Author: Kanayan Tamar

EU ON VOTE 2012: BETTER, BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Vote 2012 | 10.05.12 | 11:45

The EU has welcomed efforts by the Armenian authorities to hold the
recent parliamentary elections”in a way which represents progress
towards more transparent and competitive elections”, while saying a
number of issues remained to be addressed.

In a joint statement Wednesday, EU High Representative for Foreign
Affairs Catherine Ashton,and tefan Fule, Commissioner for Enlargement
and European Neighbourhood Policy, said: “The European Union takes
note of the preliminary results of the parliamentary elections held
on 6 May and welcomes the statement of preliminary findings and
conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission on the
conduct of elections.”

They added: “We welcome the efforts by the Armenian authorities
to hold these parliamentary elections in a way which represents
progress towards more transparent and competitive elections. However,
the elections also demonstrated the need to address a number of
issues in order to fully meet internationally recognized democratic
standards.”They urged the Armenian authorities to address the
shortcomings identified by the OSCE/ODIHR as a matter of priority,
ahead of the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for 2013.

“At the same time,” the joint statement added, “we welcome that six
political parties will be represented in the National Assembly. This
is a positive step towards the development of a pluralistic and
democratic political culture in Armenia.”

“The EU urges all political forces to refrain from unlawful acts
and pursue political dialogue. The constructive dialogue between
authorities and the opposition is very important for the consolidation
of stability in the country,” Ashton and Fule concluded.

BCM.RU STORY ABOUT MILITARY PARADE IN NK

Panorama.am
10/05/2012

More than two thousand military officers took part in the military
parade that Nagorno-Karabakh hosted Wednesday, “bcm.ru” writes.

“The military parade in Stepanakert marked 67th anniversary of the
Patriotic War, the Liberation of Shoushi and 20th anniversary of NKR
Defense Army. The parade was led by first Deputy Commander of the
Army Levon Mnatsakanyan.

Different kind of armaments have been displayed, as well as unmanned
flying vehicles of Armenian production,” reads the story.

L’EGYPTE COMMEMORE LES VICTIMES DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 10 mai 2012

Une commemoration du 97ème anniversaire du genocide armenien a eu
lieu en Egypte dans la soiree du 24 avril. Une sainte liturgie a ete
chantee dans l’eglise Saint Gregoire l’Illuminateur en presence de
l’evèque du Diocèse Ashot Mnatsakanyan et un requiem pour le repos
des victimes a eu lieu.

Un depôt de fleurs a la memoire des victimes du genocide armenien a eu
lieu en presence de l’Ambassadeur d’Armenie en Egypte Armen Melkonyan,
du personnel de l’ambassade et des leaders de la communaute.

En soiree “le Mas des Alouette” a ete projete au club armenien Husaber.

Une messe et un requiem pour le repos des victimes du Genocide armenien
S’est egalement tenu dans l’Eglise Sainte Poghos-Petros d’Alexandrie.

Le meme jour la chaiîne de television ON TV a emis un programme
consacre au genocide armenien avec la participation du docteur Mohamed
Refaat El-Imam.

EurasiaNet.org, NY
May 8 2012

Central Asia & Caucasus: Remembering a Shared Sacrifice

Vladimir Putin’s first full day back on the job as Russian president
was a time for paying tribute to the Soviet past. Russia and other
formerly Soviet states mark Victory Day on May 9.

Putin laid a wreath May 8 at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier just
outside the Kremlin’s walls, and then sent messages of solidarity to
the leaders of members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
There was one notable exception — Putin’s bête noire, Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili.

In a message to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Putin suggested the
shared sacrifices of World War II, when the Red Army beat back a Nazi
German invasion, created the foundation for the strong bilateral ties
of today. `The partnership between Armenia and Russia is characterized
by old traditions of friendship and trust, close brotherly ties and
deep respect for veterans,’ Armenian Public Radio quoted Putin as
writing.

