Author: Nalbandian Eduard

24 PARTIES AND ONE PRE-ELECTORAL BLOC SUBMIT NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO RA CEC BY SPECIFIED DATE

Noyan Tapan
Mar 28 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Out of 28 political forces proposed
by the proportional electoral system for the parliamentary elections
on May 12, 24 parties and one pre-electoral bloc have submitted the
documents necessary for registration to the RA Central Electoral
Commission (CEC) by the specified date – March 28, 6 pm. Three
parties – the United Progressive Communist Party of Armenia (head –
Vazgen Safarian), the Liberal Progressive Party of Armenia (Hovhannes
Hovhannisian) and the "Armenian Fatherland" Party (Arshak Baklachian)
have not presented the necessary documents by the specified date. The
CEC Secretary Hamlet Abrahamian stated this at the sitting later
on the same day, when presenting the following political forces in
alphabetical order.

The National Democratic Party (the party chairman Shavarsh Kocharian
heads the electoral list.)

The "National Concord" Party (Aram Harutyunian)

The "National Unity" Party (Artashes Geghamian)

The "Prosperous Armenia" Party (Gagik Tsarukian)

The "Dashink" ("Alliance") Party (Samvel Babayan)

The "Zharangutyun" ("Heritage") Party (founder Raffi Hovhannisian)

People’s Party (Tigran Karapetian)

The "Democratic Way" Party (Manuk Gasparian)

The "Impeachment" bloc (Nicol Pashinian)

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun (Vahan
Hovhannisian)

The Progressive Party of Armenia (Tigran Urikhanian)

The Democratic Party of Armenia (Aram G. Sargsian)

The Youth Party of Armenia (Sargis Asatrian)

People’s Party of Armenia (Stepan Demirchian)

The Communist Party of Armenia (Ruben Tovmasian)

The Republican Party of Armenia (after the death of the party chairman
Andranik Margarian, in all likelihood the proportional list will be
headed by Serge Sargsian, RPA Board chairman who is in second place
of the list).

The Marxist Party of Armenia (Davit Hakobian)

The "Armenian National Movement" Party (Ararat Zurabian)

The "Republic" Party (Aram Z. Sargsian)

The United Labor Party (Gurgen Arsenian)

The United National Liberal Party (Levon Martirosian)

The "New Times" Party (Aram Karapetian)

The Social-Democratic Hnchak Party (Lyudmila Sargsian)

The Christian-Democratic Rebirth Party (Mkrtich Gimishian)

The "Orinats Yerkir" Party (Artur Baghdasarian)

Out of 173 candidates for deputacy nominated by the NA majoritarian
electoral system at 41 electoral districts, 141 candidates submitted
documents necessary for registration at the respective district
electoral commissions by the specified date. The registration of
candidates for deputacy by the NA proportional and majoritarian
electoral systems will be done from April 2 to April 7, 6 pm.

By the way, the RA CEC Chairman Garegin Azarian said that member of
the "Orinats Yerkir" Party Sona Sargsian participated for the first
time in the commission’s sitting. She replaced Artashes Avoyan, who
has been nominated by the proportional electoral system by the party.

EurasiaNet, NY
March 26 2007

ARMENIA: POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY FOLLOWS PREMIER’S DEATH
Marianna Grigoryan 3/26/07

The sudden death of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian on March 25
from heart failure has sparked considerable political unease in
Armenia, with residents expressing concern over what implications it
could have for parliamentary elections just a month and a half away.

"We have lost a statesman, a colleague, a friend who headed the
government for nearly seven years in the 15-and-a-half year history
of our independence, and those seven years have been the best years
of our state," President Robert Kocharian told cabinet members on
March 26, local media outlets reported.

As dictated by the Constitution, the Armenian government resigned on
March 26, to be reformed under a new premier. A new prime minister
will be appointed within 10 days and a new government will be set up
within 20 days. President Kocharian has asked ministers to continue
their work until then and directed that Markarian’s funeral be held
on March 28, which has been designated as an official day of
mourning.

