Author: nina hovnanian

IS SERZH SARGSYAN WEAKER TODAY THAN HE WAS 5 YEARS AGO?

May 2 2013

“The second ‘victory’ won by Serzh Sargsyan doesn’t mean at all that
he is stronger today than during his first term in office. On the
contrary, I have reasonable grounds to claim that he is much weaker
today than he has been over the past five years, and that he will
gradually become weaker,” Levon Ter-Petrossian, the first President
of the Republic of Armenia, stated at a rally in Freedom Square.

inquired of representatives of different political
forces whether there were tendencies toward the strengthening or
the weakening of Serzh Sargsyan’s position. Arsen Hambardzumyan,
the alternate representative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) Supreme Body, stated in response to our question: “Taking into
account the electoral mechanisms and factors that impact elections
and guarantee the victory of the ruling political force, in this case
the head of state, from this perspective, we must assert that the
President of the Republic of Armenia hasn’t become stronger after the
latest election. He will be a president who gradually becomes weaker.

The explanation is obvious; the president is elected for a five-year
term, and his position weakens every day, particularly given the fact
that one can see no intention of making radical changes as yet. On
the contrary, we have reasonable grounds to claim that basically
no serious conclusion has been drawn from the violations committed
during the election and the problems raised by the opposition.” Armen
Martirosyan, the deputy leader of the Heritage Party, thinks that S.

Sargsyan has become weak mostly because of “not being elected and
defending the interests of the system. Taking into account the fraud
committed during the election and the fact that Serzh Sargsyan is de
facto the president; naturally, he is basically a weak president,
since he doesn’t have legitimacy.” Political scientist Hrant
Melik-Shahnazaryan doesn’t agree with the above-mentioned claim. He
explained: “Merely political exploitations underlie such statements.

Thus, Levon Ter-Petrossian tries to convince his supporters that the
government’s position is weak. Whereas as compared to the previous
elections, this year’s election was peaceful and controllable; besides,
there was a positive response from the international community. All
this has strengthened S. Sargsyan’s position as president; after this
election, he will be able to decide his future actions more freely
and independently. Therefore, after overcoming the 2008 crisis, the
president’s position has been strengthening so far. I am more than
convinced that this social opposition is the product of S. Sargsyan’s
presidency, which is a result of liberalization of the political
system and is in the government’s interests; as a result of that
checks and balances are created.” Artak Zakaryan, the chairman of
the National Assembly Foreign Relations Standing Commission, stated
that this statement of Levon Ter-Petrossian “shows that he is under
delusion, and that our oppositionists continue to assess political
processes inadequately. The fact of the matter is that one should be
convinced in the opposite that the second term will make it possible
to solve more essential and important problems. And problems are
economic problems, and those are an inalienable part of our countries’
priorities, which are the focus of the government’s attention, and
every project will aim at solving the citizen’s social problems. And
I relate politicizing social issues to the city council election,
which will die away soon.” Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

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© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

ZURABYAN TALKS ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION INTO ILLEGAL EAVESDROPPING ON HIS CONVERSATION WITH OSKANIAN AND SPREADING IT

May 2 2013

Levon Zurabyan, the deputy leader of the Armenian National Congress
(ANC), doesn’t have information about the progress of the investigation
launched into eavesdropping on his conversation with Vartan Oskanian,
a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), in a cafe and
spreading it on social networks. Let us remind that the MPs had
made a written request to the Attorney General’s Office to launch an
investigation and reveal and punish the offenders. “When I inquired,
there was no news. It was when it was printed in the press, and there
were results. After that, I haven’t inquired. I told the detective
personally that he would not be able to solve this case, because
it had been done by the National Security Service. How can he solve
something that has been done by the National Security Service that
serves this regime?” Mr. Zurabyan told Mr.

Zurabyan is convinced that the spread of their conversation testified
to the fact that “they see danger in us; they see danger in our
possible cooperation. That is why they eavesdrop and then ostensibly
try to discredit the idea of that cooperation by making some edited
parts public.” Arpine SIMONYAN Media can quote materials of Aravot

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© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

ILLINOIS TO HOST OTTOMAN GENOCIDES OF ANATOLIAN CHRISTIANS SYMPOSIUM

May 2, 2013 – 14:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Less than a month after the Illinois Holocaust Museum
& Education Center ran its first program on the Armenian Genocide,
a two-day symposium covering even more ground is slated for the same
venue, Skokie Review reported.

