Author: Khoyetsian Rose

Earthtimes, UK
Feb 19 2008

Opposition allegations mar Armenian presidential vote – Summary
Posted : Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:34:20 GMT
Author : DPA

Yerevan, Armenia – Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian led in early vote
tallies in Armenia’s presidential elections Tuesday, but it was
unclear if he would make the 50-per-cent barrier needed to win
outright. With just over 36 per cent of the votes counted six hours
after polls closed, Sarkisian lead the race with 41 per cent of the
vote, according to the Central Election Committee (CEC).

But the official results put Sarkisian, the favoured successor of
incumbent Robert Kocharian, under the 50 per cent needed to avoid a
run-off with the second-place finisher after a bitterly contested
election campaign.

Local media widely announced Sarkisian’s outright victory at the
close of voting Tuesday based on a survey by British pollster
Populus, which showed Sarkisian winning with 57.1 per cent, provoking
opposition cries of vote rigging.

The CEC reported a high 69.26-per-cent voter turnout in the small
Caucasus state of 3.2 million.

Sarkisian’s fiercest challenger, former president Levon
Ter-Petrosian, accused the government of "mass bribing, ballot
stuffing, voting list falsifications" and a slew of other violations,
including the beating and kidnapping of his supporters.

"Many dirty things are happening. There have been many concrete
violations," Ter-Petrosian told journalists after casting his ballot
Tuesday afternoon.

Ter-Petrosian was running even with another opposition candidate,
Artur Baghdasarian. Both had 10-12 per cent of the vote, according to
the CEC’s preliminary results.

Ter-Petrosian, who made a dramatic comeback after his resignation in
1998, pledged to hold a protest rally in Yerevan on Wednesday,
raising fears of mass post-election protests.

The opposition candidate’s final campaign rally Saturday drew a crowd
of about 30,000 people to the capital Yerevan’s theatre square.

Earlier in the day, Sarkisian downplayed the chances of a run-off
election.

"I believe that the most important thing is not the number of
rounds," he told reporters. It is "to end the elections today and to
have a lot of trust in the election results."

Sarkisian is expected to keep the line set by Kocharian during his
decade at the helm, particularly his hawkish foreign stance and close
strategic partnership with Russia.

Armenia has emerged as a strategically important region, lying as it
does along gas routes from the energy-rich Caspian Sea region to
Europe and being a close partner of Iran. Western powers fear
instability in the region could disrupt gas routes.

Facing blockades along two of its borders over a territorial conflict
with Azerbaijan, and with Turkey angered by Yerevan’s lobbying for
international recognition of the killings of Armenians by the Turkish
Ottoman Empire as genocide, Armenia is reliant both on Western and
Russian aid.

But a current construction boom and steady growth in the small
post-Soviet state were seen as the main factors in favor of the
powerful prime minister, whose Republican Party of Armenia swept
recent parliamentary elections in the country.

Outside his polling station Tuesday Sarkisian said, "The government
was formed nine months ago and we have since then achieved good
results. I do not know of any need for essential changes."

His words were echoed by voters outside polling stations in the
capital.

Vladimir, a 75-year-old pensioner, said simply he was voting to "keep
the old power, to keep stability," while Arar, an architect in his
30s, pointed to cranes towering over the street: "The country is
growing."

Kocharian, 53, who is barred from a third term, is expected to retain
power, but when asked about his future plans Tuesday said "that is
the biggest secret in Armenia today."

Despite progress, over a quarter of Armenians live below the poverty
line and widespread perceptions of corruption dog the top candidates.

"Our choice is between bad and worse," was a phrase repeated by
voters on election day.

Such sentiment benefited former parliamentary speaker Baghdasarian, a
39-year-old populist politician who is calling for Armenia’s
accession to the EU and NATO.

In all, nine candidates appear on Tuesday’s ballot.

