Author: Tadevosian Garnik

THE REPUBLICAN PENULTIMATE "TEMPTATION"
Siranush Papyan

LRAGIR.AM
11:30:19 – 27/05/2009

The Republican Party undertook many and various mechanisms for these
elections: lists of 100 percent voters, consultations free of charge,
or just forcing, and now it is time for the soldiers. It has been
several days, soldiers are "hurrying" home from the army, of course,
the law does not allow them to vote, but these ten days of holiday
with the family will secure the votes of the members of their families.

Mrs. Anahit is waiting for his son. She stated that at the previous
election her friend’s son of also came home for ten days. She stated
that thanks to election, what is impossible becomes possible. But,
anyway, is she going to vote for the Republican party? She stated that
one must be smart and say that they will vote for the Republicans, but
at the election, they must vote for the candidate they want to vote.

And one parent of a soldier missed their son so much that is ready not
only to vote for the Republican but to procure some ten votes for it.

The only mechanism left is giving money, which will happen one day
before the election.

The press speaker of the Republican Party, Edward Sharmazanov stated
in this connection, that there can be various gossips on the eve
of the elections and they may be ungrounded. According to him, the
Republican Party does not have possibilities to rig the election,
and it is interested more than the others, in holding this election
in accordance with the democratic measurements.

In answer to the question why the Republican press speaker stresses
only this election, so we may assume that the previous elections
were not held in accordance with the democratic measurements, Edward
Sharmazanov stated that the international observers proved that
both the presidential and the parliamentary elections were held in
accordance with the European measurements. The Republican press speaker
did not rule out that there may be shortcomings at the elections.

IF SERGE SARGSYAN "GIVES" YEREVAN TO THE OPPOSITION HE WILL MAKE THE STATE STRONGER
ARMAN GALOYAN

LRAGIR.AM
17:08:52 – 26/05/2009

Interview with the coordinator of the Social Democratic Hnchakyan
Party Lyudmila Sargsyan

– You are probably aware of the "case of seven" as it was called
before. You know that the witnesses, who gave testimonies against the
political prisoners, state that those testimonies were seized from them
with the help of violence and now they are stating completely different
things at the courtroom. What would you say in this connection?

– This case was a balloon. The government understands it very
well. This is the reason why they separated the cases for the court
hearings to be held separately. Nevertheless, it is seen that they
will not be able to make any verdict with these criminal accusations
because they are not able to find anything against the political
prisoners. Those, who come and refute their preliminary testimonies
regardless violence, are to be honored. I think that the office of
the prosecutor general appeared in a very miserable state. When
there is no criminal case and there is such a powerful movement,
it is evident that one day it will explode.

– You noted that the government is not able to make any verdict in
connection with these criminal cases. In this case what is the way out?

– I think there is only one way out from this situation. The president
has to declare an amnesty. There is no other alternative. If the
authorizes are smart and want to change anything to be able to
present themselves to the external world and to shape a positive
opinion about them in the home life, they have to declare an amnesty.

– So, may this create grounds for not taking up any punitive measures
against Armenia at the PACE June session and for the country not to
be monitored any more?

– I think the problem is not the PACE but their not knowing. They just
do not know what to do with these criminal cases. Let them examine the
case for other six months and what are they going to do after? There
are not witnesses or people who would confirm those accusations,
so the regime reached a deadlock. In order to save his reputation at
the PACE, Serge Sargsyan has to declare amnesty.

– Several days are left until the Yerevan Mayor election. Summing up
the mayoral electoral campaign, what conclusion can be made? Is the
Armenian National Congress satisfied with its electoral campaign and
the public moods?

