Author: Maghakian Mike

ZHARANGUTIUN TO PROPOSE INHABITATION OF LIBERATED LAND

Panorama.am
17:27 11/06/2007

"The territories in the vicinity of Nagorno Karabakh are not occupied
but liberated," Vardan Khachatryan, deputy chairman of Zharangutiun
party, told Panorama.am. "Some 450 thousand people have left Azerbaijan
and they have rights in that country. We believe they should reside in
the liberated areas," Khachatryan said. He also said the government
must clearly state that the land is liberated and implement concrete
programs to relocate the refugees in the area. The vice chairman said
Zharagutiun will come up with a program on Nagorno Karabakh in the
parliament, Khachatryan said.

Arka News Agency, Armenia
June 8 2007

"TOBACCO-FREE ARMENIA" ALLIANCE CALLS UPON PARLIAMENTARIANS TO FIGHT
AGAINST SMOKING

YEREVAN, June 8. /ARKA/. The public alliance for "Tobacco-free
Armenia" delivered a message to members of the new Armenian
parliament calling upon them to implement the provisions of the
Anti-tobacco framework convention of World Health Organization in the
country.
The members of the alliance expressed hope that the new parliament
will do its best to build up independent, prospering and powerful
homeland.
In its message the alliance urged the parliamentarians to ensure
citizens’ right of clean environment and to clear confined public
space from tobacco smoke, to conduct effective price and tax policies
toward the tobacco companies. Alliance also considered it a must to
introduce ban on advertisement of tobacco products in order to reduce
spread of smoking among the youth.
Armenia officially joined the framework convention of the World
Health Organization in 2004.
The "Tobacco Free Armenia" public alliance was founded in 2004 by
efforts of 12 organizations. Currently the alliance consolidates 28
public organizations. N.V. -0–

NEW NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CONVENES
By Astghik Bedevian, Ruzanna Khachatrian and Anna Saghabalian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
June 7 2007

The fourth National Assembly of independent Armenia began its first
session on Thursday with a collective oath of allegiance to Armenia’s
constitution.

The 131-member legislative body was greeted by President Robert
Kocharian, as well as Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, who
gave his blessing to the newly elected parliament and said a prayer.

The ceremonial part was followed by the election of parliament
leadership in the absence of opposition lawmakers, including elected
deputies from ex-parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian’s Orinats
Yerkir and ex-foreign minister Raffi Hovannisian-led Heritage party.

Hovannisian explained that the first session of the fourth National
Assembly was to have taken place the previous day pursuant to the
Constitution. He said that his Heritage party had not received, in a
manner reflective of the rule of law, due notice of that session or
any invitation.

Besides, he said, Heritage found it impossible to be present at any
parliament session until the Constitutional Court decided on the
validity of the parliamentary elections.

Both Heritage and Orinats Yerkir have not yet collected their
parliamentary mandates at the Central Election Commission. Orinats
Yerkir’s Hovannes Markarian said their party is also waiting for
the Court’s ruling due before June 10, but said they will pick their
mandates no matter what the final verdict is. "People trusted us in the
ballot and the mandates are a vote of public confidence," he explained.

Before the afternoon break, the sole nominee for the Speaker’s post,
Tigran Torosian, was installed in his former position due to the
overwhelming backing of his Republican Party (HHK) and its partners,
Prosperous Armenia (BHK) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun), which effectively sealed a power-sharing deal the
previous day.

Deputies voted in a secret ballot by 112 to 2 to allow Torosian to
continue as parliament speaker, the post he has occupied since the
resignation of Orinats Yerkir leader Artur Baghdasarian about a
year ago.

The deputies also overwhelmingly appointed BHK’s Ishkhan Zakarian
and Dashnaktsutyun’s Vahan Hovannisian as deputy speakers.

The two coalition partners, HHK and BHK, as well as Dashnaktsutyun
that had sealed cooperation with them, shared between themselves
leadership posts in all the standing parliamentary committees.

The HHK will have leadership in five of the nine committees, including
the committee on education, science and culture, the committee on
finance and crediting, the committee on state and legal issues (to
be headed by ex-justice minister David Harutiunian), the committee on
economic issues (headed by former environment minister Vartan Ayvazian)
and the committee on health, environment protection and social issues.

The BHK will lead the committees on human rights protection and
public affairs and on European integration. And Dashnaktsutyun will
lead the foreign relations and defense committees.

Also today, President Robert Kocharian accepted the resignation of
the government, instructing its current members to continue in office
until the formation of the new cabinet. By another decree he appointed
Serzh Sarkisian Armenia’s prime minister.