The United States has threatened to withhold 235 million dollars in
aid and further diplomatic relations with the European Union may also
be contingent on the fairness of Tuesday’s vote, which was monitored
by 620 international observers.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s monitoring
mission was to deliver its assessment on Wednesday afternoon.

KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE OPENS PANDORA’S BOX IN CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.02.2008 16:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Kosovo’s independence opens Pandora’s box
and re-opens wounds in the countries that emerged after the USSR
decline. Kosovo is an urgent topic in at least six states: Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Georgia, Moldavia, Ukraine and Russia. Some of them hope
for the United States or the European Union, Now, they can incline
to Moscow, which can either encourage separatism on the territory of
its neighbors or help them to maintain territorial integrity for a
certain price," El Pais newspaper reports.

The Moldavian government expressed "deep concerns"
yesterday. "Unilateral proclamation of Kosovo’s independence is a
serious destabilizing factor in Europe and a dangerous stimulus for
separatist movements in all conflict zones," it said in a statement.

Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili said he will rebuff any
attempt to recognize independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Artur Baghdasaryan: New development of situation in Kosovo to positively
affect Karabakh conflict settlement process

2008-02-19 11:21:00

ArmInfo. New development of the situation in Kosovo will positively
affect Karabakh conflict settlement process, "Orinats Yerkir" party
leader, RA presidential contender Artur Baghdasaryan told journalists
today after voting at the election precinct 10/29 in the Yerevan
secondary school N19 after Nikol Aghbalyan.

"Of course, the situation in Kosovo will positively affect the
situation on Karabakh conflict settlement", A. Baghdasaryan
emphasized. To recall, the parliament of Kosovo declared of its
independence from Serbia on February 17.

PRESS RELEASE
Haigazian University
From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Mexique Street, Kantari, Beirut
P.O.Box. 11-1748
Riad El Solh 1107 2090
Tel: 01-353010/1/2
01-349230/1

New Students Follow a Thorough Orientation Program at Haigazian University

Beirut, Friday, February 15, 2008 – Newly enrolled students followed a
thorough one-day-orientation program at Haigazian University, a program
designed to introduce undergraduates to all aspects of University life .

Ms. Najoie Nasr of the Business Administration department, and Ms. Halby
of the Biology department, introduced the students to Academics: how to
achieve academic progress, the grading system and examinations, changes
in major, learning styles and test preparations.

Director of the Orientation Program, Dr. Berge Traboulsi, tackled the
question of ethics and the practice of research, and how to conduct
documentation

Students got also trained in academic computing services and
applications, a presentation conducted by the Information Technology
department.

The Student Life team presented the co-curricular activities in the
University, the student clubs, and the Spiritual life activities, as
well as the University Counseling Center, directed by Dr. Hanin Hout,
provided guidelines to good communication, positive thinking and
physical and mental health.

In the same evening, Graduate students too had the opportunity to get a
quick orientation, and to meet with the President of the University,
Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, the Deans and the Chairs of various
departments.

Defining the mission of Haigazian University as a task of refining,
President Haidostian said that the education provided by Haigazian
University will hopefully refine the students’ minds, their worldview,
their evaluation of values, their commitments and priorities, and thus
their hearts.

ISNA, Iran
Iranian Students News Network
Feb 16 2008

Armenia calls for boosting ties with Iran

ISNA – Tehran

TEHRAN, Feb. 16 (ISNA)-The Armenian national assembly speaker Tigran
Torosian called for boosting ties with Iran.

Visiting the Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Torosian said there seem
to be satisfactory ties between the two countries not affected by
global developments.

Iran and Armenia have held seven joint economic cooperation
commissions so far.

The last one held in Yerevan was chaired by Iranian foreign minister
Manouchehr Mottaki and the Armenian energy minister Armen Movsisyan.

The commission examined cooperation in fields including trade,
energy, health and culture.

Mottaki had said ties between the two countries have drastically
boosted over the last few years.

The national assembly speaker also said it is any country’s certain
right to achieve peaceful nuclear energy and expressed hope that all
countries would respect established international rules.

