Author: Kanayan Tamar

                        Armenian News's Calendar of events
                        (All times local to events)
                =========================================
What:           Armenian Economic Association 2018 Conference
When:           Jun 15 2018 9am
                Jun 16 2018 7pm (ends)
Where:          Tumo Center for Creative Technologies
                and the American University of Armenia,
                Yerevan, Armenia
Misc:           Scholars and researchers are invited to present their
                research in all areas of economics and finance.
                April 30 deadline for paper submissions.
Online Contact: aea2018 [at] aea.am
Web:            
***************************************************************************
Armenian News's calendar of events is collected and updated mostly from
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To submit, send to Armenian [email protected], and please note the following
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d) There is no guarantee or promise that an item will be published on time.
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                                        Friday, 
Opposition Bloc Decries Sweeping Powers Of Next Armenian PM
        • Hovannes Movsisian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian holds an awards ceremony at the 
presidential palace in Yerevan, 19 January 2018.
Opposition lawmakers again protested on Friday against sweeping powers that 
will be given to Armenia’s next prime minister, saying that they run counter to 
the parliamentary system of government.
The lawmakers representing the Yelk alliance tried in vain to prevent the 
National Assembly from passing in the second reading a bill on the structure 
and powers of a new government to be formed after Armenia becomes a 
parliamentary republic next month.
In particular, the bill drafted by the Justice Ministry stipulates that 
Armenia’s police and National Security Service (NSS) will be directly 
subordinate to the premier, rather than his cabinet. Critics say this is aimed 
at enabling President Serzh Sarkisian to retain his current authority after his 
final presidential term ends on April 9. Sarkisian is widely expected to become 
prime minister later in April.
Yelk proposed that both the police and the NSS be given the status of 
government ministries headed by cabinet members accountable to the parliament. 
The parliament’s pro-government majority rejected this amendment.
Edmon Marukian, one of Yelk’s leaders, declared shortly before the passage of 
the bill that Armenia is about to switch to a “false parliamentary system.” “In 
essence, the current authorities never intended to lead the country to 
parliamentary governance,” he said.
Parliament majority leaders denied that. Eduard Sharmazanov, a deputy 
parliament speaker, claimed that the prime minister’s direct control over the 
police and the NSS will “increase the degree of their political responsibility.”
“We are creating not the post of super prime minister but a prime minister who 
will bear absolute political responsibility towards the people and the 
parliament,” Gevorg Kostanian, another senior pro-government lawmaker, said for 
his part.
Under Armenia’s radically amended constitution, the prime minister will also be 
the Armenian army’s commander-in-chief. He or she will nominate members of the 
army’s top brass that will have to be appointed by the president of the 
republic.
In addition, the next Armenian premier will head a Security Council tasked with 
determining “the main directions of defense policy.”
Media Access To Yerevan Council Sessions Restricted
        • Narine Ghalechian
Armenia - Journalists interview leaders of the opposition Yerkir Tsirani party 
attending a session of Yerevan's municipal council, 13 February 2018.
The Armenian parliament approved on Friday a government proposal to essentially 
ban reporters from attending sessions of Yerevan’s municipal council.
Yerevan Mayor Taron Markarian moved to impose such a ban last month just days 
after an embarrassing brawl witnessed by journalists.
Two members of the city council representing the opposition Yerkir Tsirani 
party were confronted by their pro-government colleagues when they tried to 
hand Markarian glass containers filled with sewage collected from a damaged 
sewer pipe in the city’s Nubarashen district.
Yerkir Tsirani’s Marina Khachatrian slapped a male councilor representing the 
ruling Republican Party (HHK) after being jostled by him. The latter slapped 
Khachatrian while another HHK councilor puller her hair in response. 
Khachatrian and two other Yerkir Tsirani members, including the party leader 
Zaruhi Postanjian, were then physically forced to leave the hall.
One week after the incident, Markarian called for “regulating” the work of the 
press corps accredited by the municipality. A spokesman for the mayor said 
afterwards that journalists will now be able to watch council debates only 
through monitors to be placed in a separate press room.
The government accepted the proposed restrictions, drafting relevant legal 
amendments that were passed by the National Assembly. They stipulate that the 
press will now need special permission from the mayor to be able to attend 
council sessions.
Armenia - Pro-government members of Yerevan's municipal council wrest sewage 
containers from Yerkir Tsirani party's Marina Khachatrian, 13 February 2018.
