Author: nina hovnanian

OPPOSITION ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS URGES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO STOP “BABYSITTING” AUTHORITIES

YEREVAN, February 20. /ARKA/. Opposition Armenian National Congress
(ANC) made a statement Tuesday urging the international community and
observer missions in particular to stop “babysitting the delinquent
Armenian authorities” and providing them with legislative “tricks”
in a form of reforms.

“It is now the time to understand that the flaw of the Armenian
elections is not the shortcomings in the law, various violations
and illegalities, but the systemized mechanisms such as inclusion of
about 700,000 people not living in Armenia onto the voters’ lists and
unwillingness of the authorities to take efficient measures against
repeated voting”, says ANC’s statement.

The document also pointed to a number of violations in the presidential
elections held Monday, such as voter bribing, inaccurate voter lists,
use of force against reporters and proxies, stamp ink disappearing
from voter passports.

According to the ballot count results from all 1,988 polling stations
Armenia’s incumbent president Sezrh Sargsyan gained 861,378 votes
or 58.64% and won the re-election Monday. Raffi Hovannisian polled
539,674 votes or 36.74%, Hrant Bagratyan – 31,643 votes or 2.15%,
Paruyr Hayrikyan – 18,093 votes or 1.23%, Andrias Ghukasyan – 8,328
votes or 0.57%, Arman Melikyan – 3,520 votes or 0.24% and Vardan
Sedrakyan – 6,203 votes or 0.42%.

CIS and European observers gave a positive opinion of the presidential
elections in Armenia, called them democratic and legitimate, noting
some violations, which had no impact on the election results though.

Armenian National Congress founded on August 1, 2008, is headed by the
first president of independent Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan. The ANC
consists of about a dozen of political parties and organizations. The
Congress holds seven seats in the parliament. In December 2012 the
Congress said it would not be nominating a candidate for president.

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“BLUE BOOK” ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS SENT TO TURKISH PARLIAMENT AGAIN

NEWS.AM
February 20, 2013 | 07:29

A news conference was held, at the Committee Against Racism of
the Human Rights Association of Turkey, during which Committee
member Ragip Zarakolu-a well-known Turkish human rights advocate
and director of Belge Publishing House, which has published numerous
books on the Armenian Genocide-and historian Ara Sarafian-who is the
founding director of the Gomidas Institute in London-spoke about the
“The Blue Book,” which is the genocide scholars’ nickname for the
book entitled The treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

Subsequently, Zarakolu and Sarafian headed to a post office, together
with the participants in the news conference, and sent the copies of
“The Blue Book” to the Turkish parliament speaker and to members of
the parliament’s human rights committee, Bianet.org of Turkey reports.

To note, the copies of “The Blue Book” were sent to the Turkish
parliament in 2009, too, but they had not reached their destination,
which was the Turkish MPs.

The treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire is a book by Viscount
Bryce and Arnold J. Toynbee, which was the compiled statements
from eyewitnesses from other countries including Germany, Italy,
the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, who similarly attested to
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during 1915-1916.

ANDRIAS GHUKASYAN URGES ARMENIAN CITIZENS TO UNITE

February 21, 2013 – 16:40 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Former presidential candidate Andrias Ghukasyan
has issued a statement, calling on Armenian citizens and political
forces to unite.

“February 18 presidential vote proved the ruling authorities’
inability to conduct free and fair elections. It’s apparent that the
ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has exhausted its political
capacities. Over half a million citizens protested the ruling regime.

Its time people decided on their country’s political future. The
unification of citizens and political forces may bring about formation
of a national council that will assume the commitment of holding
free elections.

For the sake of our country, I urge Armenian citizens to unite
and prevent suppression of people’s aspiration for democratic and
legitimate Armenia,” Mr Ghukasyan’s statement reads.

