Author: Kanayan Tamar

SERZH SARGSYAN DESTROYED
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:36:46 – 02/11/2011

Actually, Serzh Sargsyan destroyed the government he had built
in the result of 2008 election, i.e. March 1. No doubt, planning
the presidential elections, Serzh Sargsyan imagined a different
government. March 1 ruined all his plans creating a completely new
internal governmental situation and forcing Serzh Sargsyan adapt to it.

It is necessary to stress that the point is not about the fact that
Serzh Sargsyan had an idea of a better, more democratic government.

No, the point is about a completely different government not related to
Kocharyan because only such a government would allow Serzh Sargsyan
being the de facto President of the country with all the social,
internal governmental and foreign political responsibility stemming
from it.

By the way, following the internal governmental replacements, we
don’t need to have the false impression of democratic or legal-civil
changes. It is clear that the government is under a process of
formation of transformation which was put off for over 3 years due
to March 1.

The intermediate government that has been present in Armenia for over
3 years seems to be destructing or has already destructed, and Serzh
Sargsyan’s government is coming to replace it. Apparently, the coming
government will be temporary because the current system in Armenia
with its essence and quality is unable to ensure a lasting government.

Serzh Sargsyan understands this fact having a clear idea of the home
situation and global trends.

Merely the new temporary government will be Serzh Sargsyan’s tactics
and not the concession to Robert Kocharyan. Sure, Sargsyan needs
to complete this process, or to bring it to the point after which
Kocharyan will have to only agree with Sargsyan and stop his evident
and covert tries to change the situation. But it is obvious that Serzh
Sargsyan managed to receive the support of the West and Moscow, while
in case of certain layout of realities in the country, he can also
get the support of the opposition Armenian National Congress. Congress
seems to have already voiced its support announcing about the version
of next elections.

Ter-Petrosyan, of course, understands no worse the situation and knows
the government structure better and imagines the deep essence of the
changes preferring not to intervene and not to become an obstacle. I am
repeating, I am not saying Armenia and the authorities are becoming
more democratic and Ter-Petrosyan decided to enjoy this process,
more, Ter-Petrosyan is not entering a deal with Serzh Sargsyan.

Merely, assessing the resources of the opposition, the potential of
public mobilization, and understanding the deep processes happening
in the government and the external influence on them, which is not a
secondary factor, Ter-Petrosyan perhaps prefers not assuming the role
of the unnecessary because if so, he will not better the opposition’s
positions but will only inhibit the internal governmental process.

But in general, having no direct or indirect connection with the
public demand on democratization, as well as with the civil interests,
the current process has positive trends for Armenia in terms of
public perspectives.

Building his own government, Serzh Sargsyan cannot but take into
account the transformations inside the society, the home and foreign
realities, technological transformations which facilitated the
destruction of such regimes which were richer than Armenia, in terms
of stronger self-preservation resources.

The key issue of the ongoing process is the power but any government
is based on the features of its time. Any government expresses the
public atmosphere of its time. Consequently, the society needs to see
not only a regular internal governmental skirmish that has nothing
to do with it and just a fight for power, but the impact of its
transformation on the governmental system.

Yes, Serzh Sargsyan, sooner or later, had to deal with the
establishment of his own government, but it depends on the current
situation in the public atmosphere what government he will establish,
what moods and trends will prevail or will be no less influential
than internal governmental trends in this process of establishment
of government.

Consequently, the society is not witnessing a show, or not only a show,
but the result of its legal-civil transformation, its influence.

This means that the process of public transformations should be kept
and deepened, deepening the internal governmental chaos, at the same
time, keeping it under the direct or indirect public control.

WHO FORGED THE MAYOR’S SIGNATURE?

04:45 pm | Today | Politics

“Heritage” faction MP Anahit Bakhshyan today sent a letter to the
acting mayor of Yerevan and we present the letter below:

On 3 October 2011, in response to my question enlisted as JM-E-0594/11,
on 17 October 2011 I received a letter from the incumbent mayor of
Yerevan with, in my opinion, a forged signature. In the letter, I
had shared my concerns with Karen Karapetyan and the chief of staff
of the municipality.

Please find out and provide me with a response within 10 days according
to Article 7 of the RA law “On the NA Charter” as to whose signature
that is and why that signature was, in my opinion, forged.

Perhaps it is because the questions that I had raised in my letter
to the mayor have been circumvented?

