Author: nina hovnanian

SPEAKER: ISRAELI ATTACK ON SYRIA MEANT TO BUY TIME

14:55 | 2013-02-04

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in a telephone
conversation on Monday with his Syrian counterpart Mohammad Jihad
al-Laham lashed out at Israel’s recent aggression against a Syrian
research center in suburban Damascus, and said Israel wants to buy
time by taking such attempts.

The Syrian Army said in a statement on Wednesday that two people were
killed and five others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a scientific
center in Jamraya, 25 kilometers (15 miles) Northwest of the capital
Damascus.

“The adventurous behavior against Syria is a plot aimed at creating
opportunity for the Zionist regime,” Larijani said during the
telephone conversation.

The Syrian parliament speaker, for his part, thanked his Iranian
counterpart for supporting the Syrian government and nation against
the foreign threats targeting his country, specially the recent
Israeli aggression on Damascus.

“Unfortunately, some regional countries played an active role in the
recent plot against the Syrian nation and they have remained silent on
the Quds occupying regime’s aggression,” al-Lahmi said.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi strongly
condemned the Israeli air strike on Syria, and called on the
international community to show firm reaction to the Zionist regime’s
aggressive move.

He said the attack was “blatant violation of Syria’s territorial integrity”.

The inhuman move proves the legitimacy of the Syrian government and
its nation in supporting resistance movements and their enmity with
the Zionists, Salehi said.

The move also reveals the coordination between terrorists trying to
destabilize Syria in order to attain the sinister goals of the Zionist
regime, he said.

Salehi further urged a serious reaction to Israel’s air assault to
prevent the regime from repeating such attacks, and stated, “A serious
reaction should be shown to the event. We should be very cautious
about the regime’s dirty goals in the region because the Zionist
regime does not move within the framework of humanity, wisdom and
international regulations.

PARUYR HAYRIKYAN IN UGLY TRADE WITH THE PRESIDENT – PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

TERT.AM
11:24 ~U 05.02.13

Presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan will state about his decision
to postpone or not the coming presidential elections later today.

Before he announces his decision, other presidential candidate, epos
expert Vardan Sedrakyan considers that in the created situation
psychological insurmountable obstacles have been created for other
candidates, thus in case Hayrikyan decides not to postpone the
elections, he will apply to the Constitutional Court for doing it.

Otherwise, it happens that the process depends on Paruyr Hayrikyan’s
moods, he said.

Speaking to Tert.am, the presidential candidate noted that the demand
of the law is clear – it says if there is such an impediment for a
candidate or not.

The presidential candidate said Paruyr Hayrikyan is “having an ugly
trade with the president.” Sedrakyan said he came to such conclusion
after Paruyr Hayrikyan, speaking in TV program before the attack, said
that if insurmountable obstacles are created for the candidates the
election results will be considered invalid.

“Now he is calculating his rating, demonstrating it. ‘If I see my
rating has risen after the incident I will not apply, if not I will’.

But what does the law say? It just says whether impediment has been
created or not,” the epos expert said, adding that it does not fix
whether candidate’s rating is growing or not.

Hayrikyan said that currently his team is conducting a survey to find
out whether the assassination attempt against him had an impact on the
processes or not and that his decision depends on the survey results.

Asked whether he excludes or not that the assassination attempt
against Hayrikyan was aimed at postponing elections and if so, his
decision to apply to the CC means he is playing into hands, Sedrakyan
got angry claiming that he does not care what the aim of the shooting
was. “In the same way I can be shot at tomorrow,” he said angrily.

JOHN KERRY APPORTE SON ” APPUI SOLIDE ” A UNE NORMALISATION TURCO-ARMENIENNE

J ohn Kerry, ancien senateur pro-armenien senateur qui prendra la
relève comme nouveau secretaire d’Etat americain, a reaffirme le
soutien fort de Washington pour les relations d’une normalisation
inconditionnelle de la Turquie avec l’Armenie.

John Kerry a fait cette declaration lors de ses reponses ecrites
aux questions qui ont ete deposees par d’autres senateurs la semaine
dernière lors des auditions de confirmation au Senat americain de sa
candidature pour le poste le chef de la diplomatie americaine.