Already speculation has begun about who will likely succeed the
55-year-old Markarian, Armenia’s longest serving prime minister and
president of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). Most
observers see Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian, arguably the former
cabinet’s most influential member, as the frontrunner for the post.
[For details, see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The defense minister,
who served as chairman of the board of the ruling Republican Party,
was named the party’s acting chairman following Markarian’s death.

In a March 26 statement, Armen Rustamian, a representative of the
Supreme Council of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Party,
a fellow member of Armenia’s ruling coalition with the Republican
Party, affirmed that his party would support Sarkisian for prime
minister, the Regnum news agency reported.

"According to the 2003 agreement, the prime minister’s portfolio
belongs to the RPA, and for this reason the head of the government
must be a representative of the Republican Party," Rustamian said, in
reference to the coalition formed following Armenia’s last
parliamentary elections. "If the government decides to nominate Serzh
Sarkisian for this post, then the ARF will support this candidacy."

Inside Republican Party headquarters, the atmosphere has been tense
since Markarian’s death was announced. Flowers surround a photograph
of the late prime minister placed in the center of the party’s
office. In a televised speech to party members, Parliament Speaker
and Republican Party Deputy Chairman Tigran Torosian called
Markarian’s death "a huge loss for all of us."

"He was not only a great political figure and statesman, but also a
person who was always ready to listen even to his opponent, even to
an ordinary person, a passerby, a man who was always the embodiment
of tolerance and care for people," Torosian said.

In comments to the government, Kocharian, who has no official party
affiliation, appeared to echo those concerns. Markarian, he told
cabinet members, "left us at a very crucial time, and as the
authorities, we must provide the correct solutions for finding a way
to get out of the current situation."

Particular attention has already begun to focus on how the
appointment of Markarian’s successor will influence relations between
the Republican Party and the increasingly popular Prosperous Armenia
party, already cited as the frontrunner for the May 12 parliamentary
vote in some public opinion polls. [For details, see the Eurasia
Insight archive]. Opposition and pro-government political parties,
however, have refrained from official comments on the matter.

Ordinary Yerevan residents, however, are split in their opinions. "I
think Markarian’s death will cause big disturbances in the upcoming
elections," commented 66-year-old pensioner Hakob Muradian. Other
city residents disputed that view, saying that the event will bring
no changes in the near future.

A computer engineer by education, Markarian, a longtime Republican
Party member, was named prime minister in May 2000, just months after
the October 1999 assassination of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian,
Parliamentary Speaker Karen Demirchian and several other senior
officials. [For details, see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Prime Minister Markarian, who suffered from obesity and was a smoker,
died from cardiac failure at his Yerevan apartment on March 25, at
about 1.20 pm local time, according to official reports.

A close friend of the late prime minister, who asked to remain
anonymous, told EurasiaNet that Markarian’s health conditions had
been deteriorating for the past several days. According to the
source, a high fever, elevated blood pressure and a general sense of
ill health had already prompted Markarian to cancel an earlier
scheduled trip to France.

Editor’s Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a reporter for the
Armenianow.com weekly in Yerevan.

Regnum, Russia
March 26 2007

Armenian ex-premier: Prime minister’s death will influence political
situation in Armenia

The sudden death of Armenian Prime Minister, chair of the Armenian
Republican Party Andranik Margaryan can weaken positions of the
Republican Party to some extent in the pre-election period, as it
means, practically, loss of its leader, Armenia’s ex-prime minister,
leader of the National Democratic Union Party, MP Vazgen Manukyan
said to a REGNUM correspondent.

According to him, the party can be taken in hand by Defense Minister,
head of the Republican Party council Serzh Sargsyan. Meanwhile, as
Manukyan said, he would rather not predict how the process would
develop. Anyway, the MP said, for Armenia and the Republican Party,
death of the prime minister is a great loss.

As Manukyan said, the death of the prime minister will undoubtedly
influence the political situation in Armenia; however, the ex-premier
did not predict any drastic changes. `Anyway, I see no drastic
changes in Armenia’s domestic and foreign policies,’ he said adding
that Margaryan’s death would more exert impact upon positions of
`current power actors, as their confrontations and discrepancies will
acquire different character.’

