Author: Kamalian Hagop

TIME TO BURY THE HATCHET
Editorial

"HAYOTS ASHKHARH"
Published on February 29, 2008

What L. Ter-Petrosyan and his political team didn’t manage to do by
creating an atmosphere of mutual intolerance in the country is becoming
a reality after the very first proposal the newly elected President
addressed to the Opposition from the Republican Square on February 26.

L. Ter-Petrosyan, currently appealing to all the pro-Opposition
factions and individual activists for consolidation, will soon
be surprised to announce that the persistent efforts he has been
making for the past 4-5 months has produced a more insignificant
result than S. Sargsyan’s one single proposal on forming a coalition
government. It’s not accidental that just a few hours later, the
first positive responses from the former presidential candidates and
the extra-parliamentary factions were already received.

Their number and qualitative structure will continue increasing in the
near future, contrasting with the powerless appeals and the repeated
speeches made by those who have gathered at the Theatrical Square.

As shown by the recent events, the "audience" gathered at the
Theatrical Square is getting bored, so new and new activists are needed
to entertain them. Therefore, L. Ter-Petrosyan sent the successive
"invitations" to Arshak Sadoyan, an activist once considered a
"popular tribune", as well as to other pro-Opposition figures having
some charisma, but as we see, his invitations were turned down.

Instead, even the MPs belonging to "Heritage" party are taking an
interest in the practical mechanisms of forming a coalition government,
a proposal advanced by Serge Sargsyan during his first Parliamentary
speech following the elections.

This comes to prove that there are simultaneously two "gravity fields"
formed in our reality in the post-electoral period, and the political
factions are facing a choice again. Whereas the elections, during
which there is an urgent need for strengthening the opposite poles
of the political confrontation, are already over. And the candidate
elected as President announces in the most frank manner that it is
time to study and implement all the constructive positive proposals
advanced during the campaign. So, where will the positive processes
enabling the Opposition to participate in the state and political
life are going to take place if not within the coalition government?

Furthermore, while in the pre-election period all the pro-Opposition
factions of Armenia preferred to act from radical positions in
order to receive maximum number of votes on the election day, in the
post-election period it’s just vice versa: they are required to be
maximum close to the levers of the authorities in order to realize
their promises. And in such conditions, the proposal on forming a
coalition government marks the beginning of the process of eliminating
the split political arena.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that such format will contribute to
smoothing the poles of the current political confrontation. They will
be maintained for a long time. However, it should be born in mind that
apart from such poles, there is also a wide palette of parties and
individuals whose attitude significantly predetermines the further
course of the political developments. During the elections, the
candidates representing "Rule of Law", ARFD, NDU (National Democratic
Union), the People’s Party and National Unity received more votes put
together than ex-President L. Ter-Petrosyan. In case these factions or
even some of them are, in the near future, represented in the coalition
government, it will be possible to form a powerful center enjoying
trust among the overwhelming majority of the country’s citizens.

Of course, it is still early to speak about the specific steps to be
implemented in the frameworks of this particular format representing
the authorities and the Opposition. Their content can be clarified only
in the course of relevant talks. Considering the clear-cut objectives
advanced by the President-elect, it may include the major part of the
questions raised by the pro-Opposition parties during the elections.

A passing glance at the objectives advanced by Serge Sargsyan during
his most recent speech at the Republican Square will be enough to
understand that their major part coincides with the demands of the
Opposition. Thus, the realization of the tasks of restricting poverty,
forming a competitive economy, eradicating tax evasion and impunity,
are equally important both for the newly elected President and
the other political factions, including the Opposition. Therefore,
there are neither programmatic nor psychological serious obstacles
for avoiding cooperation, being "offended", isolating oneself and
especially, joining the demonstrations which are thinning out

It is just time to realize the supreme task of the country’s steady
development and give certain shapes to the willingness of mutual
cooperation manifested on such bases i.e. it is time to "bury the
hatchet".