Justice Minister Davit Harutiunian argued that the same rules are already in 
place for media coverage of sessions of the Armenian parliament. “We don’t 
interfere with [reporters] and they don’t interfere with us,” he said on the 
parliament floor. “The same rules will be introduced for sessions of the 
Yerevan council.”
Edmon Marukian, a leader of the opposition Yelk alliance, denounced the new 
rules, saying that they will “restrict journalists’ rights.” He linked them to 
the February 13 violence in the council.
Markarian’s spokesman, Artur Gevorgian, insisted earlier that the restrictions 
are not aimed at covering up more such incidents. He said that the municipal 
administration will install more video cameras in the chamber to ensure the 
transparency of proceedings. The official noted, however, that live broadcasts 
of debates could be interrupted in case of “hooliganism” on the part of 
councilors.
Armenian Whistleblower Appeals To European Court
        • Nane Sahakian
Armenia -- Demonstrators block a street during a protest against an increase of 
electricity prices in Yerevan, June 29, 2015
A former employee of Armenia’s electricity distribution network, who was fired 
in 2013 after accusing company executives of corruption, has filed a lawsuit in 
the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The 65-year-old Hrachya Harutiunian used a company hotline to allege a 
large-scale fraud scheme within the Electricity Networks of Armenia (ENA) 
operator which was owned at the time by Inter RAO, a state-owned Russian energy 
giant. The allegations were contained in a confidential letter which he sent to 
the company’s special e-mail address.
The ENA management responded by accusing Harutiunian of defamation and firing 
him. It went on to file a libel suit against him.
An Armenian court of instance rejected that lawsuit. However, the higher Court 
of Appeals found Harutiunian guilty of defamation and ordered him to apologize 
for his allegations and pay ENA 5 million drams ($10,400) in damages.
The man’s lawyer, Ara Ghazarian, on Friday condemned the latter verdict as 
illegal. Ghazarian argued that under Armenian law even false claims that are 
not publicized through mass media or otherwise cannot be deemed slanderous. He 
said his client never went public with the fraud allegations.
In Ghazarian’s words, the ECHR has already started looking into the case filed 
by Harutiunian. He said he expects the Strasbourg-based court to rule against 
ENA.
“He reported corruption,” the lawyer told RFE/RL’s Armenian service 
(Azatutyun.am). “Instead of thanking him, they punished him for his civic 
activism.”
ENA sparked two-week street demonstrations in Yerevan in June 2015 when it 
attempted to significantly raise its electricity prices. The protests were 
driven by a widely held belief that Armenians are being made to pay for 
widespread corruption within the ENA management. While defending the tariff 
rise, Armenian government officials acknowledged that the national power grids 
have been mismanaged by the Russian-owned operator.
Inter RAO sold its Armenian subsidiary to the Tashir Group of Samvel 
Karapetian, an Armenian-born Russian businessman, later in 2015. The new owner 
claims to have sharply cut ENA’s massive financial losses since then.
Press Review
“Haykakan Zhamanak” reports that President Serzh Sarkisian on Thursday 
appointed Haykaz Baghmanian, a controversial Armenian army general fired late 
last year, as deputy head of the joint chiefs of staff of the Collective 
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The paper says this development only 
confirmed that Baghmanian will not be held accountable for “many abuses and 
crimes” attributed to him. “It is now clear why Haykaz Baghmanian tendered his 
resignation,” it says. “That was done with Serzh Sarkisian’s consent. The idea 
was to send, with such a sacking and a public statement by [Defense Minister] 
Vigen Sargsian, an important message to the entire Defense Ministry staff to 
the effect that Vigen Sargsian should be taken seriously. This was Serzh 
Sarkisian’s big favor to his protégé who is still establishing himself as 
minister. As for Baghmanian, Sarkisian promised to find him another job, and he 
has fulfilled that promise.”
“Zhamanak” says that after taking over as prime minister Serzh Sarkisian will 
focus on grooming “young political leaders” and modernizing the armed forces 
and will delegate day-to-day decision-making on other issues to the 
parliamentary majority, the deputy prime ministers and ministers. “In other 
words, Serzh Sarkisian sees as himself in the post of prime minister as more of 
a political patriarch than a figure accountable to the parliamentary majority,” 
writes the paper. It suggests that Sarkisian is planning to become prime 
minister to prevent a “collapse of the balance of forces” in the ruling 
establishment.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” derides Seyran Saroyan, a retired army general and a 
parliament deputy from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), for saying 
that Serzh Sarkisian’s apparent decision to become prime minister means that 
“God has heeded our prayers.” “We would advise General Seyran to occasionally 
pray for Armenia’s future as well,” the paper says scathingly.