The ambassador for his part said Iran will always stand by Armenia.

Lragir, Armenia
Feb 15 2008

DISPLAY POLITICAL WILL AT LEAST ONCE

The spokesman for the presidential candidate Arthur Baghdasaryan,
Member of Parliament Artashes Avoyan stated February 15 in a
discussion at the National Press Club, using the opportunity provided
by the National Press Club and the U.S. National Democratic Institute
to appeal to voters three days before the voting, that he first wants
to appeal to the government.

Artashes Avoyan said the government should display political will at
least once and hold a truly free and fair election. The
representative of the presidential candidate voiced concern about
vast election fraud, which causes preoccupation and doubt about the
election day. Artashes Avoyan urged the members of all the election
commissions and proxies to reject election bribes, to be unbiased and
committed to the law, and urged voters to vote out of their
conscience.

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
Feb 14 2008

Karabakh Issue Colours Armenia Poll

Return of former president breaks political consensus on resolving
the conflict.

By Tatul Hakopian in Yerevan (CRS No. 431 14-Feb-08)

The future of Nagorny Karabakh has not previously been a contentious
issue in the domestic politics of Armenia in recent years, but now it
is being bitterly debated in the presidential election campaign,
thanks to the return of the stage of former president Levon
Ter-Petrosian.

On the campaign trail, supporters of Ter-Petrosian and his rival, the
official candidate Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, are trading
accusations of `sell-outs’ in their respective negotiations with
Azerbaijan to resolve the disputed territory’s status.

Former president Ter-Petrosyan stepped down in 1998 after coming
under pressure from a group of ministers including his successor as
president, Robert Kocharian, and Sarkisian, who opposed his tactics
for resolving the conflict with Azerbaijan.

There is normally an almost full consensus on the Karabakh issue in
Armenian politics, and election campaigns focus instead on domestic
issues such as the economy and corruption.

This campaign has proved to be the exception.

Vahan Hovannisian, who is running as a candidate for the nationalist
Dashnaktsutiun party, diverges from the other eight contenders by
asserting that there can be no negotiations with Azerbaijan until it
signs a non-aggression pact with Armenia .

The main difference between the others is that Ter-Petrosian says
that time is working against Armenia in the Karabakh dispute and
settling it needs to be a priority.

Kocharian and Sarkisian have accused Ter-Petrosian of wanting to
`surrender’ Karabakh in 1998. These allegations have not been
precisely worded, but the implication is that Ter-Petrosian was
willing to compromise on the sovereignty claimed by Nagorny Karabakh.

Opposition member of parliament Shavarsh Kocharian (no relation of
the president), a critic of Ter-Petrosian, said the former
president’s return to the political scene had rekindled the debate on
Karabakh.

`The defeatist attitudes which were characteristic of the previous
governing regime and which were the reason why it left office in 1998
have led to the issue of conflict resolution coming to the fore
again, as this same administration is rearing its head again and is
has not changed its position on Karabakh,’ he said.

Ter-Petrosian’s supporters would vigorously deny that he has a
`defeatist’ attitude. At one rally, the candidate spoke in detail
about the need to make a deal with Azerbaijan and change the status
quo. He has said that time is not on Armenia’s side in the dispute.

Political analyst Aghasi Yenokian said, `It’s natural that with the
return [of Ter-Petrosian] to politics, the issue is being raised
again. It’s only Ter-Petrosian who expresses a real readiness to
settle the Karabakh conflict. All the other candidates would, if
elected, continue the current policy and postpone a resolution.’

On February 9, Ter-Petrosian raised the stakes with his opponents by
directly linking the Karabakh issue with the most traumatic event in
recent domestic political history, the murder of eight prominent
politicians in parliament in October 1999.

At a rally on Yerevan’s Freedom Square, Ter-Petrosian claimed that in
autumn 1999, Kocharian, Sarkisian and current foreign minister Vardan
Oskanian had been ready to sign a deal to exchange the southern
Meghri region of Armenia for Nagorny Karabakh and the adjoining
Lachin district.