The Ottoman Turkish Genocides of Anatolian Christians: A Common Case
Study will draw scholars from around the world to present original
research on the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek genocides.

The conference, due on May 10-11, is moderated by Zoryan Institute
Executive Director George Shirinian, who edited the book: “The Asia
Minor Catastrophe and the Ottoman Greek Genocide: Essays on Asia Minor,
Pontos, and Eastern Thrace, 1913-1923.”

Organizers include the Armenian National Committee, the Assyrian Center
for Genocide Studies and the Asia Minor and Pontos Hellenic Center,
which was founded by George Mavropoulos.

CRIMINALS ‘MAIN CHARACTERS’ OF MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA’S CAPITAL – NGO REPS

15:18 ~U 02.05.13

A number of observation missions in the May 5 municipal elections
in Yerevan expect local criminal to become active in Armenia’s
political arena, Samvel Martirosyan, founder of the Iditord website,
told journalists on Thursday.

In this context, he stressed the importance of strict supervision of
the election process.

“Because many more forces are involved which exercise control over
nonpolitical elements. You must understand what I mean,” he said.

Satik Badeyan of the Regional Development and Research Center believes
that the upcoming municipal elections are similar to the parliamentary
elections rather than the presidential election.

“I hope that there will not be so many election frauds at polling
stations,” she said.

Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of
Expression, expects the political forces, particularly the Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA), must take necessary measures.

He expects Armenia’s police to ensure favorable conditions for media
coverage of the elections.

Alexander Shagafyan of the Civilitas center said that the local
elections are of special importance for “local crime kingpins.”

The NGO representatives stressed the importance of hotlines and
technical means.

MORE BABY BOYS BORN IN ARMENIA, COUNTRY LOSES FUTURE POTENTIAL MOTHERS – SURVEY

13:20 ~U 02.05.13

The sex balance of newborns has been violated in Armenia still in 1990s
and currently it makes 114-115 boys against 100 girls. It is one of
the highest index in the world yielding only to China and Azerbaijan.

The presented figures are from ‘Misbalance of Sex of newborns in
Armenia: Ethnographic Information and Analyses’ 2012-2013 survey
presented by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

The study has revealed that if the phenomena of having boys by
hindering the birth of the girls continues, by 2060 Armenia will lose
almost 93,000 potential future mothers and its population will reduce
by additional 80,000 people and will make about 2.6 million.

Doctor Christof Gilmoton, UNFP Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan office
director Zahidul Huque and executive representative of the UNFP
Armenia office Garik Hayrapetyan speaking to a news conference today
noted that the surplus of boys born after 1996 makes 39,000.

“If we fail to suspend this phenomenon the part of 29-30 year old men
will face difficulties in making families and not finding wives will
have to either emigrate or find a woman from abroad,” Hayrapetyan said.

According to the study, in Armenia the wish to have a baby boy is
stronger than a baby girl and the attempts to have boy resulted in
girls being elder than the boys in the families

.

MAY 5 AND BEYOND: CONTINUING THE STRUGGLE
By Houry Mayissian

May 2, 2013

Yerevan residents go to the polls again on May 5 for municipal
elections that are being widely viewed as a continuation of the
February presidential elections and an important battlefront in
the ongoing quest to weaken the ruling Republican Party’s monopoly
on power.

However, the state of affairs ahead of these municipal elections
stands in sharp contrast to the pre-presidential election situation,
even if both paint a bleak picture of Armenian politics. From what
was considered a non-competitive presidential election, we have
“progressed” to potentially very competitive municipal elections
where opposition forces once again failed to join forces.

In total, 7 parties are vying for seats in the 65-member Council of the
Elderly that oversees the activities of the city’s mayor. If any one
of the competing parties receives more than 50 percent of the votes,
the candidate heading that party’s list will be elected as the city’s
mayor. Otherwise, the mayor will be elected by the Council of the
Elderly. Naturally, the party that secures the most seats within the
council gains the political clout necessary to have its top candidate
elected as mayor.

Alongside the ruling party and its coalition partner, the Rule of Law
Party, competing in the elections are the “Barev Yerevan” coalition of
political, civic, and cultural leaders endorsed by Raffi Hohvannisian’s
Heritage Party; Levon Ter-Petrossian’s newly emerged Armenian
National Congress Party; Prosperous Armenia, with former Foreign
Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian heading the list of candidates;
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation; and the Arakelutyun Party.

