Author: Khondkarian Raffi

RA PRIME MINISTER MET WITH INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS

ArmRadio.am
22.05.2007 15:36

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan received the delegation of the
international observers headed by Ambassador Boris Frlec. The head
of the delegation noted that the observation mission headed by
him has already publicized the preliminary conclusions about the
parliamentary elections in Armenia and is now working on the final
document, which will present the detailed overview of the monitoring
results, including the violations registered.

"With this election the Republic of Armenia set a new standard for the
upcoming elections. It was a decisive step towards progress. Steps
follow each other, thus making the progress irreversible," the Head
of the observation mission declared, simultaneously expressing the
hope that this process of democratization will be continuous.

Ambassador Frlec underlined that although Armenia has met many of its
international commitments, there are still certain shortcomings that
should be corrected. In this regard, in the Ambassador’s opinion,
the Republican Party of Armenia having the majority in the National
Assembly can play a major role in implementing necessary changes in
the Electoral Code.

Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan thanked the observation mission for
unbiased and objective evaluation and noted that the, being on
the whole satisfied with the elections, Armenian authorities and
the Republican Party consider that there is still much to do for
holding elections fully corresponding to international standards. He
underlined the three directions in which work should be done in the
future: improvement of the Electoral Code, work in the legal field
and technical assistance to electoral commissions.

At the end of the meeting the head of the international observation
mission said the Prime Minister’s approaches are inspiring and speak
about his political will. Ambassador Frlec wished success to Armenia
on the way of democratization and assured that their mission is to
render support in this process.

7th DAY OF LEVON GULIAN’S DEATH MARKED WITH MOURNING PROCESSION

Noyan Tapan
May 21 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA ombudsman Armen Harutyunian
condemns and considers as inadmissible the police’s behavior
which caused the death of citizen Levon Gulian under unrevealed
circumstances. "This man, who had come to the police of his own free
will, was brought into such a state that he jumped out of the window,"
the ombudsman said at the May 21 press conference. The experts who
made the alternative forensic examination of Levon Gulian’s body –
Markus Rotshild, of Cologne University’s Forensic Medicine Clinic, and
Piter M. Let of the University of Southern Denmark, were to participate
in the press conference but they avoided meeting with reporters.

Karen Hakoian, member of the initiative group composed of
representatives of several NGOs, said that the expert conclusion will
be presented after the histological examination is completed. It is
expected that the conclusion will be ready within a week.

On the same day – the seventh day of Levon Gulian’s death, his
relatives and the public organized a mourning procession from
Yerevan’s Republic Square to the administrative building of the RA
police. Throughout the procession the participants were followed by
policemen. At the administrative building of the police, the policemen
formed a live barrier preventing the procession participants from
putting lit candles and flowers on the pavement near the building.

NO RULING COALITION WILL BE FORMED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2007 15:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ No memorandum on ruling coalition will be signed
in Armenia, member of RPA (Republican Party of Armenia) Council,
head of RPA parliamentarian faction Galust Sahakyan stated to a
press conference in Yerevan. "No coalition memorandum will be signed,
since RPA has gathered absolute majority in the parliament," he said,
adding that namely the principle of cooperation between political
parties is important.

Sahakyan stressed RPA is going to cooperate with all parliamentarian
and extra-parliamentarian forces for the welfare of country’s
development, especially with those forces, which approached the
5-percent barrier during the May 12 elections. "From the very beginning
we were talking about cooperation and this is our strategy. Today we
shall try to ensure cooperation with those forces, which will agree
with our programs on coming processes in the country," he added.

The RPA Council member noticed that "the matter is not in distributing
ministerial posts, but in which frames this or that political force
wants to realize itself in the society". Sahakyan underlined such a
cooperation will have positive response, since there already exists
an experience of creating a government of national consent in 1999,
when various forces used to work in the cabinet.

"It will allow any force to partially realize itself in front of its
electorate in the field of campaign promises, and it will significantly
assist both the political and economic developments in the country,"
he said, "Novosti-Armenia" reports.