AN ARGUMENT AT NO. 2/3 POLLING PLACE; THEY VOTED FOR KING PAP AND THE SON-IN-LAW OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

February 20 2013

There were voters at no. 2/3 polling place who preferred King Pap and
Mikayel Sargsyan, Serzh Sargsyan’s son-in-law, to the 8 candidates for
president. Today during the recalculation of ballots at no. 2/3
polling place of no. 2 electoral district, the members of the
commission recalled this funny voting. During the recalculation,
besides recalling anecdotes, Styopa Safaryan, a representative of the
Heritage Party, and the members of the commission debated for a long
time whether they should consider three ballots among those cast for
Serzh Sargsyan void or not. Mr. Safaryan likened the mark on one of
the ballots to an Armenian letter Õ~M, and the members of the commission
likened it to a Latin letter V and explained it as a result of the
quivering of a voter’s hand. “He wrote the letter Õ~M, it is not a check
mark; this is absolutely void, ladies and gentlemen. So one can write
any letter of the alphabet in the box, and all of them will be valid,
bravo!” said Mr. Safaryan, opposing the members of the commission who
considered it a valid ballot after claiming persistently. They
separated a few ballots from among those cast for Raffi Hovhannisyan
too, suspecting them of being void. On those ballots the mark was
bold, and the members of the commission, not having grounds to
consider them void, found them valid, “We don’t wish to go on about
that; we say: ‘Good for that man, let him take his votes.'” At the end
of the recalculation, Mr. Safaryan and the members of the commission
started to argue again. Details in the video

Read more at:

© 1998 – 2013 Aravot – News from Armenia

ARMENIA’S RULING PARTY CANCELS SCHEDULED EVENT

TERT.AM
13:56 ~U 21.02.13

The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has abandoned the plan
for a public gathering in Yerevan’s Liberty Square later today.

In a statement issued earlier on Thursday, the party’s spokesperson,
Eduard Sharmazanov, says it is the responsibility of the Republican,
as a governing political force, to avoid situations that could spur
tensions in the country.

Considering the Heritage party leader’s call for a meeting with
President Serzh Sargsyan an “anti-constitutional adventure”,
Sharmazanov says that the RPA refuses to conduct the scheduled event.

“We are sure that gathering together in the symbolic place soon,
we will see the freedom and democracy’s victory, which we recorded
in the country in the course of the 2013 presidential election,”
reads the statement.

DECISION 2013: HOVANNISIAN HEADING FOR TALKS WITH SARGSYAN AMID POST-ELECTION STANDOFF

VOTE 2013 | 21.02.13 | 13:34

Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian, who is disputing the outcome
of the Monday presidential election officially giving victory to
President Serzh Sargsyan, told a group of his supporters in Liberty
Square today that he was heading for talks with the incumbent.

The leader of the opposition Heritage party, who officially polled
close to 37 percent of the vote in the ballot, as opposed to Sargsyan’s
official count of about 59 percent, yesterday gave Sargsyan until 2
pm today to meet him to start discussions on the transfer of power to
the people – a definition that a Sargsyan spokesman said was “vague”.

Earlier, the presidential aide said the head of state was ready to
meet Hovannisian “at any time” convenient to the opposition leader.

In his brief speech Hovannisian cited these words of the presidential
spokesman, saying that he was going to meet the president now. At
this moment people follow Raffi to the Presidential Palace situated
about a kilometer from Liberty Square.

It has also been announced that the next rally of Hovannisian
supporters will be held in Liberty Square on Friday (kick off at 5 pm).

Earlier, Sargsyan’s Republican Party of Armenia officially cancelled
its planned political gathering in the square to avoid “competing
rallies” fraught with clashes.

Also, the Armenian police issued a statement warning rally participants
to remain peaceful in their actions.

PREGNANT WOMAN IN ARMENIA DIES FROM SWINE FLU – NEWSPAPER

NEWS.AM
February 21, 2013 | 08:32

YEREVAN. – The Health Ministry of Armenia confirmed that a pregnant
woman has died in the country as a result of the H1N1 virus (swine
flu), Haykakan Zhamanak daily reports.

“A 42-year-old man’s death by the same virus is confirmed, too. The
Ministry states that in the case of applying for medical assistance
on time, the disease occurs lightly, [and] it is treated quickly,
without complications.

But in the case of applying [for medical assistance] late, the
likelihood of occurrence of complications is greater. In this context,
chronic patients are considered to be the [most] susceptible groups,”
Haykakan Zhamanak writes.

TURKS READ KORAN IN ARMENIAN CHURCH?

12:47 ~U 21.02.13

A mystic ceremony in an Armenian church of Turkey’s Chanakale town
reportedly finished with a reading of the Muslim Koran.