ABOVIAN GAS STORAGE CAPACITY TO NOTCH UP 128 MLN CUBIC METERS IN 2008

ARKA
Feb 28, 2008

YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. The ArmRosGasProm Company plans to bring
the capacity of the Abovian gas storage to 128mln cubic meters in 2008.

The production capacity of the gas storage is about 110mln cubic
meters of natural gas. However, after repair-and-renewal operations,
the capacity of the gas storage can notch up to 128mln cubic meters,
the press service of ArmRosGasProm reports.

AMD 1.4bln will be invested in the repair-and-renewal operations
in the gas storage in 2008. The company plans to construct a new
underground reservoir with rated capacity over 1.5 times exceeding
that of the largest reservoirs.

The construction of the underground reservoir will be out into
operation by late 2011. ArmRosGasProm also plans to construct the
second storage and is at present considering the modernization of
the compressor shed.

The capacity of the Abovian gas storage will reach 150mln cubic meters
by late 2011. Constructed in 1962, the Abovian gas storage secures
the country’s energy security. It is located at a depth of 800-1000
meters and stores about 110mln cubic meters of gas. The station is
able to supply Armenia with gas for about two months in case the
gas-transport system is out of order.

Monopolist in Armenia’s gas supply market, the ArmRosgasprom CJSC
was established in 1997. The company’s capital amounts $580mln. Its
shareholders are the Gasprom OJCS (57.59% of shares), the RA Ministry
of Energy (34.7%) and the Itera Oil and Gas Company (7.71%).

ARMENIAN FUTSAL NATIONAL TEAM TO TAKE PART IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Feb 28, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The 6th group’s tournament of
European zone of Futsal World Championsip will start on February 28
in the city of Chrudim, Czech Republic. The Armenian national team
is also included in it.

The national teams of Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, and Finland are
also included in the same group.

On February 28, the Armenian national team will compete with the
sportsmen of Azerbaijan, on February 29 Czech Republic, and on March
2 with the sportsmen of Finland.

The Armenian futsal national team for the third time takes part in
the World Championship Group Tournament.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION CONTINUES PROTESTS
by Vladimir Sidorov

RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
February 26, 2008 Tuesday

CIS, Armenia, opposition, presidential elections, protests

The Central Elections Commission of Armenia announced the official
results of the presidential election in that country this weekend
and declared former prime minister Serzh Sarkisyan the winner with
52.82 percent of the vote. Opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan
officially received 21.5 percent of the vote. The opposition continues
to protest and the government is taking extreme measures to prevent
officials from going over to the other side.

On Friday, seven members of the Armenian parliament from the from the
governing faction announced their support for presidential candidate
Levon Ter-Petrosyan at a public meeting on Theater Square in Yerevan.

They cited a "massive falsification of votes" for their decisions.

Deputy Prosecutor General of Armenia Gagik Dzhangiryan stated at the
same time that he had "never seen such massive falsification as in
the elections on February 19." Dzhangiryan was the investigator of
the terrorist shooting that took place in the Armenian parliament on
October 27, 1999, that was discontinued under government pressure.

Responsibility for the terrorist act was place firmly on the
authorities at that meeting.

On the same day, deputy speaker of the parliament Vaan Ovannisyan
resigned because of his objections to the voting results and several
deputy foreign ministers and ambassadors also declared their support
for the opposition by resigning simultaneously. Another six foreign
ministry officials resigned the following day. Ter-Petrosyan has been
present at the meetings and in the tent city.

Sarkisyan stated on Friday that law enforcement agencies "should
carefully examine all facts connected with violations of voting
legislation." However, current Armenian President Robert Kocharyan then
appeared on all local television channels and accused the opposition
of creating a schism and destabilizing society.

Dzhangiryan was arrested, as were former tax minister Smbat Aivazyan
and opposition leader Aram Karapetyan. The official announcement
of the election results means that there will be no recount. The
opposition has been warned that law enforcement will take decisive
measures to clear Theater Square on February 25.