I would like to remind you that my question as a deputy referred to the
article entitled “You Can’t Do That” confirmed by director of school N
27 in Yerevan and published in “Aravot” daily newspaper, as well as not
paying heed to the appeal that schoolteacher Anahit Hovhannisyan sent
to head of the Public Education Department at Yerevan Municipality on
June 28. In the appeal, the schoolteacher had informed that during a
council session, the principal and Armenian language teacher Khlopuzyan
had used slander against her and had hurt her dignity.

In response to her appeal, teacher Anahit Hovhannisyan on July 28 had
received a letter signed by the head of the Public Education Department
of the Municipality in which it was stated that “the issues raised
in the letter don’t correspond to reality”. There was nothing said
about instigating a case as required by the RA law “On Administrative
Grounds and Administrative Case”, as well as the versatility, fullness,
objectivity of the proceeding established by Articles 35, 37, 38 and 39
of the Law, hearing the participants and the suitability of the cases.”

EXPERT: ARMENIA SHOULD SHIFT FROM SOCIAL-ORIENTED BUDGETS TO INVESTMENT BUDGET

/ARKA/
NOVEMBER 1, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, October 31. /ARKA/. Vazgen Safaryan, head of the Union of
Armenia’s Domestic Manufacturers, thinks Armenia should shift from
social-oriented budgets to an investment budget.

He told journalists on Monday that the 2012 government budget is
socially oriented.

He said that the funds intended for social area are planned to be
enlarged by AMD 35 billion from AMD 271 billion in 2011 to AMD 207
billion in 2012.

This will make it possible to increase the pension size by AMD 3,000
and benefit size by AMD 2,700.

“But I have repeatedly said and will say again that we should shift
from survival, consumer and social budgets to investment budgets,”
Safaryan said. “This will ensure economic development, particularly
industrial development.”

Armenia’s industry is stably growing, he said. It grew about nine
percent over nine months of this year.

Speaking about other sectors, the expert said that agriculture
contains weather-caused risks, and the role of construction has
been overestimated – the share of construction in the most developed
countries doesn’t exceed 5% of GDP, while in Armenia it reached 25%.

Pointing out that this was due to outside factors, he added that
construction here was carried out at the account of the capital
brought from the outside.

“Construction volumes no longer can be large in the country, since
construction of residential houses is already oversaturated here,
and construction can be carried out for industry and tourism areas,”
Safaryan said stressing the necessity to develop industry.

According to official statistical reports, construction in Armenia
faced 25.2% decline in September 2011, compared with the same month
a year before.

However, construction here grew 19.4% in September, compared with
the previous month, to AMD 49.1 billion.

Agriculture sector’s output in current prices amounted to AMD 169
billion in September 2011 after growing 18.6%, compared with the
previous year’s September.

On September 29, Armenian government approved the 2012 draft budget.

The budget revenue is projected at AMD 910 billion, spending AMD
1042.5 billion and deficit 132.5 billion here.

In this draft budget, revenue is planned to be enlarged by 6.8%
in 2012, compared with 2011 (AMD 852.4 billion) and spending is
projected to grow by about AMD 41.5 billion. ($1 – AMD 378.58)..

REVUE DE PRESSE N1 – 31/10/11 – COLLECTIF VAN

Collectif VAN

31-10-2011

Le Collectif VAN [Vigilance Arménienne contre le Négationnisme]
vous propose une revue de presse des informations parues dans
la presse francophone, sur les thèmes concernant la Turquie, le
génocide arménien, la Shoah, le génocide des Tutsi, le Darfour,
le négationnisme, l’Union européenne, Chypre, etc… Nous vous
suggérons également de prendre le temps de lire ou de relire
les informations et traductions mises en ligne dans notre rubrique

Par ailleurs, certains articles en anglais, allemand, turc, etc,
ne sont disponibles que dans la newsletter Word que nous générons
chaque jour. Pour la recevoir, abonnez-vous a la Veille-Média :
c’est gratuit ! Vous recevrez le document du lundi au vendredi dans
votre boîte email. Bonne lecture.

Stop aux arrestations en Turquie !

