everyone. Families with children
are more likely to opt for the outskirts, leaving the urban core a
niche market for empty-nesters, young professionals and hard chargers
who like the urban lifestyle, Kane said.

That raises an interesting question — one that no one associated
with downtown has ever had to face: Is there a potential of too
much housing?

Another project — Forest City Enterprises — proposes hundreds
of houses in a mixed-use remake of the area south of Chukchansi
Park. Jeff Linton, a Forest City spokesman, said Tuesday, "We are
still very much in active discussions and are down to the point of
detailing various aspects of the proposal."

Even if the Forest City proposal is realized, Assemi said he doesn’t
anticipate an oversupply of homes.

ARMENIAN FARMERS TO BE TRAINED UNDER U.S. AID PROGRAM
By Shakeh Avoyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Aug 15 2007

A local office overseeing the implementation of a multimillion
U.S. aid package has completed the selection of rural communities
whose farmers will be trained in how to manage their agribusinesses
in a more efficient way.

The Millennium Challenge Account – Armenia (MCA-Armenia) on Wednesday
selected the timing during which villages will participate in the
training component of its Water-to-Market Activity.

The Water-to-Market Activity, implemented by ACDI/VOCA, Arcadis
Euroconsult, and their local partner VISTAA Plus, focuses primarily
on providing training to help farmers transition to more profitable,
market-oriented agriculture. The training programs within this activity
will prepare 60,000 farmers over a period of five years.

The training program is part of the $236 million Compact that the
Armenian government signed with the U.S. Government’s Millennium
Challenge Corporation in March 2006

U.S. Charge d’Affaires Rudolf Perina said the MCA-Armenia has the
goal of reducing poverty in rural communities through ensuring a
stable economic growth.

"Armenia plans to achieve this goal through a five-year program of
strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation infrastructure and
technical and financial assistance to improve the supply of water
and to support farmers," Perina said in his remarks.

Villages to be provided with training in the second, third, fourth
and fifth year of the program were grouped by regions and the Water
User Associations in which they are members. A total of 120 village
clusters — usually one, two or three villages grouped together based
on geography and agricultural conditions — were selected for year
2008, 77 for years 2009 and 2010, and 80 for 2011. A total of 69
village clusters were included in the pilot phase. An additional 82
village clusters have been identified as currently having inadequate
water. They are expected to be become eligible as water improves
through irrigation rehabilitation efforts.

To ensure fairness and transparency, random selection of the
communities was determined to be the best method.

Deputy Minister of Local Government Vache Terterian expressed his
satisfaction with the selection process, which he described as
transparent.

"It is a normal modern way of selection. It is important that all
communities are clustered primarily based on certain criteria,"
he said.

Representatives of village communities attending the selection process
expressed their satisfaction as well.

However, Farmers’ Movement NGO president Sargis Sedrakian thinks
villagers need more tangible assistance than trainings today.

"Villagers are tired of advice and trainings, they want concrete
assistance in the form of technical means and equipment," he said.

"Training is also important, but there are many problems that come
first."

Sedrakian fears the Millennium Challenge funds will be wastes or at
best will benefit the local ‘feudalists’.

Vanik Soghomonian, one of the many farmers selected for the training,
admits he is a feudalist. "But only if a feudalist means a businessman
who creates something and provides people with well-paid jobs,"
he explains.

THE AVERAGE CROP YIELD OF A HECTARE IS 20 CENTNER
by Norayr Hovsepian

Azat Artsakh Tert, Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Aug 14 2007

Within the limits of "Artsakh rebirth" program of "Hayastan"
All-Armenian Fund, the program of "Development of Mardakert
agriculture" started in 2006. At the result the closed joint-stock
company "Agricultural services of Mardakert" was created, the aim
of which was to help district centres and the owners of grounds of
17 communities. The first results of crop yield realized within the
limits were rather promising: according to today’s data, if in the
republic the average crop yield of grain this year hesitates between
12-13 centner/hectare, so the average crop yield of areas of land
included within the limits above-mentioned program compiled about 20
centner/hectare. The difference is really considerable.

Waterloo Record, Canada
Aug 11 2007

Engrossing saga sheds light on a family’s myths and secrets

VERONICA ROSS

THE BASTARD OF ISTANBUL
by Elif Shafak
(Viking, 360 pages, $31 hardcover)

Author Elif Shafak was put on trial in Turkey last year for
"offending Turkishness" because a character in this book refers to
Turks as "butchers" with regard to the massacre of Armenians in the
early 20th century.

Luckily for Shafak, her case was dismissed, but the situation seems
crazy all the same. (But not unbelievable — since all over the
world, writers end up in prison for their writing.)