By the Armenian constitution, a new government must be formed within
20 days after the appointment of the prime minister and it will have
20 days to submit its program of action to the National Assembly
for approval.

Under the coalition agreement between the HHK and the BHK and their
cooperation deal with Dashnaktsutyun, the president will have the
prerogative of naming and recalling the ministers of foreign affairs,
justice and defense. Dashnaktsutyun will have the same rights in
two ministries, including agriculture and education; the BHK will
have its ministers of health, urban development, youth and sport
(a ministry separated from the former ministry of culture). The HHK
will have its say in all the rest ministries.

CO-CHAIRS HAD A LONG TALK WITH ARKADY GHUKASYAN

Lragir.am
07-06-2007 18:28:25

The meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Merzlyakov, Bryza and
Fassier on June 7 lasted for over two hours. In a news conference
after the meeting in answer to the remark of the reporters the meeting
lasted long the NKR president said they had not met for ages. Arkady
Ghukasyan said during the meeting he reasserted the standpoint of
NKR. "I state that our stance has not changed and will not change. It
is pointless to consider any other issue until there is agreement on
the status of Nagorno-Karabakh," Arkady Ghukasyan says.

According to him, if there is no agreement on the status of Karabakh,
they are not ready to discuss the territories. "It is another thing
that the territories are constantly on the agenda, and it does not
depend on us. I said during our previous meeting that we cannot avoid
participating in the discussion of the issues Azerbaijan is interested
in. But on the condition that Azerbaijan must agree to discuss the
issues that we are interested in.

Issue number one for us is the status, and the security of Karabakh. If
we do not agree on these issues, all the other secondary issues
become moot.

You know that the issues of territories and refugees are the
consequences, they were not the cause of the conflict," Arkady
Ghukasyan said, adding that if the sides do not have a common approach
towards the cause, it is pointless to discuss the consequences.

The reporters asked what the co-chairs say when Arkady Ghukasyan
tells this to the co-chairs. "They know that there is logic in our
standpoint.

Usually it is accepted in diplomacy to say I agree with you, I
understand you, but there is reality. The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh
cannot have a subjective basis. There is objective basis which nobody
can avoid," said Arkady Ghukasyan, mentioning that the objective
basis includes the war Azerbaijan waged against Nagorno-Karabakh.

The NKR president states the resolution of the problem should be
based on compromise. Today, however, there is no need for abstract
talks, because the compromise will be negotiated. "Because our
compromise directly depends on the compromise of Azerbaijan. If we
see Azerbaijan is not ready for a compromise, naturally we will not
agree to a unilateral compromise," Arkady Ghukasyan says.

ELIF SHAFAK’S BOOK TO BE TRANSLATED INTO ARMENIAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.06.2007 16:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During a recent book fair in Saloniki Armenian
publishers reached agreement with Turkish counterparts on translation
of Elif Shafack’s The Bastard of Istanbul into Armenian, said
Vahan Khachatryan, chairman of the national association of Armenian
publishers.

The book describes the events of 1915-1917 as the Armenian Genocide.

Elif Shafak was charged of "insulting Turkishness" under Article
301 of the Turkish criminal code. In October 2006 the accusations
were dropped.

AS ARAM MAYILIAN AFFIRMED, PARLIAMENTARIANISM IS ON VERGE OF
DISAPPEARANCE IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, JUNE 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The May 12 elections were grave-diggers
of parliamentarianism: proceeding from the level of their holding, we
can conclude that parliamentarianism in on the verge of disappearance
in Armenia. Aram Mayilian, former Deputy of Supreme Council, stated at
the June 4 discussion. In his words, in general, presence of high-class
parliamentarianism is the evidence of high level of the nation, which
today cannot be registered in the respect of Armenia. In A. Mayilian’s
words, a sad situation has been formed especially in the home political
field: on the other hand, opposition’s liquidation has started, on the
other hand, a one-party system has been established, which, in its
turn, created a one-pole social system.

In the opinion of Alvard Petrosian, member of parliamentary faction of
ARFD, nothing will be so bad as oppositionists present this. Though, as
she mentioned, she is sorry for some experienced politicians’ having
been left out of the parliament, as their active deputy activity would
contribute to full formation of parliamentarianism.

Touching upon the current situation in the opposition field, A.
Petrosian said that "a whole nation is searching for opposition,"
which, as she affirmed, is the evidence of opposition’s defeat. "Did
you see some politicians escaping the opposition, and if these people
came to power, do you imagine would would happen?, the ARFD member
concluded.

SARKOZY SUGGESTS TO ESTABLISH MEDITERRANEAN UNION
By Petros Keshishian

AZG Armenian Daily
02/06/2007

French President Nikolas Sarkozy said in the interview to one of
the French periodicals that he supports the idea of establishing the
union of Mediterranean states.