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite expressément a signer les deux pétitions de soutien aux
intellectuels turcs et kurdes arrêtés arbitrairement en Turquie. La
professeure Busra Ersanli et l’éditeur Ragip Zarakolu sont les
dernières personnalités turques placées en garde a vue (depuis
le vendredi 28 octobre 2011) a Istanbul. Ragip Zarakolu a publié
de nombreux livres, tant sur l’oppression des minorités nationales
en Turquie que sur le génocide arménien. ” Sous prétexte de
‘combattre le terrorisme’, le gouvernement Erdogan utilise la justice,
la police et les média pour punir tout activisme civique en faveur des
droits demandés par les citoyens kurdes de Turquie. L’ironie est que
la répression exercée par le gouvernement Erdogan a l’encontre des
dissidents et des démocrates s’est visiblement intensifiée au moment
où l’on salue la ” démocratie turque ” et où on la présente
comme modèle pour le monde arabe. Depuis deux ans, pas moins de 7748
personnes ont été mises en garde a vue par l’AKP au prétendu motif
qu’elles auraient été associées au KCK – une organisation qu’on
prétend être la branche urbaine de l’organisation armée appelée PKK
(Parti des Travailleurs du Kurdistan). ” Des centaines de signatures
ont déja été collectées sur ces deux pétitions depuis ce week-end
de la Toussaint. Merci de les faire tourner autour de vous ainsi que
dans vos réseaux politiques et associatifs.

Taner Akcam vs. Turquie Info Collectif VAN – –
” Cette semaine, je suis allé au Conseil de l’Europe a Strasbourg,
France, pour participer a des rencontres sur certains sujets précis
concernant la démocratie et les droits humains en Turquie. Lundi, j’ai
assisté a une conférence sur la situation des minorités religieuse
en Turquie, organisée par l’Université de Strasbourg. J’ai essayé
d’expliquer au public l’importance pour la Turquie d’affronter le
passé pour qu’elle devienne une meilleure démocratie. Ayant parlé de
confrontation, il a été intéressant de lire l’évaluation faite par
la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme (CEDH) de l’article 301 du
Code pénal turc, sur le dénigrement de la turcité, dans son arrêt
rendu mardi. Je parle du procès Taner Akcam vs Turquie, et la Cour
a conclu a la violation de la liberté d’expression de M. Akcam. ”
Le Collectif VAN vous livre la traduction de cet article en anglais
paru le 25 octobre 2011 sur le site du quotidien turc Today Zaman.

Taner Akcam et la liberté d’expression Info Collectif VAN –
– Le Collectif VAN vous livre la traduction de
ce communiqué en anglais de l’avocat de Taner Akcam suite au jugement
de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme rendu le 25 octobre 2011.

A l’occasion de l’anniversaire de la proclamation de la république
de Turquie S.M. le Roi félicite le Président turc Sa Majesté le
Roi Mohammed VI a adressé un message de félicitations au Président
turc, M. Abdullah Gul, a l’occasion de la célébration par le peuple
turc de l’anniversaire de la proclamation de la République.

La Turquie prépare un film sur le sanguinaire criminel Topal Osman
Le 4 novembre débutera en Turquie le tournage d’un film sur la vie
du bourreau Turc Osman Pasha (1884-1923). Surnommé Topal (boiteux en
turc) du fait d’une blessure au pied lors de la guerre des Balkans,
Topal Osman qui finit décapité en mars devant le Parlement turc
pour le meurtre d’Ali Chukru député de Trébizonde, est l’un des
personnages les plus cruels de l’histoire turque qui n’en manque pas
de ce type de personnages…

500 000 chrétiens vivent aujourd’hui en Irak Le nombre de chrétiens
au Moyen-Orient est estimé a 11 millions de personnes, qui se
répartissent en onze Ã~Iglises orientales de rites différents. Parmi
eux, 500 000 habitent en Irak, soit moins de 3 % de la population.Six
familles de rites Le rite chaldéen ou syrien-oriental fait partie
des six grandes familles de rites qui subsistent aujourd’hui, avec
les rites antiochien (syrien-occidental), alexandrin, byzantin,
arménien et latin.

L’info vue par la TRT (1) Le Collectif VAN vous propose cet article
publié sur la TRT (Télévision & Radio de Turquie). Les articles
de ce site ne sont pas commentés de notre part. Ils peuvent contenir
des propos négationnistes envers le génocide arménien ou d’autres
informations a prendre sous toute réserve. “Certaines célébrations
pour la Fête de la République du 29 octobre ont été annulées en
raison du séisme survenu a Van”.

