ARMENIAN BOXERS LEFT FOR THE CZECH REPUBLIC
A1+
[02:22 pm] 16 May, 2007
The Armenian boxing team left for the Czech Republic to participate
at the international tournament scheduled for May 16. To remind,
the chief coach of the Armenian team is Rafael Mehrabyan.
The following boxers are involved in the team:
Derenik Gijlumyan /51 kg category/
Gabriel Tolmajyan /57 kg category/
Samvel Matevosyan /69 kg category/
Hrachia Hovhannisyan /69 kg category/
Andranik Hakobyan /75 kg category/
RA OMBUDSMAN CALLS ON TO CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION INTO CIRCUMSTANCES OF LEVON GHULIAN’S DEATH
Noyan Tapan
May 14 2007
YEREVAN, MAY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Ombudsman Armen Harutyunian
expressed his concern in connection with the death of Levon Ghulian,
who was on May 12 invited as witness to the main department of the
criminal investigation of the RA Police. A. Harutyunian called on
the law enforcement bodies to conduct a comprehensive investigation,
as "there is unferified information which may refute the version of
an accident."
The RA Ombudsman will keep the further developments concerning this
case in the center of his attention, is said in the press release
submitted to NT from the RA ombudsman’s office.
To recap, by an official press release of the police, Levon Ghulian,
31, director of the "Pandok" restaurant in Yerevan, fell out of the
window on the second floor of the RA police criminal investigation’s
main department and died on the spot. He was invited to the department
in order to provide information for disclosure of the murder of
S. Vardanian committed in front of that restaurant on May 9.
According to evidence of relatives of L. Ghulian, he was thrown out
of the window by a high-ranking police official, who cruelly beat
L. Ghulian during his questioning on the scandalous murder. They
rule out the possibility that L. Ghulian intended to run away. The
relatives say that the experts, who examined L. Ghulian’s body in the
mortuary, expressed an opinion that the death resulted from the blow
on the man’s head with a blunt object: in their words, "such an injury
cannot be received as a result of falling from the second floor."
A DYNAMIC TOWARDS DEMOCRACY?
By Haluk Sahin
Turkish Press
May 14 2007
RADIKAL- Here is an important political question (or should I say
opportunity?) now facing Turkey: Could the will of the masses expected
to flock to tomorrow’s protest rally in Izmir be harnessed to fuel
the democratic reform Turkey needs so badly? Or can Turkey move
towards modernizing its democracy thanks to this internal dynamic,
the pressure the masses have unexpectedly brought to bear?
Professor Turkan Saylan, who I appeared alongside the other night
on television, believes this is possible, and links the increasing
search for women candidates to this. Saylan thinks this trend will
continue. ‘This spring, masses intervened in political democratization,
and they won’t give this up,’ says Saylan, ‘Especially the women
filling the streets in the protests will demand and ask for account
from now on.’ I hope that she’s right…
We know that the main reason behind the need for political reform is
the deep crisis of representation.
Here’s what I mean by representation crisis: We claim that our style
of governance is representative democracy, but right now the will of
the people can’t be fully reflected in Parliament. This problem stems
from the election system’s 10% threshold. Due to this threshold, the
votes of the nearly half of the people are discarded, as a result of
which millions of people aren’t represented in Parliament. Moreover,
they don’t have their own deputies owing to the election system. We
even don’t know the names of those representing us.
That isn’t all. Half of our population is made up of women, but the
rate of women parliamentarians is only 4.4 %.
What about the young people? Half of our population is under the age
of 25, but you can’t find a single parliamentarian of that age. A
constitutional change enabling those as young as 25 to be elected
has yet to be approved.
As for our nearly 5 million citizens living abroad, it’s very hard
for them to vote. They are far from not only our country, but also
from the polls.
Furthermore, minorities recognized under the Treaty of Lausanne –
i.e. Greeks, Armenians and Jews – aren’t fully represented in our
system. Alevis and Kurdish citizens also complain that their votes
aren’t reflected in Parliament, as they want.
