AUTHORITIES PREVENT PEOPLE FROM ATTENDING RALLY
13:30 / 10.10.2014
The authorities have started the ‘operation’ to prevent people from
attending today’s rally of three opposition forces in the Freedom
Square.
Few cases have already been registered on Ashtarak-Yerevan highway.
The movement of few cars to Yerevan has been blocked. Gyumri-Yerevan
train is not working today. But people’s flow to Yerevan has already
started.
Nyut.am
HERITAGE PARTY MP ASKS OMBUDSMAN TO MAKE SPEAKER OF THE ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT RESPONSIBLE
Arminfo
Friday, October 10, 15:45
Heritage party MP, Zarui Postanjan, has blamed the speaker of the
Armenian parliament, Galust Sahakyan, for making obstacles on the way
of her activity. The reason of it is Sahakyan’s refusal to put into
circulation the draft statement on reappointment of Surik Khachatryan
as a governor of Syunik region, Postanjan said.
According to the law “On regulations of the National Assembly”, the
speaker should put a draft into circulation. “The speaker had to do
that till 2 October. But the draft statement has not been yet put
into circulation. Taking this into consideration, I should say that
the speaker, Galust Sahakyan, taking advantage of his authorities,
hinders my activity as a member of the parliament”, – Postanjan said.
She asked Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan to take measures for restoration
of her rights, and to make Galust Sahakyan responsible.
To recall, MP Zaruhi Pastanjyan (Heritage opposition party) submitted
a draft statement on biography of Surik Khachatryan, the Syunik
region governor. Postanjyan explains her step with the lawless, as
she thinks, past of the governor, who was reappointed to that post
on 25 September 2014.
Postanjyan says that Surik Khachatryan, known with his nickname “Liska”
passed a ‘glorious’ way serving the interests of Serzh Sargsyan’s
regime. “He was repeatedly officially convicted for various crimes,
particularly, infliction of severe bodily harms, seizure of state
and private property, hijacking and hooliganism,” Postanjyan said.
The draft statement demands the Parliament to condemn inactivity of the
judiciary with regard to Khachatryan. “The Parliament must condemn the
Government’s decision to reappoint Khachatryan as governor, Postanjyan
said asking the Parliament to put the draft decision in circulation,
as stipulated by the law.
To recall, Khachatryan resigned from the post of the Syunik Governor
following shootouts in front of his house on June 2 2013 when the
former candidate for Goris mayor Avo Budaghyan was killed and his
brother Artak Budaghyan, a commander at a military unit in the NKR
was wounded. There was another wounded, Nikolay Arustamyan, a relative
and bodyguard of Governor Suren Khachartyan.
Syunik Governor Suren Khachatryan’s son, Tigran Khachatryan, was
arrested over the shootouts. Earlier, the governor’s bodyguard Zarzand
Nikoghosyan was arrested over the case. However, the Court terminated
the case and set free the Governor’s son and his friend.
To calm down the tensions in Syunik, parliamentarian Vahe Hakobyan,
the son of Zangezour copper and molybdenum plant’s ex-director Maksim
Hakobyan, was appointed as Syunik Governor. However, according to
ArmInfo’s data, Surik Khachatryan, who enjoys the support of the
country’s leadership, put a spoke in the young governor’s wheel.
Actually, Vahe Hakobyan was reluctant to send in his resignation.
BHK LAWMAKER TO RALLY PARTICIPANTS: NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT RISTRICT CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO FREE MOVEMENT
13:47 | October 10,2014 | Politics
Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the
Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs has addressed people who
are going to participate in today’s opposition rally in Liberty Square.
“Dear compatriots,
“Article 25 of the Armenian Constitution envisages that everyone
legally residing in the Republic Armenia shall have the right to
freedom of movement and choice of residence in the territory of the
Republic Armenia. All citizens whose movement to Yerevan from regions
will be barred or restricted unnecessarily, are asked to contact the
NA Standing Committee on the Protection of Human Rights and Public
Affairs calling at 011 513 – 314,” Elinar Vardanyan, a lawmaker of
the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), said in her address.
