Author: Khoyetsian Rose

"GEORGIA’S TRADITIONS ARE REVOLUTIONARY"

A1+
09 January, 2008

Political scientist Alexander Iskandarian does not share the opinion
of international election observation missions according to which
Georgia’s elections were consistent with international standards
for democratic elections and the irregularities did not affect the
final outcome.

I think the assessment is preposterous as we speak of 2-percent
decisive votes which gives serious grounds for contemplations and
suspects. People publishing election results controlled the whole
elections process.

Iskandarian states that the election results were not publicizes in due
order. "People are invited to the president’s solemn oath before the
Central Electoral Commission officially reveals the election results,"
he says.

Iskandarian thinks Levan Gachechiladze, the candidate nominated by
the united opposition, has won the elections. Generally, elections
are less rigged in capitals as international observers mainly focus
on the capital electorate.

"Georgia’s elections will surely affect the Armenian ones as we are
neighboring countries. But the influence will not be that great as
the countries differ due to their political scenes and electoral
traditions. Georgia’s traditions are more revolutionary."

ARMENIAN CB LEAVES ANNUAL REFINANCING RATE UNCHANGED

ARKA News Agency
Jan 7 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, January 7. /ARKA/. At its sitting on December 29, 2007,
the Board of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) decided to leave the
annual refinancing rate unchanged – 5.75%.

The CBA press service reports that the CBA believes that external
inflationary pressures were maintained at the end of the 4th quarter
despite some price stabilization on the world food and oil markets.

Weaker internal influence on inflation was recorded as well, as high
rates of individual consumption were neutralized by a more restrained
fiscal policy.

The CBA Board members are of the unanimous opinion that external
inflationary pressure will be maintained this year. However, if no
external shocks occur, external influence on inflation will be weaker
than in 2007. As regards factors of internal influence on inflation,
they will also depend on budget expenditures in the context of the
expected high rates of increase in individual consumption.

The CBA reports that, in case internal and external inflationary
pressures are maintained during the next few months, the CBA Board
will have to be consistent in correcting interest rates.

1.5% inflation was recorded in Armenia in December 2007 compared to
November 2007. As a result, 6.6% annual inflation was recorded in
December 2007 – 1% higher than that the planned inflation (4±1.5%).

–Boundary_(ID_t+OdAoUen7F+hv7MRt4 qBw)–

VAZGEN MANUKYAN’S ELECTION HEADQUARTERS WAS SET UP

Lragir
Jan 8 2008
Armenia

On January 7 five political parties – National Democratic Party,
Alliance of National Democrats, Nation State, National Democratic
Union and Constitutional Right Union held a meeting at the office of
the NDU and the election program and headquarters of the presidential
candidate Vazgen Manukyan, the press service of the NDU reports.

At the same time, a political board including representatives of
five parties was set up, and the head of the election headquarters
was elected. The leader of the Nation State Party Samvel Shahinyan
will lead the election headquarters of Vazgen Manukyan, who will have
five deputies from each of the parties which have stated to support
Manukyan. The political board may include more political forces which
will state to support Manukyan.

MINISTERS TO REVIEW CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLE ON INSULTING TURKISH IDENTITY

NTV MSNBC
Jan 7 2008
Turkey

The European Union has cited Article 301 as an obstacle to free speech
and to Turkey’s becoming a member of the bloc.

ANKARA – The Turkish cabinet is to review draft amendments to a
controversial article of the Turkish Penal Code that critics say
limits freedom of expression.

On Monday, Turkish Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said he would
be submitting a bill amending Article 301 of the penal code to the
cabinet, which is expected to meet later in the same day.

Article 301 covers the crime of "insulting Turkishness" or denigrating
the Turkish identity. It has been used to prosecute some of Turkey’s
leading journalists and authors, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan
Pamuk, and Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who was murdered
in January last year.