So can we really say that our system, which fails to reflect the
will of such a large and important group of people, should be called
representative?"
Star Company: from supermarket to supermarket
ArmInfo News Agency
2007-05-14 13:32:00
Interview with Executive Officer of Star Company
The first grocery store of Star Company that opened in the place of
the former `Voentorg’ shop in Amiryan street in 1998 differed from
other so-called self-service grocery stores not so much. The idea of
supermarkets occurred in our ordinary life just in late 90s. However,
comparing with their western and even Russian analogues, the Armenian
supermarkets were just `big stores’ as to their assortment, service
culture, food safety, and business procedures. Only few of their
owners went to the heart of the word `super’ then, and just those few
people are now building their own industry of network grocery
retail. Among the few trade networks specializing in grocery, the
self-service supermarkets `Star’ are especially popular. Those, who
for instance live in the communities Avan and Avan Arinj, have already
appreciated all the privileges of the new supermarket that opened in
the place of the old plain self-service store. Within the current year
alone, `Star’ company plans to open six new supermarkets in Yerevan to
bring their total number to ten. The company’s turnover is growing at
a geometric rate. `The further ` the more. However, it is necessary to
secure rear support,’ Vahan Kerobyan, executive officer of ` Star’
Company, who agreed to give an interview to ArmInfo, believes.
– Six years passed since opening of the first store in 1998 and before
the first supermarket was put into service. What made the shareholders
of `Star’ Company start implementing such a large-scale
business-program as creation of a trade network of supermarkets?
– The grocery retail was rapidly developing then. Relatively
qualitative products from the West, Russia and Ukraine rushed into the
market, on the one hand, and the local producers started ousting the
Iranian and Turkish dubious goods, on the other hand. The most
important is that the purchasing capacity of the population and demand
for high quality goods and service considerably grew. Tired of
everyday shopping in search of high quality goods, the people wanted
to enter one store and find there everything they needed. The
international experience in management of trade network retail had
been accumulated during dozens of years and that experience hinted at
the right direction to work. The experience of new Russia and other
developing countries of the former socialist camp had already been
evident then.
– It is assumed that trading is very individual and rather shady, at
least in Armenia. And quite unexpectedly, the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development becomes a shareholder of `Star’
Company.
– Making a strategic decision to create a network of supermarkets,
Henrik Zakharyan, a shareholder of `Star’ Company, was aware that one
cannot build a trade empire without a serious investor. It requires
not only big investments, but also new work methods meeting high
international business standards. That is why the leadership of
`Star` Company started searching for serious partnership. We have
started negotiating with several potential investors, including,
European Bank. The negotiations were successfully completed in the
October of 2006. European Bank became a shareholder of our network
having paid $4 million for 28.3 percent stock of the company.
– What procedures did the company undergo to get the institutional
investor?
– At first, we prepared a business-plan, made forecasts of market
development, and submitted them to the investor. In addition, we
informed the investor of the potential of both the market and the
company in the long-term outlook. The information was based on
serious marketing surveys. In the January of 2006, the first stage of
negotiations was successfully completed in London. The company
received a preliminary approval. Later, the financial condition of the
company was studied and the juridical documents were examined. At
last, the transaction was concluded. It was the first transaction of
the European Bank in the trade sphere of Armenia’s economy.
– What is the investment program on extension of the network of
supermarkets?
– Within the coming two years, we intend to invest some $16 million in
the business. Half of this amount will be used to extend the network
of supermarkets, the next half to establish the logistic distribution
centre. The centre must secure uninterrupted supply of goods to all
the supermarkets. It is a very important task for us as the
geopolitical and logistic plans on which Armenia is supplied with
goods are quite unstable for some different reasons. As you know,
disorder of Ilyichevsk train-ferry alone can cause an acute deficit of
goods as two-third of products in our supermarkets are imported. It is
the façade of the problem. However, there are problems also
with internal logistics, ineffective work of the
producer-store-customer chain. Thus, following the international
experience, we decided to create our own logistic distribution centre
to ensure accurate operation of our network, to speed-up good
turnover, and to increase the level of
inventory-management. Generally, good turnover is the best factor in
retail. As to this factor, English Tesco is acknowledged as one of the
best in the world. Tesco sales its reserves in 9 days, while this
cycle in Armenia is 36 days. We have invited specialists from Tesco
with a help of European Bank. The specialists help us create work
schedules and procedures of the future Logistic Centre. We suppose
that the Centre will be put into operation next year. However, it will
not happen at once. These are modular constructions and their number
can be increased if necessary. I’d like to mention that there are no
such centres in Armenia.