” Les Etats-Unis encouragent la Turquie aux plus hauts niveaux a
s’engager de facon productive avec l’Armenie sur les protocoles
de normalisation [de 2009], d’ouvrir la frontière , de retablir des
liens de transport, de communication et d’utilite entre les deux pays,
et de retablir les relations diplomatiques ” a-t-il dit. ” Si je suis
confirme, je vais continuer a soutenir fermement tous les efforts pour
normaliser les relations bilaterales entre l’Armenie et la Turquie
afin qu’ensemble, ils puissent forger une relation qui est pacifique,
productive et prospère ” a ecrit le democrate du Massachusetts a
Robert Menendez, le president resolument pro-armenien entrant de la
commission des relations etrangères du Senat.

John Kerry a evoque les accords negocies aux Etats-Unis qui ont
ete signes par l’Armenie et la Turquie en 2009. Les deux protocoles
envisagent l’etablissement de relations diplomatiques entre les deux
pays voisins et l’ouverture de leur frontière.

Le gouvernement turc a mis une condition a leur ratification
parlementaire qui est la resolution du conflit du Haut-Karabakh
acceptable par l’Azerbaïdjan, une condition rejetee par Erevan.

L’administration du president Barack Obama a dit egalement que les
protocoles doivent etre mis en ~uvre sans aucune condition prealable.

La Secretaire d’Etat americaine Hillary Clinton a repete que ” la
balle reste dans la cour de la Turquie “, quand elle s’est rendue a
Erevan en juin dernier.

Risquant les critiques des associations armeno-americaines qui ont
depuis longtemps soutenu, John Kerry a egalement arreter de parler des
massacres des Armeniens en 1915 par la Turquie ottomane comme d’un
genocide. Il a plutôt parle de ” l’une des pires atrocites du 20e
siècle “. En reponse au senateur Barbara Boxer, John Kerry a precise
qu’il s’en tiendra a la politique de l’administration Obama sur la
question sensible.

” Comme le president l’a souligne dans ses declarations du jour
du Souvenir le 24 avril, la realisation d’une complète, franche, et
juste reconnaissance des faits de ce qui s’est passe en 1915 est dans
tous nos interets ” a-t-il dit. Il a egalement dit que ” la meilleure
facon de progresser vers cet objectif est pour le peuple armenien et
turc d’aborder les faits du passe comme une partie de leurs efforts
pour aller de l’avant “.

Barack Obama a promis de reaffirmer, une fois elu, que le massacre
d’environ 1,5 millions d’Armeniens pendant la Première Guerre mondiale
constituait un genocide quand il a concouru pour la presidence.

Toutefois, pendant son mandat, il a utilise le mot armenien Mets
Yeghern, ou de Grande Catastrophe, pour se referer aux massacres.

Comme senateur, John Kerry a soutenu de nombreux projets de resolutions
appelant a une reconnaissance officielle americaine du genocide.

En 2005, il rejoint 30 senateurs pour exhorter le president George W.

Bush de reaffirmer la reconnaissance par les Etats-Unis du genocide
armenien.

John Kerry a egalement critique l’administration Bush en 2006 d’avoir
rappele l’ambassadeur americain en Armenie, John Evans pour avoir
publiquement utilise le mot de ” genocide “”en ce qui concerne les
evenements de 1915. Il a accuse l’administration de ceder aux pressions
de la Turquie.

Les deux principales associations armeno-americains n’ont toujours
pas reagi aux dernières remarques de John Kerry. L’une d’entre
elle, l’Assemblee Armenienne d’Amerique (AAA), la semaine dernière
s’est felicite de sa nomination par Obama. ” Le senateur Kerry
a travers ses 29 annees de service au Senat des Etats-Unis a une
comprehension profonde des problèmes auxquels font face l’Armenie
et le Haut-Karabakh, et nous attendons a ce que le secretaire d’Etat
reste fidèle a a sa position ” a declare Bryan Ardouny, le directeur
executif de l’AAA dans un communique.

mardi 5 fevrier 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

TURKISH MP: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION HISTORICAL NECESSITY

February 4, 2013 – 12:29 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The main mediator in the negotiations between
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and the leader of Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan, Turkish MP Ahmet Turk commented
on the role of Kurds in the Armenian Genocide.