Though refusing to give details of the amendments to the legislation,
Sahin said he believed there could be a provision in the draft law
requiring the authorisation of the Justice Ministry for a prosecution
to be opened under Article 301.

Sahin said that, if approved by the cabinet, the amendments to the
law could be tabled before the Turkish parliament before the end of
the week.

City Hall of Stepanakert bought three new refuse collection vehicles

28-12-2007 11:25:12 – KarabakhOpen

The City Hall of Stepanakert bought three refuse collection vehicles on
the funds allocated by the NKR government.

The vice mayor Georgy Hairyan said in an interview with the Public
Television next year the City Hall will buy 3 versatile bulldozers.

According to the vice mayor, the City Hall will focus on the repair of
streets and roofs of blocks of apartments for which the government has
allocated 100 million drams.

The program of repair of apartments of families of killed freedom
fighters, as well as the houses damaged by shelling during the war will
continue through next year. The government will allocate 270 million
drams instead of this year’s 130 million drams.

Yashar Jafarli: "If we speak about problems in Azerbaijan, it would be
better to speak about problems of the army"

30 December 2007 [16:01] – Today.Az

Azerbaijani army is the largest and best-equipped one in the South
Caucasus, but there are a number of problems, as reported by Yashar
Jafarli, chairman of the Public Association of Retirees.

"Reforms in the army are closely connected with general reforms in all
spheres. These reforms are executed in the country like in the army as
an army is a social institution. If we speak about social and political
problems, problems in the sphere of democracy and protectionof human
rights in Azerbaijan, it would be better to speak about problems of the
army", Jafarli continued.

He considers that the leadership of the army should be blamed while
the Defense Minister is responsible for the situation in the army.

"Our country has lost over 3.000 soldiers since signing of the
ceasefire agreement in 1994. However, no one has been brought to
responsibility", the retiree said.

"Absence of due control by the executive and legislative powers, as
well as civil society, causes increase in the number of law offenses",
Jafarli said.

The expert considers that Azerbaijani army is the largest and
best-equipped one in the South Caucasus.

"As to the combat training, this is a debatable question which can find
solution only in case of war", the officer continued.

Jafarli noted speaking on the correspondence of Azerbaijani army to
NATO standards that NATO is a military-political bloc.

"Therefore, its standards are divided into two parts. On the one hand,
these are military standards, aiming to ensure mutual aid of the
coalition member-states in case of war. Other standard imply provision
of democratic rights and liberties, settlement of social problems and
others", he continued.

Jafarli admitted that reforms are conducted in the army with the
simultaneous study of experience of other member-states of NATO, Russia
and even Pakistan in this sphere,

"I have been a deputy chief of department of human resources under the
Ministry of Defense for 5 years, therefore, I am aware of the situation
with reforms in our country. For example, this year the whole staff of
divisions has undergone reforms in line with the NATO standards, while
the structures of the Defense Ministry and Joint Staff operate on basis
of the old system", the officer said.

Touching upon the cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, Jafarli
recollected our country’s participation in such programs as
"Partnership for Peace" and assumed commitments.

"On the whole, NATO representatives positively assess the reforms
conducted in our army, but at the same time they point out a number of
problems. One of them is that our government does not inform the
community about the assumed commitments. Moreover, no one is informed
about programs in the framework of the plan of individual cooperation
between Azerbaijan and NATO (IPAP). This year Azerbaijan has completed
the first stage of the program but no one knows the details, as well as
the details of the first stage", Jafarli said.

He considers that the conducted reforms mainly refer the staff,
structural and technical changes.

"No political reforms are conducted. moreover, the Defense Ministry
does not execute hundreds of court decisions. For example, officers do
not have a right to ballot for parliamentary elections. This is a
direct violation of human rights".

He said the situation is also complicated with the war veterans,
invalids and martyrs’ families and others.

"No reforms are carried out in this sphere", he said.

He noted that there is a progress in the sphere of military training of
the youth.