– It is already time to make conclusions and I’m completely satisfied
with the HAK electoral campaign. We held meetings in each of the
communes of Yerevan. When we had just launched the campaign there
was not so much energy and enthusiasm among the public as we note
in the last week. The people’s enthusiasm shows that we have a
lot of votes. We held meeting in the yards too, we spoke to people
and answered their questions. And the society realizes what we are
struggling for and why to vote Levon Ter-Petrosyan. I can say that
unlike the HAK, the other political forces did not hold en electoral
campaign. Some kind of exception may be considered the Bargavach
Hayastan party, the electoral campaign of which was a little alike to
that of the HAK. But it is understandable that unlike the BHK meetings,
people attend those of the HAK voluntarily.

– Usually, the real results of the election and the figures published
by the Central Electoral Commission do not have anything in common
with each other. If the government tries to rig the elections this
time too, how is the opposition going to struggle against it?

– Electoral breaches are the only weapon the government tries to
use. Let us see what the Republican Party is doing today. Nothing
at all. During the presidential election, they held a very big
electoral campaign; they spent a lot of money and understood that
nevertheless they do not have votes. And, they made Serge Sargsyan
win the election with the help of electoral breaches. They came to
conclusions, and now they set hopes only on electoral breaches. Here
there is another problem, the BHK struggles for the majority of votes
too. It is seen that these two parties have serious disagreements. In
case of the presidential election, it was difficult for the opposition
to control the election all over the country; in this case, we will
concentrate our power only in Yerevan. And, in case the government
takes up rough measures this will completely break the rating of
Armenia in the world. This is the only and the best opportunity for
Serge Sargsyan to try to win legitimacy.

If he realizes this fact and "gives" the city to the opposition, in
other words, if he does not make breaches and lets the opposite win,
he will make our state stronger.

– You noted that the BHK will try to get the majority of votes. There
have already been clashes between the representatives of these two
parties. Do you think they really have disagreements or these are
only imitations?

– Levon Ter-Petrosyan, at one of the oppositional rallies, stated that
these clashes are just imitations, and are made in order to create a
criminal state in the country, which would serve the ground to postpone
the election. I don’t rule out this kind of scenario. But there is a
second version too. These clashes are not imitations but they do not
try to repress them because they are expedient for both of the sides.

– What do you think will the BHK and the Republicans clash on the
day of the elections too?

– I think that the BHK leads its electoral campaign with one aim to
prove to the Republican Party that it has a huge army of voters. Of
course, the BHK does it, realizing that those are not votes for a
victory. The BHK struggles for equality of breaches: As much, they are
going to make breaches for the Republican as much the BHK wants. I do
not rule out that there may be clashes, which, unfortunately, will
be expedient for the opposition. In this case, it will be difficult
to rig.

– The ARF Dashnaktsutyun, before the election, left the coalition and
became opposition. What do you think, will the Dashnaktsutyun be able
to be an alternative for the Armenian National Congress?

– I think that it is even ridiculous to think about it. I don’t want
to say anything bad about the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, but we all saw how
the Dashnaktsutyun became opposition before each election. Though, it
is strange, that after becoming opposition and leaving the coalition
the Dashnaktsutyun is not ready to struggle against Serge Sargsyan’s
actions and policy, which he leads in connection with Turkey. They
have to prove that they are struggling for the future of Armenia. So,
I think that today the political force, which would be able to compete
with the HAK, lacks.

FORMER PRIME MINISTERS ON THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

LRAGIR.AM
12:47:35 – 26/05/2009

On May 25, the Armenian former Premiers Hrant Bagratyan, Khosrov
Harutunyan and Aram Sargsyan, during the forum organized at the
American University of Armenia, dwelt on the economic crisis, its
impact on Armenia and the ways out of it.

Hrant Bagratyan stated that a slowing of the economic increase is
being registered in Armenia, which in 2009 reached 16, 8 percent,
while in the rest of the world it is 3, 4 percent.