Meghri stands between Azerbaijan to its exclave territory
Nakhichevan, while Lachin connects Armenia and Karabakh. The idea of
a swap has been dubbed the `Goble Plan’ after the American scholar
Paul Goble who first suggested it.

On the same day, the Haikakan Zhamanak newspaper which is supporting
Ter-Petrosian’s election bid published the text of an unofficial
document produced by the American, French and Russian co-chairs of
the Minsk Group – the mediators in the dispute – in autumn 1999, in
which the first point states that Meghri should be exchanged for
Lachin.

`I am making public a fact that has been hidden for ten years – a
great conspiracy against Armenia – which Kocharian, Sarkisian and
Oskanian have always denied,’ Ter-Petrosian told the crowd which
listened in absolute silence. `This is the question of exchanging of
Meghri for Lachin, through which Armenia would have lost its
35-kilometre border with Iran. Today this conspiracy has been
exposed.’

The candidate then went on to make an even more explosive allegation,
linking this plan with the attack of October 27, 1999, in which eight
leading politicians including the then prime minister Vazgen
Sarkisian and speaker of parliament Karen Demirchian, were killed.

`This document will be the most important clue to solving the October
27 [murders],’ said Ter-Petrosian.

`This conspiracy failed thanks to two people – Karen Demirchian and
Vazgen Sarkisian, who exposed the plot at a session of the security
council, and paid the highest price for it, their lives.’

The Kocharian administration moved quickly to dismiss Ter-Petrosian’s
allegations, with presidential press secretary Viktor Soghomonian
calling the claims `an electoral gambit’.

`The radical opposition, having exhausted all attempts to discredit
the authorities, has begun talking about this alleged peace plan,’
said Soghomonian. `This started in 2002. In actual fact we are
talking about the so-called `Goble Plan’ which was never a topic for
discussion in the negotiations over Karabakh. It’s obvious that
today’s publication has the aim of heading off a new discussion about
the very peculiar approach that ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian took
to resolving the conflict.’

Following the shootings in parliament, Kocharian said he had rejected
the idea of a territorial exchange. Speaking on television in
February 2000, he said there had indeed been a plan to exchange land
but `this was not accepted by me’.

Foreign minister Oskanian angrily rejected Ter-Petrosian’s statements
on the Karabakh issue.

`What Ter-Petrosyan is doing is a cheap pre-election trick, this is
immoral. And when he tries to relate his statements to the terrorist
act in the Armenian parliament, it becomes clear to me that
Ter-Petrosyan will stop at nothing,’ said the minister.

Tatul Hakopian is a commentator on Public Radio in Armenia and
correspondent for the New York newspaper The Armenian Reporter.

EU AGAINST MENTIONING NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT IN CONTEXT OF KOSOVO’S RECOGNITION

Trend News Agency
Feb 13 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 13 February / corr Trend News K.Ramazanova / The
European Union (EU), which may recognize the independence of Kosovo
unilaterally, considers that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be
mentioned in this context.

"It is good that in unlike Abkhazia and South Osetia, the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not mentioned in the context of
recognition of Kosovo," Peter Semneby, the EU special representative
for South Caucasus, said in an interview with the Russian newspaper
Kommersant on 13 February.

A declaration on independence of the Serb Province of Kosovo is likely
to be signed at the end of this week, Jakup Krasnichi, the Speaker
of the Kosovo Parliament stated on 12 February.

No politician from Kosovo spoke about the date of the meeting of
local parliament where the relevant decision will be made. However,
the Kosovo media mentioned 17 February as the possible day for issuing
autonomy for the region and even the sum of money to be spent for
celebrations – approximately ~@1mln.

Leaders of the South Serb Province with the support of the United
States, the UK and most US countries have been reaching for an
independent status over several years. Russia is against the unilateral
issue of independence for Kosovo.