In this divided opposition “front” the possibilities for vote-sharing
are difficult to predict. On the one hand, the following that
Hovhannisian generated after the presidential elections offers him
an advantage over the other parties. On the other hand, two factors
may work less in favor of the Barev Yerevan coalition: the inability
of the movement to thus far deliver concrete actions and proposals in
its struggle for regime change, and the re-entry into the competition
of other opposition parties whose supporters may have voted for
Hovhannisian in the previous elections.

In any case, given the power, experience, and readiness of the ruling
party to manipulate the elections, predicting their outcome is a
futile exercise. Looking back at the February presidential elections,
we have every reason to hope that Yerevan’s residents will come out
in large numbers to vote with their conscience; and yet we have every
reason to expect that vote results will be rigged.

The implications for the opposition parties are two-fold. The city
council elections are indeed an important battlefront given both the
highly influential position that is up for grabs and the opportunity
to break the power monopoly existing in the country today. At the
same time, however, these elections should not be treated as the
be-all or end-all of the struggle for regime change.

Regardless of the results of the elections, moving forward the
opposition has the opportunity to capitalize on several other factors
or avenues of struggle. One such factor is the emerging generation
of political activists in Armenia. We saw them in the days after
the February presidential elections. They made their voices heard
to foreign election observers; they toured the streets of Yerevan
chanting for others to join them; and they protested in front of
foreign embassies. They represent a new phenomenon in post-Soviet
era Armenian politics-citizens that understand their rights and are
willing to fight for them even if that means taking matters into their
own hands. These young activists and civil society representatives
are valuable allies to have for the opposition.

Another important factor in the post-presidential election period
is the increased spotlight in the diaspora on internal political
developments in Armenia, which could mark the beginning of a
qualitatively new phase in Armenia-diaspora relations. Opposition
political parties with an organized presence in the diaspora,
particularly the ARF, could play a significant role in realizing this.

A more vocal and critical diaspora that is willing to maintain
long-term pressure on the authorities will be an important contributor
to internal reform.

The most important factor in the ongoing struggle for a better Armenia,
however, is unity. Whether it is within the Council of the Elderly or
the National Assembly; on the streets of Armenia and among the ranks
of its activists; in preparation of upcoming elections or in ongoing
public opposition to corrupt and unfair government practices; and
even in ensuring a more proactive diasporan engagement, an opposition
united around the principles of democracy will be a much more powerful
and credible force to reckon with for the authorities.

This will require certain political parties to determine which side
of the struggle they sit on, others to re-organize their forces
and re-evaluate their strategies. Whatever the differences keeping
them apart thus far, those opposition forces that are determined
to change the state of affairs in Armenia must come to realize that
their failure to unite will inevitably translate into their failure
to achieve this change.

LA PRODUCTION D’ELECTRICITE A AUGMENTE DE 8,1%

La production d’electricite a totalise environ 8 milliards de
kWt-heures en Armenie en 2012, soit une augmentation de 8,1% par
rapport au niveau de l’annee precedente.

La production d’electricite dans les centrales thermiques a augmente
de 42,3% a 3,4 milliards de kWt / heures dans la periode consideree
compare a 2011, alors que la production d’electricite dans les
centrales hydroelectriques a chute de 6,4% a 2,3 milliards de kWt / h.

La centrale nucleaire armenienne produit 28,7% du total de
l’electricite soit 2,3 milliards de kWt/ heures, ce qui represente une
reduction de 9,3% compare a 2011. La part des centrales thermiques
etait de 41,9% de la production globale d’energie, et celle des
centrales hydroelectriques etait de 29,2%.

