Author: Kanayan Tamar

DIPLOMAT WELCOMED ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S DECISION TO JOIN CUSTOMS UNION

13:45, 4 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenia should realize its
considerable geopolitical role in the world tangle and make steps
so that both Europe and the Russian Federation see Armenia in their
structures. This was stated by the former Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Armenia Arman Navasardyan touching upon the decision of
Armenia to join the Customs Union. “I was one of the supporters of
“and-and” idea. I think it is possible in Armenia’s conditions,
if we can work right. “Or-or” could make us harm. In that sense, the
decision of the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan to
join the Customs Union should be welcomed”, – said Arman Navasardyan,
as reported by Armenpress.

The former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia noted at
the same time that if the membership in the Customs Union brings to
the refusal from signing the Association Agreement, the country will
lose a lot.

In the result of the negotiations on September 3, 2013 in Moscow
the Presidents Sargsyan and Putin confirmed the aim of the Republic
of Armenia and the Russian Federation in the direction of further
development of economic integration processes in the Eurasian
territory. In that context the President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan announced about the Armenia’s decision to join the
Customs Union and the necessity of implementation corresponding steps
for that aim and in future about participating in formation of the
Eurasian economic union. The President of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Putin expressed his support to the abovementioned decision
of Armenia and informed about the readiness of the Russian side to
support the process.

Earlier Armenpress published the speech of the Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan during the press conference on the results of the
negotiations with the Russian President Vladimir Putin:

“Honorable Mister President, respectable representatives of media,

I want to begin with gratitude word directed to Mister Putin for just
ended open negotiations, atmosphere of confidence and arrangements
directed to further development of Armenian-Russian relations. As it
was said in constructive atmosphere together with Russian President we
discussed the main issues of strategic partnership of our countries –
in political, trade-economic, energy, humanitarian and other fields.

Naturally we spoke about regional issues and settlement of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I confirmed once more Armenia’s readiness to
settle the conflict exclusively peacefully on the base of principles
of self-determination of people, retraining from threat or use of
force, territorial integrity of states. I reconfirmed our readiness
to continue looking for solutions for the crisis on the base of
settlement principles and elements reflected in joint statements of
Russian, American and French Presidents. One of main topics of our
negotiations was the necessity of infrastructure reforms in Armenia,
securing modernization and diversification of economy where Russia
is represented with many enterprises. We discussed in details the
prospective directions of our cooperation. We also discussed issues
relating Eurasian integration and I confirmed Armenia’s wish to join
Customs Union and be involved in the process of formation of Eurasian
economic union.

20 years ago Armenia together with Russia and other CIS member states
formed its military security system in format of Collective security
treaty. During these decades the system approved its vitality and
efficiency. Today our CSTO partners form new platform of economic
cooperation. I have said many times that being in the same system
of military security it is impossible to isolate yourself from
corresponding geo-economic territory. This is a rational decision and
it comes from interests of the Republic of Armenia. This decision
is not refusal from dialogue with European organizations. During
these years Armenia in support of its European partners held serious
institutional reforms. Nowadays Armenia in this sense is much more
efficient and competitive country as it was several years ago.

Ladies and gentlemen,The results of our negotiations are reflected
in our joint statements signed with Vladimir Putin several minutes
ago. I am sure that realization of all arrangements will give new
impetus to strategic allied partnership.

Mister President, I am grateful for warm reception and made
arrangements”.

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA MP EXPECTS EXPLANATIONS FOR ARMENIA’S DECISION IN FAVOR OF CUSTOMS UNION

13:48 04.09.13

In an interview with Tert.am, Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party
(PAP) parliamentary group, Chairwoman of the European Integration
Commission, Parliament of Armenia, Naira Zohrabyan commented on
Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union. She also answered the
question as to whether the issue of Armenia’s initialing an association
agreement with the European Union (EU) can be considered closed. Before
expressing her opinion she needs information on official Yerevan’s
position. However, officials of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
have not answered her calls. She is critical of this behavior.

– Mrs Zohrabyan, was not the statement on Armenia’s membership in
the Customs Union unexpected? What are its political and economic
consequences?

– I think that questions should be addressed to the officials
responsible for Armenia’s foreign policy rather than to political
forces. The questions should be addressed to the ones that have been
conducting negotiations over the association agreement and a deep
and comprehensive free trade area agreement. As a citizen, Parliament
member and Chairwoman of the European Integration Commission, I would
like to get answers to the following questions:

First, in his interview with Komerstant, Armenia’s Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan stated that the international practice has no precedent
of a country joining a customs union without having common borders
with the union member-states; second, Armenia’s Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs Shavarsh Kocharyan stated quite recently that Armenia
joining the Customs Union meant losing its sovereignty.