Semneby voiced his disappointment that despite extensive dialogue no
solution has been found to the Karabakh problem. "However, definite
tranquility reigns there and that is encouraging," the special
representative said.

Semneby said that the negotiation process held within the framework
of the OSCE Minsk Group, restrains Armenia and Azerbaijan from taking
any dramatic actions.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

The special representative said that after relaxation of tension
around Kosovo, talks over Abkhazia and South Osetia can be restored.

RA FM: SPECULATIONS ON TOPIC OF MEGHRI IS A CHEAP TRICK

arminfo
2008-02-13 12:56:00

ArmInfo. The version of the territorial exchange of Karabakh to Meghri
is no more than a proposal, put in requisition by American political
expert Paul Goble, RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan told "Shant"
TV channel.

The minister said that Paul Goble’s plan was presented in early 1990s
and remained in circulation till 2000. ‘I will speak in details for
our compatriots to understand the situation. Let’s start with what
Levon Ter-Petrosyan (RA first President, now presidential contender
-ed.) is doing now – this is a cheap trick. There is no matter of
confidentiality, it is just incorrect. These are speculations. I
have no such estimations in my vocabulary, however, this is immoral
in fact. These are speculations on one of the most important issues
for us, especially when it is associated with October 27 events
(terrorist act in the Armenian parliament in October, 1999 – ed.)’,
V. Oskanyan said. He expressed opinion that the present situation
gives grounds to think that L. Ter-Petrosyan will stick at nothing:
‘If he could speculate in this issue, I am sure that he will stick
at nothing to fulfill his political programme, that is, to become
the president of Armenia. I would like to be mistaken in this matter,
but I think that we shall still make sure of what I have told’. RA FM
categorically denied the version that such a document (about Meghri
exchange) had ever been on the table of negotiations. ‘I bindingly
claim that three documents were officially or semi-officially presented
by OSCE MG co-chairmen during Robert Kocharyan’s presidency: a document
about the ‘common state’ in 1998, the ‘key-west document> in 2001 and
the one being presently on the table of negotiations. There is no word
‘Meghri’ there’, V. Oskanyan said. He recalled that two documents,
"package" and "stage-by-stage" versions, were presented in a period,
preceding to R. Kocharyan’s coming to the power, i.e. during
L. Ter-Petrosyan’s presidency.

‘What L. Ter-Petrosyan claims at the meetings, saying that ‘this is
a version of Meghri’s surrender’, is Paul Goble’s plan and it has
never been on the table of negotiations’, the minister emphasized. At
the same time, he said that Goble’s proposal has always been in
circulation. V. Oskanyan added that in 1994, this proposal was
discussed with Levon Ter-Petrosyan. The discussion was held with
no third-party present. There were only people from Ter-Petrosyan’s
circle present. V. Oskanyan himself took the post of RA deputy Foreign
Minister at that time. ‘L. Ter- Petrosyan expressed his opinion
regarding this plan. He said that Goble’s plan was a good version
for Armenia, if the northern part of Nakhchivan is added to it ‘,
Oskanyan said. Responding to the commentator’s question, the minister
said that this was just discussion of Goble’s plan in circulation:
‘However, I would not consider myself a moral man if I claimed that
L. Ter-Petrosyan wanted to give Meghri to Azerbaijan. It would be
absurd and incorrect. L. Ter-Petrosyan would not do that. However,
an opinion was nevertheless expressed and the issue was discussed’.

As V. Oskanyan said, the document L. Ter-Petrosyan is talking about,
contains the above-indicated idea. However, the point is that such
a document has never been officially presented. "I have now many
documents of such content in my table, however, none of them is
official and the OSCE MG co-chairs are unaware of them. Such proposals
were multiply received over the past years.