Unlike the Southern countries, there is a multilateral crisis
in Armenia, Russia and Ukraine, which, according to Bagratyan,
does not have anything in common with the world economic crisis. In
these countries, the crisis has to be deeper as they do not have any
possibility to help the jobless people, they do not have any practice
to help the poor. For example, in Armenia the unemployment average
benefit is 15 thousand drams, and the average salary is 100 000 drams
and the average pension is 25 000 drams. Such a country cannot resist
the crisis, because the average pension should be the 40 percent of
the salary, and the unemployment benefit not less than 35 000 drams.

There is the problem of the national dram in Armenia. In Armenia,
there is no money for loans, and in the West there is money but there
is no one who wants loans, stated Bagratyan. In countries such as
Armenia, Russia and Ukraine the democracy is disappearing, in case
of which there cannot be trade relations. The role of the monopolies
is enhancing in such countries, noted the former Prime Minister.

The Armenian economic increase decreased by 9, 7 percent in four
months. The Azerbaijani GDP, unlike the Armenian one, increased. The
reason is that the Armenian GDP has always been exaggerated in the
last 10-15 years. Bagratyan thinks that the GDP should be corrected,
according to which, the Armenian 4 percent increase is equal to 1
percent increase of the U.K.

Hrant Bagratyan presented also the production situation in Armenia,
according to which, the 51 percent of the production belongs to
40 oligarchs who pay 31 percent of taxes, the small and midsize
enterprises produce only 26 percent and pay 3.7 percent of taxes. The
Foreign capital is the 18 percent of our economy and it pays 23
percent of taxes, and state enterprises produce the 4 percent and
pay 9 percent of taxes.

According to Hrant Bagratyan, one of the main problems of Armenia is
the corruption – fusion of property and state, business and state
government, bringing the example the Minister of Health who is the
owner of a hospital.

Hrant Bagratyan presented also the peculiarities of the Armenian
crisis, which is the monopoly of the import, which is a state
policy. And the governmental project to insert a tax representative
within major enterprises does not have anything in common with
the sphere of import. According to Bagratyan, the export is in an
outrageous state, which is the 1/6 of the import.

Hrant Bagratyan proposed an anti-crisis program, according to which,
we do not have to contribute the construction, which is the main
reason for the deepening of the crisis, but we have to depreciate the
national currency, because Armenia does not need a strong currency now.

On of the other former Prime Minister of Armenia, Khosrov Harutunyan
stated that the crisis will be overcome as soon as it is overcome
in the U.S. In the present situation, the problem should be posed
differently, how to soften the impact of the crisis.

He noted that the crisis has a feature. In state of a crisis, the
government – business relations should be enhanced. In this situation,
they had to trust each other, a thing, which did not happen.

Khosrov Harutunyan thinks that Armenia, which is a country with
poor resources, should give freedom, but the government deprives the
enterprisers from freedom. Under such conditions, Harutunyan attaches
great importance to the establishing of an equal competition field.

According to another former Prime Minister of Armenia, Aram Sargsyan,
the first cause of the present situation is the lack of trust
between the government and the Armenian society, which brings about
an economic crisis. The Armenian government does not do anything to
restore the confidence.

Aram Sargsyan thinks that the second reason for this crisis is
psychological and humane. The third reason is the corruption, but
the problem is its measures, noted Sargsyan. There are enterprisers
in Armenia, who are monopolists and break the law sometimes, but
they create job posts. The most dangerous thing, according to Aram
Sargsyan, is the sphere of those who are state officials and they
are engaged in business and get more profit than the enterprisers
do. Aram Sargsyan noted that until these problems are not solved,
Armenia will not get rid of the crisis.

"FRESH" SUPERMARKET OPENED IN YEREVAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
25.05.2009 21:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ After studying the Armenian market, we revealed
a wide gap which we’ll try to fill by launching a new supermarket
network," "Fresh" Supermarket’s General Director Ricardo Merino
said today.

"In such hard financial times when big companies curtail their staffs,
we offer high salary jobs to dozens of specialists," "Fresh" CJSC
General Director said, adding that there are currently 40 people
working in "Fresh" The supermarket is supplied with equipments
facilitating retail trade and ensuring high level services.