– If people trade in supermarkets, they are first of all interested in
the quality of the products. What is the system of control over the
quality of products in `Star’ supermarkets? How seriously are the
suppliers selected?
– Good question. Of course, there is a state agency on certification
of goods. However, we know that the agency does not test product
profoundly enough. In accordance with international practice, our
network has a department responsible for management of product
categories. Every specialist is responsible only for his category of
goods: quality, turnover and profitability. We pay a great attention
to safety of products. Thus, we cooperate with authoritative foreign
suppliers and such international organizations as USAID, World Bank,
as well as governmental structures and public organisations. A special
attention is paid to training of specialists, especially, managers. We
hold training to raise the efficiency of the work and the quality of
service. Our marketing managers attend relevant courses, seminars and
conferences in abroad to get first hand view of the achievements in
marketing management. We have established close contacts with
marketing specialists of Moscow, many of them are Armenians who share
their experience and projects with us. It is not surprising that work
efficiency in the USA exceeds our indicators several times. The point
is in lacking of a proper system of business management and not in
hardworking or abilities.
– Retail chains develop in Armenia. Would you assess the competition
in the sphere of grocery retail?
– Now, one can see entrepreneurs having long-term plans and interests
in the market. These businessmen are not satisfied with what they have
and take effective steps to extend their business. They have healthy
ambitious plans as they have experience in the sphere. This
competition rehabilitates the market and we are glad to have such
rivals. As the share of supermarkets in the total trade turnover in
the country does not reach even 5%, there is no tough competition in
the market so far and retail chains are rather like-minders
introducing the idea of civilized trade in public than rivals. We will
become rivals when we occupy at least 50% of the market.
– Are you going to extend the network outside Yerevan?
– Over 70% of the total volume of grocery retail is concentrated in
Yerevan. That is why, it would not be effective so far, although, we
have such a prospect. At first, we shall open as many supermarkets in
the capital city as possible and then start acting in the big towns of
the country. However, it is untimely to speak of this now.
– There are sections in your stores that belong to other grocery
networks. Is this a special policy?
– Supermarkets are interesting for other networks at least by their
target audience and customers. We work with the companies `Alpha
Pharm,’ the Russian `Euroset’ (`Euronet’) and even with the network of
cafes `Jazzve.’ In this context, we seek for the leading companies in
the market that have their stable position and, at the same time,
increase the number of customers of supermarkets. –
– What is the pricing policy in the `Star’ network? Your supermarkets
are said to have relatively low prices.
– We are for fair prices. It does not mean that our prices are low. It
means that the quality and the price of a product must be adequate. It
is quite another matter that we often announce various
promotion-actions and discounts for our customers.
– Do you mean discount cards that are rather an attribute of civilized
trade and attention to customers than discount?
– We have started a dialogue with customers with impersonal discount
cards. Demand for them was very high. We even had no time to prepare
them. Now, we have entered the next stage making another advance to
customers. Thus, jointly with HSBC-Armenia Bank, we have issued
individual debit-credit cards sharing all the possible following risks
of this innovation with the bank. Now we build relations with our
regular customers on an individual and mutually-advantageous
basis. Marketing information is collected for us by means of the card,
on the one hand, and we extend the sphere of services and privileges,
on the other hand. Now, the number of these co-branding cards reaches
5,000. We hope to at least double their number by the end of the
year. The credit line given to cardholders may reach 300,000 AMD
depending on the buying activity in ` Star’ supermarkets and on the
credit history of a client. The cards are issued free of charge. The
network has assumed these expenses. Moreover, we consider cardholders
as members of `Star’ Club and will shortly publish and deliver them a
special weekly aimed to stimulate sales. The weekly will contain all
the news and specialties from `Star,’ information on promo-actions and
special offers. This interview may also be published in the weekly.