At the same time, the minister expressed hope that though
speculations on the topic of Meghri have began now, the document
was in someone’s hands long ago: ‘Now, when the people’s passions
have been heated, they thought that the moment has come. Therefore,
I consider this immoral’. Having touched upon the document, not
signed by L. Ter-Petrosyan, about the package version of settlement,
which envisages a status of autonomy for the NKR in AR structure,
the minister emphasized that though the document was unsigned,
Ter-Petrosyan’s share of guilt is that there were such formulations in
this document. ‘I cannot blame Levon Ter-Petrosyan for an intention
to give Karabakh because he did not sign the document and did not
present it for the people’s discussion. We can blame him for ‘phasing’,
that is, a readiness to give the territories of the security belt
without specifying the NKR status’, the minister said and added that
though Ter-Petrosyan did not sign up the ‘stage-by-stage’ version,
however, he submitted it to the people’s approval in his interview
and article. ‘It means that he agreed with the document and considered
the negotiations completed, moreover, he thought this way right. The
negotiations are headed by the people’s elect, and when there is a
discrepancy between the president’s and the people’s opinion, the
president’s resignation is a logical consequence’, V. Oskanyan said.

FLORENCE AVAKIAN DISCUSSES THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ON AL JAZEERA TELEVISION
By Harry Koundakjian

AZG Armenian Daily
13/02/2008

Armenian Genocide

UNITED NATIONS, NY – Florence Avakian, an accredited United Nations
journalist, and free lance writer based in New York, recently was
interviewed on Al Jazeera television which has a worldwide audience
of over 70 million. The interview which took place at United Nations
headquarters in New York, focused on the Armenian Genocide, and its
prospects for recognition by the United States Congress.

She emphasized that the issue was one of moral and human rights,
and should not be compromised because of political expediency. This
first genocide of the 20th century was a catalyst in persuading Rafael
Lemkin to call the mass slaughter of a people a "genocide", she said.

Ms. Avakian pointed out that early United States administrations
had recognized the magnitude of the Armenian tragedy perpetrated by
Ottoman Turkey, and that The New York Times during that period, had
run front page articles about the horrific events. This accentuated
the plight of the refugees, and resulted in American efforts to help
the survivors. Even Hitler, she reiterated, had chillingly stated,
"Who remembers the extermination of the Armenians", before he started
his own plan.

When asked about Turkey’s intention to close the American base in
Turkey, as well as other such threats, she said the issue must not be
one of "callous political expediency", As an influential world power,
the United States should stand up as a beacon of justice. Even today,
the world is seeing genocides and ethnic cleansing continue, with
virtually no action taken to prevent them, a precursor to future
genocides, she noted.

With huge military and industrial corporations joining the
well-financed Turkish lobby and the Bush administration to stop the
Genocide bill, several members of Congress caved in, causing the bill
to be tabled indefinitely, she pointed out.

While a freshman student at Hunter College High School in New York,
Ms. Avakian had represented her school on the NBC television series
"The New York Times Youth Forum" on the topic of genocide. At that
time, she was privileged to meet Rafael Lemkin who was the moderator
of the program.

Florence Avakian received a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Political
Science on a Falk Fellowship at Michigan State University. She was
also awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship
in Journalism to Cornell University, and an English Union Speaking
Fellowship to Oxford University in England.

At the United Nations, she has interviewed several world leaders
including India’s Indira Gandhi, Georgia’s President Edward
Schevardnadze, Turkey’s President Bulent Ecevit, and Cypriot Presidents
Archbishop Makarios, Glafkos Clerides, and Spyros Kyprianou, among
others. She is a regular member of the United Nations Correspondents
Association (UNCA).

In the last several years, Ms. Avakian has had her Op Ed articles
on the Armenian Genocide and Armenian issues published in The New
York Times, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, San Francisco
Chronicle, Los Angeles Examiner, Baltimore Sun, and the Hearst Feature
Service Ms. Avakian is a frequent contributor to The Armenian Reporter,
and to Ararat Magazine. She is also the news reporter in English
every week on the Armenian Radio Hour of New Jersey.