So I want to receive the answers. I do not think that evading questions
is the right and honest answer. I think that the public must be clearly
informed of what happened within the next few days. I am going to
apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials who negotiate on
the association agreement. They must come and provide explanations to
Parliament if, of course, they are informed of anything at all. First
of all, we need it to make a sober assessment of the situation and
state our position. If they do not provide the explanations for what
happened and why it happened, what Armenia’s benefits are, it would
be illogical to expect political forces’ response now. My conclusion
is that we can regard as closed the issue of a deep and comprehensive
free trade area agreement. As to the association agreement, we need
clear information.

– Mrs Zohrabyan, in response to a recent question about the PAP’s
position on the association agreement, you said that you would
present it. Now that, according to some forecasts, the process has
got under way…

– I said that we would present our position after getting familiarized
with the content. My answer still holds good. When we receive
clear information on the content of the association agreement –
if the agreement will be initialed on November 21 (although it will
supposedly not be initialed) and the issue of the free trade section
can be considered closed as running counter to the Customs Union
Rules – we will be able to state our position.

– If you consider a retrospective view of the association agreement
impossible, can you present your view of the possibility of joining
the Customs Union?

– I am unaware of what kind of structure the Customs Union is going to
be. I do not think anyone is well-informed. It is the same story. I
say again that the political forces and Parliament must be provided
with clear information on Armenia’s possible benefits and losses from
joining the Customs Union.

Armenian News – Tert.am

NAGORNO-KARABAKH FOREIGN MINISTER HOSTED DELEGATION OF LES PENNES- MIRABEAU ARMENIAN UNION

20:35, 3 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS: On September 3, Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Karen Mirzoyan received
members of the delegation of the Armenian Union of Les Pennes-
Mirabeau town of France, who were on a visit to Stepanakert. Welcoming
the guests, the Head of Foreign Ministry considered important the
Declaration of Friendship signed on June 11, 2013, between the towns
of Les Pennes-Mirabeau of France and Martuni of the NKR.

“Armenpress” was informed from NKR foreign ministry press service
that ways of establishing and strengthening ties between the two
towns were discussed during the meeting.

On June 11 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Karen Mirzoyan in city Les Pennes-Mirabeau took part in solemn ceremony
organized in the municipality during which a friendship declaration
was signed between Les Pennes-Mirabeau and Martuni city in Artsakh.

The declaration greets the steps of authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic to create and develop free and democratic society and
considers unacceptable the isolation of Artsakh people. Taking as
a base the importance of liberty and democratic values enshrined
in Human Rights Declaration the sides declare the establishment of
friendship relations between two cities and implementation of programs
in spheres of education, culture, sport and trade

ORADOUR : L’HOMMAGE CONJOINT QUI DEVRAIT EN INSPIRER PLUS D’UN

Publie le : 04-09-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Aujourd’hui 4 septembre
2013, le President de la Republique Francois Hollande se rend
a Oradour-sur-Glane avec le President de la Republique federale
d’Allemagne Joachim Gauck. France2 couvrira dès 13h40 la visite
historique a Oradour où plus de 600 villageois perirent, victimes
de la barbarie nazie. Une journee qui devrait inspirer… Messieurs
Erdogan & consorts. Aujourd’hui, nous nous inclinons en memoire
des victimes d’Oradour-sur-Glane, en souhaitant que cet bel exemple
d’hommage conjoint soit compris a Ankara et a Bakou : toutes deux
ont fait du negationnisme du genocide armenien, une politique d’Etat
insupportable qui perpetue le crime, encore et encore. Comment,
dans ces cas, “construire l’avenir ensemble” ?

Visite de Francois Hollande et de Joachim Gauck a Oradour-sur-Glane

Francois Hollande et Joachim Gauck arriveront a 14h15 a
Oradour-sur-Glane où ils seront accueillis par Raymond Frugier,
maire d’Oradour-sur-Glane, Claude Milord, President de l’Association
Nationale des Familles des Martyrs ainsi que par Robert Hebras et
Marcel Darthout, rescapes du massacre.