He believes that the new union will be cooperate with the EU and will
shape joint structures in the future.

It’s likely that the new union may have also a political body,
i.e. the Mediterranean Council.

French President emphasized that one of the main issues of the union
will be the elaboration of a joint immigration policy, as well as
the economic and trade development, the shaping of legal states and
preservation of environment.

He added that the joint economic development might help establishment
of the Mediterranean Investment Bank.

According to the French President, the union will become an alternative
for Turkey’s membership to EU.

It’s worth mentioning that Mr. Sarkozy is against Turkey’s entrance
to EU, as he believes that Turkey is an Asian state.

Mr. Sarkozy is expected to make definite suggestions on the issue at
the EU Summit in Brussels on June 21-22.

STATE ACADEMIC CHOIR TO PERFORM CONCERTS AT SAINT GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR CHURCH AND IN ARTSAKH

Noyan Tapan
May 31 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The concert of the State Academic
Choir of Armenia dedicated to the 70th foundation anniversary of the
choir will take place at the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church
(Surb Grigor Lusavorich) on June 2. As Karine Khodikian, the RA
Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth Issues stated at the May 30
press conference, the choir, headed by RA People’s Artist, conductor
Hovhannes Chekijian will perform models of spiritual choir music.

K. Khodikian mentiond that on the initiative of the Ministry the
choir will have concerts in Artsakh as well. Besides, a concert of
the State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia will take place in the yard
of the Ghazanchetsots church of Shoushi on the occasion of creation
of the Armenian Army and the 15th anniversary of the liberation of
Shoushi. Concerts will be held in Artsakh also by the "One Nation,
One Culture" fund.

In the Deputy Minister’s words, on the occasion of creation of the
Armenian Army and the 15th anniversary of liberation of Shoushi,
the Ministry implemented various events, including the "Victorious
kochari (Armenian national circular dance) in Shoushi" festival
of dance ensembles, a competition-exhibition of paintings and art
photos as well as a concert of the State Philharmonic Orchestra
of Armenia. K. Khodikian also stated that within the framework of
the events the Ministry gave 3478 books to the central library of
Stepanakert.

ANOTHER 520 SUBSCRIBERS USING DIAL-UP INTERNET CONNECTION RECEIVE BILLS FOR NOT MADE CALLS

Noyan Tapan
May 31 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Since November 2006, the Association
of Armenian Consumers has received complaints from 520 subscribers
using dial-up Internet connection services. According to complaints,
they received from ArmenTel company bills of the total amount of 67
million drams, whereas they actually did not made international phone
calls and a program of international calls started to function in their
computers after visting some websites. The chairman of the association
Armen Poghosian stated this at the May 31 press conference. Thanks
to efforts of their association, these bills were recognized as
invalid. According to him, the mode of actions of ArmenTel and the
RA Services Regulatory Commission does not give hopes that consumers
will be protected in such cases in the future.

To recap, in the period preceding March 2007, about 400 subscribers
applied to "Protection of Consumer Rights" NGO with complaints about
bills received for international phone calls they had not made. Also
to recap, in May 2006, such bills sent to another 400 subscribers
were recognized by court as invalid.

TURKEY PAYS MONEY FOR DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN U.S.

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.06.2007 14:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ U.S. Department of Justice files obtained this week
by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reveal details
about Turkey’s new lobbying contract with DLA Piper, including a
controversial – although not entirely surprising – provision that
seeks to prevent even "debate" in the United States on legislation
"that harms Turkey’s interests or image."

According to the contract, Turkey is to pay DLA Piper $1.2 million for
the year and an additional $750,000 to The Livingston Group, headed
by Robert Livingston, a former Congressional leader who resigned in
1998 after a personal scandal.

"These new Department of Justice filings reveal just how deeply Dick
Gephardt has sunk, compromising his integrity by turning against a
human rights issue he energetically supported as an elected Member
of Congress," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We are
especially troubled by the provision in the contract that seeks to
export Turkey’s Criminal Code Article 301 to the United States by
requiring DLA Piper to prevent even ‘debate’ on issues Turkey considers
harmful to its image. This requirement, which falls far outside the
American democratic tradition, is, sadly, entirely consistent with
Turkish government’s efforts to suppress freedom of expression by
criminalizing speech that ‘insults Turkishness.’"

As a member of the House, Gephardt cosponsored legislation recognizing
the Armenian Genocide, as recently as H.Res.193 in 2003, and dating
all the way back to H.J.Res.192, more than 20 years ago, during the
99th Congress, the ANCA reports.