RESTORING A SOUL TO AN ARMENIAN MANUSCRIPT
by Emily Yehle

Roll Call
February 27, 2008 Wednesday

In a world of mass-produced paperbacks, magazines and electronic books,
Tamara Ohanyan lives in a literary past.

She works among dyed leather, hand-sewn bindings and centuries-old
parchment. As a book conservator, she restores old documents so they
can be preserved – both physically and electronically – for the future.

It’s a skill she learned in Armenia, the landlocked former Soviet
Republic in the Southern Caucasus, where she grew up in the capital,
Yerevan, the daughter of a violinist and a teacher.

Now she works on the National Digital Library Program, one of the
Library of Congress’ biggest projects, turning thousands of the
nation’s most important documents into digital images accessible on
the Web.

But she also volunteers her time to restore the handful of medieval
Armenian works housed in the Library.

"It’s creative to think about the best solution to find for a book,"
said Ohanyan, 42. "I think it’s a combination of art, science and
skills. You get from all these a solution to save a book for another
200 years."

There are 47 members of the book conservation team, including Ohanyan,
at the Library of Congress. Some specialize in photographic materials,
while others have more experience with book materials, such as the
stretched animal skin of old parchment.

Ohanyan’s cubicle is a workspace dedicated to her art. Her shelf brims
with books on book conservation, while her drawers contain tattered
pieces of cloth and parchment.

Her latest volunteer project, an 18th century Armenian book, is close
by. She recently replaced its headband with a reproduction of her
own: a red, white and black band that connects the fragile pages to
the book covers. To make this one, Ohanyan simultaneously used three
needles for the three silk strands; some headbands take four or five.

Ohanyan is valuable to the Library’s Armenian collection not only
because she can read the medieval Armenian language, but also because
she has unmatched experience in restoring 16th, 17th and 18th century
Armenian books. Before she came to the United States, she restored
hundreds of her country’s manuscripts. The Library, on the other hand,
only has about 15 medieval manuscripts in Armenian.

But it promised a diversity of other materials and books, drawing
Ohanyan to the United States. Fellow conservator Yasmeen Khan, an
Islamic manuscript specialist, said the Library’s 133 million-strong
collection gives conservators the chance to touch history from a host
of countries.

"If you can handle a book that was bound in the 16th century and you
take it apart and see how it was made and put it back together, you
feel a connection with the person who put it together in the past,"
Khan said. "It’s like taking the telephone apart when you were a kid."

‘An Artist Herself’

Ohanyan is a rare conservator in the small world of book
conservation. She is the only one at the Library – and one of few in
the world – who has such vast experience mending medieval Armenian
manuscripts and recreating some of the old craftwork.

She first came to the United States in 2000 to learn Western
bookbinding, studying as an unpaid intern at the Library of Congress
for a year. She applied to several American programs in an effort to
expand her skills.

"This was the only one that wasn’t paid and I chose this one," she
said with a laugh. "I think I made the right choice. I’ve learned here
so much. It’s just an amazing, amazing place to learn and increase
quality as a specialist."

Colleagues describe Ohanyan as dedicated and talented, an artist who
finds solutions to the challenges presented by each unique book.

Levon Avdoyan, the Library’s Armenian and Georgian area specialist,
first met Ohanyan when she was an intern eight years ago. He gave her
one of the biggest challenges on his shelves: a 17th-century Armenian
book of gospels, rendered virtually unusable by fire and water damage.

First assessed for treatment back in the 1980s, officials said it
could only be done by someone who could read the medieval language,
primarily because the text was rubbing off and it was hard to see
where one page ended and another began.

With Khan’s help, Ohanyan set to work restoring what Khan called
"a block of moldy cheese."

By the end of her yearlong internship, Ohanyan had unraveled the pages
with the help of chemical solutions and a microscope, fit together
the pieces of each page like a jigsaw puzzle and restored the cover
and spine. It took immense patience: She had to take the book apart
to put it back together.

To make sure the pages stayed whole, Ohanyan used flexible Japanese
tissue as reinforcement. She restored the leather cover and sewed
the pages to a new spine – all in the style and color of its original
binding.