"We have everything for catching up at least with Georgia: we have
funds, intellectual potential, military structures and NGOs dealing
with military issues. Our leadership says it is not necessary to
advertise war, but at the same time our powers do not exclude possible
armed resolution of the conflict. Thus, the military training is
necessary and due state programs should be adopted for it. I hope that
most problems in the military field will be settled in 2008, the year
of the 90th anniversary of our army", Jafarli noted.

Average salary in Base Metals was 170 thousand drams

28-12-2007 11:26:18 – KarabakhOpen

The Base Metals Company employs 1200 people, the Azat Artsakh reports.
Over the past 5 years after the establishment of the company the life
in the adjacent villages has changed.

Drmbon now has a great number of mining specialists, which allows
working out new projects of development of mining.

The president of Base Metals Valery Mejlumyan said 325 thousand tons of
ore was produced and processed. The average salary in the company was
170 thousand drams, the profit of the company was 3.9 billion drams.

In 2008 the factory will be modernized. In a few days the third
processing unit will be operated.

President Bako Sahakyan who visited the factory emphasized the role of
the factory in improving quality of life in the villages of Martakert.

This year the factory has donated 70 million drams to Armenia Fund.

The company is a major tax payer and in 2007 it has paid 1.88 billion
drams of different taxes.

In late January the DPA will present its stance concerning the upcoming
presidential elections

December 21, 2007
Yerevan /Mediamax/.

In late January of 2008, the Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA) will
present its stance concerning the upcoming presidential elections.

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan today,
Leader of DPA Aram Sarkisian ruled out the possibility of supporting
the candidature of the Armenian Ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian,
noting that `his methods have not changed’.

DPA Leader expressed discontent by the behavior of the Armenian media,
which `do not realize that they assist the charging of hatred
atmosphere in the society’.

FROM SALVATION TO CREATION

Lragir
Dec 20 2007
Armenia

In the beginning of January 2008 the "program of creation" of the
presidential candidate Artashes Geghamyan will be presented to the
society, which will be his election program, stated the deputy leader
of the National Solidarity Party Gagik Tadevosyan. According to him,
if Artashes Geghamyan comes to power, amendments will be made to the
Constitution which was adopted in 2005 through fraud.

The deputy leader of the National Solidarity Party says for his
party and their presidential candidate the most important thing is
the independence of the judicial power in this vital document. "We
think that in our country the judicial power will not be established
as long as there are no independent courts, independent justice,"
Gagik Tadevosyan says. Besides, he says they are for parliamentary
rule and proportional system of parliamentary elections.

Interestingly, in 2003 Artashes Geghamyan presented a program of
salvation of the nation, in 2007 a program of management of the crisis
in the parliament, and in 2008 a program of creation. Perhaps these
changes are determined by a change in Geghamyan’s possibilities.

YEREVAN COULD SIGN DEAL ON KARABAKH WITH BAKU BEFORE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS – MINISTER

Russia & CIS General Newswire
December 18, 2007 Tuesday 9:56 PM MSK

Armenia could sign a framework agreement with Azerbaijan on principles
of settling the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh before the presidential
elections in Armenia, said Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.

Speaking at a press conference in Yerevan on Tuesday, Oskanian said
that Armenia was not planning to withdraw from the negotiations on
Nagorno-Karabakh. "Armenia will continue the negotiating process in
the near future. There are documents on the negotiating table that
we are examining," he said.

Commenting on Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s remark to
the effect that a framework agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh could
be signed before the presidential elections, Oskanian said, "Our
desire is to reach a consensus on this two and half page document on
settlement principles. The sooner we come to it the sooner we will
start discussing details," he said.

"After that, we could start working on a 20-30 page or maybe even a
50-page agreement," he said.

The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group made ten written proposals
on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to Armenia and Azerbaijan
in Madrid in late November.

The presidential elections in Armenia are scheduled for February
19, 2008.