Author: nina hovnanian

83-YEAR-OLD FATHER KILLED HIS SON IN YEREVAN

2013-01-11 23:08:58

Today, on January 11, a tragic accident occurred in Yerevan. Around
16:50 the medical center “St. Grigor the Illuminator” (Grigor
Lusavorich) reported Nor Nork Department of Police that a dead man
was brought to the hospital.

According to shamshyan.com, the investigators of the Investigation
Department of Nor Nork led by the Chief Mher Vardanyan came to the
hospital.

Doctors reported that the victim was hit in the left chest area.

The investigation team found that the victim was 56-year-old Vladimir
Nikoyan, who lived in Nor Nork. There was a quarrel between the
father and his son, in a result of which Vladimir’s father struck
his son with knife. The tool of the crime was also found, and that
was a kitchen knife.

A criminal case on the first part (kill) of the 104th article of the
Criminal Code is under investigation.

MAN SELLS OWN PASSPORT FOR 20 THOUSAND DRAMS

Aysor.am
January 11, 2013

Resident of Ararat province Gevorg Avdalian was charged with selling
his Armenian passport.

In mid February 2012, Avdalian – through a woman named Karine Aivazian
– sold his passport to Yerevan resident Armen Baghdasarian for 20,000
AMD. Out of this sum, he gave 5,000 AMD to K. Aivazian, Pastinfo news
agency reports, citing Datalex website.

G. Avdalian, A. Baghdasarian, and K. Aivazian were charged under
Article 326 of the RA Criminal Code.

STEFAN FULE STATED THAT “ELECTIONS ARE CRUCIAL FOR ARMENIA-EU RELATIONS”

Thursday 10 January 2013 13:53

Yerevan/Mediamax/. European Commissioner Stefan Fule stated that
“free and fair elections are crucial for EU-Armenia relations”.

Press statement by Commissioner Fule following his meeting with
Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan in Brussels
reads this, Mediamax reports.

“Successful – free and fair – elections really matter and are crucial
for EU-Armenia relations; without them the continuous reform which
we want to see could be undermined. Before the elections next month,
further progress is needed in the implementation of the current
legislative framework, as recommended by the OSCE/ODIHR, while in
parallel the longer-term process of updating electoral legislation
for polls in the future should also continue”, Stefan Fule’s statement
reads.

HAPPI: ARMENIA AMONG TOP PERFORMING PARTNERS TO WORLD BANK

YEREVAN, January 11. /ARKA/. Armenia consistently ranked among the
top performing countries in International Development Association
(IDA) portfolio, Jean-Michel Happi, the World Bank’s Country Manager
for Armenia, said in an interview with ARKA News Agency.

He said that throughout the past 20 years Armenia has maintained
its forefront place in the Bank in terms of the quality of portfolio
implementation.

“With a diversified portfolio in almost all sectors of economy (in
the total commitments of more than $1.6 bln since 1993) the projects
have shown notable results,” he said. “The projects addressed needs in
various sectors including roads, energy, education, health, irrigation,
rural development, public administration, and judiciary, etc.”

Happi said the IDA credits and more recently (since 2009) the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ( IBRD) loans
have been the two main instruments of financing the projects that
helped further the development and reform agenda of the country.

“The large share of infrastructure projects helped not only to improve
access to markets and reduce the associated costs and time, but also
created new jobs and offered incomes to many,” he said. “Investments in
the health and education infrastructure made an additional contribution
to the reduction of non-income poverty by easing the access to basic
social services for the poor and vulnerable.”

Happi also added that he key reasons for the successful results of
World Bank support have been the close cooperation with the Armenian
government, the government’s high ownership and the very strong
implementation capacity that exists in the country.

Some 14 WB-funded programs are being implemented in Armenia now. The
Lifeline Road Improvement Project (LRIP), the Municipal Water Project
(MWP), the Municipal Water and Wastewater (MWWP), the Irrigation
Rehabilitation Emergency Project (IREP), the Electricity Supply
Reliability Project (ESRP), the Geothermal Energy Project (GEP), the
Energy Efficiency Project (EEP) and the Community Agricultural Resource
Management and Competitiveness (CARMAC) projects are among them. -0-

IS OPPOSITION GETTING READY FOR COALITION?
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:
18:09 11/01/2013

Serzh Sargsyan neutralized the opposition during the parliamentary
election of May by means of the national conciliation policy. He
let all the opposition forces into the parliament thus depriving
them of their main argument. Ahead of the parliamentary election the
opposition and the “alternative” – the PAP – claimed they had been
deprived of the opportunity to participate in the process of decision
making. After the election they were granted titular access to this
process but the few months following the election proved they have
been unable to use this opportunity to have a positive influence on
the decision making process.

To some extent this is due to Serzh Sargsyan’s efforts to ensure the
Republicans win majority to have all the decisions passed. However,
the opposition forces have been unable to form a joint front, involve
the civil society to counterbalance the majority.

The decision of the opposition and the alternative to withdraw from
the campaign is perceived as a boycott and reluctance to participate
in the game of someone else. However, the option of deals analogical
to those of the parliamentary election is not ruled out. Obviously,
there had been such deals before the parliamentary election.