The opposition trio – BHK, Armenian National Congress (HAK) and
Heritage – are holding a joint rally in Yerevan on Friday, October 10.
They call for a change of power and drastic reforms.
SERZH SARGYSAN: LESSONS OF OUR NATIONS’ HEROISM SHOULD BE IMPRINTED IN MEMORY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS
14:37 10/10/2014 >> POLITICS
The condemnation and recognition of already committed crimes is vital
in the prevention of crimes against humanity, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan stated at the meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council in
the Belarusian capital Minsk.
“The bloody lessons of the two World Wars in the 20th century and the
lessons of our nations’ heroism should be imprinted in the memory of
the future generations,” said the President.
President Sargsyan also said that the planned events should clearly
outline the priority for the CIS states in the fight against historical
revisionism, heroization of Nazism, racism, xenophobia and intolerance,
prevention of crimes against humanity and upbringing of the youth in
conditions of tolerance, interethnic and interconfessional consent.
Source: Panorama.am
SOLOLEARN WINS SEEDSTARS YEREVAN 2014 FINALE
YEREVAN, October 9. /ARKA/. SoloLearn has won on the finale of
SeedStars Yerevan 2014 and will participate in the international
SeedStars in Geneva, the Microsoft Innovation Center says on its
facebook page.
SeedStars World made its debut in Armenia on October 7, 2014. Some
35 start-up companies presented their business solutions, educational
apps, B2B, B2C and mobile games at a startup competition.
The Seedstars international contest will be held in Geneva on February
4, 2015. The winner will get an opportunity to attract investments
worth from 100,000 to 500,000 euros for his project.
Under an agreement with Armenian VC Granatus Ventures, SoloLearn mobile
learning platform will receive $100,000 and acceleration support. The
funding will be used for the improvement of the platform and attracting
new users.
SoloLearn was founded in June 2013. It is a mobile learning platform
offering 14 interactive and gaming applications in programming,
business and photography. It is available both for Android and Windows
and has been downloaded over 350,000 times.
Seedstars Yerevan 2014 was held by Microsoft Innovation Center,
Seedstars World, Tumo Center for Creative Technologies, supported by
Swiss embassy in Armenia, Azad Pharmaceuticals and Ameria management
consulting service. -0–
GAGIK TSARUKYAN: WE ARE AGAINST ‘MAIDAN,’ BUT INACTIVITY MUST NOT BE ALTERNATIVE TO ‘MAIDAN’
by Nana Martirosyan
Thursday, October 9, 14:21
Large-scale consolidation of public and political forces that would
lead to a multi-party power enjoying truly people’s mandate could
become a success formula for Armenia, Gagik Tsarukyan, Leader of
Prosperous Armenia Party told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. He said numerous
protests and rallies in Armenia show that the Armenian public can
no longer bear injustice and low living standards. “Simultaneously,
there is tangible political consolidation able to form the right
political agenda,” he said.
Tsarukyan said that yet five-six years ago he warned against wrong
economic policy in the country.
“However, my voice did not reach the addressee then and today we have
what we have. The small and mid- sized business was affected the most.
Several thousands of enterprises were closed. In fact, we witness
poverty growth, slump of foreign investments, and slackening of
economic growth rates,” he said. He said the four parliamentary
opposition parties (Armenian National Congress, Heritage, ARFD,
Prosperous Armenia) drafted a package of 12 proposals to settle a
range of burning issues in the country.
“The authorities had enough time to respond in the right way and start
discussing and implementing those proposals. It was a good opportunity
to launch dialogue with political forces. However, they failed to do
it. What remains for the people is to use their constitutional right
and demand fulfillment of those simple proposals,” the politician said.
He came out against ‘maidans.’ At the same time, Tsarukyan is sure
that inactivity must become an alternative to ‘maidans’ as it is also
disastrous for small countries like Armenia.
GOVERNMENT OKS AMENDMENTS TO TURNOVER TAX LAW IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, October 9. /ARKA/. Armenia’s government approved, at its
Thursday’s meeting, the amendments to the turnover tax law proposed
by the ministry of finance.