Les deux Presidents se rendront ensuite a l’eglise du village, au
champ de foire et deposeront une gerbe au tombeau des martyrs.

À 15h10, Marie-Francois Perol-Dumont, Presidente du Conseil general de
la Haute-Vienne et Annick Morizio, Presidente du Centre de la memoire,
accueilleront les Presidents francais et allemand au Centre de la
memoire. À l’issue de cette visite, une allocution sera prononcee
sur le parvis du centre.

Cette visite historique revet egalement une dimension symbolique
puisqu’elle s’inscrit dans le cadre du cinquantième anniversaire du
Traite de l’Elysee. Il s’agit, comme l’a precise le President Francois
Hollande, de porter un message : ” le seul qui vaille : ne rien oublier
et etre capable, en meme temps, de construire l’avenir ensemble. ”

****

Oradour, village martyr Recit du massacre

Wikipedia

Les auteurs du drame appartiennent a la 3e compagnie du 1er bataillon
de Panzergrenadier (commande par le major Adolf Diekmann) du 4e
SS-Panzer-Regiment Der Fuhrer de la 2eSS-Panzer-Division Das Reich.

Au repos autour de Bordeaux et de Montauban, la division fait
mouvement vers la Normandie et apprend aussitôt le debarquement
allie en Normandie. Constamment harcelee par les Forces francaises
de l’interieur (FFI), elle riposte par de sanglantes represailles.

Le 9 juin 1944, a Tulle liberee depuis l’avant-veille par la
Resistance, 99 hommes sont pendus.

Le 10 juin 1944, après l’arrivee des Allemands dans le bourg
d’Oradour-sur-Glane, le garde champetre fait savoir aux habitants
qu’ils doivent tous se rassembler, sans aucune exception et sans delai,
sur le Champ de Foire, munis de leurs papiers, pour une verification
d’identite.

Les SS penètrent dans toutes les maisons, et, sous la menace de leurs
armes, obligent tout le monde, meme les malades, a se rendre sur le
lieu de rassemblement. Un a un ou par groupes, conduits et surveilles
par les SS, les villageois se massent peu a peu sur le Champ de Foire.

Les Allemands vont aussi chercher des habitants des hameaux voisins.

Les cultivateurs doivent abandonner leurs travaux. Plusieurs personnes
sont abattues.

Les Allemands divisent la population en deux groupes : d’un côte les
femmes et les enfants, de l’autre les hommes.

Massacre des hommes

Les hommes sont repartis entre six lieux de supplices : ils y sont
mitrailles puis leurs corps sont recouverts de fagots et de bottes
de paille auxquels les SS mettent le feu. Selon quelques rescapes,
les SS tirent bas et dans les jambes de leurs victimes ; le feu est
allume sur des hommes encore vivants. La declaration d’un rescape
etablit qu’ils parlaient encore ; certains, legèrement blesses, ont
pu s’echapper, la plupart des autres ont certainement ete brûles vifs.

Massacre des femmes et des enfants

e groupe enferme dans l’eglise comprend toutes les femmes et tous les
enfants du village. Des soldats placent dans la nef, près du ch~ur,
une sorte de caisse assez volumineuse de laquelle depassent des cordons
qu’ils laissent trainer sur le sol. Ces cordons ayant ete allumes, le
feu se communique a l’engin, qui contient un gaz asphyxiant (c’etait
la solution prevue) et explose par erreur ; une fumee noire, epaisse
et suffocante se degage. Une fusillade eclate dans l’eglise ; puis
de la paille, des fagots, des chaises sont jetes pele-mele sur les
corps qui gisent sur les dalles. Les SS y mettent ensuite le feu. La
chaleur etait tellement forte qu’a l’entree de cette eglise on peut
voir la cloche fondue, ecrasee sur le sol. Des debris de 1,20 m de
hauteur recouvraient les corps.

Une seule femme survit au carnage : Marguerite Rouffanche, nee
Thurmeaux. Son temoignage constitue tout ce qu’il est possible de
savoir du drame. Elle a perdu dans la tuerie, son mari, son fils,
ses deux filles et son petit-fils âge de sept mois.

Le ch~ur de l’eglise comprenant trois fenetres, Mme Rouffanche se
dirigea vers la plus grande, celle du milieu et a l’aide d’un escabeau
qui servait a allumer les cierges elle parvint a l’atteindre. Le
vitrail etant brise, elle se precipita par l’ouverture. Après un saut
de trois mètres, elle atterrit au pied de l’eglise et fut blessee
par un SS en gagnant un jardin voisin. Dissimulee parmi des rangs de
petits pois, elle ne fut delivree que le lendemain vers 17 heures.