CARL BILDT: SWEDEN DOESN’T RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
25.05.2009 12:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Sweden does not recognize that Turkey committed
genocide in 1915. It is the message which Foreign Minister Carl Bildt
gave in an answer to MP Cecilia Wikstrom (fp), Secretary of the Union
of Armenian Associations Vahagn Avedian told PanARMENIAN.Net.

"It is not the duty of politicians to decide the course of historic
events, regardless of their fact based grounds". So does Carl Bildt
write in an answer to the question written by Cecilia Wikstrom
regarding a recognition of the 1915 genocide.

Vahagn Avedian is upset about the reasoning of the Foreign Minister. He
means that politicians should be able to pass resolutions based
in research results and refers to the International Association of
Genocide Scholars, a league of renown genocide scholars, which in
several resolutions has acknowledged that a genocide took place in
1915. "Bildt should be reminded that genocide is not an academic
issue, but an international crime, punishable by the UN Convention
which Sweden has signed," he says.

In her question, Cecilia Wikstrom points out that the European
Parliament recognized the genocide in 1987 and enumerates a long list
of countries which have officially marked that they too recognize the
Armenian genocide. However, according to Bildt, a recognition could
lead to several problems than it solves, among others it would make
things difficult for groups who "want an open debate in the issue
regarding the 1915 events."

"That answer is entirely incomprehensible," says Vahagn Avedian. "I
do not know where he gets this from. We, the affected groups, are
totally unaware of the problems he talks about. I would in no way
feel threaten if Carl Bildt would recognize the truth, I would applaud
him. And how would the truth hurt a reconciliation process?"

According to Vahagn Avedian, Carld Bildt reasons exactly as Turkey
and acts as if a covering up of the reality will promote the
democratisation and the research in Turkey, which Avedian means is
entirely unreasonable. "It is not the duty of the Swedish Foreign
Minister to defend Turkey," he points out.

Carld Bildt writes also that the present-day Turkey can not be held
responsible to what happened then. But Vahagn Avedian points out
that it is not the genocide itself which is the current problem,
but its denial. As Varlden idag reported on Wednesday, the author
and the Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk risks yet another trial
because of his statement that there was a genocide committed in 1915

ARMENIA CONTRIBUTES $49 THOUSAND TO UN BUDGET

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.05.2009 12:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The United Nations regular budget for 2008-2009
is facing a USD 1.5 billion gap, most of which is caused by nine
countries, including the United States, Britain, China and Germany,
in arrears, a top official with the world body said on Friday.

Angela Kane, Under-Secretary-General for Management, told a press
conference that the countries in arrears – and accounting for more
than 90 per cent of the budget gap as of May 7 – are Brazil, China,
Germany, Iran, Mexico, Norway, Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom
and the United States.

The UN Controller’s office listed the arrears, as of May 7, as: USD
993 million (US), USD 121 million (UK), USD 104 million (Germany),
USD 53 million (South Korea), USD 33 million (China), USD 21 million
(Brazil), USD 19 million (Norway), USD 13 million (Iran) and USD 13
million (Mexico).

Russia has contributed USD 29 million, Georgia USD 73 thousand,
Armenia USD 49 thousand, Ukraine USD 1 million.

The remaining outstanding arrears amount to USD 85 million, according
to the office.

Kane said as of May 7, 76 countries had paid their regular budget
assessment in full, as opposed to 86 countries by the same date
last year.

She said she understood that in the present financial and economic
climate some "Member States are having a harder time meeting their
financial obligations." Last December the UN General Assembly
approved an almost 17 per cent increase in the current UN budget
for the 2008-2009 period to USD 4.87 billion from USD 4.17 billion,
including nearly USD 500 million for six months for peacekeeping
operations in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region.