Turnover tax rate for economic entities is planned to be lowered
from 3.5% to 1% on October 1, 2014, but particular paperwork will be
made obligatory for small and mid-scale businesses. Along with that,
the inspections of compliance with the demand will be facilitated.
According to the amendment, the paperwork requirement for small and
midsized businesses will come in force on February 1, 2015 (not on
October 1 as per the current law).
The draft amendments have been defined as “urgent” and sent to the
parliament.
Small and midsized enterprises are not happy about the mandatory
paperwork provision and hold protests outside the buildings of the
government and the parliament. -0–
LE NOUVEAU RAPPORT DE L’UE CRITIQUE ANKARA SUR LES LIBERTES
TURQUIE
L’Union europeenne espère cooperer plus etroitement avec la Turquie
pour contrer le groupe Etat islamique (EI) et le retour de jihadistes
en Europe, a indique la Commission mercredi dans un rapport sur les
negociations d’adhesion.
Ce rapport d’etape sur les negociations d’adhesion entamees en 2005,
longtemps restees au point mort, est très critique sur une purge dans
les milieux de la police et de la justice engagee par le gouvernement
turc en reponse a une enquete anticorruption visant certains de
ses membres, et sur les pressions exercees sur la presse, Twitter
et Youtube.
“Les negociations d’adhesion doivent etre redynamisees”, affirme
la Commission, alors que le rapport liste une serie de serieux
handicaps, a commencer par l’independance de la justice et la liberte
d’expression.
La Commission souligne en meme temps “la position strategique de la
Turquie”, situee entre l’Europe et le Moyen-Orient mais aussi au sud
de la zone d’influence russe, puisqu’elle borde la mer Noire.
“Les developpements très graves dans la region, notamment en Syrie et
en Irak, rendent la cooperation” en politique etrangère, politique
migratoire et sur la question de la securite energetique “encore
plus cruciale” et “importante”, estime Bruxelles, faisant egalement
reference aux “defis considerables” poses par la crise en Ukraine.
“Il est donc essentiel que les negociations d’adhesion restent
le moteur principal de nos relations”, a juge le commissaire a
l’Elargissement, Stefan Fule, devant le Parlement europeen.
Ce dialogue “devrait etre utilise pour developper une cooperation
plus etroite contre l’EI et les reseaux qui le financent”, assure
la Commission dans son rapport. “Le dialogue actif dans le domaine
du contre-terrorisme entre l’UE et la Turquie est bienvenu, et doit
etre renforce encore, en particulier dans le domaine des combattants
etrangers”, les jihadistes europeens rentrant de Syrie et d’Irak,
insiste-t-elle.
Jean-Claude Juncker, qui presidera la nouvelle Commission a partir
de novembre, a exclu l’adhesion d’un nouvel Etat membre dans les
cinq prochaines annees, estimant qu’il fallait “une pause” pour
“consolider ce qui a ete fait a 28”.
En Turquie, “des progrès significatifs sont necessaires
particulièrement dans le domaine de la justice et des droits
fondamentaux, des politiques sociales et d’emploi, notamment le
droit du travail et la securite au travail”, selon le rapport. “C’est
maintenant a la Turquie de montrer des progrès concrets”, a affirme M.
Fule.
Il a salue le soutien apporte par la Turquie a la reprise des
negociations de paix entre les leaders chypriotes grec et turc en
fevrier, mais “il est important que cela continue”, a insiste M. Fule,
alors que de nouvelles tensions entre Ankara et Nicosie sont apparues
ces derniers jours autour de recherches energetiques en mer.
Le rapport “encourage” egalement “les efforts” du gouvernement turc
pour relancer des negociations de paix avec les rebelles du Parti
des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK).
Pour les autres candidats, la Commission estime que la Serbie
“continue a remplir de manière suffisante les critères politiques”
pour une adhesion, grâce a l’accord conclu en avril 2013 entre le
Kosovo et la Serbie visant a la normalisation de leur relations,
mais que des progrès substantiels restent a faire.