Autres massacres

Les SS inspectent de nouveau les maisons du bourg ; ils y tuent tous
les habitants qui avaient pu echapper a leurs premières recherches,
en particulier ceux que leur etat physique avait empeches de se rendre
sur le lieu du rassemblement. C’est ainsi que les equipes de secours
trouveront dans diverses habitations les corps brûles de quelques
vieillards impotents.

Un envoye special des FFI, present a Oradour dans les tout premiers
jours, indique qu’on a recueilli dans le four d’un boulanger les restes
calcines de cinq personnes : le père, la mère et leurs trois enfants.

Un puits renfermant de nombreux cadavres est decouvert dans une ferme :
trop decomposes pour etre identifies, ils seront laisses sur place.

Au total, 642 personnes ont ete massacrees lors de cette journee.

Procès et reactions

Après huit annees d’attente le procès de 21 soldats – sur 64 identifies
– ayant participe au massacre d’Oradour a lieu en janvier-fevrier
1953 devant le tribunal militaire de Bordeaux. Adolf Diekmann,
le commandant SS, ne sera pas juge car il est mort sur le front de
Normandie ; il est enterre au cimetière normand de la Cambe.

Le 12 fevrier 1953, le tribunal prononce les peines suivantes :

* le militaire allemand le plus grade est condamne a mort ; * un autre
Allemand qui a pu prouver son absence d’Oradour le 10 juin est relaxe
; * quatre autres Allemands sont condamnes a des peines de travaux
forces de dix a douze ans ; * le seul Alsacien volontaire du groupe
est condamne a mort ; * neuf Alsaciens sont condamnes a des peines
de travaux forces de cinq a douze ans ; * les quatre autres Alsaciens
sont condamnes a des peines de prison de cinq a huit ans.

La population alsacienne proteste contre les peines infligees aux
Malgre-nous, car ceux-ci ont ete contraints d’executer les ordres
des superieurs allemands. Le procès de Bordeaux symbolise en quelque
sorte le malaise alsacien : la population francaise n’a, dans sa
grande majorite, pas connaissance du drame des 130 000 Alsaciens et
Mosellans incorpores de force dans les armees allemandes. Quant aux
familles des victimes – et au Limousin en general -, ils trouvent
les sentences scandaleusement indulgentes : d’après eux, tous les
participants au massacre auraient dû etre condamnes a mort.

La loi d’amnistie votee dès le 19 fevrier accentue ce sentiment
d’outrage. La riposte d’Oradour est immediate. Citons :

* la demande pour qu’on lui rende le site commemoratif, * la decision
de l’ANFM5 de renvoyer la Croix de Guerre decernee a Oradour en 1947,
ainsi que la Legion d’honneur decernee a l’association en 1949, * le
refus de transferer les cendres des martyrs dans la crypte construite
par l’Etat, * le refus de la presence de representants de l’Etat aux
ceremonies commemoratives (l’exception etant la visite du General de
Gaulle en 1962), * l’inscription sur une plaque a l’entree des ruines
des noms des deputes qui avaient vote l’amnistie.

Le collectif ” Maquis de Corrèze “, dirige par le depute honoraire
Pierre Pranchère, s’oppose au projet de loi vote au Senat en
2008 portant adaptation du droit penal francais a la Cour penale
internationale. En effet, ce texte prevoit une prescription des crimes
de guerre par trente ans (article 462-10), ce qui revient a declarer
une amnistie pour les responsables des massacres de Tulle et d’Oradour.

Le centre de Memoire est un appel a la reflexion, moyennant 7,5 ~@
par adulte, pour eviter que d’autres massacres n’aient lieu et ainsi
perpetuer la notion de devoir de memoire.