According to Milliyet daily, Turk said, “It is high time, we came to
terms with our past. Our forefathers and ancestors of Ottomans
massacred Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis. Our ancestors’ hands are
stained with the blood of Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis. We are
obliged to apologize to Armenian descendants. The apology means a lot
for our future. I hope Turkey will admit the truth and will apologize
to Armenians. That’s historical necessity. Turkish authorities can’t
deny the fact that a state decision was taken to annihilate thousands
of Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis during the Ottoman Empire. It
won’t be difficult to apologize as the massacres were committed before
the establishment of the Turkish State.”

AZERBAIJAN DID NOT MAKE ANY PROPOSALS AT PARIS MEETING ON KARABAKH ISSUE: BALLAYAN SAYS

YEREVAN, February 4. / ARKA /. Azerbaijan did not make any proposals
over the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict during the
latest meeting of Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers in Paris in late
January with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen, a press secretary for
the Armenian foreign ministry, Tigran Balayan, said today in comments
on Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister Araz Azimov’s allegations that
the Armenian minister rejected a set of proposals put forward by Baku.

“Moreover, the Azerbaijani side has not placed on the website of
the foreign ministry a statement for the media about the meeting
reconciled by all five parties,” Balayan said.

He said the same thing happened after the previous meeting of the
ministers in Paris.

“There is however, one thing in which Azerbaijani deputy minister
is right: the approaches of the Armenian side voiced by its foreign
minister in Paris did not differ from the previously made statements.

This is natural, Armenia’s position has been and remains in tune
with the international community, as expressed by the Minsk Group
“-Balayan said. -0-

COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS ARE AHEAD IN ARMENIA: ALEXANDER TSINKER

09:56, 4 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: Presidential Elections are scheduled
in Armenia on February 18, the pre- election campaign kicked off
January 21 and will last till February 16. Armenpress had an interview
with international expert, (ICES) Center for Electoral Systems
observer mission president, Dr. Alexander Tsinker over Armenia’s
Presidential elections, the launch of pre- election campaign, election
procedure and a number of other issues.

-Pre – election campaign kicked off in Armenia on January 21. Your
estimation about pre-election situation in Armenia. Are all the
candidates enjoying equal campaign conditions?

-Pre -election campaign declared its launch in Armenia on January 21.

Many experts believe they are going to be predictable and boring. Yet
the campaign proved quite another march of events. Presidential
candidate Andrias Ghukasyan decided to announce a hunger strike thus
proposing his requirements. Another candidate Aram Harutyuanyan is
going to support him, besides two other candidates Paruyr Hayrikyan
(before the assassination attempt) and Arman Melikyan are choosing
versions for participating in Presidential elections.

What regards to the fact that first and second Presidents of the
Republic of Armenia are not running for Presidential elections really
decreases the tenseness of electoral process, yet it cannot be
considered a violation. It is wrong to say no competitive elections
are going to be held. The competition conducted among three
Presidential candidates namely Hrant Bagratyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan and
Raffi Hovhannisyan come to prove the scheduled elections are set to
arise great interest among the population. ICES-delegation once again
calls on all presidential candidates to hold free and transparent
campaign, urges Government forces to ensure the equal application of
law and reportedly punish the violators.

-Armenia’s authorities have repeatedly expressed their willingness to
launch unprecedented elections. Does your observations record grounds
for the launch of elections in compliance with the international law ?

Dwelling about the international standards, which will ensure free and
transparent elections, we should note the following:

ICES coming forth with the discussion of characteristics of the
Election Code of the Republic of Armenia on January 21 underscored the
document contains the basic elements which will enable to hold
democratic elections. The latest version of the Code take into account
all considerations and observations recorded by OSCE / ODIHR and the
Venice Commission. All the articles of Armenia’s Electoral Code will
enable a chance to launch elections meeting the interest of the
people.

-Is your observation group equipped with necessary resources to launch
observation mission? Which provinces ICES center observers are going
to monitor during February 18 Presidential elections?