Séisme en Turquie: l’Arménie envoie une aide humanitaire Un avion du
ministère arménien des Situations d’urgence a transporté vendredi
40 t d’aide humanitaire dans la province turque de Van (sud-est)
ravagée dimanche dernier par un séisme de magnitude 7,2, a annoncé
le service de presse du ministère arménien.

Edouard Nalbandian a fermement condamné la destruction des khatchkars
arméniens au Nakhitchevan par l’Azerbaïdjan Samedi 29 octobre a
Paris, lors de la 36e assemblée générale de l’UNESCO, le chef
de la diplomatie arménienne Edouard Nalbandian était présent en
compagnie de plusieurs membres dont Vicken Tchitétchian, l’Ambassadeur
d’Arménie en France. Cette rencontre de l’UNESCO visait a fixer les
actions de l’organisation internationale pour les deux prochaines
années.

Pour les Turcs en Allemagne, 50 ans d’intégration en panne Petit,
le crâne dégarni, l’Å”il malicieux, Ahmet Bayram, 66â~@~Ians,
est arrivé en 1971 a Berlin avec un contrat de travail dans une
grosse entreprise de machines-outils. Quarante ans après, ”je suis
pratiquement devenu un Berlinois”, sourit-il. Il passe toujours ses
vacances ”au pays” mais sa vie est ici, au nord du Danube. ”Mes
trois enfants et mes petits-enfants vivent a Berlin”, explique-t-il
devant les rayons de la librairie turque Kitapci tenue par son fils.

Les soirées du Parvis Musique vocale ancienne, tradition arménienne,
territoires inconnus de l’improvisation pure… L’itinéraire de Jazz
Métis nous entraîne vers des contrées inattendues.

Retour a la rubrique

TWO EARTHQUAKES AND THREE BABIES
By Seta Haig

October 23, 2011

Like any other morning, the first thing I do when I get up is to turn
on the morning news and walk over to the stove to heat the water for
my morning coffee.

The big news early today is a 7.2 magnitude devastating earthquake in
the region of Van, Eastern Turkey. The TV broadcasts the tragic news.

The screen exhibits heartbreaking images of large residential areas
with huge piles of debris from hundreds of collapsed, crumbled houses
and apartment buildings.

My first reaction is: “But that’s our land! That land belongs to us
Armenians, many of whom still live, scattered through almost every
country in the world that constitute what we call the Diaspora!”

But wherever and whoever the victims, human tragedy of people all
over the world has a way of touching fellow human beings. As I watch
the rescue and relief efforts deployed and the gradual rise of the
casualty count, a wave of mixed emotions ripple through my memories.

My thoughts fly back to the days of the Northridge Earthquake.

I remember waking up that early Monday morning just after 04:31 Pacific
Standard Time on January 17, 1994 in my home in Tarzana, California.

Our house was rumbling, pieces from it were breaking apart and tumbling
down, and everything loose was falling and littering the floor. In my
first few moments of anguish and desperation, all I could do was yell:
“My baby! O my baby!” In my shock and trauma I could not recall the
name of my first-born daughter Arlene, barely five months old at that
time. Soon afterward, as I was told later, I fainted altogether. My
husband had to shake me back to consciousness. He then took our
daughter in his arms, and the three of us somehow made it to the
exit. During all this time there was not a sound from our baby girl
Arlene. I could not expel my gut feeling that most probably she was
injured, or…wait a minute…Oh my God, please don’t make it worse!

When we had already reached the main gateway and the deafening tremors
had at last subsided, I resumed my frantic questions on Arlene’s
safety. My husband had to literally wake her up. Only at that moment
did I finally understand what had really happened to Arlene: she had
slept like an angel through the whole earthquake!

Two days have passed since this latest earthquake hit the Van region
in Turkey. Right now I am watching the astounding survival story of a
two-week old Turk baby girl called Azra that was miraculously rescued
from under the rubbles. I am almost in tears. My joy is compounded at
learning that Azra’s mother and grandmother have survived as well! And
I feel a strange bond of fate with Azra’s mother, since I know how
it feels to fear the loss of a child in the blind chaos of a natural
disaster that is an earthquake.