The National-Democratic Union leader presented condolences because of
death of Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan. `He was a man who has
done a lot for the country and fit his position,’ he said.

The Armenian prime minister, chair of the Republican Party died
suddenly on March 25. Under preliminary reports, the death was caused
by cardiac infarction.

Baltic News Service
March 26, 2007 Monday 3:07 PM EET

ESTONIAN PM EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES TO ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

TALLINN Mar 26

The head of the Estonian government sent today Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan a message of condolences over the death of Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan.

Armenia lost an outstanding politician through the unexpected demise
of the prime minister, Andrus Ansip said, expressing condolences to
Margaryan’s family and the Armenian government and nation on his own
behalf and on behalf of the Estonian Cabinet.

Margaryan, 55, died of a heart attack on Sunday. As leader of the
Republican Party, he had headed the government since 2000.

In the 1970s Margaryan, a computer engineer, spent two years behind
bars for alleged anti-Soviet activities.

The Armenian government resigned after the death of the prime
minister. The new head of government is to be named within 10 days.

Community Self-Help Fund Program sub-grants’ submission official event

ArmRadio.am
27.03.2007 10:45

On March 27, 2007 at 11 am the official submission of sub-grants to
the winners of the Community-Self-Help Fund Program’s (CSHF) 6th round
took place at the Save the Children office in Yerevan. Representatives
of the US Embassy, USAID, Save the Children, as well as 5 sub-grantee
organizations, participated in the event.

The Community Self-Help Fund program is sponsored by the United States
Embassy and USAID and implemented by Save the Children, which provides
expert technical assistance for program implementation. CSHF aims at
improvement of basic economic and social conditions of the communities
through provision of small grants to local communities’ ongoing
projects. Since November 2003, twice a year Save the Children has
announced calls for proposals inviting interested community
organizations to apply for small grants.

Round 6 was announced in October 2006 through national and local
media. Save the Children received 85 project proposals, of which 14
were short-listed and submitted to the U.S. Embassy for final
selection of the winners. The Embassy’s Assistance Coordination Group
selected 5 projects to be funded through the CSHF program: renovation
of kindergartens ## 2 and 3 in Martuni, Gegharkunik marz (USD 46,558);
renovation of state collage in Vardenis, Gegharkunik marz (USD
25,568); reconstruction of potable water system in Aygepar, Tavush
marz (USD 12,724); rehabilitation of irrigation water sypply system in
Myasnikyan, Armavir marz (USD 20,573); and reconstruction of potable
water pipeline in Dsegh, Lori marz (USD 38,611).

The total cost of these projects is USD 144,034. Community
contribution constitutes 42% of the total cost of the projects. The
overall number of the projects’ direct beneficiaries is 3,053.

During the first five rounds of the CSHF program, 47 projects in
Armenia have been funded, resulting in the renovation of
kindergartens, schools and other educational institutions, health
posts and hospitals, social and cultural infrastructures, and
irrigation and drinking water systems. The projects have played a
vital role for the residents of communities by helping overcome
community problems and encouraging self-help initiatives. More than
66,200 people directly benefited from the program throughout the five
rounds. Communities contributed the 38% of the total projects cost in
the form of money, materials and volunteer work. Another significant
impact of the projects was the creation of temporary and permanent job
opportunities for the vulnerable people of the communities: 630
short-term and 40 permanent jobs were created.

ABSENCE OF CROSS ON DOME OF SURB KHACH CHURCH REVEALS TRUE FACE OF
TURKEY, PRIEST SHAHE HAYRAPETIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The absence of the cross on the dome
of Surb Khach Church to be re-opened on Aghtamar Island of Van on
March 29 reveals the true face of Turkey. Priest Shahe Hayrapetian,
spiritual shepherd of Yerevan’s Surb Sargis Church, expressed this
opinion during a talk with NT correspondent.

In his words, it is impossible to separate from the church these
symbols because its dome and the holy table are cruciform. "The cross
is our glory and honor, it is our crown that follows us
everywhere. And we together must mount this cross," the priest stated.

