Author: Kanayan Tamar

“TURK”, “FAKE PATRIOT” OR VOICE OF THE PEOPLE?: SOCIAL MEDIA ABUZZ WITH DEBATE OVER MP POSTANJYAN

POLITICS | 04.10.13 | 15:26

Photolure

By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Oppositional Heritage faction member Zaruhi Postanjyan’s question to
president Serzh Sargsyan during the Q&A following his speech from
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe rostrum with
reference to the president’s alleged large-scale gambling incident,
was a mine that exploded causing a lava-like emanation of the Armenian
domestic political field.

During the PACE session on Wednesday in Strasbourg, the fiery MP
Postanjyan poised several questions to the president, but one has
put her place on the PACE delegation in jeopardy.

“Have you been to a European casino lately, and — since you are
known to the public as a gambler — did you lose 70 million euros
($95 million) there and who paid for your loss?”, Postanjyan asked.

“Mrs. Postanjyan, I am deeply convinced that I represent the Armenian
people and I am proud of that,” replied the Sargsyan.

“I have never been to any casino in Europe, I don’t gamble,
and unfortunately I don’t have 70 million euros at my disposal,”
the president said. “If I had such a chance I would donate part of
[that sum] to you to make sure you are happy with life and do not
accumulate so much malice.”

Social networks and mass media criticize not only Postanjyan’s
question, but also question her being fit to be a political figure
at all. The Facebook community hasher had not yet fully grinded the
“puzzling” election of the Prosecutor General, when the oppositional
politician found herself at its mercy. Anti-Postanjyans started calling
her a “Turk”, “vulgar”, “grant-eater”, “fake patriot”, seeing her as
someone who aired her dirty laundry in public and betrayed her nation
by her unbefitting conduct.

Meanwhile, her supporters state she is an elected MP, enjoys public
affection and respect, and had a right to ask such a question.

Reporter Mher Arshakyan wrote: “No need to blame Postanjyan. She simply
had no alternative, and had to raise the issue. With her question she
ridiculed the fact that Serzh Sargsyan is seen a discreet political
figure. And only the casino topic could be the question to ask such
a figure. The question itself demonstrates how Serzh Sargsyan put
himself in an awkward position, not as a gambler, but as a leader
who treats all his citizens with neglect.”

Postanjyan herself said in an interview to RFE/RL that within 30
seconds’ time she tried to ask all the questions that almost 80
percent of Armenia’s population has concerns about.

When asked about the source of her information about the president’s
alleged gambling habit, she responded: “I will make a reference to the
claim by Serzh Sarsyan’s representative about gambling. It is Victor
Dallakyan [deputy chief of president’s staff], who personally spoke
about it in public, and is still the president’s representative at
the National Assembly.”

In reference to the Republicans’ sharp criticism against her,
suggesting that she get punished, she says: “If there are people who
have to criticize, let them first criticize the fact that poverty
in Armenia has reached a huge scale with a great number of people
starving today, and so has the migration, and the huge scale of
shadow economy, let them think about that and condemn that. If I am at
fault for that let them throw stones at me. I have nothing to fear,
I am ready to resist and continue the fight, which matters greatly
to me, because I am ready for a fight. I will go till the very end,
so that my children have a motherland.”

TURQUIE : ERDOGAN, FUTUR PRESIDENT ?

TURQUIE

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a fait savoir qu’il
serait candidat a l’election presidentielle prevue l’an prochain si
son parti le lui demandait.

Selon les règles de fonctionnement de son parti, l’AKP (Parti pour la
justice et le developpement), Recep Tayep Erdogan ne peut pretendre
a etre a nouveau chef du gouvernement a l’issue des elections
legislatives de 2015. On le sait favorable a un rôle renforce du
president au sein de l’executif, mais ses projets de faire modifier
la constitution en ce sens n’ont pour l’heure pas abouti.

” Je n’ai pas encore pris une telle decision de facon certaine. Si
j’avais pris une telle decision de facon sûre, je l’annoncerais “,
a declare le Premier ministre dans un entretien accorde hier soir a
la chaîne de television A Haber.

” Nous avons un système et ce système est fonde sur la consultation.

La pièce la plus importante de cette consultation pour l’heure est
mon parti. Et, quelle que soit la fonction dont mon parti me chargera,
quel que soit ce qu’il souhaitera pour moi, je m’efforcerai de le faire
“, a-t-il ajoute.