One might say The Bastard of Istanbul is political because the novel
is about how history affects the present. But how can the past not
touch lives? And can one even have a future without having a past?

One of Shafak’s main characters, Armanoush, a young
Armenian-American, says: "You have to understand, despite all the
grief that it embodies, history is what keeps us alive and united."

The story in brief: Armanoush ("Amy") has travelled from Arizona to
Turkey to stay with her stepfather’s relatives, a lively family with
eccentric and colourful women who include Asya, an illegitimate
daughter who is Armanoush’s age.

Asya’s mother is a tattoo artist and her aunt, Auntie Banu, is a
woman who has two djinni (personal spirits), Mrs. Sweet and Mr.
Bitter. They sit on her shoulder and talk to her.

The novel is an engrossing multi-generational family saga.
Armanoush’s visit brings up questions of identity, history, and
family myth. It also reveals family secrets and the resolution of an
old mystery.

Shafak is a brilliant writer who has rightfully gained an internation
reputation. In this novel she has created a world that is memorable
and rich.

Veronica Ross is a Kitchener writer and the author of To Experience
Wonder – Edna Staebler, A Life (Dundurn) .

CitizenLink, CO
Aug 6 2007

Parole Board to Rule on Kevorkian Appearance

People who don’t like the idea of convicted killer Jack Kevorkian
getting $50,000 to speak to college students in Florida are clinging
to hopes that the Michigan Parole Board will nix the out-of-state
trip.

But the board, which has to approve such travel, isn’t saying. `(The
Parole Board) didn’t say when exactly they would let him go, but they
told him to take (the engagement) under the advisement that the
approval is pending,’ Russ Marlan, spokesman for the Michigan
Department of Corrections, told LifeSiteNews.com, which reported that
a contract has been signed.

Kevorkian, who recently completed eight years in prison for
second-degree murder in connection with one of his many
physician-assisted suicides, has been invited to speak Oct. 11 at the
University of Florida, Gainesville. The topic: assisted suicide. A
`Say No to Dr. Death’ petition movement has been organized in
opposition, and pro-life Michiganders are urging people to call the
university to protest the event.

AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY: AMBARSUM ASATURYAN FLED TO AZERBAIJAN FROM PROBLEMS IN ARMENIAN ARMY

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 7 2007

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry confirmed the report on Armenian soldier
from a military unit in Nagorno Karabakh, Ambarsum Asaturyan’s having
given himself up to Azerbaijani side.

The ministry’s press service head, Colonel Lieutenant Eldar Safarov
told APA Asaturyan fled to Azerbaijan because of the problems in
the Armenian army, "As far as we know, local authorities have taken
Asaturyan’s relations to police and warned them against Asaturyan’s
speaking of the existing problems in Armenian army through the ICRC."

The press service head said Armenian military authorities have already
began to introduce the 23-year-old soldier as "uncorrectable person
who was forcibly involved to the Army."

"We are likely to further hear statements on his being mentally ill.

Armenian leadership always tries to convince international
organizations that its Army does not intervene with Nagorno Karabakh.

A question arises "what was Asatruryan doing in Karabakh then","
Mr.Safarov said.

The Ministry spokesman added that according to some reports by
different channels, cases of bullying, assault at soldiers by
commanders, suicide, premeditated murder and some other crimes have
risen in Armenian Armed Forces, "That is why rank-and-file soldiers
refuse to serve in the army in most cases. Despite tens of court
processes by Armenian military tribunals in the past one year, the
depending problem cannot be addressed at all."

LEBANON – AL METN’S REAL REVELATIONS!
By Ramzi E. Khoury

Arabisto.com, FL
ryID=719
Aug 7 2007
Kuala Lumpur

Lebanon’s scorching hot fight over the Metn parliamentary seat
vacated through the murder of Pierre Jumayel was declared by both the
"majority" and the "minority" alliances as a war over who represents
the Christians of Lebanon.

According to both sides, who represents the Christians is who should be
the next president of the country; therefore they both declared victory
in the Metn fight despite the results. The stench of the smut delivered
throughout the campaigns by both sides endures even after the fight is
over and both leaders lowered the tones of their high pitched voices.

In truth, who should be the next president is a question that ought to
be answered at Parliament when the next session is launched starting
the 25th of September, not in Metn. But what al Metn answered is
another important question: is there an overall leader of Christians
in Lebanon?

Nope was the answer. Neither side proved that they own the mandate
despite the all-out war braved by both sides and their allies. A
margin of 418 out of 80,000 votes is not much of a mandate for either
side. Michel Aun who had managed to sweep votes across the nation
in 2005 was deluded by that victory which came before he made a pact
with Hizbollah and joined its alliance in 2006 and for sure at a time
when the public saw in him an "anti-Syrian" symbol of independence,
a perception wiped off by the pact!