As regards the negative attitude of the Diasporan Armenian community
to the issue of participation in the ceremony of re-opening Surb Khach
Church, priest Shahe Hayrapetian said that "not to go there only
because of the cross and not to worship this sacred place is really
just sensual."

EDUCATION CENTER OF RA POLICE RESTORED BY OSCE PROGRAM RE-OPENED

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The Education Center of the RA Police
which was restored within the framework of the program jointly
implemented by the OSCE Yerevan Office and the RA Police, re-opened in
Yerevan on March 23. 6 subsidiary buildings of the restored center
will be used for training of the senior police staff. The office will
also be given new educational materials and equipment. The restoration
of the center was financed by the governments of the United States of
America, Belgium and Sweden. "The restoration of the center is one of
important achievements of the joint program of assistance to the
Police as well as an index of widening and deepening of the
cooperation between the OSCE and Armenia in the democratization
sphere," OSCE Yerevan Office Head, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin
mentioned.

5 ARMENIAN SPORTSMEN AWARDED GOLD MEDALS AT 20th CHAMPIONSHIP OF DUEL
TYPES HELD IN CALIFORNIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 23, NOYAN TAPAN. 5 from 8 Armenian sportsmen, Edmond
Muradian, Arayik Avetisian, Sos Karapetian, Norayr Avetisian and
Karlen Minasian, were awarded the first prize, gold medal, and Karen
Karapetian and Karlen Minasian were awarded silver medals and Tigran
Sedrakian was awarded bronze medal at the 20th championship of duel
types held on March 2-4 in the city of Ontario, the state of
California.

As Docendo Full Contact Karate Federation Chairman Haik Vardanian
stated at the March 22 press conference, representatives of 32
countries participated in the championship. Sportsmen of Armenia
competed in different weight categories and, besides individual
victories, had team victories as well, again occupying the first
place, owing to gathered common points. In H. Vardanian’s words, the
Armenian sporstmen’s victory was accepted with great inspiration by
the Armenian community of California.

He also mentioned that the federation sportsmen will compete in
November in the championship of the Docendo professional league to
take place in Las Vegas.

The federation acting in Armenia from 1995 participated in different
international tournaments, having world champions, cup winners.

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
March 23, 2007 Friday

Prosecutors charge 2 Moscow students with terrorism

Moscow prosecutors on Friday charged two students of city law schools
with staging an explosion at a gambling machines hall.

Dmitry Fedoseyenko and Nikolai Kachalov, both aged 20, are also
suspects in the criminal case over the explosion at the city’s
Cherkizovsky market on August 21, 2006, in which ten people were
killed an another 55 were injured, city prosecutors said.

“Investigators say Kachalov and Fedoseyenkov were part of the
criminal group which committed the crime, but were not directly
involved in preparing and perpetrating it,” the prosecutors said.

As of now, six people are facing criminal responsibility in the case.

“The investigators have ascertained their involvement in a series of
explosions: in a dormitory in Podyemnaya Street, the Neolit cafe, a
garbage bin in Proyezd Dezhneva Street, a gambling machines hall, the
editorial office of the Russky Vestnik newspaper, the Liliana medical
center, the kiosk in Ostrovityanova Street, near an apartment
building in Yakhroma, Moscow region, as well as in the murder of an
ethnic Armenian at the Pushkinskaya subway station,” according to
the prosecutors.

Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky court sanctioned the arrest of the students
earlier on Friday.

During the Friday hearing, Kachalov partially admitted his guilt, but
stated that the qualification of the crimes he has been charged with
was “illegitimate and ungrounded.”

“I confess to staging an explosion, but it wasn’t terrorism. In
addition, I state that I set on fire a package of explosives under
the threat of physical violence by Kostyrev and Tinkov /accused of
staging the blast at Moscow’s Cherkizovsky market/, who threatened me
and my relatives,” Kachalov told the court.

Meanwhile, other defendant Dmitry Fedoseyenkov, insisting on his
innocence, stated that investigators had put psychological pressure
on him.