Lire aussi :

Il y a 25 ans, les pogroms anti-armeniens de Sumgaït [Azerbaïdjan] – I

Il y a 25 ans, les pogroms anti-armeniens de Sumgaït [Azerbaïdjan] – II

Il y a 25 ans, les pogroms anti-armeniens de Sumgaït [Azerbaïdjan]
– III

Le procès des crimes de Soumgaït (Fevrier 1988)

Janvier 1990, les pogroms anti-Armeniens de Bakou

Maraghar : Avril, le mois des genocides…

Maraghar : Caroline Cox parle du Golgotha contemporain

Le Collectif VAN revient sur l’interview de Mirvari Fataliyeva

Khodjaly : produit de communication de la marque ” Azerbaïdjan ”

Les evenements de Khojaly : Communique de presse du Collectif VAN

Khojaly : les terribles mensonges azeris

L’Azerbaïdjan s’achète une virginite en France

Ilham Aliyev : ” Nos principaux ennemis sont les Armeniens du monde
entier ”

Azerbaïdjan : un ecrivain accuse de ” sympathie pour les Armeniens ”

La liberte d’expression en Azerbaïdjan

Azerbaïdjan : Akram Aylisli cible des nationalistes

L’assassin qui valait 3 milliards d’euros

Amnesty : le gouvernement d’Azerbaïdjan attise les violences ethniques

Affaire Safarov: confession d’un meurtrier raciste

Azerbaïdjan : le tueur a la hache

L’Azerbaïdjan menace la paix regionale en glorifiant un crime raciste

Grâce de l’assassin Ramil Safarov : Obama preoccupe

Xocali.net : le site qui denonce la contrefacon azerie

Accuser les victimes du crime des bourreaux

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Wikipedia

LE PRESIDENT DU PARLEMENT LIBANAIS REND VISITE A SA SAINTETE ARAM I

LIBAN

Le 22 août 2013 Nabih Berri le president du parlement libanais a
rencontre sa Saintete Aram I au monastère a Bikfaya. M. Jean Salmanian,
representant du Catholicos armenien de Cilicie au Comite national du
dialogue islamo-chretien, a egalement assiste a la reunion.

Le but de la visite etait d’inviter Sa Saintete Aram I a la prochaine
reunion commemorative annuelle dediee a l’Imam Moussa Sadr. A cette
occasion, ils ont egalement discute de la situation politique et
economique au Liban et les questions relatives a la securite et ont
fait le point de leurs rencontres avec les autres chefs des communautes
religieuses au Liban.

Après l’avoir remercier pour sa visite et son invitation, le Catholicos
leur a parle de son experience en tant que jeune pretre avec l’imam
disparu, puis partage avec eux ses trois preoccupations : 1) la
securite doit etre la priorite de tous, independamment de toute
autre consideration ; 2) les evenements dans la region ne doivent
pas destabiliser le Liban ; 3) le dialogue islamo-chretien doit
continuer malgre les circonstances. Sa Saintete Aram I les a assures
de l’engagement de la communaute armenienne sur ces questions.

mercredi 4 septembre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT INTENTIONS IN SYRIA

Cumhuriyet, Turkey
Sept 2 2013

by Erol Manisali

Some people want Syria “to break up” and their intention is for one
of these parts to be definitely under their control.

Some people want a “Kurdistan corridor” to be formed giving access to
the Mediterranean. Any Kurdistan without one foot in the Mediterranean
will find itself landlocked in the Middle East. It will not be able
to develop. It will be useless.

Some people are resorting to all manner of terrorism and horror in
the name of making “radical Islam” dominant in Syria.

Some people on the other hand want a military intervention so that
the United States and Israel will have to rely on them.

The Al-Asad administration is striving to prevent foreign intervention
and the partitioning of the country by securing support from Russia
and Iran. The organized terrorist groups that have been brought in
from the outside are forcing it to take radical action.

Syria today is reminiscent of a small, pre-Sevre Ottoman state. The
only difference is the China, Russia and Iran factor and its Shi’ite
makeup in today’s Middle East.

These factors mean something within the Gulf-Iraq-Lebanon triangle.

Syria today is a classic mosaic: Christians occupy an important place
alongside moderate, secular and radical Islamic groups. There are
Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Armenians and others.

When the Middle East was being “redesigned” after 1990 Syria and
Iran were the countries left till last. Syria is the country that is
“most Western” and where secular elements are dominant.

Egypt became a “dervish lodge” [play on words Mursi and Murshit -a
dervish sheikh] mainly through the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) securing 24
per cent of the vote. Intervention by the United States via military
coup to stop the country turning radical two years later has affected
the Syria issue.

The West made a deal with Russia in Geneva and put everything on hold.

However, we can see that the issue is back on the agenda with Ankara
too calling for and even encouraging outside intervention.

The topic under debate is how to apply the Iraq (and Kosovo) model
to Syria using the chemical weapons scenario.

Turkey’s Position

Turkey is divided.