Kane said there had been "significant improvement" in contributions
to the UN’s peacekeeping budget, with two Member States accounting
for 60 per cent of the outstanding arrears, and "high expectations"
that the largest payments would be made very soon. In addition,
21 Member States were fully paid up on the peacekeeping budget,
with the rest owing partial payments.

As for the UN’s USD 1.8 billion Capital Master Plan, which includes
among other items extensive renovations for the Headquarters building,
Kane said 84 Member States had either paid in full or are paying on
time through an installment plan, while 101 others had made partial
payments.

The UN has a membership of 192 countries. The General Assembly has
voted to allow seven countries to retain their voting right despite
their not having paid their dues.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION REASSURED TURKEY THAT IT IS NEGOTIATING FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

ArmInfo
2009-05-22 13:04:00

ArmInfo. The European Commission as well as the current and upcoming
EU presidencies on Tuesday reassured Turkey that it is negotiating
for full membership of the European Union, despite France and Germany
repeatedly stating their opposition, Euobserver reported.

The European Commission is committed to the EU accession process of
Turkey … on the basis of the negotiating framework that was adopted
by unanimity by all [EU] member states and Turkey in October 2005,"
EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said after talks in Brussels
with Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Turkish membership "is in the fundamental interest of the EU," Mr
Rehn added, while noting the process would be long and calling on
Ankara to continue implementing needed reforms. The country should
"enhance fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression, freedom
of the media as well as women’s rights, trade union rights," he said.

Similar statements were made by Czech foreign minister Jan Kohout
on behalf of the Czech EU presidency, as well as by Swedish foreign
minister Carl Bildt, whose country will take over the EU presidency
after the Czechs, on 1 July.

At press conference, Mr Davutoglu restated Ankara’s position that full
membership is the only acceptable outcome of the negotiations process.

ON MAY 21-22, RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN WILL BE OFF TO CAPITAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN ASTANA TO ATTEND A PLANNED SESSION OF CIS-MEMBER STATES’ HEADS OF GOVERNMENT.

Wednesday, 20 May 2009

The Prime Minister-led delegation will comprise Chief of Government
Staff David Sargsyan, Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan,
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Shavarsh Kocharyan, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the
Republic of Belarus Oleg Yesayan, Republic of Armenia Authorized
Representative in the Economic Affairs Commission by the CIS Economic
Council Artak Vardanyan and other dignitaries.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO VISIT THE REGION

ARMENPRESS
May 21, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan, who is in Brussels on a working visit, met May 20 with
the French co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Bernard Fassier.

Foreign Ministry press service told Armenpress that during the
meeting the interlocutors discussed the Karabakh conflict regulation
process. The co-chair presented to the Armenian foreign minister the
results of the meetings in Baku. Bernard Fassier also said that as
continuation of his visit to Yerevan and Baku last week, by the end
of the month the co-chairs will visit the region to prepare the next
meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents which may probably
take place in St. Petersburg.

DIRECTOR OF ACNIS: ARMENIA’S RELATIONS WITH IRAN DEPEND ON RUSSIA. THIS DOES NOT ALLOW FULFILL THEIR ENTIRE POTENTIAL

ArmInfo
2009-05-21 13:28:00

ArmInfo. Unfortunately, Armenia’s relations with Iran depend on Russia.

This does not allow fulfill the potential of these relations,
Director of Armenian Centre for National and International Studies
[ACNIS] Richard Giragosian said at today’s round table dedicated to
the Armenian-Iranian relations.

‘The gas pipeline between the two states is a bright example
of Moscow’s interference in the affairs between Yerevan and
Teheran. Russia imposed pressure upon Armenia as a result of which
the diameter of the pipeline makes it possible to satisfy, in case
of necessity, only the needs of the republic. And there is no word
about the gas export via Armenia as a transit country’, – he said.

He also added that actions of the Kremlin have nothing in common with
strategic partnership relations. Moreover, they hinder the political
dialogue between Yerevan and Teheran.