In sending a congratulatory note to Georgia, Putin addressed the
Georgian people, snubbing Saakashvili’s administration. `No matter how
much time has passed since the end of WWII, May 9 will forever remain
a day of pride and a common memory for the peoples of Russia and
Georgia,’ the Russian leader wrote.

For the dwindling number of veterans who remain alive, now in their
80s and 90s, the war remains a defining moment. As these of portraits
of veterans by Jonathan Alpeyrie shows, the Red Army was an
international force, not just a Russian army. Roughly a half-million
Armenians and about 700,000 Georgians served during the war, and only
about half of those who answered the call lived to return home.

Today, these veterans live in separate countries. Outside Russia, the
Russian language, the lingua franca of the Soviet Union, is in
decline, spoken mainly in large cities. They receive their veterans’
pensions in lari and drams, not rubles, though complaints that those
pensions are not commensurate with the sacrifice they made may be one
commonality throughout the region. Some had to endure civil strife
that erupted in formerly Soviet states in the late 1980s and early
90s.

Surviving the war took a good bit of courage and a large dose of luck.
The 67 years that have passed featured another set of challenges for
veterans, including the need at a relatively advanced age to make a
jarring transition from Communism to a market-based system. Thus, the
veterans of World War II should not only be heralded as victors, they
deserve to be saluted for adapting to the Soviet collapse.

Trend, Azerbaijan
May 8 2012

Baku declares inefficiency of talks with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh problem

Azerbaijan, Baku, May 8 / Trend A.Akhundov /
Armenia still poses a threat to peace and stability in South Caucasus,
and continues its occupation of Azerbaijani territories. If it goes
on, the Azerbaijani authorities, will demonstrate their will using all
means, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social and Political
Department Chief Ali Hasanov said on Tuesday, answering journalists’
questions about the 20th anniversary of Shusha’s occupation.

“Azerbaijan has repeatedly condemned the inhumane activities of the
Armenians, condemned them for endangering peace and stability in South
Caucasus. Azerbaijan denounces and condemns the steps undertaken by
Armenia that complicate the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict,” Hasanov said.

He said that in this regard Azerbaijan has raised the issue at the
relevant global institutions.

“Negotiations, held with the Armenians, are still ineffective,”
Presidential Administration department chief stressed.

Armenian troops carried out a military operation on May 8, 1992 to
occupy Shusha. Artillery shots were fired over the city which
continued up to 6 pm. Over 1,000 Armenian soldiers attacked Shusha
from three sides.

Some 248 historical facilities, eight museums, one photo gallery,
eight music schools and tens of cultural facilities lie under Armenian
occupation in Shusha.

During Shusha’s occupation, hundreds of innocent people died, nearly
60 citizens, including women and children were taken prisoners and are
missing. Most have not been released yet. Nearly 22,000 people became
homeless.

ANSAmed – Italy
May 7, 2012 Monday 6:49 PM CET

France: Hollande, Turkey hopes for improvement in relations;
Erdogan, dialogue with social democrats easier

LJUBLJANA

(ANSAmed) The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has
reacted to the election of François Hollande as France’s new
President. “Following the election of François Hollande, the Turkish
government now hopes that relations between Paris and Ankara can be
more constructive and that talks on Turkey’s rapprochement with the EU
will progress,” Erdogan said today in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana,
where he is on an official visit.

Erdogan was quoted by the Slovenian news agency STA.

“For Turkey dialogue is easier with the social democrat block in
Europe, which has always expressed support for Ankara’s entry into the
EU,” said Erdogan, pointing out that his country has been knocking on
the door of the EU for 50 years. “I hope that this anomaly can be
rectified as soon as possible,” he added.

“The electoral cycle in France is not yet at an end and only after
parliamentary elections in June will we really know real relationships
will be,” he added.

Asked about Nicolas Sarkozy, Erdogan said that he was saddened by the
deterioration in relations between Turkey and France during the
defeated French President’s term in office, especially after Paris
decided to criminalise any public denial of the Armenian genocide.