Le Premier ministre et le president Abdullah Gul ont tous deux
participe a la creation de l’AKP en 2001 et sont allies de longue
date. Des tensions sont toutefois apparues dans leur relation
depuis un an, notamment sur la facon de traiter les manifestations
antigouvernementales de l’ete dernier a Istanbul et Ankara.

samedi 5 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

MANIFESTATIONS DU PARC GEZI EN TURQUIE : LES FORCES DE POLICE EN CAUSE

TURQUIE

Les autorites turques ont commis de très nombreuses violations des
droits humains lorsque le gouvernement a tente d’ecraser le mouvement
de protestation du parc Gezi cet ete, a declare Amnesty International.

Dans un rapport rendu public mercredi 2 octobre, l’organisation
decrit les excès dont la police s’est rendue coupable pendant les
manifestations, en soulignant que ces agissements n’ont fait l’objet
d’aucunes poursuites tandis que les personnes ayant manifeste ont,
elles, etaient harcelees et inculpees.

La repression du mouvement de protestation du parc Gezi a donne
lieu a des violations des droits humains a très grande echelle. Le
droit de se reunir pacifiquement a ete systematiquement bafoue et les
violations du droit a la vie, a la liberte et a ne pas etre torture
et maltraite ont ete nombreuses. ”

Le ” programme de democratisation ” annonce par le Premier ministre
turc lundi 30 septembre ne resout pas le problème de ces violations
et ne propose aucune mesure serieuse pour eviter qu’elles ne se
reproduisent a l’avenir.

Intitule Gezi Park protests : Brutal denial of the right to peaceful
assembly in Turkey, le rapport d’Amnesty International decrit comment
les tirs de balles reelles, de gaz lacrymogène, de canon a eau,
de balles en caoutchouc ainsi que les coups ont fait plus de 8 000
blesses la où les manifestations avaient lieu. La mort d’au moins
trois manifestants etait liee a l’utilisation d’une force excessive
de la part de la police.

L’organisation a observe des manifestations a Istanbul et Ankara
et interroge dans quatre villes turques de nombreuses personnes qui
avaient ete blessees par la police, arretees illegalement et frappees
ou agressees sexuellement pendant leur detention.

Ce que le rapport montre : la police a frequemment tire des balles
en caoutchouc en visant la tete ou le haut du corps ; des grenades
lacrymogènes ont ete tirees directement sur les manifestants, les
passants et parfois en direction de bâtiments d’habitation ou medicaux,
provoquant des centaines de blessures et, selon des temoins, au moins
un decès ; des irritants chimiques ont ete ajoutes aux reservoirs
des canons a eau ; des policiers ont inflige des violences sexuelles
a des manifestantes ; des balles reelles ont ete utilisees, tuant
un manifestant.

Il apparaît deja que la grande majorite des violences policières
resteront impunies, tandis que les personnes ayant organise
les manifestations ou y ayant participe ont ete vilipendees et
violentees et font maintenant l’objet de poursuites injustes ou
disproportionnees. Les personnes ayant aide des manifestants ou
diffuse des informations sur les manifestations – medecins, avocats,
journalistes et meme des commercants – ont ete menacees et harcelees.

La determination des autorites turques a mettre fin aux manifestations
du parc Gezi et a decourager toute reprises du mouvement est manifeste,
a declare Andrew Gardner. Pour y parvenir, elles ont opte pour la
force, les menaces, les insultes et les poursuites en justice.

Des centaines de personnes sont menacees de poursuites en justice
simplement pour avoir participe aux manifestations, en l’absence de
tout element attestant qu’elles aient pris part a des actes violents.

Un grand nombre de personnes accusees d’avoir organise les
manifestations font l’objet d’une instruction en vertu de la loi
antiterroriste.

Amnesty International appelle les gouvernements et les fournisseurs
de materiel antiemeute a interdire immediatement les exportations ou
les transferts vers la Turquie. Cette interdiction devrait concerner
notamment le gaz lacrymogène et le gaz poivre, ainsi que les balles
en caoutchouc et autres projectiles a impact cinetique.

Une telle interdiction devrait rester en vigueur jusqu’a ce que
les autorites autorisent l’ouverture d’une enquete independante et
impartiale sur les allegations d’usage arbitraire ou excessif de
la force, et fassent la preuve de leur engagement a n’utiliser ce
materiel que dans le strict respect des normes internationales.

samedi 5 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

DES VEHICULES ELECTRIQUES POURRAIENT AIDER A EVITER LES PROBLEMES DANS LE SECTEUR DES TRANSPORTS A EREVAN SELON L’ASSOCIATION DES CONSOMMATEURS

ARMENIE

Le developpement du transport par des vehicules electriques a Erevan
aidera a eviter les problèmes dans le secteur des transports a declare
le president de l’Association des consommateurs Armen Poghosyan.