“Aravot” is skeptical about Armenian opposition forces’ plans to hold 
demonstrations in Yerevan against Sarkisian’s continued rule. The paper 
believes that they lack the “organizational structures” to pull big crowds. It 
says the opposition is only certain to attract a few hundred mostly elderly and 
unemployed people who do not really care about “who fights for what.” “These 
people want to hear harsh words addressed to the authorities and shout a few 
insults,” it says. “This situation has been persisting for more than 25 years.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

To view this email online, paste this link into your browser:
___________________________________
ARS of Western USA at the LA BIG 5K
On Saturday, March 17, 2018, the ARS of Western USA participated with a team 
once again at the Los Angeles BIG 5K Run/Walk held at Dodger Stadium.  Year 
after year, this event offers a memorable experience for participants of all 
ages and allows the ARS to raise funds and increase awareness for the 
organization. Proceeds raised at this year's LA BIG 5K Run/Walk benefited the 
ARS Families in Need Program. 
The region expresses its thankfulness to all sponsors and donors of the ARS 
team, including Major Sponsor Zeghani by Simon G; Le Papillon by Naz; Group 
Services - Business & Tax Management, Glendale; and NASA Services.
Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, Regional Executive Website 
(
(
 Chapters 
(
                  ARS Hollywood "Mayr" Chapter's 100th Anniversary
The ARS Hollywood "Mayr" Chapter celebrated its milestone 100th Anniversary 
through two recent events, including a community event held on March 4, 2018 at 
Garabedian Hall and an elegant banquet on March 17, 2018 at De Luxe Banquet 
Hall.
A large turnout of ARS members, supporters, dignitaries, and elected officials 
brought their participation and support to both events to join the chapter in 
marking this significant occasion.
Native Footwear Reaches Armenia and Artsakh
The ARS of Western USA sent a total of 5,000 pairs of Native footwear to 
Armenia and Artsakh. The shoes were distributed throughout hospitals, centers, 
as well as to families in need in Artsakh. 
  Javakhk Forum Takes Place at Glendale Community College
On March 15, 2018, over 100 students and guests gathered at GCC for an 
informative discussion regarding Javakhk - its complex history, current 
affairs, economy, and programs. The forum was successful in bringing awareness 
about an important segment of the global Armenian community and educating 
others about the current state of the Armenian community of Javakhk.
Panelists included Glendale City Councilmember Zareh Sinanyan; ARS Javakhk Fund 
member Carnie Armenian; AYF Central Executive member Puzant Berberian; and  
ANCA Western Region Communications Coordinator Dickran Khodanian; moderated by 
GCC Armenian Student Association Chairperson Preny Alaverdian. 
The forum becomes one of the several initiatives taking place in March that aim 
to educate and spread awareness about Javakhk as part of Javakhk Awareness 
Month. Just earlier this month, the ARS Javakhk Fund received a surprise 
donation of $100,000 by Haigoush Keghinian Kohler, a veteran ARS member.
Donate to ARS Javakhk Fund at arswestusa.org/campaigns/javakhk/
The ARS Javakhk Fund's most recent fundraising events will be going towards the 
renovation of the Akhaltskha Youth Center. 
ARS Scholarship 2018
The application for the ARS Scholarship is now available. The scholarship is 
granted based on academic performance, financial need, and involvement in the 
Armenian community, upon successful completion of the first year of college, or 
a graduate student accepted to an accredited college/university. The ARS of 
Western USA will select two candidates from the western region. Deadline to 
Apply: April 16, 2018. 
To access the application, visit: 
Upcoming Chapter Events
ARS Ararat Chapter's 25th Anniversary Dinner Dance
Friday,  at 7:30 p.m.
Hidden Palace
Tickets: $50 per person
Contact Salpi (480) 659-6966
ARS Sepan Chapter Salpe Hatzbanian Saturday School's 2nd Fashion Show
Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.
Janet & Isahak Kazanjian Hall of Glendale Youth Center
Tickets: $15 per person
Contact Zharmen (818) 484-6618
ARS Ani Chapter's Palm Sunday Luncheon 
Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.
