Author: Khoyetsian Rose

22 SETTLEMENTS WILL BE RENAMED

A1+
[12:42 pm] 20 June, 2006

NA affirmed the new names of 19 rural settlements in Syunik marz. The
issue of renaming these settlements was put on the agenda for a long
time. The above mentioned settlements got rid of the former foreign
names according to the law.

The change of the names of 19 settlements among 22 ones has
been affirmed so far. The question of three others is still
being discussed. These are the villages Aghbulagh, Musallam and
Okhtar. Three settlements of the marz are included in the list of
the rural communities in the framework of the law.

The settlement Verin Giratar is involved in Lernadzor community,
whereas Pirlu and Qyurut – in Geghi. The historical background
was taken into consideration while choosing the new names of the
settlements. The foreign names will be finally deleted from the map
of the region.

TV Company "Sosi," Kapan

IMF RECOMMENDS THAT ARMENIA EXPAND TAX BASE

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
June 19, 2006 Monday 1:56 PM MSK

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)

is recommending that Armenia expand its tax base and improve tax
collection, Rodrigo de Rato, IMF managing director, told reporters
in Yerevan.

The relationship between budget tax revenue and GDP in Armenia is the
lowest in the region, he said. This figure improved slightly to 14.3%
of GDP in 2005, however the government needs to work on this, he said.

De Rato also underscored the important of transparency and improving
budget spending. Special attention should be paid to improving social
infrastructures in rural area, including in education and healthcare,
he said.

FOR OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS
Editorial

Yerkir.am
June 16, 2006

National Assembly’s Armenian Revolutionary Federation faction
secretary Hrayr Karapetian announced on June 13 that hearings devoted
to drafting a law on dual citizenship are set up for June 23 at the
National Assembly.

Karapetian noted the ARF has already made public a concept of the law
that has stirred discussions. "We see the law on dual citizenship
as a priority for this National Assembly," Karapetian said. "The
constitutional amendments allow us adopt such law. It would be
implemented to serve our state and our national interests by bringing
together our national capacities."

National Assembly’s Foreign Relations Committee has set up the hearings
for June 23. The theme of the hearings is "Dual Citizenship Issues:
International Law and Experience."

"We are inviting political parties and non-governmental organizations
to participate in the hearings because we believe we would hear views
on the issue, including the international experience, that would be
important before a draft law is put into circulation, to have a law
that would contribute to further development of our statehood."

Czech Senate Delegation to Arrive in Armenia June 19

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.06.2006 17:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Members of the committee on international relations,
defense and security at the Czech Senate will be visiting Armenia
June 19-21, reported the RA NA press service. June 19 the delegation
will meet with chairman of the standing parliamentary committee
for international relations Armen Rustamyan. Then the Czech Senate
members will lay a wreath to the Memorial to the Armenian Genocide
victims. On the same day they will meet with Armenian deputy Foreign
Minister Arman Kirakossian.

June 20 the delegation members will be received by chairman of standing
parliamentary committee for defense, national security and home
affairs Aramais Grigoryan and Deputy Defense Minister Artur Aghabekyan.

ZARQAWI’S DEMISE

AZG Armenian Daily
16/06/2006

There is a lesson for us all in the sudden, violent death of terrorist
leader Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq on Tuesday. It is this: Never call
a meeting.

Osama bin Laden probably hasn’t called a single meeting since 9/11,
so he’s still alive and kicking almost five years later. He sends out
inspirational video or audio tapes from time to time, but he’s not
actually running anything, because that would require him to be in
daily touch with lots of people — and if he were, he would be dead by
now. They’d spot him using a satellite phone and drop a missile on him,
like the Russians did to the Chechen rebel leader Dzhokhar Dudayev,
or somebody would just turn him in for the $25 million reward.

Zarqawi HAD to hold meetings, however. He had to organise atrocities,
coordinate logistics, talk on mobile phones, and thus expose himself
to attack on a daily basis, so eventually he ran out of luck. He will
not be missed, especially by the saner parts of the Iraqi resistance
movement — but he has probably already done the state of Iraq
fatal damage.

Zarawi was a foreigner, and most of his fighters were foreigners too,
religious fanatics from all over the Arab world who cared no more
about the lives of Iraqis than they did about their own lives. The
more doctrinally pure among them believed that there should not even
be an Iraqi state; like all Muslim countries, it should be absorbed
into a single world-spanning Muslim state run according to strict
Islamist principles.