Selon le chef de l’ONG, la municipalite d’Erevan ne donne pas
l’attention voulue a la question, malgre que le developpement du
transport electrique a ete mis a l’ordre du jour du bureau du maire
pendant de longues annees.

“En parlant de developpement du transport electrique, la municipalite
n’a pas specifiee de chiffres, de volumes ou de delais” a declare
Armen Poghosyan.

Une des options est l’ouverture de nouvelles stations de metro a
precise Armen Petrosyan.

“En ce qui concerne le tramway, je suis sûr que, meme si ce n’est
pas maintenant, il sera retabli a Erevan dans quelques annees”,
a declare Armen Poghosyan.

Le Metro a ete fondee en 1981. Il dispose de dix stations aujourd’hui.

La longueur totale de l’ensemble des lignes du metro est de 13,4
kilomètres.

samedi 5 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

CLOTURE DU FESTIVAL ” KOMITAS VARTABED ” A EREVAN

ARMENIE-CULTURE

Le 3 octobre dans la salle ” Aram Khatchatourian ” de l’Opera d’Erevan
se sont deroules les ceremonies de clôture du Festival pan-armenien
” Komitas Vartabed ” (Père Komitas), une manifestation qui est a
l’initiative du ministère armenien de la Diaspora dediee au plus
celèbre musicologue armenien. Parmi les personnalites presentes dans
la salle notons celles de la Première dame d’Armenie Rita Sarkissian,
de la Ministre de la Diaspora Hranouche Hagopian, des representants du
gouvernement et un public fidèle a l’~uvre de Komitas. Dans le cadre
de ce festival, la chorale ” Komitas Vartabed ” a offert durant les
semaines ecoulees plusieurs concerts a Erevan, mais egalement Gumri,
Vanatsor et Etchmiadzine. Lors de cette ceremonie de clôture, on
comptait dans la salle, des invites musiciens ou choristes venus d’une
dizaine de pays, dont du Japon ou de Russie. Lors de la soiree fut
egalement projetee le documentaire de Haïk Sayatian dedie a Komitas.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 5 octobre 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

ZARUHI POSTANJYAN “I WILL SPEAK WITH HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN IN LEGAL LANGUAGE, LET HIM NOT THINK THAT HE WILL MAKE SUCCESS.”

October 4 2013

The MP of “Heritage” faction Zaruhi Postanjyan ensures that her
question to the RA President raised yesterday at the PACE was presented
by the wish of citizens of Armenia and the Diaspora.”Everybody was
worried about this issue”,- said Ms.

Postanjyan to Aravot.am. To our observation that some of your
like-minded friends and party members also responded bad to your
question, she said, “There are different opinions, more pointed
questions could be raised, but to whom. I do not accept Serzh Sargsyan
as the President of Armenia, he had appeared here as a result
of theft and robbery. What question should I ask this man? I have
asked the question right in that context. And, those who say that if
they were in my place, I would not have asked this question, this
is the reason why I am here, and not them.” To note that yesterday
Anahit Bakhshyan had told that she would not ask such a question,
and Isabella Abgaryan had told that more pointed question could be
asked from the Council of Europe tribune. To our question whether
you are aware of that NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan has expressed his
intention about your withdraw from the PACE Armenian delegation,
she said, “Hovik Abrahamyan is already repeated, such an attempt
has been made many years ago by him, and he has got the answer. He
will get the answer now, too. I am asking the right question in the
right place at the right time, which had unwelcomed consequences for
them.” To our question as to what reaction was received after your
question at the PACE, Ms. Postanjyan said, “The reactions are still
ahead. The reaction should be as following. We must do everything in
our country to isolate these authorities, thieves, and fraudsters from
our country that their threat is not constituted to the citizens of
Armenia, and Armenian citizen is not forced to leave.” Referring to the
Constitution of Armenia, Article 66, which was cited by the National
Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan at the NA and which served as a
ground for withdrawal of Zaruhi Postanjyan from PACE delegation, Ms.

Postanjyan said, “If Hovik Abrahamyan want to get into a legal dispute
and make a statement in the legal context, we will speak with him in
legal language. We can make a war on him in this context also. Let him
not think that he can make success from a legal perspective.” To the
criticism directed at him that he could have made the same question
in Armenia, but not from the Council of Europe tribune, Ms. Postanjyan
said such a question should be asked to Serzh Sargsyan at the PACE.