Holy Cross Cathedral Tumanjian Hall
Tickets: $20 per person ($10 children under 13) 
Contact Elo (562) 948-2390
ARS Sepan Chapter's 31st Fashion Show
Sunday, April 8, 2018 
10:30 a.m. Social Hour - 12 Noon Lunch
Universal Hilton
Tickets: $100 per person
Contact Zharmen (818) 484-6618
ARS Sevan Chapter's Mother/Daughter Tea Party - Fashion Show
Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 12 Noon
Ghazarian Hall
Tickets: $50
Contact Hermine (714) 417-0534
ARS Nairy Chapter's 50th Anniversary Banquet 
Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 5 p.m.
Bagramian Hall 
Contact Laure (323) 728-4084
Hasmig Kozanian
ARS Erepouni Chapter
Hasmig  Kozanian was born in Anjar, Lebanon and has been a member of the 
Armenian Relief Society since the age of 19. 
Due to work, the family relocated to Africa and  she became a member of the 
Lion's Club in the Congo.
In 1997, after relocating to the United States, she joined the ARS Oakland 
"Erepouni" Chapter where she  continues to be a member until  the present time. 
Given her strong belief in the value of volunteerism, she has continually done 
her  utmost to advance the chapter's programs, work, and activities. For over 
20 years, she has played an instrumental role in the chapter and its 
advancement.
Regardless of her busy personal life, she is always in support of her chapter 
and the organization. Hasmig Kozanian has held numberous leadership positions 
in the chapter's executive, including chairperson, secretary, and chairperson 
of the social committee. She has also served as a member of the ARS  of Western 
USA, Regional Executive Board.
The ARS Oakland "Erepouni" Chapter commends Hasmig Kozanian for her years of 
dedicated service to the chapter and to the organization.
ABMDR  To Honor ARS of Western USA  
On September 16, 2018, the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry will honor the 
Armenian Relief Society of Western USA as "Organization of the Year" during 
their Annual Gala. Details will soon follow. 
Upcoming Regional Events
March 24, 2018
Comedy for a Cause & Luncheon 
April 2018
Armenian Genocide Commemoration Events
May 11, 2018
ARS Javakhk Fund's Annual Fundraiser
June 4, 2018
Outstanding High School Graduates' Awards Ceremony
June 5, 2018
ARS Day Luncheon at Ararat Home 
ARS of Western USA's
Standing Programs
Heart to Heart
Social Services Division
Child, Youth, and Family Guidance Center
Armenia-Artsakh
ARS Javakhk Fund
Families in Need
16 One-Day Schools
Friends of ARS
Educational Programs
DONATE 
(
517 W. Glenoaks Blvd. | Glendale, CA 91202-2812 US
Website: www.arswestusa.org
___________________________________
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                                        Friday, 
Dutch Parliament Recognizes Armenian Genocide
Netherlands -- The Dutch parliament building in The Hague.
(Reuters) - The Dutch parliament on Thursday passed a motion
recognizing as genocide the massacre of as many as 1.5 million
Armenians in 1915, although the government said it will not become
official policy of the Netherlands.
The motion, which was opposed by just three lawmakers out of 150,
risks further straining relations between The Hague and Ankara, which
have been tense since the Dutch barred a Turkish minister from
campaigning in the Netherlands last year.
"The government will not follow the judgment of the parliament,"
Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag told Dutch television before the vote.
She urged "utmost caution when applying the term genocide to past
events". "This cabinet wants to be very careful about relations with
Turkey, which have been better," she said.
Relations between the two countries, both members of NATO, went into a
freeze last year when the Netherlands deported a Turkish minister who
had come to campaign among the Dutch Turkish minority for a
constitutional referendum in Turkey.
Turkey summoned the Dutch charge d`affaires to Ankara on Saturday to
express its unhappiness with the impending vote on Armenia. Nearly a
dozen other EU countries have passed similar resolutions. On February
5, the Netherlands said it will not attempt to appoint an ambassador
to Turkey for now.
A second motion passed on Thursday calls for a high level Dutch
government official to attend Armenia's formal genocide remembrance
day on April 24. In the past the country's Dutch ambassador has
attended.
Kaag said the government will consider how best to represent the Dutch
government at the commemoration.
Most scholars outside Turkey consider the killings were a genocide,
that is, an attempt to destroy an entire people in part or whole.
Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians living in the Ottoman
Empire were killed during World War One, but contests the figures and
denies the killings were systematically orchestrated or constitute a
genocide.
