ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL VOTE PASSED
A1+
[07:34 pm] 03 December, 2008
Today the Armenian Parliament passed the bill on the amendments to
the RoA Law on Referendum with 87 votes for, 7 votes against and
two abstentions.
The bill was voted down by the opposition and ex NA Speaker Tigran
Torosyan. Note that during yesterday’s debate over the bill Tigran
Torosyan found it anti-constitutional and voiced concern that it
might endanger the legal basis for the Karabakh conflict resolution.
OSCE HOPES FOR A REGIONAL DECLARATION ON NAGORNYY KARABAKH ISSUE
ArmInfo
2008-12-03 12:18:00
ArmInfo. ‘Azerbaijan and Armenia have made progress in resolving a
long-standing dispute over a Caucasus mountain enclave and the OSCE
hopes for a regional declaration on the issue at its annual meetings
later this week, its chairman said on Tuesday.Things are looking quite
good on Nagorno-Karabakh," Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb,
who is leading the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
under the Finnish chairmanship, told Reuters in an interview.
"I think that we are moving away from a frozen conflict towards a
permanent solution, but of course we are not there yet, and it is
very important that the Minsk Group works on this," Stubb said.
ARMENIA NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN COE CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR CULTURE IN AZERBAIJAN’S CAPITAL
Azeri Press Agency
Dec 2 2008
Azerbaijan
Baku. Ulkar Gasimova – APA. Council of Europe Conference of the
Ministers responsible for Culture on "Intercultural dialogue as a basis
for peace and sustainable development in Europe and its neighbouring
regions" is being held in Baku today.
Council of Europe has invited Armenia to the conference along with the
other member states, but official Yerevan refused to send delegation
to Azerbaijan.
Press service of Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry told APA
that Armenian Culture Ministry had sent an official letter saying
that delegation would not be sent to the conference.
TAXIMEN ARE DISCONTENT WITH GOVERNMENT
A1+
[03:32 pm] 01 December, 2008
Some 100 taxi-drivers staged a protest action in front of the
government building on December 1. As usual they protested a government
decision according to which only the cars manufactured over the past
ten years can serve as taxis.
The protesters stated that after a successful checkup the government
found that their cars are outdated.
The taximen say that the cars of taxi services are still older but
as they work for the service they ignore the date of production.
Taxi-driver Karen says that he has three underage children but he
doesn’t get family benefit as they say he has a car costing 100
000 drams.
"If I were able to afford a car, why should I drive a
taxi?" 27-year-old Armen Grigoryan said to A1+.
I beg for a licence as to keep my family. They say they cannot give
me one. What is to become of me? Should I rob others to keep my
children?" said indignant Karen.
Three taxists were allowed to the government building today to present
their demands.
The taximen stated they had been offered to work for taxi services. The
protesters are going to submit a written-compaint to the prime
minister.
ARAKEL MIRZOYAN GAINS SILVER MEDAL IN WORLD STUDENT GAMES
KOMOTINI , NOVEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The tournament of weighlifting
under the program of the World Student Games is being held in the city
of Komotini, Greece. On November 26 Arakel Mirzoyan (69 kg, Etcmiadzin)
representing Armenia took the second place by the result of biathlon
(141 kg +171 kg) and was awarded three silver medals. He is the son of
Olympic champion Ogsen Mirzoyan. A Chinese sportsman took the first
place showing a result of 325 kg in biathlon.
Representatives of Armenia Nazik Avdalian (69 kg, Gyumri) and Hripsime
Khurshudian (75 kg, Qasakh) competed on November 27.
Davit, the son of the world famous weightlifter Yuri Vardanian, will
perform in the U.S. national team. He will perform in the category of
85kg.
Hürriyet, Turkey
Nov 29 2008
EU advises Turkey to hit European standards
ANKARA – EU calls for improvements on freedom of expression, minority
rights and civilian-military relations and encourages the government
to pass labor and union rights based on EU standards. Brussels also
monitors the country’s human rights record involving torture and cases
of ill treatment
The European Union on Friday pressed the government once more to sweep
in democratic reforms, the emphasis of a European Parliament report to
be discussed next week in Brussels.
"More should have been done" to improve freedom of expression,
minority rights and civilian-military relations, said the head of the
Turkish-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee in closing remarks at the end
of two-day meetings in Ankara.
Joost Lagendijk particularly urged the government to pass laws on
labor and trade unions rights based on European standards. Speaking of
May Day demonstrations in Istanbul’s Taksim Square each year, where
clashes between riot police and protesters regularly occur, he
expressed the EU’s hope that a new trade law would improve the rights
of trade unions in Turkey.
Monitoring human rights
"We hope that there will be compromise between the government and
trade unions after the law passes in Parliament," said Lagendijk.
He said the EU would continue monitoring the country’s human rights
record involving torture and ill treatment cases because, "human
rights are key part of democracy."
The recent death of Engin Ã?eber while in custody is an issue we
have been following, Lagendijk said. "We appreciate the apology of the
justice minister to the family of the victim." In the first public
statement of its kind last month, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali
Å?ahin accepted state responsibility in the case of
Ã?eber, who died from injuries he received at the Metris Prison
in Istanbul and apologized to the victim’s relatives.
The Turkish-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee discussed social
policies, unemployment, the role of trade unions and foreign policy
issues. Lagendijk welcomed the Turkish president’s visit to Armenia in
September as a "breakthrough" and stressed good relations between
Ankara and Yerevan would make a solution to the problems of
Nagorno-Karabakh and events of the past easier.