Pages that fell apart upon touch can now be flipped through by
scholars. Ohanyan even put in her own personal touches.

"She was unhappy with the end papers, so, being an artist herself, she
hand-painted them," Avdoyan said. "She really is a marvel, I must say."

Problem Solving

Ohanyan learned to mend the spines, pages and covers of Armenian
books at the Matenadaran (literally, "book depository") in Yerevan.

There are about five manuscript conservators at the institution,
which houses thousands of ancient Armenian works. She goes back often
to participate in workshops; last summer, she built the protective
cover for the Etchmiadzin Gospel, a famous 10th century Armenian book
of gospels that has a sixth century ivory cover.

Every book seems to pique Ohanyan’s interest. She handles the Armenian
religious text on her desk carefully, running her hand down the
leather cover and gingerly rotating it to show off its craftsmanship.

She talks about its origins, its mixture of Western and Armenian
techniques, and the new challenge each book presents.

"She’s an excellent problem solver. She understands that she has to
learn from the collection item itself via analysis, testing and study
so she can solve the problems it poses," said Diane Vogt-O’Connor,
the Library’s chief of conservation. "She works very carefully and
thoughtfully."

Ohanyan comes from an artistic and literary family. Her father, Alfred
Ohanyan, helped found the country’s first jazz orchestra and played
first violin in the national orchestra; her mother taught Armenian
literature. Her brother, Ara, is a filmmaker in Armenia.

When she was 5, her mother brought her to an art school for children.

"My feet didn’t touch the floor," she recalled. She had to wait two
more years to start classes.

Ohanyan eventually got her bachelor’s degree in art and Armenian
art history and decided to attend the Matenadaran to learn about
book conservation.

A Connection to History

Her interest in medieval books stems from her work as a painter of
miniatures, the religious-themed paintings that appear in many of the
books she mends. She still paints, using pigments that she made with
the same materials and techniques used in the 13th century. Adorned
with saints, halos and bright colors, her works range from the size
of a piece of notebook paper to that of a business card.

The transition from painting to book conservation seemed natural,
she said.

"They are so connected to each other," she said. "For me, it wasn’t
a big difference to change."

Though she is part of a diaspora that is easily double the 3 million
people who live in Armenia, she maintains remarkably close ties to
her homeland. Ohanyan goes to an Armenian church and is married to
an Armenian piano tuner and restorer. The population of Armenians in
D.C. is quickly increasing, she said; she sees new faces in the pews
every weekend.

She shares with them a connection to Armenia’s tumultuous history:
the massacre of more than 1 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire
in 1915.

Ohanyan’s maternal grandmother and grandfather lost their families
at 14 to the killings and were forced to live out their remaining
childhoods in orphanages.

Her grandfather often told the story of losing his 8-year-old brother
in the chaos while fleeing Turkey. He found him upon arrival in a
small town in Armenia, only to be separated again when U.S. officials
took the younger brother to America. Ohanyan’s grandfather searched
his entire life for his brother, without success.

Ohanyan readily takes out pictures of her hometown and keeps photos
of her nephews close by. But she is glad she came to the United States.

"I always want to learn something," she said. "To learn, you have to
be outside."

MEMBER OF RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT’S COMMITTEE: REPRESENTATIVES OF NAGORNO KARABAKH HAVE NOT BEEN INVITED TO THE PARLIAMENT’S HEARINGS

Azeri Press Agency
Feb 27 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. Nagorno Karabakh conflict will not be
discussed during the Russian parliament’s hearings on the settlement
of the conflicts in CIS area on March 13, Marina Svirina, member of
the parliament’s committee on CIS countries and citizens told APA.

She said that the representatives of Nagorno Karabakh have not been
invited to the hearings. Marina Svirina underlined that the hearings
are open and anyone can apply for participation and said Nagorno
Karabakh separatists have not applied for this. According to Marina
Svirina, it is not planned to invite the parliamentary representatives
of the countries having conflicts in their area to the hearings.