"The politicization of 1915 events by taking them out of historical
context is unacceptable," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami
Aksoy said in a statement before the vote.
Dutch Parliament Vote Hailed By Armenia, Condemned By Turkey
Armenia -- A woman is reflected in a display containing a banner
depicting "Tools of Genocide" forming the shape of "1915", in
reference to the year of the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks, in Yerevan, April 22, 2015
Armenia has praised while Turkey condemned the Dutch parliament for
reaffirming its official recognition of the 1915 genocide of Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire.
The Dutch House of Representatives described the massacre of some 1.5
million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks as genocide in a resolution
overwhelmingly adopted late on Thursday. Another resolution passed by
it calls for a high level Dutch government official to attend an
official commemoration of the genocide anniversary in Armenia on April
24.
The Armenian government swiftly hailed the development. "With this
step, the parliament of the Netherlands once again reconfirmed its
commitment to universal human values and the noble cause of prevention
of genocides and crimes against humanity," Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian said in a statement.
Nalbandian noted that the Dutch parliament had already recognized the
Armenian genocide in 2004.
Predictably, official Ankara strongly condemned the Dutch resolutions,
calling them "baseless." "They are neither legally binding nor have
any validity," read a statement released by the Turkish Foreign
Ministry.
The statement at the same time pointed to the Dutch government's
decision to distance itself from the resolutions. Dutch Foreign
Minister Sigrid Kaag said before the vote that the government "will
not follow the judgment of the parliament."
The Turkish Foreign Ministry also summoned the Dutch charge d'affaires
in Ankara on Friday to express its unhappiness with the resolutions.
Relations between the two NATO member states began rapidly
deteriorating last year when the Netherlands deported a Turkish
minister who tried to campaign among the Dutch Turkish minority for a
constitutional referendum in Turkey. On February 5, the Netherlands
said it will not attempt to appoint an ambassador to Turkey for now.
At least 23 countries, including France and Germany, as well as most
scholars outside Turkey recognize the Armenian genocide. "The
historical record on the Armenian Genocide is unambiguous and
documented by overwhelming evidence," the International Association of
Genocide Scholars said in 2007.
Successive Turkish governments have vehemently denied a premediated
government effort to exterminate Ottoman Turkey's Armenian population
during the First World War.
Ankara reacted angrily after French President Emmanuel Macron pledged
late last month to assign an official day of commemoration for the
Armenian genocide victims. Macron also signaled support for a French
law that would criminalize public denials of the genocide.
Dashnaks Back Armenian President's Preferred Successor
 . Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Presidential candidate Armen Sarkissian meets with leaders
of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation in Yerevan, 29 January 2018.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) on Friday
formally endorsed President Serzh Sarkisian's pick for the next head
of state who will be chosen by the parliament and have largely
ceremonial powers.
Dashnaktsutyun and its senior coalition partner, the Republican Party
of Armenia (HHK), jointly nominated Armen Sarkissian for the post of
president. A relevant motion was signed by around 60 parliamentarians
representing the two parties.
Sarkissian met and addressed them earlier in the day. Aghvan
Vartanian, a Dashnaktsutyun leader, said he was impressed with the
presidential candidate's speech. Vartanian said Sarkissian's vision
for Armenia's future is "fully congruent" with his and his party's
views.
Speaking to reporters, Vartanian dismissed suggestions that
Dashnaktsutyun would have backed any other candidate handpicked by the
outgoing president.
Dashnaktsutyun is represented in the Armenian government by three
ministers. It won 7 seats in the country's 105-member parliament
elected in April 2017.
Meanwhile, the ruling HHK's parliamentary leader, Vahram Baghdasarian
announced that the National Assembly will start a plenary debate on
the next president on March 1. "In all likelihood, the vote will take
place on March 2," he said.
Armen Sarkissian, who briefly served as Armenia's prime minister in
the 1990s, will have to be backed by a three-fourths and two-thirds
majority of lawmakers in order to win in the first and second rounds
of voting respectively. A simple majority of votes is enough to win
the presidency in the third round. The HHK has such a majority.
Nevertheless, Serzh Sarkisian expressed hope last month that the
former premier will win outright in the first round. In that case, he
would need the backing of at least 79 members of the National
Assembly.
The HHK and Dashnaktsutyun control 65 seats between them. They will
therefore need the votes of businessman Gagik Tsarukian's alliance
which holds 31 seats.