The website of the leading Slovenian newspaper, Delo, reported that
Erdogan appeared happy with the result of the French presidential
elections.

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA: FULFILLED EXPECTATIONS

Vestnik Kavkaza
May 7 2012
Russia

The elections to the National Assembly, the parliament of the country,
were held on May, 6 in Armenia. Arman Gevorgyan, Armenian political
scientist, commented the results of the elections for Vestnik Kavkaza.

In his view, the big surprise was that the “Rule of Law” party overcame
the 5 percent barrier and entered the National Assembly.

“Personally, I thought that it would not receive more than two percent
of the vote, given the steps made by the leader of the party after
the 2008 presidential election. He seemed to have completely lost his
electorate. Then in 2008 he won 16% of the vote. These parliamentary
elections demonstrated that there is still more than 5% of the voters
who trust Artur Baghdasaryan,” Arman Gevorgyan said.

The results of the other political forces came as no surprise. “The
ruling Republican Party of Armenia, which has the largest resources,
used it and took first place”.

At the same time, what causes frustration is the fact that the face
of this party is President Serzh Sargsyan. It turned out that all
the issues were represented by the president, suggesting that the
Republican Party has merely turned into a monopoly, into a presidential
party. The RPA now is different from the RPA of the 90’s, because it
is obvious that the Republican Party then was not a one-man party,”
the analyst says.

Arman Gevorkian mentioned another very important fact – the Republican
Party has managed to take 50% plus one mandate, which means that
the Republican Party has an opportunity to form a government without
looking to the other parties in the National Assembly.

According to the analyst, “Prosperous Armenia” showed “a strong
performance”, getting twice as many votes than in the previous
elections, although the party, “of course, hoped for better results.”

Arman Gevorgyan, however, said that it is difficult to predict whether
this party will agree to form a coalition with the Republican Party,
as it did in 2007. In his opinion, it first of all needs an invitation
from the Republican party to form such a coalition, which is still
questionable. “The RPA has a stable majority; moreover, it may form a
coalition together with more docile counterparts with much smaller
requirements. For example, we can talk about the “Rule of Law”
party or “Legacy”, which can simply add to Republican votes in the
parliament without putting forward any particular political claims,”
the Armenian political scientist said.

Talking about the results of a potential coalition to “Prosperous
Armenia”, Arman Gevorgyan said that it might put the party in
a difficult situation with its electorate: “If the PAP enters the
ruling coalition, it gets a problem with those who voted for the PAP
as an alternative, though not as the opposition, but as an alternative
to the authorities. Will the voters understand this? This is a very
serious problem.”

“It should be noted that the opposition may also be different, it
can be quite constructive, or very tough and radical. It is not clear
which choices will be made by the PAP.”

The prospects for the radical opposition, represented by the Armenian
National Congress, that has overcame the 7% barrier, is described
by Arman Gevorgyan as “not very successful”. “In order to continue
to retain its political potential, the ANC must decide questions of
financing. Their funding was insufficient. And this is a very important
question that probably should be addressed. I guess that the ANC
would be a real effective opposition to the ruling Republican Party.”

The expert believes that, after such a result in the parliamentary
elections, the leader of the ANC – former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan
– will be nominated for the presidential elections in 2013. According
to him, a decision on this issue will probably become known by the
end of the summer.

Another opposition party, ARF “Dashnaktsutiun”, in comparison with
2007 has lost more than half of its seats (it got 6 instead of 16).

“The ARF was able to withdraw from the ruling coalition, and it
took two years to regain the confidence of at least some of their
constituents. I’m guessing that the ARF will remain in opposition to
gain points for its political future,” the expert said.

Arman Gevorgyan added that the result of the parliamentary elections
show that president Serzh Sarkissian strengthened his position in the
political system of the country before the presidential election in
2013: “If no major force interferes, Serzh Sargsyan has a very good
chance of staying in office for a second term.”