The PAP has been promised the post of vice prime minister to be
created in future. The City Hall is also said to be handed to the PAP
soon. The prime minister’s post may even be handed to the opposition,
for example, Hrant Bagratyan, while Tigran Sargsyan will become the
country’s chief fundraiser. The social affairs may be returned to the
ARF which speaks about social justice, while justice may be assigned
to the ANC. Raffi Hovannisian could be the next minister of Diaspora.

It would be a perfect appointment ahead of the 100th anniversary of
the Genocide.

Opposition’s refusal would be viewed as a sign of weakness. Their
agreement will mean the continuation of the policy of “national unity”
dictated by Serzh Sargsyan. This policy will enable Serzh Sargsyan to
neutralize the opposition, as well as face the international community
with the image of a democratic president, at the same time bridling
his oligarchs and partly disclaiming responsibility.

The fact that the opposition does not call for a boycott indicates a
reservation for post-electoral deals. In addition, rumors already come
on a possible coalition government including the opposition parties.

The deal with the government is usually disapproved, especially
considering that power has been usurped. However, national unity is
perhaps the best thing given the current opposition.

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA LEADER DID NOT RECEIVE FORMER FM? – NEWSPAPER

news.am
January 11, 2013 | 07:36

YEREVAN. – Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) MP, former FM Vartan
Oskanian on Thursday went to the PAP Central Office-which is located
at the Brandy Factory-to meet with PAP Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan,
but a meeting did not take place, Zhamanak reports.

“Vartan Oskanian waited nearly two hours, but Tsarukyan did not
receive him. It is unknown as to what matter Oskanian was preparing
to discuss with Tsarukyan,” Zhamanak writes.

BERD-CHAMBARAK HIGHWAY AND SELIM PASS REMAIN TO BE CLOSED

18:30, 11 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS: No precipitation in Armenia by 6:00
PM, January 11.

As Armenpress was informed from the press department of Armenian
Ministry of Transport and Communication Berd-Chambarak highway of
Tavush region and Selim Pass remain to be closed because of law
visibility and heavy snow.

Cleaning of the roads is in progress now. Armenian Ministry of
Transport and Communication urges to use winter tires for ensuring
the security.

PETITION OF THE OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER IS A CALL FOR TURKEY TO MAKE A HUMANITARIAN STEP

17:15, 11 January, 2013

YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS: The failure of initiation in the
official web site of USA President organizing petition on opening
of Armenian-Turkish border will prove that Turkey is not capable to
open the border even for humanitarian purpose. This has been declared
by initiator of the petition Daniel Ioanissyan noting that even the
failure of the initiation will be beneficial for Armenia. “We will
be able to show the world that Turkey is not capable to open the
border even for humanitarian purpose,” Armenpress quoted Ioanissyan
as saying. He also noted that there are already 500 signatures. The
deadline of the petition is February 4. Plan would facilitate the
Syrian-Armenians entry to their historical homeland.

A petition to open Armenian-Turkish border has been launched on the
U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration official web page.

The participants of the petition want Turkey to open the border with
Armenia, at least for the Syrian-Armenian refugees. As “Armenpress”
reports, the application addressed to president Obama’s administration
states: “The road from Syria to Armenia goes through Turkey, which
closed its border with Armenia in 1993.”

It is stated in the petition: “Thus, we are kindly asking to call
Turkey to open the land border with Armenia (at least, for refugees)
without any preconditions. There shouldn’t be any closed border in
the 21-st century.”

In accordance with UN data Syrian conflict lasting more than 22 months
has caused the death of more than 60 000 people.

ARMENIA TO SET UP THE FIRST CSTO ACADEMY

news.am
January 11, 2013 | 15:46

YEREVAN.- In 2013 Armenia plans to set up the first CSTO academy,
National Security Council Secretary Arthur Baghdasaryan stated during
a press conference on Friday.

Similar academies will be opened in all CSTO member states.

“We are happy to have the first academy in Armenia. Its goal will be
preparing staff for jobs in the field of defense security,” he said.

He recalled that Armenia-hosted CSTO military drills brought
together nearly 2,000 servicemen, 500 pieces of equipment, including
Armenia-produced unmanned aerial vehicles.

Armenia’s cooperation with Russia and CSTO is strategically important
for Yerevan, he added.

BAGRATIAN ACCUSED OF COOPERATING WITH AUTHORITIES

Aysor.am
January 11, 2013

“There is no such thing. I can assure you that there is no such
agreement; there was not even an intention to come to an agreement
with Bagratian,” the deputy of Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
faction Mkrtich Minasian told Aravot daily , when responding to
accusations of Armenian National Congress (HAK) members who claim
that Hrant Bagratian is probably cooperating with the authorities.

During the talk with the daily’s correspondent, Minasian also touched
upon Levon Ter-Petrosian’s decision not to run for President.

“The reason is not his age. It was only a pretext. Ter-Petrosian is
a serious politician; he carefully analyzed the situation, public
perceptions, and public attitude towards the political force led by
him and came to the conclusion that the beginning of everything has
its end. He realized the truth”.