The Tsarukian Bloc, which is officially in opposition to the
government, will not field its own presidential candidate. It has not
yet clarified whether its lawmakers will vote for Sarkissian.
Tsarukian Bloc Unlikely To Back Opposition Appeal To Court
 . Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - Gevorg Petrosian, a parliament deputy from the Tsarukian
Bloc, 30 November 2017.
A senior member of businessman Gagik Tsarukian's alliance said on
Friday that it is unlikely to join another opposition group in
challenging the legality of the upcoming election of Armenia's new
president.
The head of state will be chosen by the parliament, rather than
popular vote, next week in accordance with the country's amended
constitution envisaging a parliamentary system of government.
Some Armenian lawyers critical of the government say that the new
constitutional provisions on the parliament vote are supposed to take
effect only after the outgoing President Serzh Sarkisian's final term
ends on April 9. Sarkisian's successor must therefore be directly
elected by voters, they say.
But government officials and legal experts cite other constitutional
clauses. One of them stipulates that only Armenia's parliament and
local government bodies shall be elected by popular vote. Another
clause says that lawmakers can pick the next president no sooner than
40 days before the end of Sarkisian's decade-long presidency.
Some opposition groups added their voice to the critics' claims that
the upcoming parliament vote is unconstitutional. One of them, the
Yelk alliance, moved on Thursday to ask the Constitutional Court to
rule on the dispute.
Yelk, which controls nine parliament seats, needs the signatures of at
least 21 lawmakers in order to lodge an appeal to the court. It has
asked deputies from the Tsarukian Bloc, which has 31 seats, to join in
the legal action.
Gevorg Petrosian, a senior Tsarukian Bloc lawmaker, echoed the
government arguments, saying that the constitution does allow the
National Assembly to elect the president as early as next week. "You
can't literally interpret one constitutional norm while ignoring the
essence of the whole constitution," he told RFE/RL's Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am).
Petrosian, who is a lawyer by training, predicted that the Tsarukian
Bloc will turn down Yelk's request. "I will voice my opinion at [a
meeting of] our parliamentary faction and I think that the faction's
position will not differ from mine," he said.
Petrosian insisted that Yelk would stand no chance of winning the
court case. It therefore makes no sense to appeal to the country's
highest court, he said.
Gevorg Gorgisian, a parliament deputy from Yelk, disagreed. "Even if
the Tsarukian Bloc is sure that there is nothing to be disputed, there
is an issue," he said. "The Constitutional Court should express its
position and clarify how those contentious constitutional provisions
should be interpreted."
Press Review
"Zhamanak" says that although it is already obvious that Serzh
Sarkisian will become prime minister and extend his rule in April he
has still not made an official announcement to that effect. "It's not
that someone in some place does not want Serzh Sarkisian to become
prime minister," writes the paper. "The situation is totally
different. Before publicizing his final decision Serzh Sarkisian needs
to calculate the scope of responsibility stemming from that
decision. That is, what short-term and mid-term challenges and risks
will confront the prime minister to be appointed on April 17."
"Chorrord Ishkhanutyun" says that nobody will challenge Sarkisian for
the post of prime minister. "The fact is that Serzh Sarkissian is
going to be the next prime minister," writes the paper. "Not because
he is the best [candidate] in terms of professional and human
qualities but because he has for years consistently done everything to
ensure that nobody except him can aspire to the status of the number
one state figure."
"Zhoghovurd" reports on some legal experts' and opposition
politicians' claim that the next president of the republic must be
elected by popular vote, rather than the parliament, in accordance
with the Armenian constitution. Their main argument is that a
constitutional provision mandating the president's election by the
parliament has not yet taken effect. The Armenian authorities point to
other, transitional clauses in response to the critics' claims. The
paper says that the opposition Yelk alliance wants to ask the
Constitutional Court to pass judgment on the matter but lacks at least
21 signatures of parliament deputies needed for such an appeal. Yelk
has asked deputies from the Tsarukian Bloc provide the necessary
signatures.
"Haykakan Zhamanak" reports that starting from March 1 drug stores in
Armenia will not be allowed to sell some types of medication without
written prescriptions signed by doctors. The paper says that the
restriction imposed by the Armenian Health Ministry will make life
harder for residents of remote villages that do not have policlinics
or other medical institutions empowered to issue drug prescriptions.
"There are already predictions that the new rules will lead to an
increase in ambulance calls," it says. It also claims that drug prices
will rise as a result.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org