It was the US invasion of Iraq that gave Zarqawi and his friends
the chance to move in, but they never dominated the resistance
movement. From the start, the great majority of the people fighting
the American occupation were native-born Sunni Arabs. Some of them,
mostly former Baathists, were nationalists who simply wanted the
Americans out. Others were religiously motivated radicals, long
repressed under Saddam, who also wanted to impose strict Islamic law
on the country. But none of them wanted to abolish the country. Most
of them did not even want a civil war.

That was where Zarqawi’s influence was greatest, and worst. His
gruesome enthusiasm for slowly beheading defenceless hostages and
circulating the videos was bad enough. Indeed, although bin Laden
and Zawahiri were eventually persuaded in 2004 to adopt "al-Qaeda in
Iraq," as Zarqawi named his organisation, they never had any control
over him, and they worried that his obvious delight in cruelty would
alienate people from the cause. But Zarqawi’s strategy of trying to
trigger a civil war in Iraq by murdering Shia Arabs in large numbers
was as infectious as it was effective.

Logically, Iraq’s Sunni Arabs should not seek a civil war because,
as a mere 20 percent minority in the country, they are almost certain
to lose it. But there is no other strategy that is likely to restore
the Sunnis’ former dominance over Iraq either. When no good strategy is
available, people will often opt for bad strategies rather than accept
defeat — and Zarqawi offered the Sunnis the strategy of civil war.

Like many religious fanatics, he hated people of his own religion
whom he saw as heretics even more than he hated infidels, so he had
no compunction about blowing Shia Arabs up in large numbers simply
because they were Shia. He saw a Sunni-Shia civil war as the best way
of destabilising the government that the US occupation was trying to
install in Baghdad, but also as the best way to ensuring the emergence
of a permanent base for Islamist radicals in the Sunni Arab parts
of the country, which would probably end up beyond Shia control even
after a eventual American withdrawal.

It was Zarqawi’s people who carried out all the early atrocities
against Shia civilians — the bombing of the Najaf shrine in August
2003 (85 dead), the coordinated attack on Shia mosques during Ashoura
ceremony in March 2004 (181 dead), the car bombs in Najaf and Karbala
in December 2004 (60 dead) — and they had the desired effect. Death
squads from Shia militias began killing Sunnis in retaliation,
the mainstream Sunni resistance started to fight back with the same
methods, and Iraq was trapped in the same spiral of violence that
doomed Lebanon to fifteen years of civil war.

Zarqawi is dead, but he has probably achieved his purpose. Baghdad
central mortuary is now receiving close to fifty mutilated bodies each
day, almost all of them victims of sectarian killings, and every month
the number rises. It’s probable that two or three times as many dead
end up in other mortuaries or are simply found and buried by their
relatives without any official record. The situation in Iraq will
probably get much worse, but it is already past saving.

By Gwynne Dyer, a London-based independent journalist whose articles
are published in 45 countries.

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GEARS UP FOR PRESIDENCY
By Emil Danielyan

Eurasia Daily Monitor
June 13 2006

Armenia’s second most powerful official, Defense Minister Serge
Sarkisian, is eliminating the last remaining doubts about his intention
to succeed President Robert Kocharian after the latter completes a
second five-year term in office in 2008. The past few weeks have
made it even clearer that the two men have agreed on a rotation
of power that could allow them to dominate Armenian politics for
another decade. In a country that has failed to hold a single election
recognized as free and fair by the international community, the opinion
of voters is considered marginal for the realization of this scenario.

Sarkisian effectively kicked off his presidential campaign last week
thanks to an event that could hardly be more apolitical. Armenia’s
national chess team notched a victory at the 37th Chess Olympiad,
which ended in Turin on June 4. The six grandmasters and their coach
received a hero’s welcome as they returned to Yerevan two days later
and addressed several thousand people in the city’s Freedom Square.

Sarkisian also received congratulations and delivered a speech to
the jubilant crowd broadcast live by state television. He happens
to be chairman of the Armenian Chess Federation and stayed with the
players in Turin throughout the two-week competition. Some government
officials and even army generals who joined in the celebrations were
quick to claim that this fact was key to the Armenian chess triumph.

Sarkisian, himself a keen chess player, stopped short of explicitly
taking credit for the success, but clearly enjoyed himself, looking
more like a politician on the campaign trail than a sport executive.

For a man long vilified by his political opponents and disliked by
many disgruntled Armenians, it was quite a public relations stunt.

For local observers, it was a taste of things to come.