YaÅ?ar YakıÅ?, the Turkish chair of the joint
committee, said concerns had been conveyed to the EU over the council
framework decision combating racism, warning approval of the decision
that broadens the 1948 United Nations Convention on Genocide could be
abused.
One of the visiting officials from the European Parliament challenged
Turkey’s status as the only country in the world which blocked
"YouTube," in a written statement.
Richard Howitt, vice-president of the European Parliament’s human
rights sub-committee, said, "As a modern country looking forward to EU
membership, Turkey should be embracing new communications, rather than
putting itself in the same bracket as some of the world’s pariah
states."
He said the 1,000 Web sites that were blocked in Turkey put the
country alongside some of the world’s worst nations in cyber
censorship and called for legal reform, both in respect to freedom of
expression, and for the advancement of the country’s economic
interests.
The president of the European Parliament’s human rights sub-committee
asked a Turkish deputy if the rights of homosexuals and transsexuals
would be safeguarded in the constitution.
Helene Flautre held talks Thursday with Zafer Ã`skül, head
of Turkish Parliament’s Human Rights Commission. In response,
Ã`skül said time and patience was needed for improvement on
the issue. "I cannot say they are not experiencing any
problemsÃ?but some positive developments have been seen."
Opposition blamed
An interesting exchange of words took place between another member of
the European Parliament and ruling Justice and Development Party, or
AKP, deputy Abdurrahman Kurt.
MEP Sarah Ludford asked Kurt why the AKP had stalled reforms. Kurt
blamed the opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, for voting
down constitutional amendments and other democratic reforms. CHP’s
Malik Ecder Ã-zdemir, also present at the meeting, became angry and
said it was not appropriate to tell the European parliamentarian the
CHP was preventing reforms.
‘Hayastan’ All Armenian Fund gathers over $35 million
2008-11-28 13:11:00
ArmInfo. Upon the results of the annual ‘Telethon’ of ‘Hayastan’ All
Armenian Fund, $35 mln were gathered that is twice more than in 2007.
The Fund’s Bureau in Los Angeles gathered $1,3 mln, Lebanon – 200,000,
Montreal – 130,000, Argentine – 100,000, Great Britain – 200,000, the
Netherlands – 40,000, Australia – 50,000, New York – 200,000, France –
1,5 mln, Germany – 85,000, Switzerland – 33, 000, Toronto – 250,000,
Greece Cyprus – 40,000. Telethons, bikeathon, charitable concerts,
radio marathon in Lebanon, etc. were held within the frames of the
action which lasted for several months.
An Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, living in Russia, said about
a donation of $15 mln to be directed to construction of a hospital in
Stepanakert. Among another big donators are ‘VivaCell-MTS’, Michael
Vardanyan, Samvel Aleksanyan, Eduardo Eurnekyan, Gagik Adibekyan,
Barsegh Beglaryan and others. Among other honorable guests of the
telethon were president of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan and a number
of public figures. Sponsor general of the telethon is ‘VivaCell-MTS’,
бthe sponsors – Ardshininvestbank, ‘ACBA Credit-Agricole Bank’ and
‘Haypost’ CJSC.
ARMENIAN CHESS NATIONAL TEAM GAINS TITLE OF WORLD OLYMPIAD CHAMPION FOR SECOND TIME UNINTERRUPTEDLY
Noyan Tapan
Nov 25, 2008
DRESDEN, NOVEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. On November 25, in the last, 11th
tour of the 38th World Chess Olympiad being held in Dresden the men’s
national team of Armenia beat the national team of China having a
strong class with the score of 2.5 to 1.5. Tigran L. Petrosian gained
the victorious point for Armenia’s national team, Levon Aronian,
Vladimir Hakobian, and Gabriel Sargsian drew the games with their
rivals.
Thus, the men’s national team of Armenia gained 19 points in 11 tours,
took the first place by gaining the title of the champion for the
second time uninterruptedly.
THE PARTIES DON’T DO EACH OTHER A FAVOR
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
25 Nov 08
Armenia
The negotiations do not bear a formal nature
"To say that by opening the border, the Turks are doing the Armenians
a favor is not the right thing to do. The Turkish party is no less
interested in that than the Armenian party is. By establishing
diplomatic ties, none of us does the other party a favor. We both
need that," Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said in an interview
to the Turkish ‘Huriet’ newspaper.
"The negotiations do not bear a formal nature; they are aimed at
attaining concrete results," he underlined. "I don’t think Armenia
was looking forward to becoming the chairing country of the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation so as to be able to initiate a dialogue with
Turkey. However, BSEC is one of the international organizations which
ensures a favorable atmosphere for discussing the possibilities for
cooperation between our countries," Mr. Nalbandyan added.
WHAT SHOULD TURKEY DO?
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
25 Nov 08
Armenia
If the Turkish party wants to develop the Armenian-Turkish relations,
it has to undertake a number of activities which should be neither
preconditions nor a manifestation of good will; such activities
should derive from the logic of developing those relations, Hayk
Demoyan Head of the NAS Institute-Museum of Armenian Genocide said
yesterday. Mr. Demoyan pointed out that such activities should
first of all presuppose the opening of the Kars-Gyumri railroad, the
start of negotiations aimed at opening diplomatic representations,
the establishment of relations without considering the Artsakh issue
and the refusal to wage an information warfare.