– Thank you.
CIS observation mission hails Armenian parliamentary election
Shant TV, Yerevan
13 May 07
[Presenter] The Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS] observation
mission monitoring the parliamentary election [in Armenia] made public
today [13 May] its final report on the election results. The
239-strong CIS observation mission that monitored the election from
its beginning to the end has revealed minor irregularities, which
according to the mission head, Vladimir Rushaylo, were of technical
character and have not seriously affected the results of the
voting. The CIS observers have not registered any instance or
complaint about irregularities or fraud during the voting or the
tabulation of the election results. Comparing this election with the
previous ones in Armenia, Rushaylo underscored that this election was
organized better in technical and organizational terms than the
previous ones.
[Vladimir Rushaylo, addressing a news conference, in Russian] The
international observers of the Commonwealth of Independent States
think that the election to the Armenian National Assembly, held on 12
May 2007, was conducted in accordance with the norms of the republic’s
election legislation; recognize the parliamentary election free, open
and transparent; state that the election became a crucial factor for
the stable development and further democratization of the state’s
life; note that the country’s government took concrete practical
measures aimed at ensuring the voters’ right to make a choice freely
on the voting day for developing freedom in the country, expression of
free will and pluralism of opinions; propose other international
observers, who share the findings of the CIS observers, to join this
statement. The head of the CIS observation mission team will send this
statement to the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, the
presidents of the CIS member states, according to the CIS practice.
FIVE PARTIES GET OVER 5% BARRIER
YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The 5% barrier of RA parliamentary
elections, which as of 14:35, May 13, made 67 454, among parties
nominated by proportional system was got over by five parties as of
the same hour. As of 14:35, RPA received 454 436 votes, Bargavach
Hayastan 202 612 votes, ARFD 176 055 votes, Orinats Yerkir 94 330
votes, Zharangutiun 78 977 votes.
The United Labor Party, which has 58 905 votes, and the National
Unity, which has 49 411 votes, are close to getting over 5% barrier.
Times Online, UK
May 12 2007
Small Country, Big Test
The hand of history is on Armenia’s shoulder
Armenia is no larger than Scotland, even more mountainous and has
just 2.3 million voters. But how they vote in today’s parliamentary
elections, and how their votes are counted, will have profound
implications for a region at the fulcrum of Eurasia that is still
dangerously unstable 16 years after the Soviet collapse.
Wedged between Turkey, Iran and two other former Soviet satellites,
Armenia is a case study in the obstacles to establishing democracy
amid unhelpful neighbours. The example offered by Tehran to the south
is of extreme Islamism. To the east, Azerbaijan is in the grip of
thinly disguised authoritarianism and contagious corruption. To the
north, Georgia is under siege from Russia because of Tblisi’s
pro-Western Government, and to the west Turkish democracy is well
established – but the border with Armenia is closed because of the
scars of history.
Armenia’s own democratic credentials are not auspicious: both
national elections held since the horrific shooting deaths of eight
ministers, including the Prime Minister, in 1999 have been condemned
as rigged by opposition groups, which have boycotted parliament for
the last four years. The current Prime Minister, Serge Sargsyan, who
is expected to remain in power, insists in an interview with The
Times that today’s poll will meet the highest international
standards. If so, his country can look forward to the release of $235
million in much-needed US aid; to the trade and development benefits
of full membership of the EU’s `near neighbourhood’; and to a
lucrative future on the energy transit route between the Caspian
basin and world markets. If not, the Georgian democratic endeavour
will look lonely indeed.