PUBLIC FUNDS ARE NOT MERELY WASTED BUT MISAPPROPRIATED

KarabakhOpen
27-02-2008 10:32:46

During the meeting of the NKR government on February 26 Prime Minister
Ara Harutiunyan introduced the order of President Bako Sahakyan to
raise the effectiveness of public administration. The president has
instructed to come up with proposals within three months.

For his part, the prime minister instructed the ministers, heads of
regional administrations and persons in charge to present proposals
and visions of renewed public administration.

The prime minister underlined that the public administration is
exaggerated, and it is necessary to optimize it. He also underlined
the too big car pool in public administration. In addition, he noted
that they are often used for personal aims.

Public funds are not merely wasted but misappropriated. The prime
minister who made this statement corrected himself and said as soon
as facts of misappropriation of public funds are revealed, they will
be released.

The head of the government also said that the ministers must finish
work at 8 o’clock and lunch cannot last longer than an hour and a
half. He warned that the punishment for the breach of the schedule
will be severe.

PETROS MAKEYAN ARRESTED

Hayots Ashkhar
Tuesday 26 February 2008

On February 25 leader of party "Democratic Motherland" Petros
Makeyan was arrested. He is suspected in hindering the activity of
the electoral committee in precinct 34/06.

The website of the General Persecutor’s reports, on 19.02.2008,
at around 14.30 p.m., chief of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s pre-election
headquarter in Giumry Murad Grigoryan and ex-Chief of Giumry Military
Police Ashot Zakaryan, entered precinct 34/06 in Giumry. They have
started to shout and complain about the issue of putting stamps in
the passports of the voters and in the presence of the voters they
argued with the Chairman and the members of the committee.

After 1-2 minutes Shota Saghatelyan entered the same precinct,
introduced himself as Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s confidant and started
to argue with the members of the committee about the same issue,
hindering their activity.

After which leader of party "Democratic Motherland" Petros Makeyan
entered precinct 34/06 and started to argue with the Chairman and
the members of the committee for around 10 minutes, thus hindering
the activity of the committee.

CEC OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED SERZH SARKISIAN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA

Mediamax
February 25, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Armenia
summed up on February 24 the final data of the presidential elections,
according to which Serzh Sarkisian is elected President of Armenia,
having gained 862 369 votes (52.82%).

Mediamax reports that the second place is occupied by the Ex-President
of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian, who gained 351 222 votes (21,5%).

Then the distributions of electors’ votes has the following look:
Chairman of "Orinats Yerkir" party Artur Baghdasarian – 272 427 votes
(17,7%), Member of "Dashnaktsutiun" Party Bureau Vahan Hovhannissian
– 100 966 votes (6,2%), Chairman of the National-Democratic Union
Vazgen Manukian – 21 075 votes (1,3%), Leader of People’s Party Tigran
Karapetian – 9 792 votes (0,6%), Chairman of "National Unification"
party Artashes Geghamian – 7 524 votes (0,46%), Ex-Foreign Minister of
Nagorno-Karabakh Arman Melikian – 4 399 votes (0,27%) and Chairman of
"National Consent" party Aram Harutiunian – 2 892 votes (0,17%).

Levon Ter-Petrosian continues contesting the election results. On
February 24, he stated during a rally that he gained over 65% of the
electors’ votes. It is expected that today Levon Ter-Petrosian will
turn to the Constitutional Court, where he will contest the results
of the elections.

Mediamax, Armenia
February 25, 2008

SIX ARMENIAN DIPLOMATS SACKED FOR SUPPORTING OPPOSITION

Armenia’s foreign minister has sacked the six ministry officials who
expressed support for opposition leaderLevon Ter-Petrosyan on 24
February, Mediamax reported.

Vardan Oskanyan said the officials had violated the law which bans
diplomats from being involved in politics.

The sacked diplomats included the ministry spokesman, Vladimir
Karapetyan, and the head of the department dealingwith NATO, Marta
Ayvazyan, Mediamax said.