“What is different of the PACE from here, the tribunes are the same.

We need to raise this question right in the PACE, because an organized
crime occurred in Armenia with complicity of PACE high rank officials,
stealing the votes from the Armenian people. So, my questions was
addressed to them that you have have entered into a deal and you were
in trade with just an ordinary person, who has a reputation to visit
casinos and play.” To our question whether you do not think that your
question will be speculated in Azerbaijan and Turkey, she said. “I do
not have a problem whether they will speculate in Azerbaijan or Turkey,
or not. Because during three years, 15,000 Turks and Azeri did not
come here to ask for asylum, but the citizens of Armenia. They have
come here to lie down on the ground and ask for asylum. If someone
tries to speculate, let him understand who our enemy is. Our enemy
is among us and inside us. And, this animosity comes from inside us.”

Arpine SIMONYAN

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ARMENIA NOT A TRANSIT COUNTRY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING – BAGHDASARYAN

17:33 04/10/2013 ” SOCIETY

Although there are still many problems that need solution, we
can say that Armenia does not manufacture drugs, is not a transit
country for drug trafficking and the level of drug use is low in the
country, Secretary of the Armenian National Security Council (NSC)
Arthur Baghdasaryan said at the session where the results of the
Channel-Caucasus local anti-drug operation were summed up, the NSC
press service reported.

Mr Baghdasaryan said that the Armenian police have carried
out large-scale work which was summed up at the session of the
interdepartmental commission under the NSC Secretary on September 18.

The commission, which engages in the fight against drug trafficking,
has considerably raised the efficiency of state bodies’ activities
in this area.

Armenian Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan, CSTO Secretary General
Nikolai Bordyuzha, Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service Director
Viktor Ivanov also addressed the session.

Source: Panorama.am

URAL AIRLINES TO CONDUCT VORONEZH-YEREVAN FLIGHTS

October 04, 2013 | 10:28

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) has permitted
Ural Airlines to conduct regular flights between the City of Voronezh
and Armenia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and the
United Arab Emirates, Rosaviatsia informed.

Therefore Ural Airlines will conduct flights between the Russian city
and Armenia’s capital city Yerevan once a week, Abireg.ru reports.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

STEPANAKERT HOSTS CONFERENCE ON ARTSAKH’S NATIONAL LIBERATION STRUGGLE

16:56 04.10.2013

On October 4 President Bako Sahakyan partook in the international
conference “Artsakh’s national liberation struggle: From Gyulistan
till our days” in capital Stepanakert.

In his speech President Sahakyan considered important holding such
international scientific events for in-depth understanding of the
Artsakh issue, comprehensive monitoring of regional processes and
making more accurate projections of possible developments.

According to the President, the Armenian nation’s aspiration for a free
and sovereign existence and restoration of national statehood is one
of the longest national liberation struggles in the world history with
restoring free, sovereign and powerful national statehood, ensuring
its continuous development and strengthening being the inalterable
supreme strategic objective.

Turning to the current stage of the Artsakh state building process
President Sahakyan underlined that we had no way back, adding that
independence and security of Artsakh are unique values that are not
subject to any speculation, Central Information Department of the
Office of the NKR President reported.

YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY TO SPEND 200 MILLION TO MARK ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY OF THE CAPITAL CITY

YEREVAN, October 3. / ARKA /. The Yerevan municipality will spend
200 million drams to mark another anniversary of the establishment
of Armenia’s capital city.

A vice mayor Aram Sukiasian said 90 million drams were released by the
municipality and the rest has come from private donors. This October
11 Yerevan will turn 2,795. Aram Sukiasyan said also 30 delegations
from Europe and Asia will come to Armenia to attend the festivity.

The list of festive measures includes a concert of classical music
near Komitas Park in downtown Yerevan, the Mashtots Avenue will host
performers of folk singers, Charles Aznavour square will be given to
rock musicians and the Cascade to jazz musicians . Theater performances
and sporting events for children will be staged in other public parks
and squares in Yerevan. Sukiasyan said the most interesting event
will be a festive gala concert at Republic Square.

The festivity called Erebuni -Yerevan was first celebrated in 1968,
when the city became 2,750. Yerevan (Erebuni ) was founded in 782 BC,
29 years before the founding of Rome, by the king of Urartu Argishti
First in the south- east of the Armenian Highland. ($ 1 – 405.33
drams). -0-

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