Susanna Petrosian in Yerevan. Specially for Vestnik Kavkaza

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ARMENIA ABOLISHED

The Messenger
May 7 2012
Georgia

On May 3, the Armenian government made the decision to end Millennium
Challenge Armenia. The development project began in 2006 and was
nearly complete by 2011. According to initial plans, $235 million USD
was to be allotted to the agricultural sector, but only $177 million
was received. The money was used to rehabilitate irrigation systems,
pumping stations, and similar infrastructure.

ARMENIA PRESIDENT’S PARTY WINS ELECTION-EARLY RESULTS

Vestnik Kavkaza
May 7 2012
Russia

Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan’s Republican Party won a
parliamentary election, early results showed on Monday, in a poll
that was seen as a test of democracy in Russia’s main ally in the
South Caucasus region.

The Republican Party took 44 percent of votes in Sunday’s vote,
giving Sarksyan a platform to seek a second term as leader of the
former Soviet republic.

Voting ended without any of the violence that marred the 2008
presidential election – a fact that will come as a relief to Armenians
hoping for a period of stability to support the battered economy.

International monitors have a mixed assessment, praising Armenia for
conducting a peaceful vote but criticizing violations of campaign
law and interference by political parties.

Armenia sits in a region that is emerging as an important route for
oil and gas exports from the Caspian Sea to world markets, although
it has no pipelines of its own.

The Republican Party is likely to seek coalition partners, possibly
the Prosperous Armenia party – its main partner in the last government.

Prosperous Armenia, led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukyan,
finished second with 30 percent of votes on Sunday, according to the
preliminary data.

“I don’t see any likelihood of mass demonstrations, although the
results were disappointing for many, including Prosperous Armenia,”
said Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Centre
in Yerevan.

“There are signs that Sarksyan will consolidate his hold on the
Republican Party in preparation for his presidential bid in 2013,”
Giragosian said.

The two leading parties put the economy and social problems at the
heart of their election campaigns.

But there were no major differences in their economic programs,
which called for more work to develop domestic industry and for the
continuation of cooperation with Russia and international financial
organizations.

Three other parties won the 5 percent of votes needed to enter
parliament and the opposition Armenian National Congress, led by
former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, crossed the 7 percent threshold
for party blocs to take up seats.

HOPES OF STABILITY

Many voters had hoped the election would be a landmark for democracy
after the voting irregularities that marred the 2007 parliamentary
election and clashes killed 10 people after the presidential vote
in 2008.

“Armenia deserves recognition for its electoral reforms and its
open and peaceful campaign environment,” the international observers
from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe said in a statement.

But it added that several unnamed “stakeholders” had too often failed
to comply with the law, and the election commissions had “too often
failed to enforce it”.

Police received 129 complaints of ballot stuffing, attempts to bribe
voters and other irregularities although the force said some proved
to be false.

Armenia’s economy was devastated by a war with neighboring Azerbaijan
in the 1990s and then again by the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

Although a ceasefire was reached in 1994, the conflict with Azerbaijan
over the tiny Nagorno-Karabakh region remains unresolved and a threat
to stability.

Relations with another neighbor, Turkey, are also fraught because
Ankara does not recognize as genocide the killing of Armenians in
Ottoman Turkey during World War One, Reuters reports.

ARMENIA RULING PARTY WINS ELECTION: PARTIAL RESULTS

Business Recorder

May 7 2012

YEREVAN: Armenia’s governing party on Monday was set to win
parliamentary elections that were the biggest test of the country’s
fragile democracy since 2008 polls ended in fatal clashes, partial
results showed.

President Serzh Sarkisian’s governing Republican party led with
44.69 percent of the vote after three-quarters of the 1,982 polling
stations had counted ballots from Sunday’s contest, the Central
Election Commission said.

Its outgoing coalition partner turned poll rival, the Prosperous
Armenia party, was running second on 30.61 per cent.

Trailing far behind, the opposition Armenian National Congress bloc
was third on 6.72 percent, according to the commission results,
posted on its website.