The government is vociferously advocating outside military intervention
in Syria. It is staking its existence on this.

In contrast to this, the opposition and even some non-opposition
circles, are arguing that this would be a disaster and would only
push Turkey into another swamp. There is 80-per cent opposition.

It is clear now that the UN is not going to pass any resolution.

Geneva is still current. However, some people want the Kosovo model
to be applied. Ankara is leading the charge here.

If a coalition carries out a military intervention in Syria without
a UN resolution there will definitely be some who will profit from
this and some who stand to lose.

The losers:

1. The people of Syria will lose out the most. Mass deaths, millions
of maimed people; it will be just like Iraq.

2. The country will break up and long-term clashes that never end will
be the order of things. Sectarian clashes and religious fundamentalism
will come to the fore.

3. Turkey will be the neighbouring country that will see the worst
economic harm. The economic crises currently taking place in Cairo
and Baghdad will start up even worse with Syria.

4. Turkey will have fallen into the position of a country that has
invaded its neighbour.

5. Baghdad and Tehran “will see the greatest harm in terms of their
regional influence.”

6. Unless a “bribe” is given Russia will also pay the price.

Now, for those who will profit:

1. Kurdistan’s Iraq-Syria-Mediterranean corridor will be complete. A
major step on the way to a Greater Kurdistan will have been taken.

2. The Western global powers will take their share just as in Iraq
and Libya.

3. If this intervention stops radical Islam gaining a foothold in
Syria this will relieve Israel.

For the West, this situation is very different from the breakup
of Yugoslavia. With Yugoslavia they were able to round up all the
breakaway parts and keep them in the Western camp and in democracy
under the EU’s umbrella. But this is definitely not the case in Syria.

Any intervention will only prepare new grounds for civil war and the
advance of radical Islam.

Do we not see examples of this in Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya,
and of course Iraq?

What will be created is a Syria in which infighting grows worse and
where there is no social prosperity and not even the “d” in democracy.

[Translated from Turkey]

WILL SARGSYAN IMPLEMENT “SAAKASHVILI’S PLAN”?

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Sept 3 2013

3 September 2013 – 9:13am

David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

It seems the current authorities of Armenia as represented by the
Republican Party (RPA) have decided to rule the republic forever. This
is confirmed by the statement by the chairman of the commission on
state-legal issues of the parliament, David Arutyunyan. He assumed that
soon a packet of amendments to the Constitution would be presented for
an all-national referendum. The amendments require the establishing
of a parliamentary republic.

Considering the fact that ideas on shifting to a parliamentary form
have only existed in Armenia in the opposition environment since its
independence, the statement could be a breakthrough. However, Serge
Sargsyan is thought to be a lame duck. And his political future and
the future of his supporters seemed dim until “the pilot-balloon”
of David Arutyunyan. In the context of the amorphous political
field of the republic, such an initiative could be suggested by the
Republicans with the one and only goal – to provide the reproduction
of the current president through his shifting from the presidential
chair to the premier’s chair after the parliamentary elections of
2017. It will enable the current system based on unspoken agreements
to maintain power for some time.

Regarding the scenario, we can conclude that changes in Armenia will
happen not by spring 2018 in presidential elections, but in spring
2017 in the parliamentary elections. The intention to shift to a
parliamentary republic means that the current president has no reliable
successor. Moreover, Sargsyan doesn’t hope to find such a person in
4 and a half years. RPA is too disparate to provide the “successor”
operation. The last war of dirty materials between Premier Tigran
Sarkisyan and Speaker Ovik Abramyan demonstrated only the top of the
iceberg of contradictions. At the same time, a presidential candidate
beyond the limits of the party can make quarreling republicans unite
against him.

Furthermore, the discussion of a referendum on shifting to a
parliamentary republic is an exclusive right of the power. Nothing
prevents Sargsyan from implementing Saakashvili’s scenario – the only
difference is that Armenia has no its Ivanishvili yet. The scenario
when Saakashvili promoted a parliamentary system and then lost the
elections is impossible for Armenia. This concerns all political
forces of Armenia – Kocharyan’s Prosperous Armenia, the Armenian
National Congress, Heritage of Raffi Ovanisyan who has almost won the
presidential elections. All of them tried to compete with Sargsyan’s
RPA and they would have no second chance. The Armenian society was
disappointed with these leaders who showed hesitation in a crucial
moment.