In the result of the 2003 parliamentarian elections "Orinats Yerkir"
party, ARF Dashnaktsutyun and the Republican Party of Armenia formed
a coalition.

However "Orinats Yerkir" left the ruling coalition in May of 2006
in connection with differences in domestic and foreign policy with
its partners.

According to preliminary results of the Central Electoral Commission of
Armenia five parties passed to the parliament of the 4th convocation –
the Republican Party of Armenia (33.8 %), Prosperous Armenia (15.1 %),
Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (13.1 %), "Orinats
Yerkir" (7.04 %) and "Heritage" (5.98 %).

TURKISH ARMENIANS THREATENED IF THEY DO NOT ACCEPT "OFFICIAL VERSION" OF WHAT HAPPENED AT THE BEGINNING OF 20TH CENTURY

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.05.2007 16:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A letter written in the Turkish language, sent at
schools and to several Istanbul’s Armenian institutions, of death
threat the Armenians which would not conform "to the Turkish official
version" of the facts concerning the Armenian Genocide. "Otherwise
they will be regarded as accomplices and traitors, and will
be eliminated," says the letter, which contains many spelling
mistakes, independent French journalist Jean Eckiyan informed the
PanARMENIAN.Net. "Exclamations "We are all Armenians, we are all
Hrant Dinks" are examples of extreme chauvinism and summons for
revolution. Do not forget that except Armenian citizens of Turkey,
there are also Armenians from Armenia on our land, and they count
over 100 000. Both their addresses and their workplaces are well
known. Henceforth we hope to see our Armenian citizens as advocates of
the truth. The one which does not take a favorable position for this
paradisiacal fatherland must be eliminated," says the letter. And
finally it takes again a Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s formula, which
says, "When it acts of the fatherland, the remainder is only one
detail". This mail is signed by a certain Temel Malatyali.

NEW PASSENGER COMPLEX OF ZVARTNOTS AIRPORT TO OPEN ON MAY 25

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting from June 1, passengers will
be provided services in the new complex of Zvartnots Airport. NT
correspondent was inforemed from the airport’s press service that
only registration of passengers will be done in the old building of
Zvartnots Airport, while all the other functions will be performed
in the new complex.

The Armenian president Robert Kocharian and the airport manager –
chairman of American International Airports company Eduardo Ernekian
are expected to participate in the complex’s opening ceremony on
May 25.

To recap, construction of the new complex began in June 2004, while
the arrival hall was put into operation in September 2006.

AZERI SOLDIER JAILED AFTER ARMENIAN CAPTIVITY
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 16 2007

An Azerbaijani soldier who spent two weeks in Armenian captivity last
December has been sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of high
treason and desertion, reports from Baku said on Wednesday.

Vusal Garajayev was taken prisoner by Karabakh Armenian forces
after crossing the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact east of
Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to officials in Stepanakert, he willingly surrendered
himself to escape systematic hazing at the hands of fellow Azerbaijani
servicemen. Karabakh President Arkady Ghukasian said on December 18
that the 19-year-old conscript is reluctant to be repatriated for
fear of government retribution.

"But I am sure the Azerbaijani authorities will put pressure on his
parents and relatives, and they will eventually convince him to come
back. And I assure you that this lad will face lengthy imprisonment
in Azerbaijan," Ghukasian told reporters at the time.

Garajayev was handed back to Azerbaijani side with the help of
the International Committee of the Red Cross one week later. He
was immediately detained and prosecuted, despite the Azerbaijani
Defense Ministry’s earlier claims that he had accidentally strayed
into Armenian-controlled territory.

The Azerbaijani media reported that a military court in Baku
convicted the soldier of high treason, desertion, and violation of
army regulations. No further details were reported.

Garajayev was repatriated one day before another Azerbaijani soldier,
Samir Mamedov, was taken prisoner in the westernmost section of
the Armenian-Azerbaijani border under similar circumstances. The
Defense Ministry in Yerevan said he crossed the fortified border
and surrendered to Armenian troops deployed there because of being
mistreated and humiliated by his comrades.

Mamedov is still being kept in Armenia, apparently unwilling to return
to Azerbaijan and face possible prosecution at home. Armenian and Red
Cross officials have said he wants to be granted political asylum in
a European country.