That Sarkisian is Kocharian’s preferred successor was essentially
confirmed on May 20 by the Armenian president’s national security
adviser, Garnik Isagulian. "One of those who is most experienced and
ready to be the next president of Armenia is Defense Minister Serge
Sarkisian," he stated at a news conference. "In this case, Armenia’s
current political course will be pursued."

Indeed, Kocharian could hardly find a more reliable partner who
would guarantee his personal security and let him continue to play
a major role in Armenia’s government. Kocharian and Sarkisian have
long known and worked with each other. They both come from Karabakh,
having jointly governed the Armenian-controlled disputed region
during its successful war with Azerbaijan before ending up in senior
government positions in Armenia. They both were instrumental in the
1998 resignation of Armenia’s first president, Levon Ter-Petrosian,
the man who had brought them to Yerevan.

The Kocharian-Sarkisian duo has proved more effective (and ruthless)
in clinging to power than Ter-Petrosian, securing the allegiance
of a wide range of pro-establishment parties and clans through a
combination of sticks and carrots. The latter have taken the form
of largely insignificant government posts that enable the leaders of
those groups to enrich themselves but not endanger the duo’s exclusive
grip on defense, law-enforcement, the judiciary, foreign affairs, tax
collection, and dealings with large-scale foreign investors. None of
the state institutions managing these key policy areas is accountable
to Armenia’s cabinet of ministers. Kocharian and Sarkisian are also
believed to control a narrow circle of wealthy businessmen that enjoy
a de facto monopoly on lucrative imports of fuel and basic commodities.

The pro-establishment groups, especially those represented in the
government, allow Armenia’s leaders to not only defuse public anger
with their policies but also to somehow legitimize their rule,
which has been tarnished by chronic vote rigging. (Kocharian was
twice "elected" president in 1998 and 2003 and neither election was
deemed democratic by Western observers.) Sarkisian is widely expected
to officially join forces with one of those governing factions to
actively participate in the next parliamentary election, due in May
2007 and seen as a rehearsal of the 2008 presidential ballot. His
most obvious choice is Prime Minister Andranik Markarian’s Republican
Party of Armenia (HHK). However, the powerful defense chief is in
no rush to team up with the HHK, suggesting that he is considering
other options as well.

There has already been speculation about the possibility of Sarkisian
cutting deals with two new, but extremely ambitious, parties sponsored
by Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian and influential "oligarch"
Gagik Tsarukian. Their emergence earlier this year drew concern from
another member of the governing coalition, the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (HHD). One of its leaders, Hrant Markarian, has charged
that both parties are bent on resorting to large-scale vote buying.

According to Hmayak Hovannisian, a supposedly independent lawmaker who
is reputedly close to Sarkisian, Tsarukian’s "Prosperous Armenia" party
was set up with the aim of securing Kocharian’s political future. The
Armenian leader, he told reporters recently, wants to become prime
minister after handing over the presidency to Sarkisian and therefore
needs to have a serious power base in the next parliament. Hovannisian
further said that Kocharian and Sarkisian would strive to ensure that
the HHK, Prosperous Armenia, and Hovsepian’s "Association for Armenia"
party win the 2007 election at any cost.

This scenario, if true, bodes ill for the freedom and fairness of the
upcoming polls. Kocharian and Sarkisian are widely held responsible
for entrenching Armenia’s post-Soviet culture of electoral fraud,
and there is no reason to expect them to renounce something that has
served them so well.

(Armenian Public Television, June 7; Iravunk, May 26; 168 Zham,
May 23; RFE/RL Armenia Report, May 17)

MEMORIAL-KHACHKAR TO PLANE ACCIDENT VICTIMS ERECTED IN BAGRATASHEN

Noyan Tapan
Jun 14 2006

IJEVAN, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN. A memorial-khachkar (cross-stone) to the
victims of Armavia airline’s A-320 plane crashed on May 3 was erected
on June 13 in the village of Bagratashen, Tavush region. 29-year-old
Armenuhi Kirakosian, a resident of Bagratashen, was also among the
victims. Her corpse was not found. The memorial was erected by her
relatives.

TERRY DAVIS PUBLISHES REPORT ON SECRET DETENTIONS IN EUROPE

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.06.2006 17:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A report related to allegations of rendition flights
and illegal detentions has been published today by Terry Davis, the
Secretary General of the Council of Europe, as a part of his inquiry
under Article 52 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This
procedure is parallel to the investigation conducted by Senator Dick
Marty on behalf of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly.