-ICES long-term observers delegation started their work on February 1
and currently are provided with all resources for the launch of
monitoring. We are collaborating with CEC, have scheduled meetings
with Presidential candidates, are going to get acquainted with
pre-election campaign preparatory works, the directions of the
observers on the day of elections are being elaborated.

The observers’ groups are going to be concentrated in Capital
Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor. On the day of elections the observation
groups are scheduled to head to pre-determined destinations, follow
the voting process and vote account.

35 ICES observers are going to monitor February 18 Presidential
Elections, yet the Center does not announce in advance which
destinations they are going head.

Prepared by Seda Manukyan

ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PROMISES ‘EMIGRATION IN TEXTBOOKS ONLY’

21:41 ~U 04.02.13

Chairman of the Heritage party and presidential candidate Raffi
Hovannisian got a warm reception in Ashtarak, Aragatsotn region.

“If you want, the people absent from Ashtarak will return. In five
years you will find the word ’emigration’ only in textbooks,” Mr
Hovannisian said.

“This is a duty we must perform jointly,” he said.

“I like him very much. He is speaking in our interests. The other
candidates have other aims. If he is our master, we will live well,”
an 81-year-old woman told Tert.am.

Mr Hovannisian also walked along the streets and visited the campaign
headquarters of Hrant Bagratyan and Serzh Sargsyan.

TOOTHACHE: DENTISTS/REALTORS DECRY NEW LAW ON TAXATION

Health | 04.02.13 | 15:41

By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter

Dentists and real estate agents in Armenia are unhappy with the changes
in the law on License Payments that has come into force early this
year implying sharp increase of their tax burden.

By the new law, three (or more)-chair dentist clinics have to
pay 80,000 drams (some $200) per chair, instead of the previous
15,000-20,000 ($37-49).

President of Armenia’s Dentist Union Ashot Gevorgyan says that
if before an 11-chair dentist clinic was paying 2 million drams
(around $5,000) income tax, now it has to pay 8.5 million drams
(around $21,000).

“By this law we are on the same list with casinos and beauty salons.

If this approach referred to healthcare, then this tax would have
to apply to hospital beds as well. In global terms healthcare is
VAT-free, as provided for by Point 2 of this law, hence we are
indirectly separated from healthcare,” he says.

Despite healthcare minister Derenik Dumanyan’s statement that the
legislative changes have been initiated by the finance ministry without
considering expert opinions of this sphere, Republican Gagik Minasyan
chairing the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Financial-Credit
and Budgetary Affairs, claims the professionals working in this sphere
were aware of the changes.

Minasyan believes 80,000 dram (roughly $200) tax is not much:
“Dentist clinics work 24 days a month by two shifts per day; that is
48 shifts per month in total. If we divide 80 by 48, it makes 1,700
drams ($4) per daily shift. And that’s not much. And this is also
aimed at fighting the ‘shadow economy’,” says Minasyan.

Will the new tax document, indeed, address the “shadow”? Dentists
claim quite the opposite.

Economy minister Tigran Davtyan says on the one hand tax policy is
a tool to create favorable conditions for economic entities, and on
the other, it is a means of replenishing the state budget.

“It’s unlikely for such a document to be perfect for either side, and
the document we have at hand, I believe, keeps the balance,” he says.

Around 1,200 dentists met at the American University of Armenia
and stated that if the law is not reconsidered, those clinics that
are renting their premises would have to shut down, and the best
specialists will simply migrate to other countries. They also pointed
out that the new law is damaging to “dental tourism”, as Armenia is
the leader by its highly qualified dentists and technical equipment
among the post Soviet countries. Many tourists prefer to solve their
dental issues while in Armenia.

Dentist Maro Lazarian wonders if the state has any idea about the
hardships her colleagues face: “Don’t they know how many dentists over
these years have turned to embassies to leave Armenia? Many have bank
loans. Do they know how many dentists borrow the necessary substances
form shops? Do they know how difficult it has been to get it started;
how our parents had to sell their property to pay for our education
[medical education is the most expensive in Armenia], and then to
make the initial investment to help us start?”

Dentists of Armenia have drafted a package suggesting amendments to
the law on License Payments. After the final draft is ready it will
be submitted to the National Assembly.