However, considering the first reaction by new-republican politicians,
they are not concerned about the prospect of seeing Sargsyan in
the premier’s chair after the referendum. The opposition’s logic
seems hopeless – “What is the difference whether presidential or
parliamentary elections are falsified?” When the old opposition
is destroyed and there is no new one, it is the best time for the
republicans to secure their power.

At the same time, there is a threat which frightens the future Premier
and his team – youth civil movements. The power cannot “agree” with
them in the way it used to. Furthermore, the situation in Armenia
may change in the near future. The civil activity demonstrated by the
young part of the society consolidates protest forces, and sooner or
later the forces will be headed by new people. So, instead of awaiting
such a scenario, the power tries to avoid it and change the political
system, but not the content. Currently Armenia is a country with a
half-presidential system of government; but as all force, customs,
tax structures are fully controlled by the President, Armenia is a
country with a presidential system of government.

TORONTO HOSTS GENOCIDE AND HUMAN RIGHTS UNIVERSITY PROGRAM

September 3, 2013 – 15:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Zoryan Institute’s twelfth annual Genocide and
Human Rights University Program (GHRUP) was held in Toronto, Canada,
in August, amid atrocities and human rights violations in Syria,
Egypt, and several countries in the Middle East and Africa.

According to gagrule.net, this year, 22 students from ten countries
met to study with ten distinguished genocide scholars. Many of the
students come from backgrounds where gross violations of human rights
and genocide are part of their national or personal experience,
such as Kurds, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Armenians and Jews.

The Course Director, Prof. Joyce Apsel of New York University, noted,
“Several students who are teachers commented on how much they learned
from watching the pedagogy of different instructors, as well as from
the course content. Other students consulted me and other instructors
about which directions and schools to pursue for graduate education.

They proved to be an outstanding group of students, and it was a
privilege to have two weeks in and out of the classroom to exchange
ideas and interests.”

“It was remarkable to see descendants of perpetrator and victim groups
in the Armenian Genocide -students of Armenian, Kurdish and Turkish
backgrounds – find common interests with each other, and within the
academic environment of the program and, based on historical facts,
explore issues of stereotypes, memory, denial and reconciliation
together, seeing each other through the prism of humanity,” said a
statement from the Zoryan Institute.

Realizing that there was a significant gap in the university curriculum
concerning genocide, the Zoryan Institute began planning for a unique
course entitled “The Genocide and Human Rights University Program”
in the summer of 2001.

The course ran successfully in Toronto in August 2002 as a pilot
project under the directorship of Lorne Shirinian. It attracted
students from Armenia, Australia, Canada, England, France, Japan
and the United States. The participants finished the course with a
strong commitment to the ideals of human rights, and the desire to
pursue genocide studies at an advanced academic level. Three students
who attended the pilot course made presentations at the prestigious
Biennial Conference of the International Association of Genocide
Scholars (IAGS) in Galway, Ireland following the course.

The Zoryan Institute and its subsidiary, the International Institute
for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, is the first non-profit,
international center devoted to the research and documentation of
contemporary issues with a focus on genocide, diaspora and Armenia.

S. GRIGORIAN: TURKEY RESORTS TO OBVIOUS PROVOCATIONS IN SYRIAN ISSUE

Wednesday,
September
04

The current situation in Syria is far from a conflict resolution
and prospects for resolution are rather unreal, Sargis Grigorian,
an Arabist, said at a meeting with reporters today.

“The United States and France are guided by information of their
intelligence services. In my opinion, these developments are directed
not only against Syria. There are interested forces which want the
balance of forces in the region to change. This conflict may degenerate
into an ethnic and religious confrontation,” Grigorian said.

In his words, in the Syrian issue, Turkey resorts to obvious
provocations. He added that Turkey’s statements are even more
belligerent than those of the U.S.

03.09.2013, 20:11

Aysor.am

ARMENIANS FORCIBLY DISPLACED FROM AZERBAIJAN TO BE ABLE TO PRIVATIZE THEIR LIVING AREAS

September 03, 2013 | 15:24

YEREVAN. – Those that were forcibly displaced from Azerbaijan and
have received Armenian citizenship will be able to privatize the
residential areas where they currently live.

The aforesaid refers to those that live in three boarding houses in
capital city Yerevan and in the boarding house of the engineering
college of Abovyan city, and it concerns nineteen families.

The aforesaid matter is put on the agenda of Thursday’s Cabinet
meeting.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am