“The criminal case was opened in August 2006, I’ve lived in my house
all the time, found a job, and entered a college; consequently, I’m
not going into hiding; furthermore, I pledge to turn up for all
investigative actions,” Fedoseyenkov said.

His lawyer said the Fedoseyenkov’s being in custody might affect his
health and psychological condition.

But the court agreed with the prosecutors citing that “the
defendants, if freed, may flee the investigation, influence it or
thwart investigative actions.”

“Today’s ruling by the court is indescribable; there’re no ground
for keeping them in custody,” Kachalov’s lawyer Andrei Yakovlev told
Itar-Tass, adding that he would certainly appeal this decision.

The students were detained in central Moscow by FSB agents on March
21, as part of the probe into the explosion on the Cherkizovsky
market.

Fedoseyenkov and Kachalov have also been charged with involvement in
the explosion by the gaming machines hall near the Bratislavskaya
subway station.

In addition, Fedoseyenkov is believed to have been behind the blast
near a trade pavilion in Proyezd Dezhneva.

If found guilty, the students may face up to life imprisonment.

U.S. MINING FIRM SUES ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT
By Emil Danielyan and Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
March 20 2007

A U.S. company mining gold in Armenia has initiated an international
arbitration of its bitter dispute with Environment Minister Vartan
Ayvazian whom it accuses of corruption and other violations of the law.

A lawyer for Global Gold Corporation said on Tuesday that the
Connecticut-based company has sued the Armenian government over
Ayvazian’s controversial decision last year to revoke some of its
operating licenses.

"Global Gold is alleging that the Armenian government, through
the actions of its minister of environment, violated the bilateral
investment treaty between the United States and Armenia in multiple
respects," Ken Fleuriet of the London-based law firm King & Spalding
told RFE/RL by phone.

The dispute will be adjudicated by a panel of three arbiters to be
appointed by the International Center for Settlement of Investment
Disputes (ICSID), a Washington-based body affiliated with the World
Bank. The treaty cited by Fleuriet enables U.S. firms doing business
in Armenia to file lawsuits to ICSID tribunals, instead of going to
Armenian courts.

The row broke out a year ago when Ayvazian’s ministry unilaterally
terminated Global Gold’s licenses to carry out exploratory work at two
small gold deposits, accusing it of failing to honor its investment
commitments. The company rejected the accusations and argued that the
ministry’s action contradicted an Armenian law on mining. An article
of the law stipulates that local and foreign mining companies can be
stripped of their licenses only by a court.

Top Global Gold executives claimed that Ayvazian turned on their
company in retaliation for its refusal to pay a $3 million bribe
allegedly demanded by him. The U.S. embassy in Yerevan expressed
serious concern at the allegations, raising the matter with the
Armenian government. Both Ayvazian and Prime Minister Andranik
Markarian dismissed them as baseless.

Although the Armenian authorities seem to have refrained from enforcing
the Environment Ministry decisions, Global Gold claims to have suffered
considerable losses and is seeking compensatory damages from the
government. "The damages or relief that Global Gold will be seeking
will be determined in the course of the proceedings," said Fleuriet.

"One the principal facts in the case is a request for a bribe that
was made by Mr. Ayvazian to representatives of Global Gold and was
refused by Global Gold," the lawyer said. "That is when a lot of the
various instances of misconduct in relation to the company began.

That includes refusals to grant licenses and exploration permits,
seizures and expropriations of various rights."

"Our understanding is that some of the rights have been lost and
others are in the process of being taken and sold to other companies,"
he added.

Fleuriet also said that Armenia’s Ministry of Justice and embassy in
the United States have already been notified of the lawsuit. Ayvazian
confirmed this but refused to comment on possible consequences of the
extraordinary legal action. "I can only regret that they never tried
to use the legislation of the Republic of Armenia," he told RFE/RL.

Incidentally, Ayvazian spoke shortly after a meeting with President
Robert Kocharian. He said they did not speak about the Global Gold
lawsuit and discussed other "current affairs" instead.