(There have been speculations in the press that Republican MP Samvel
Alexanyan is planning to open a dentist clinic chain and this new
law is aimed at “making his task easier” by damaging the other clinics.

Alexanyan owns Natali Farm pharmacological importer, as well as flour,
sugar, and forage import monopolies.)

The changes in the law have stirred discontent also among realtors,
which now have to pay the state some $150 per employee per month.

To protect their interests, an Initiative Group of Real Estate Agencies
has been created, which is now collecting signatures for a petition
against the new changes in the law and has addressed an open letter
to the president.

Real estate agencies used to be taxed 5 percent from their turnover.

However, today, without public discussions and expert opinions, they,
too, have been included on the list of companies to which the new law
is applicable, and have to make 60,000 drams ($150) license payment
per each employee, instead of the former 15-20, 000 drams ($37-49).

Ar-Go Realty manager Arayik Gojabashyan says if the law isn’t changed,
the shadow will, in fact, grow.

According to him, many in this sphere were starting to work clean,
with proper registration of their employees, paying the taxes, showing
their true turnover, and now people are forced to work “outside the
legal field”.

“No doubt there will be those who will, because there is no
alternative. The other option would be to shut down and leave the
country,” he says.

By official data, the real estate market has undergone some 20
percent decline in its activities in 2012 as compared to 2007. If
the law stands as it is now, the companies will have to make license
payments for January and February at once, as well as for March
in late February, which means, as they say, paying from the yet
non-existent income.

Heads of a few dozen related entities have addressed a letter to the
president of Armenia, the prime minister and the finance minister.

HUMAN RIGHTS TASK GROUP VISITS NUBARASHEN PRISON

18:49 ~U 04.02.13

A task group has visited the Nubarashen prison and conducted monitoring
there.

Overcrowded cells remain the major problem reported by the group.

On arriving at the prison the group found 1,814 inmates there,
whereas the building is designed for 840 inmates.

The task group also reports that some of the cells designed for
eight people are occupied by only three inmates, while others by up
to 18 inmates.

The task group reports insanitary conditions in most of the cells.

The inmates also complained about low-quality food, and most of them
use the food brought by their relatives and friends.

The group also reports better conditions in the prison hospital,
but the prisoners complained that their relatives had to bring all
the necessary drugs to them. Moreover, patient records do not contain
information on visits by doctors invited by inmates or on the medicines
purchased by inmates’ relatives.

At the private meetings the inmates complained that they are allowed
to go for a walk on special days, and no walks are organized on
Sundays. The administration explained that the problem is the lack
of personnel on Sundays.

ARA PAPYAN: TENSION IN THE REGION CONTINUES TO RISE

“Radiolur”
18:25 04.02.2013

Anna Nazaryan

The situation in the region continues to aggravate, political
scientist Ara Papyan told reporters today.

“The anti-Armenian sentiments in Turkey have aggravated ahead of the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which is evidenced by the
increased violence against Armenians. Clashes are inevitable before
the forthcoming presidential elections in Iran. A dual power has been
established in Georgia after the parliamentary elections. The
expressions of intolerance in some regions of Azerbaijan are connected
with ethnic issues, as they take place mostly in regions inhabited by
Lezgins,” the political scientist said.

“Tensions rose in domestic politics in Armenia after the assassination
attempt on the leader of the National Self-Determination Union Paruyr
Hayrikyan,” the ex-Ambassador of Armenia to Canada Ara Papyan said.

The political scientist found it hard to say who could benefit from
the incident. He added, however, he does not believe it was done by
Russian special services. He’s more inclined to search for the gunman
inside the country. He’s suspicious about the weapon and bullets used.

“No serious organization would use this gun,” he said.

“There was no reaction from Russia in response to Hayrikyan’s
accusation, which means that they give no importance to his
statements,” Ara Papyan concluded.

Thus, the situation in the region is tense and further aggravates in
light of the Azerbaijani threats to shoot down civilian aircrafts in
case of exploitation of the Stepanakert Airport. “I do not rule out
that they may hit the planes,” he said.

“We had to end the war in time in order not to have an unsolved
conflict today,” Ara Papyan concluded.