Like Georgia, Armenia represents a potential point of conflict
between the US and Russia as both seek influence and allies in the
Caucasus. But Mr Sargsyan’s position is uniquely delicate: for all
his country’s political and religious differences with Iran, they
share a stable and important trading relationship that could be
complicated should Washington seek tighter sanctions on Tehran in
view of its refusal to suspend nuclear enrichment. In that event
Armenia may be driven back into Moscow’s embrace for want of any
other important trading partner. Its power distribution system and a
new gas pipeline from Iran are, in fact, already Russian-owned.
The alternative is a normalising of relations with Turkey, nearly a
century after the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey
between 1915 and 1923 – a slaughter that Ankara still refuses to term
`genocide’. Mr Sargsyan has said he is willing to reopen diplomatic
relations with Turkey without preconditions, but such conciliatory
signals have so far gone unreciprocated.
It is rare for a country to admit to genocide. It may still be
politically impossible for Turkey to do so. But Armenia’s overtures
deserve a mature response. A reopened border between Turkey and
Armenia would create a string of neighbourly democracies from the
Bosphorous almost to the Caspian Sea. Armenia’s voters and electoral
officials can bring that vision a step closer.
Agence France Presse — English
May 12, 2007 Saturday 3:11 PM GMT
Polls close in Armenian parliamentary election
Polls closed Saturday in Armenia’s parliamentary election, seen as a
key test of democracy in this small ex-Soviet country.
Voter turnout had reached 45.8 percent three hours before polls
closed at 8 pm local time (1500 GMT), the Central Elections
Commission said. Final turnout figures were due within an hour. No
minimum turnout was required for the vote to be valid.
About 2.3 million of Armenia’s three million people were registered
to vote for 131 seats in the National Assembly. Preliminary results
are expected within 24 hours.
Hundreds of local and international observers monitored the vote,
including more than 300 from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe.
No election has been judged free and fair in Armenia since its
independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
SERGE SARGSIAN: MOST MEMORABLE EPISODES OF EACH NATION’S HISTORY ARE VICTORIES
Noyan Tapan
May 09 2007
YEREVAN, MAY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian prime minister Sege Sargsian
sent a message on the occasion of Victory and Peace Day. The message,
which was submitted to NT by the RA Government Information and PR
Department, reads:
"Dear compatriots,
I congratulate you on May 9 – Victory and Peace Day.
The most memorable episodes of each nation’s history are victories. It
is victories that inspire generations to accomplish new feats. There
are many heroic episodes of glorious victories and feats in the
history of our people.
The victory in World War II was achieved thanks to the self-sacrifice
and struggle of dedicated sons of our people as well. Proud and
courageous sons of the Armenian people demonstrated exceptional
examples of heroism, bravery and patriotism while fighting in the
Soviet army, troops of the allies, the Resistance movement and guerilla
detachments. I congratulate the veterans of the Great Patriotic war
and wish good health and long life to all of them.
Vistory Day has a double meaning for us as on this day we celebrate not
only our victory over fascism but also another magnificent anniversary
– 15th anniversary of liberation of Shushi. At this time 15 years ago
the present-day Armenian history was being written in trenches. During
this war imposed on us, we proved that we are ready to defend the
freedom of our people, the right of its independence and peaceful
life. The actual independence of Artsakh is the greatest result of
heroic victory in Shushi.
I congratulate our people, with whom I fought for this victory, our
freedom fighters, all our dedicated people. We revere the memory of
our sons who laid down their lives for freedom of Homeland.
I again congratulate all of you on Victory and Peace Day, wishining
lasting peace and well-being.
LEVON MKRTCHYAN SIGNED A DECREE ON ORGANIZING THE LESSONS ON MAY 12
ArmRadio.am
10.05.2007 11:54
To create necessary conditions for holding the parliamentary elections
on May 12, RA Minister of Education and Science Levon Lazarian signed
a decree on organizing the lessons in educational establishments.
According to the decree, headmasters of the educational establishments
of the republic are obliged to provide necessary conditions for
electoral centres and precinct commissions from 8 p.m., May 11th.
The classes missed on May 12 should be accomplished by the end of
the academic year.