TARIFF FOR DRINKING WATER IN YEREVAN NOT TO RISE TILL 2009

ArmInfo
2007-05-16 13:40:00

Today, the Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia approved
the application of "Yerevan Jur" CJSC ("Yerevan Water") according to
which the tariff for drinking water in Yerevan will not rise till 2009.

Taking into account the inflation, the currency rate fluctuations,
the electric energy price changes and the volumes of water small
wholesale in 2006, the "Yerevan Jur" proposed the Commission to
increase the base tariff by 7,6 drams without VAT starting July 1,
2009. However, the Commission specialists have cleared up that the
consumers were supplied not 59,83 mln cub m of water in 2006, as
the Company presented, but by 4,73 mln cub m more. In view of this,
the Commission has revised the application of the "Yerevan Jur" and
resolved to increase the base tariff for drinking water in Yerevan
by 3 drams, without VAT, to 132 drams per 1 cub m, starting July 1,
2009. The base tariff sizes are fixed in a lease signed between the
General des Eaux French Company, that controls the "Yerevan Jur"
CJSC, and the Armenian Government at the end, 2005. The tariff will
gradually reduce, within 10 years, from the present 172,8 drams per
1 cub m of water to 90 drams in 2015.

According to Director of the "Yerevan Jur" Serge Popoff, the Company
decided to increase the base tariff in 2009 as it is high enough
now. He refused to present any financial, investment or technical
indicators of the Company and said all the data will be ashortly
declared. Meanwhile, by estimations of specialists, the drinking
water consumption by Yerevan residents reduced during 2006 because
of the tariff increase last year, the water losses increased, while
the water supply schedule has not been improved.

APPEAL COURT LEAVES IN FORCE FIRST INSTANCE COURT’S DECISION TO KEEP ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN UNDER CUSTODY

Noyan Tapan
May 14 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The appeal complaint against
first instance court’s decision to prolong the term of arrest of
Zhirayr Sefilian was to be heard on May 14, at 14:30 at the Appeal
Court. However, as Noyan Tapan was informed from Committee for Support
to Zhirayr Sefilian and Vardan Malkhasian, Z. Sefilian’s defenders
and representatives of prosecuting party coming to the court at the
fixed hour, found the doors of the sitting hall closed.

After they had waited for a long time they found out that the Appeal
Court presided over by judge Sevak Hambartsumian held the sitting
with absence of the prosecuting and defending parties and left in
force the decision of first instance court.

EU Presidency: The pariamentary elections in Armenia were, on the whole,
free and fair

ArmRadio.am
14.05.2007 11:49

Presidency of the European Union (EU) stated `with satisfaction’ that
the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on 12 May `were, on the
whole, conducted fairly, freely and largely in accordance with the
international commitments which Armenia had entered into,’ Mediamax
reports.

`Presidency welcomes the fact that, compared to previous elections,
significant progress has been made,’ the document reads.

`The Presidency also welcomes the fact that the parliamentary
elections were observed and monitored closely and in a professional
manner by a comprehensive ODIHR election observation mission and by
delegations from the OSCE and Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assemblies,’ is noted in the statement.

Looking ahead to the presidential elections due to be held at the
beginning of 2008, the EU Presidency called on Armenia to investigate
and resolve the procedural problems which still exist, particularly
those concerning vote-counting but also the isolated cases of
irregularities which were observed.

`The Presidency of the European Union is very much in favor of
intensifying cooperation with Armenia. This would breathe new life
into the European Neighborhood Policy and the Action Plan agreed under
it’, the statement reads.

A1+

AYP’S STATEMENT
[01:29 pm] 14 May, 2007

`The vector of the Armenian foreign policy is
changing. We assume that the newly-formed Parliament
will dampen our relations with the Russian Federation
and the NATO,’ announce the Armenian Youth Party (AYP)
members.

`The so-called political parties will change the
country’s foreign policy vector through their
disorienting actions.’

`We claim that Armenia should continue its partnership
with Russia, Armenia’s number one partner.’