Les candidatures du Montenegro, de la Macedoine et de l’Albanie sont
encore loin de remplir tous les critères. Quant a la Bosnie-Herzegovine
et au Kosovo, ils sont encore plus eloignes d’une adhesion, selon
le rapport.
jeudi 9 octobre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com
DES MILITANTS A STEPANAKERT APPELLENT A LA SUSPENSION DE L’AUGMENTATION DES TARIFS DES BUS
KARABAGH
La hausse des tarifs de bus a Stepanakert le 1er Octobre a pousse les
citoyens a recourir a des manifestations publiques pour la première
fois depuis 1988, quand un mouvement pour l’independance du Karabagh a
commence. Les militants civils espèrent pouvoir realiser la suspension
de la decision, comme cela a ete possible a Erevan il y a un an –
au moins jusqu’a ce qu’une subvention soit accordee aux couches les
plus vulnerables de la societe.
En Juillet 2013 le Premier ministre du Karabagh Ara Harutyunyan a
dit que dans Stepanakert les tarifs des transports publics allaient
augmenter en Janvier 2014 En Août, quand la situation etait tendue
a la frontière, le maire de Stepanakert a finalement annonce que sa
decision d’augmenter les tarifs commencerait le 1er Octobre.
Au cours des sept dernières annees, les tarifs des transport a
Stepanakert sont restes inchanges – 70 drams (environ 17 cents). Les
autorites de la ville ont explique la necessite de les porter a 100
drams (25 cents) par la circonstance que les entreprises de transport
travaillent a perte.
Mais certains residents de Stepanakert, où les gens se sont abstenus
de toute manifestation publique de leur mecontentement face aux
decisions politiques internes au des deux dernières decennies du fait
qu’ils vivaient dans un pays qui est dans un etat de guerre, ont decide
d’organiser une manifestation . Environ 70 jeunes, pour la plupart ceux
qui sont nes après le mouvement du Karabagh, ont organise plusieurs
manifestations de rue reclamant la revocation de cette decision.
“Beaucoup de gens dans Stepanakert n’ont pas d’emploi, ces 30
drams comptent, alors nous essayons de presenter notre plainte au
gouvernement d’une manière organisee. Le premier ministre nous a recu
mardi. Il a estime qu’il etait probable que des subventions seraient
fournis par le gouvernement, mais a partir de l’annee prochaine
quand une telle disposition sera prevue dans le budget “, a declare
Vladimir Dolukhanyan 24 ans a ArmeniaNow, ajoutant que maintenant ils
vont demander aux autorites d’attendre jusqu’a ce que les subventions
soient accordees et seulement alors augmenter les tarifs de bus.
Le jeune militant a dit que, bien que la decision soit deja entre en
vigueur mercredi, il a toujours paye 70 drams quand il a pris un billet
dans un minibus. Il a appele les autres a ne pas payer 100 drams.
Tigran Grigorian, 24 ans, un autre participant a la protestation,
a dit que beaucoup de personnes ont suivi leur exemple et ont refuse
de payer le supplement pour les trajets en bus.
“Mardi soir, nous avons demande au maire de suspendre la decision
avant que la decision sur le budget de l’annee prochaine”, a declare
Grigoryan a ArmeniaNow, donnant l’assurance que leurs protestations
ne peuvent pas avoir un impact negatif sur la situation a la frontière.
SDHK JOINS OPPOSITION TRIO
18:28 | October 8,2014 | Politics
The reorganized Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHK) has issued a
statement, expressing its support to the opposition trio and urging
everyone to attend the October 10 rally.
“The deep systemic crisis which has affected all areas of the
country and paralyzed the state, is threatening Armenian statehood
and independence, weakening the army and undermining the security of
Artsakh. The present situation requires drastic and radical political
decisions. Being a radical opposition force and part of the three
political parties represented in the National Assembly (Armenian
National Congress, Prosperous Armenia and Heritage), the SDHK announces
that the acting regime is unable to solve the problems faced by the
country and its people. We are convinced that only through a complete
change of government and formation of a legitimate government, can we
save the country from the collapse and ensure its normal development.
The SDHK calls on all citizens concerned about the fate of the Republic
of Armenia to attend the opposition’s rally to be held at Liberty
Square in Yerevan on October 10 (6.00 Yerevan time) and participate
in the reforms initiated by the trio,” reads the statement.