Upon his victory, Aun declared that it is obvious he needs to clarify
the pact to the Christian public that does not fully understand it. A
good discovery on his part but not a good justification for why he
is not the one and only leader of Christians in Lebanon today. He
never was. Another good discovery would be to recognize that his
"victory" was saved by the Armenian Tashnaq party, a historic ally of
the Jumayels, which had defected to his side for their own political
interests. Aun’s leadership is all about political alliances, rather
than religious representation; not a bad thing in a democracy. Aun
should therefore drop his futile attempt to be the leader of Christians
and work more on his image as a nonsectarian which creates promise
and hope.

The secondary elections in the Christian district did establish the
primary state of affairs amongst the Christian community. Amin Jumayel,
for one, should consider his "victory" a clear message that he should
just quit politics altogether.

This man personally ran for the seat of his own recently slain son,
happens to be the current higher leader of the Phalangist Party,
an Ex-President, brother of an assassinated Ex-President and son
of a historic Lebanese founding leader, yet he lost to a political
un-known who seemed to have dropped from no-where: Kamil Khoury.

Funny enough, Jumayel also had the full backing of the supposed
"powerful party," the Lebanese Forces of Samir Jaajaa, and other groups
including the Druze led by Walid Junblat. Even that didn’t help him.

The results of the elections will be used by Jaajaa and his party as a
tool to establish that the Jumayels are out of business and therefore
the Christians should rally behind his radical Christian party;
infamous for its bloody past. Optimistically, the results that show
discontent with the Christian historic leadership including Jaajaa
could also be an opportunity to see new Christian leaders emerge
who can grab the imagination of the public by talking national unity
rather than sectarianism.

By all means, whereas the Shiites are vastly united in one front,
the Sunnis in the other, Al Metn elections show how the Christians of
Lebanon are divided in the middle between the two sides. Many of the
Maronites, the majority of Lebanese Christians, chose to vote against
the hopes of their Patriarch who supported Jumayel. The results are
a clear statement that the "religious mandate" of the Patriarch who
has historically played a major role in national politics no longer
calls the shots within the Christian community; at least not in any
divisive manner.

Meanwhile, there is a huge difference between the theoretical notion of
"who should be President of Lebanon" and the practical that does not
rely on emotional values created through a local vote, but rather on
the solid dictates of the Constitution.

The President, despite the fact that he must be a Maronite Christian by
law, is the President of the whole of Lebanon in all of its religious
and ethnic diversity. Why? Because under the Constitution he is elected
by a Parliament that represents that diversity; not directly by the
Christian community itself.

Therefore, in practical terms, the Metn elections could not have
decided who will be President and for as long as Parliament is divided
and no side has a two-thirds-majority capable of electing a President
by law, we may not get to see a President elected any time soon.

What Al Metn did establish, however, is that there is no Super
Christian leader in Lebanon and that the Christians in either alliance
have no choice but to resort to dialogue as a tool towards a resolution
of the national stalemate.

The fact that the Christians are the divided party between the two
adversary alliances also means they are the solid common ground between
them. This situation poses an opportunity for them to be the main
players in a project that can produce a resolution because neither
alliance can survive the stalemate without its Christian element.

The Christians, in their current weakness, are the trump card that
is hanging over the heads of both sides; only if they can conduct a
dialogue amongst themselves that leads to an amicable agreement.

Those who have practically lost the historic leadership of the country
through disunity now have an opportunity to snap the country out
of the futile status quo that awaits an imported "solution." Such a
foreign "solution" would be crafted by powers toying with the future of
Lebanon on count of their own national interests with utter disregard
for Lebanon, its people and their collective national aspirations.

The Christian leaders on both sides should look at the 25th of
September launch of the next Parliamentary session as a deadline
for reconciliation; the only way they can be leading players again
in a Lebanon where the nation has become a ball kicked around in a
playground refereed by unfair foreign powers.

ARMENIA OPEN FOR COOPERATION WITH ALL STATES

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.08.2007 15:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Trade and economic cooperation with Russia is one of
the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy, Armenian Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian said.

"Let us not forget that the Russian market is the most available
for us. Besides bilateral relations in energy, transport, metallurgy,
chemistry and trade, we have developed relations in the banking system,
precious stones working, information technologies and tourism as well
as minor and middle business," he said.

The Armenian Minister noted that some 700 organizations basing on
Russian capital have been registered in Armenia. "The growth of the
Russian stock proves that the Armenian market becomes more and more
attractive for investors. Armenia is open for cooperation with states,"
the RA FM said, Interfax reports.