37 of the 46 Council of Europe member states were asked to clarify
and complement the information already submitted in response to the
questionnaire of 21 November 2005, in which the Secretary General
requested explanations about the effective implementation of the
European Convention on Human Rights with respect to activities of
national and foreign intelligence services and aircraft which may
be used for rendition purposes. The governments were also asked
to provide information on possible involvement of public officials
and the official investigations into allegations of unacknowledged
detention or rendition flights.

The replies from the governments and the analysis are available on
the Council of Europe web site. The Secretary General will shortly
make recommendations to the Council of Europe governments on specific
legal measures to be taken at national and European level in order to
reinforce the existing protection against rendition, illegal detention
and the outsourcing of torture.

INTERNATIONAL GENOCIDE MEMORIAL MAY BE CONSTRUCTED IN CALIFORNIA

Yerkir
14.06.2006 17:57

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The Armenian National Committee of America Western
Region expressed it support this week for AB 1210, legislation that
calls for the construction of an International Genocide Monument in
Sacramento’s State Capitol Park.

The California State Legislature took the first step this year
in working to construct an International Genocide Memorial in the
State’s Capitol.

Authored by State Assembly member Lloyd Levine, AB 1210 was introduced
in 2005 and is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee. If
passed, the legislation would call for the establishment of an
International Genocide Memorial Commission to determine the design,
construction, and dedication for a memorial, on the grounds of Capitol
Park, to honor genocide victims.

The State of California has a longstanding history in protecting the
rights, history and culture of all its citizens, including those who
are survivors and descendents of genocide and crimes against humanity.

An International Genocide Monument in the State Capitol would not
only serve as a symbol for remembrance of past genocides, but also as
a tool to educate thousands of students who visit the State Capitol
annually for class trips.

If constructed, the monument would recognize crimes perpetrated
against the Sudanese in Darfur and the Tutsis in Rwanda, the Armenians,
and the Jews, among others.

Noting the ANCA-WR’s support of AB 1210, Chairman Steven Dadaian said,
"The passage of this legislation that would bring about a permanent
reminder of past atrocities, is especially important in the face
of genocides that are still shamefully denied today, such as the
Armenian Genocide."

On behalf of all Armenian Americans, the ANCA-WR commends the
California legislature and Assembly member Levine’s leadership
for their efforts to create an enduring symbol of remembrance and
recognition in California for all victims of genocide and injustice,
reported the ANCA.

THE YOUTH UNITED AGAINST THOSE WHO LEFT

A1+
[02:55 pm] 14 June, 2006

An unprecedented event took place in the new political history of
Armenia – the representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
the Armenian Pan-National Movement and the Armenian Republican Party
united in one format and signed a document. This took place within
the framework of the youth structures of the parties.

The Club of Young Politicians displayed initiative condemning
the phenomena which are already becoming normal in the political
field. “We, young politicians, regardless of our political views
and approaches, condemn such vicious principles as non-fidelity
to principle, treachery, and immoral careerism. We call on all
the political powers in the RA, public figures and journalists to
boycott the immoral activity of the above mentioned ‘politicians'”,
the joint message of the young politicians says. It was signed by
the representatives of nine political powers.

As for the reason of the initiative, the last straw was the incident
with the “Heritage” party when the members of the party learned that
their young colleague Edgar Hakobyan engages in espionage. After
being dismissed from the party Hakobyan convened a news conference
and started to slander the party the member of which he used to be.

By the way, this was the last case of the kind. Before that there
were suchlike cases in the Republican Party, in the Party “New Times”
and the OYP. The young politicians gathered to condiment not the
individuals who left their parties, but the phenomenon in general.

“If the political system is not well realized, this does not mean
that they can wander from this party to that and see where they can
have more profit,” said Arman Vardanyan, the president of the Club
of Young Politicians.

According to Narek Malyan, the head of the youth wing of the Party
“New Times”, a politician must have fidelity to principle as it is
also good for the journalists who try to find out the principles of
this or that politician in their interview. And if he does not have
principles, that what is he working for?

On the whole the young politicians were concerned by the fact that
this phenomenon is gradually becoming usual in Armenia. They claimed
that the society must understand the danger that comes from those
people and condemn them. They offered to make a list of “outcasts”
– a so-called “black list” which will include the names of the
politicians they must beware.

And today besides signing the statement the young politicians announced
that they will boycott those who have betrayed their parties; they
will not have debates with them and will not unite with them in one
format. They also advised all the political powers not to cooperate
with those who have left their parties as he who has betrayed once
will do it a second time.