According to the Dogan news agency, mystical Sufi ceremonies are
occasionally held in the 17th century construction which later turned
into a cultural center after (the Armenians left the place).

A great number of guests were reportedly invited to the ceremony.

Speaking at the event, the provincial governor Gungor Azim Tunan,
highlighted the need of building more such centers in the town.

“We have a rich cultural heritage, so such institutions and people
will help us recognize and improve ourselves,” he said.

UN SOLDAT ARMENIEN TUE MARDI 19 FEVRIER A LA FRONTIERE ARMENO-AZERIE

Hier sur la ligne frontalière au nord-est de la Republique du Haut
Karabagh, sur l’un des positions tenues par les forces armeniennes, un
soldat Armenien, Gor Ghazarian (ne en 1992) a ete mortellement blesse
par un tir azeri. Le Ministère de la Defense de la Republique du Haut
Karabagh va mener une enquete pour determiner les conditions de la
mort du soldat Armenien. Le jour meme, sur decision du President
de la Republique du Haut Karabagh, Bako Sahakian, Gor Ghazarian
recevait a titre posthume la medaille ” Mardagan Dzarayoutioun ”
(Services aux combats) pour la defense des frontières. Gor Ghazarian
etait originaire du village de Pertavan dans la region de Davouch
(nord-est de l’Armenie). Il etait rentre de Russie en Armenie pour
effectuer son service militaire et retourner en Russie où il vivait.

Krikor Amirzayan

jeudi 21 fevrier 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

CEREMONIE EN HOMMAGE AUX FUSILLES DE L’AFFICHE ROUGE A MARSEILLE

Dans le cadre des commemorations du groupe Manouchian, une ceremonie
en hommage aux fusilles de l’Affiche rouge se deroulera le samedi 23
fevrier au Square Manouchian.

A l’occasion du 69ème anniversaire de l’execution des resistants de
l’Affiche rouge par les nazis, le Comite de Marseille de l’Association
Nationale des Anciens Combattants et Amis de la Resistance (A.N.A.C.R),
l’Amicale des Anciens Combattants et Resistants Francais d’Origine
Armenienne (A.A.C.R.F.O.A) et la Jeunesse Armenienne de France (J.A.F)
organisent une ceremonie en hommage aux fusilles de l’Affiche Rouge
morts pour la France le 21 fevrier 1944 samedi 23 fevrier 2013 a 10h
au Square Manouchian, Bd Charles Livon – 13007 Marseille

Un hommage sera rendu a tous ces resistants Juifs, Hongrois, Polonais,
Roumains, Espagnols, Italiens et Armeniens ; ainsi qu’a leur chef
de bande Missak Manouchian, inspirateur du mouvement JAF. Ces
immigres etaient determines a combattre pour liberer la France,
patrie des Droits de l’Homme. Julien Harounyan, President de la
Jeunesse Armenienne de France (JAF) rappelle que ” Missak Manouchian
n’etait pas destine a la guerre. Orphelin du genocide armenien de
1915 perpetre par le gouvernement Jeune Turc, il arrive en France,
attire par les valeurs de la Republique francaise. Ouvrier, homme de
lettre et homme de paix, rien ne le predestinait a s’engager dans la
lutte armee “. Par son desir de vivre dans l’egalite, par son amour
de la liberte, nous lui devons notre citoyennete d’aujourd’hui. Simon
Azilazian, President de l’Amicale des Anciens Combattants et Resistants
Francais d’Origine Armenienne (A.A.C.R.F.O.A) rappelle que ” la
stigmatisation nazie par l’affiche rouge devait les tuer, elle les
a rendue immortels. Aujourd’hui nous sommes les portes parole d’un
message universel : construire une societe dont nous puissions etre
fiers en mettant de côte nos prejuges “. Jean-Paul Chiny, President du
Comite de Marseille de l’Association Nationale des Anciens Combattants
et Amis de la Resistance (A.N.A.C.R) rappelle que : ” les differences
de cultures et d’origines doivent servir un objectif commun, un ideal
de liberte “.

Infos JAF Marseille 04 91 802 820

jeudi 21 fevrier 2013, Aurelie Ohanian ©armenews.com