And my thoughts make a painful flashback to another baby, the eldest
brother of my father, who perished in another chaos of a – this one
man-made – disaster (real name: Genocide) almost a century ago. My
grandmother gave birth to him on the burning sands of the Syrian
Desert during the “deportation” of Armenians from their homeland
by the Ottoman Turkish authorities. Under the glassy stare of Turk
gendarmes prodding and compelling her with their bayonets to move
along, my grandmother was forced to abandon her baby the same day
he was born. She sprinkled some sand on his quivering tiny body to
“protect” it from the scorching sun, and moved on. I will not attempt
here the impossible by trying to give expression to her inner tragedy
then and there – and thereafter throughout her long life. My father
confides his grief to me, however, that he cannot remember his mother
ever laughing like any normal human being. With all the good will
she harbored toward her fellowmen, she could not even smile to her
last day.

Despite our painful history and the inhuman crimes perpetrated by
the Turkish Ottomans against Armenians, my bond of empathy with baby
Azra’s mother remains overwhelming. I only hope – and I am inclined
to be almost sure – that the feelings are mutual by the mothers of
all Turkish Azras toward thousands and thousands of Armenian babies
like my late uncle of one day who had to close their eyes forever
the same day they were born.

STRESS TESTS TO BE CONDUCTED IN ARMENIA’S METSAMOR NUCLEAR PLANT NEXT APRIL

APA, Azerbaijan
Oct 31 2011

Baku. Habil Suleymanzadeh – APA. Stress-tests will be conducted in
Metsamor nuclear power plant of Armenia in April, 2012, APA reports
with reference to Armenian newspapers. Armenian minister of energy and
natural resources Armen Movsisyan said the decision about international
tests in the plant was made after the accident in Japanese quake-hit
nuclear plant.

Experts of the European Union and the Council of Europe will also
join the last third phase of the stress-test.

International community’s concerns about the Metsamor nuclear
plant increased after the devastating earthquake in Turkey. The
international experts don’t rule out possibility of accident in
the Metsamor nuclear power plant, which is based on the old Soviet
technology, during the earthquake.

THE OPERATION OF ARMENIA’S NUCLEAR POWER STATION MAY BE PROLONGED

The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 31 2011

The operation of Armenia’s nuclear power station may be prolonged by
ten years according to Chief engineer of the power station Movses
Vardanyan. He stated that similar power stations in Russia are
prolonging their operations, and Armenia is ready to follow their
experience.

The functioning date for the Armenian nuclear power station expires in
2016. There is no final decision on prolonging exploitation, however.

The power station undergoes regular checkups and it is in good
condition, the Armenian officials maintain. Until 2013 the Russian
state control company Inter RAO will be managing the power station
in Armenia. It came into operation in 1976, was stopped in 1989 after
the devastating earthquake in Spitak, Armenia, then was re-launched in
1995. It produces around 40% of the total electric energy in Armenia.

TURKISH CULTURAL UNION OF SWEDEN PRESENTS “FRIEND OF THE YEAR” AWARD TO AN ARMENIAN

news.am, Armenia
Oct 31 2011

Turkish Cultural and Studies Union of Sweden presented its “Friend of
the Year” Award to Kadim Akcha, an Armenian businessman born in Turkey.

Akcha was presented the “Friend of the Year” Award for his book
entitled To Think Like a Turk In Order to Reach Success. The award
was presented together with a small concert, the Turkish Haber 3 news
agency informed.

In his book, the Armenian businessman reflects on solidarity among
nations and religions, and this became the reason for his being
presented the award.

Kadim Akcha was born in Mersin, Turkey, in 1951, into a poor Armenian
family. He moved to Sweden, at the age of 19, where he started as a
blue-collar worker and now has become a holding owner.

FUTURE NEWS: SYRIAN KURDISH FAMILIES REQUESTED TO ‘EVACUATE’ RENTED HOUSES

NOW LEBANON
Oct 29 2011

Future News television quoted on Saturday Syrian Kurdish people as
saying that Tashnaq-related group informed Syrian Kurdish families
living in Bourj Hammoud “of the importance to evacuate their rented
houses in the area.”

The report added that the request was made after members of these
families participated in protests against the Syrian regime in front
of the Syrian Embassy in Beirut.

According to UN estimates, more than 3,000 people have been killed in
the crackdown on Syrian protesters who have been demonstrating against
the Baath regime since mid-March. Thousands have fled to Lebanon.

-NOW Lebanon

ALIK SARGSYAN TO BE DISMISSED

Lragir.am News

22:27:23 – 31/10/2011

The chief of police, Lieutenant General Alik Sargsyan will be
dismissed. Alik Sargsyan will be replaced by the deputy minister of
defense, Lieutenant General Vladimir Gasparyan.