2,1 millions de kWt / heures ont ete produites par les moulins a vent
soit une baisse de 30% par rapport a 2011. La part de l’electricite
eolienne etait de 0,03% dans la production globale.

jeudi 2 mai 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

L’ARMENIEN LEVON ARONIAN RESTE NUMERO 2 MONDIAL DES ECHECS

Dans la recente liste des meilleurs joueurs de la planète publiee
par la Federation internationale des echecs (FIDE) l’Armenien Levon
Aronian continue d’occuper la 2e place mondiale avec une progression
de ses points. Le Norvegien Magnus Carlsen (22 ans) reste numero un
mondial avec 2 868 points (contre 2 872 au precedent classement). Le
representant de l’Armenie, Levon Aronian est numero deux mondial
avec 2 813 points (2 811 lors du classement precedent). Dans la
liste des 100 premiers mondiaux l’Armenie a 4 joueurs. Il s’agit
de Levon Aronian (2e), Vladimir Hagopian (39e avec 2 705 points),
Sergueï Movsissian (57e, 2 693 pts) et Gabriel Sarkissian (76e, 2
667 pts). Le champion d’Armenie Dikran Petrossian est toutefois en
dehors de ces 100 premiers mondiaux.

Classement des 10 meilleurs joueurs du monde :

1. Magnus Carlsen (Norvège), 2 868 points, 2. Levon Aronian
(Armenie), 2 813 points, 3. Vladimir Kramnik (Russie), 2
811 points, 4. Vassili Topalov (Bulgarie), 2 793 points 5.
Vishvantan Anand (Inde), 2 783 points, 6. Alexander Grinchuk
(Russie), 2 779 points, 7. Hikaru Nakamura (Etats-Unis), 2
775 points, 8. Fabiano Karouana (Italie), 2 774 points, 9.
Piotr Svidler (Russie), 2 767 points, 10. Sergueï Kariakine
(Russie), 2 763 points

Krikor Amirzayan

jeudi 2 mai 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

NSW PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZES GREEK GENOCIDE

Greek Reporter (Australia Edition)
May 1 2013

By Maria Korologou on May 1, 2013 in History, News

The Parliament of New South Wales unanimously passed a motion
recognizing the Assyrian, Greek and Armenian genocide on May 1,
after the request of the Assyrian Universal Alliance, the Australian
Hellenic Council and the Armenian National Committee.

The motion reads that the NSW Parliament “Joins the Assyrian, Armenian
and Greek communities of New South Wales in honoring the memory of
the innocent men, women and children who fell victims to the first
modern genocides.”

It “recognizes the importance of remembering and learning from such
dark chapters in human history to ensure that such crimes against
humanity are not allowed to be repeated.”

According to the news agency ArmenPress, the Assistant President of
the NSW Legislative Council, Fred Nile, in his Adjournment Speech said:
“Over the years, many members of the Parliament – both in this chamber
and in the Legislative Council – have risen to address the issue of
recognition of the Assyrian, Armenian and Greeks Genocides.

Indeed, it was the Parliament of New South Wales that led the way on
this issue, adopting a motion of recognition on the Armenian Genocide
in 1997. I rise today to urge we complete the efforts, adopting
a motion of recognition on the Assyrian and Greeks Genocides. In
remembering these events, we do not seek to apportion blame. This is
a matter of history, and history must neither be erased nor forgotten.

We must remember and speak the truth.”

Nile mentioned particularly the helpful information he received by
Greek Australian Professor Panayotis Diamantis, who specializes in
genocide issues.

MINING COMPANIES PAY FIVE TIME LESS TAXES

Member of Parliament Hrant Bagratyan, ANC, told reporters today
he has drafted the bill on regulation of operation in the Armenian
mining industry of companies registered in the offshore is intended
to establish law and order in this sector because mining industries
are hiding in the offshore.

There are copper and molybdenum companies which are registered in the
offshore, he says. These companies do not report to those countries
and to our country. They buy expensive equipment, substances and sell
ore to companies registered in the offshore at lower prices. After
the offshore they sell ore at the real price and they thus avoid
taxes, Hrant Bagratyan explained, underlining that this is a serious
bill which initially regulates the mines but must later cover the
financial organizations.

He noted that taxes paid by mining industries could be five times
higher than today.

During today’s meeting the government did not approve Hrant Bagratyan’s
offshore bill. However, Prime Minister Sargsyan instructed to cooperate
with Bagratyan, noting that his points of view are in line with the
policy which the government is to implement.

In answer to the question whether he is ready to cooperate with the
government, Hrant Bagratyan said he cooperates with the government ex
officio but he will speak about it in more detail after he received a
formal letter from the government. If he gets an invitation, he will
do to the government to discuss the bill. Don’t take off your shoes
before you come to the river, he advised.

17:48 02/05/2013 Story from Lragir.am News: