Author: Talar Tumanian

Armenian elections featured intolerance of dissent – Sargsyan’s party

Talar Tumanian
Interfax – Russia & CIS General Newswire
Monday
Armenian elections featured intolerance of dissent – Sargsyan’s party

YEREVAN. Dec 10

The extraordinary parliamentary elections in Armenia were only outwardly democratic, the opposition Republican Party led by ex-president Serzh Sargsyan said.

“The extraordinary parliamentary elections in Armenia were democratic in form, but not in content. They had an atmosphere of intolerance of dissent and gross pressure on candidates and their supporters, along with the unprecedented exploitation of administrative resource. We regret that he election campaign created deep division lines,” the party said in a statement released on Monday.

The Republican Party wished the forces elected to the parliament and the government they form success, “because the future development and security of our country depend on that.”

“The concerns we voiced had nothing to do with election campaigning, but expressed disagreement with the foreign policy, the security and defense polices, the socio-economic tendencies, the violations of national traditions, the stated approach on the Karabakh issue. We will continue working on this track as a non-parliamentary force,” the party said.

The internal acute competition “should not inspire the enemies of Armenia and Karabakh,” it said.

“Regardless of inter-party differences, the Republican Party will protect the interests of the people and will stand by the Armed Forces,” the party said.

The Armenian Central Elections Commission (CEC) announced the preliminary results of the elections on Monday.

The My Step electoral bloc led by acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received 70.44% of the vote. Prosperous Armenia led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan and Bright Armenia led by parliamentarian Edmon Marukyan received 8.27% and 6.37%, respectively, thereby earning seats in parliament. The threshold was 5% for parties and 7% for blocs.

The Republican Party earned 4.7% of the vote and Dashnaktsutyun 3.89%.

Asbarez: ANCA-WR Education Committee to Give Special Awards at 2019 History Day L.A

Talar Tumanian
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December 1, 2018

ANCA-WR to give awards on History Day

GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region’s Education Committee announced that it will present up to 11 Special Awards at History Day L.A. on March 9, 2019 for topics related to – American Heroes of the Armenian Genocide.

History Day L.A. is an annual competitive event that takes place at Azusa Pacific University for students in grades 4-12. History Day L.A. provides students from Los Angeles County, the opportunity to apply their historical thinking and creativity to a topic based on the annual National History Day theme. The 2019 theme is Triumph & Tragedy in History. To present their chosen topic, a student(s) must choose 1 of 6 project categories – posters (grades 4 & 5 only), exhibits, papers, websites, performances, and documentaries. The best projects demonstrate thorough research and analysis of primary and secondary sources, that suggest the significance of the topic as it is relevant to the theme.

In the face of challenges and obstacles against them, many American leaders demonstrated headstrong leadership during the Armenian Genocide and their efforts aided the survival of thousands of Armenian lives. In doing so, these American leaders triumphed in the face of tragedy. This year, the ANCA-WR Education Committee will present the “ANCA-WR History Day Award” to the best project in each category, that relates to- American Heroes of the Armenian Genocide. This award will recognize students’ hard work outside of the regular competition and will acknowledge students’ efforts to conduct research on Armenian Genocide history. Project topics can include but are not limited to the following examples: Ambassador Henry Morgenthau Sr. and the Near East Relief, Jackie Coogan with the Children’s Crusade, and Asa Jennings and the evacuation of refugees in the Great Fire of Smyrna.

Please visit the following sites to access further resources and information on Armenian Genocide history:

Armenian National Committee of America- Western Region

Near East Relief Foundation

The Genocide Education Project

USC Shoah Foundation, IWitness

Armenian National Institute

Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute

Students who receive the “ANCA-WR History Day Award” are provided with $100.00 and the opportunity of being recognized at the Armenian Genocide Education Awards Luncheon on March 23, 2019.

Find out more about History Day L.A. and how to register student projects. Teachers must complete registration for History Day L.A. online and submit information for all student projects by January 18, 2019.

Teachers, please email us by January 18, 2019 at [email protected], to let us know the name of your student(s) who will be participating in History Day L.A. for the opportunity to win the “ANCA-WR History Day Award.”

Participation in History Day L.A. encourages students to recognize the relevance of history in their lives while improving academic achievement and developing the 21st century skills needed to prepare students for college, career, and civic life. Additionally, appreciation and team building among students and their teachers grow and create memorable moments. Winners of the regular History Day L.A. contest will be eligible to compete at the National History Day – California contest. Get started now! See an example of a past National History Day winner from 2016.




William Schabas: The people who are guilty have the right of fair trial

Talar Tumanian
MediaMax, Armenia
Nov 28 2018
 
 
William Schabas: The people who are guilty have the right of fair trial
 
William A. Schabas is Professor of International Law at Middlesex University in London and the President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars. He has appeared as counsel before several international and national courts and tribunals including the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Court of Canada.
 
Within the framework of the International Symposium on Transitional Justice held in Yerevan recently, Mediamax had an opportunity to talk to William Schabas.
 
You said in one of your interviews that every time you come to Armenia with different feelings. What do you feel this time?
 
I feel positive about Armenia. When I came here in the past, it was always about discussing events one hundred years ago and mainly the Armenian genocide. And there was always a feeling that the country was not in great shape and the political regime was not very good. Now it is quite different.
 
When and how are the rights of citizens and the politicians violated in the course of political transitions? What is your life experience?
 
When we talk about dealing with former regimes, we need to take into consideration the fact that they also have rights that have to be respected, so the transition should take place in a manner that is respectful of fundamental rights.
It is essential to avoid a new culture, when the country is based on violations of human rights. You have to slow down the process in a way that it delivers justice. The people who are guilty have the right of fair trial if they are going to be punished.
 
What do you think, when will Armenia become a part of transitional justice?
 
What I know is the fact that there will be a long process. It will take many years to address all of the issues. There are a number of measures that can be adopted within the frames of transitional justice. Therefore, transitional justice is a range of different types of initiatives. You need to pick the ones that are appropriate for your country and leave the ones that aren’t.
 
How can we explain why transitional justice is important to ordinary people?
 
Transitional justice is about dealing with the wrongs committed in the past in a constructive way that helps change society by improving it. It’s about keeping an eye on the future and the past at the same time. In this case you need to deal with a culture of corruption that everybody wants to change.
Corruption thrives in a culture where everybody thinks they can do a little bit themselves – whether by not paying taxes or doing little. That culture needs to change across the country. It needs to become part of the culture, according to which not paying your taxes is antisocial and punishing genuine outlaws is much easier.
 
 Is there any country that Armenia can observe as an example?
 
There are many examples. You can take lessons from the region; various countries, including countries of Central and Eastern Europe, have experimented with different aspects of transitional justice. There are experiences in the Middle East as well, though those are not so good actually. There are some positive changes in Tunisia and some useful lessons to learn from Africa and South America. The country can learn certain lessons, but it has to develop its own path. If you succeed, maybe people will talk about the Armenian model in the future and follow you as a good example.
 
Lusin Mkrtchyan talked to William  Schabas
 

Verelq: I am here to say a word of gratitude on behalf of the Armenian people. the president visited the Red Cross

Talar Tumanian
  • 28.11.2018

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The President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sargsyan with his wife Nune Sargsyan visited the headquarters of the German Red Cross Organization in Berlin on the evening of November 27.


The German Red Cross, which provides humanitarian assistance around the world in areas affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts, began operations in Armenia immediately after the 1988 Spitak earthquake. The organization actively participated in both rescue operations and provided extensive and multifaceted support to the earthquake-affected population in cooperation with the Armenian Red Cross Society.


President Armen Sarkissian had a meeting with Gerda Hasselfeldt, president of the German Red Cross, to thank the Armenian people for extending a friendly hand of help in that difficult phase.


At the meeting with the organization’s employees, the President of the Republic, speaking about the severe consequences of the catastrophic earthquake that occurred 30 years ago, the loss of life, and the large population left homeless, noted:


“All this is very sad and tragic. But in these 30 years, there is also a very human, warm story. A story about the lack of human love, care, attention and indifference. We Armenians living in Armenia and all over the world will never forget the warmth, attention and human attitude that our friends from all over the world and also from this wonderful country showed to Armenia and the Armenian people. I want you to be sure that there is that deep gratitude and respect in the heart of every Armenian. These are not just pretty words. I was recently in Gyumri, and I noticed that gratitude not only among the older generation, but also among those who are young, who did not see the earthquake with their own eyes, but the history is in them and they also carry the gratitude that their parents passed on. So, I am here to say words of thanks not only on behalf of myself, but also on behalf of the entire Armenian people.”


During the event, President Sargsyan handed over state awards and souvenirs of the Republic of Armenia to a number of employees of the German Red Cross. Johannes Richter, Deputy Secretary General of the German Red Cross, was awarded with the Mkhitar Heratsi medal, Siegfried Hetmannsperger and Karl-Heinz Scheide, representatives of the German Red Cross, with the Medal of Gratitude for their active participation in the elimination of the consequences of the catastrophic earthquake in Spitak and tireless charity work.


Addressing the president of the organization, Gerda Hasselfeldt, President Sargsyan asked to convey his words of thanks to the thousands of participants of the German Red Cross, to all those who invest their time, life and love to overcome someone else’s difficulties.


At the end of the event, Gerda Hasselfeldt, the President of the German Red Cross, handed over the 10,000 euro donation receipt for the repair works of the “Berlin” polyclinic in Gyumri to the wife of the Armenian President, Nune Sargsyan.


President Sargsyan thanked for the donation and added that he will also donate the same amount to the repair of Gyumri “Berlin” polyclinic, as an expression of true friendship between the two peoples and an opportunity to carry out larger works.

National police force will prevent, discover any violation during electoral process, vows Chief

Talar Tumanian
| 14:25 | November 29 2018
Category
Society

Police Chief of Armenia Colonel Valery Osipyan paid a working visit today to the province of Vayots Dzor to hold a meeting with district candidates running for parliament, heads of campaigning headquarters, as well as police officers of the province.

The meeting was also attended by Governor Trdat Sargsyan.

Osipyan attached great importance to the need to be guided by the principles of the right to vote of the Constitution, and expressed hope that the early election will be held exclusively based on the equal, free and direct right to vote of citizens.

He assured that the police is in full control of the situation and that the force will rapidly respond to any violations, like it did during the Yerevan City Council election.

He said that police will distribute flyers reminding which actions are banned by law during the election.

“We must prevent and discover through joint efforts any unlawful impact on the electoral process, it is in the interests of us all,” he said.

US actors beaten up in Yerevan

Talar Tumanian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 4 2018
US actors beaten up in Yerevan US actors beaten up in Yerevan

14:36, 04.11.2018
                  

 American actors were beaten up in Yerevan on Sunday, reported.

A resident of Yerevan, Aram Torosyan told police at 13:00 that at the intersection of Amiryan and Zakian streets unknown people beat 26-year-old US citizens Christopher Reinold and Daniel Coven, who live in Los Angeles and temporarily live in the Marriott Hotel.

An investigation is underway.

According to , beaten Americans are actors and have arrived in Armenia for acting in a film.

Azerbaijani Press: Building a new road in Karabakh – undermines peace efforts

Talar Tumanian
Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijani Opposition Press
Wednesday
Building a new road in Karabakh – undermines peace efforts


Baku / 17.10.18 / Turan: Armenian media reported on plans to build a new road from Armenia to Karabakh along the Araks River, and to create a new settlement “Sydney” on the territory of the occupied Kalbajar district.

Such plans contradict bilateral agreements reached during the Dushanbe CIS summit. Illegal activities in the occupied territories undermine international efforts to resolve the conflict.

“Such actions of the Armenian authorities testify to an unconstructive position, demonstrate contradictions between their words and deeds, not interest in a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The settlement of the occupied territories and attempts to change the demographic situation are a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a commentary. -02D-

ACNIS reView

Talar Tumanian
Analytical

OCTOBER 13, 2018
Can our political changes be called a revolution?
The further the process of power change in Armenia progresses, the more often the question is raised, how can the mass popular movement that took place in the country be characterized? The most disputes are around the following dilemma. was it a “velvet” revolution or are we dealing with a simple change of power? Opinions are naturally shared.
Debates about the nature of mass movements in Armenia arose during the 2008 presidential elections. At that time, the opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who was holding mass street events, announced that he was carrying out a bourgeois-democratic revolution in the country. Such a characteristic of his opposition policy certainly did not reflect the definition of the bourgeois-democratic revolution accepted in social science, because it did not include the process of transition from the monarchy to the bourgeois-democratic order. Rather, the opposition leader had a problem at the time to justify his statement that the enemies of the country are only the two leaders of the ruling clan – Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan. And that provision aimed to bring the members of the ruling camp to the side of the opposition, regardless of their socio-political status. In other words, there was a need to justify the alliance proposed by the opposition leader with the oligarchs. A number of oligarchs really accepted that proposal and tried to go to the opposition camp. However, the ruling elite stopped the process by using brutal force against the protesters. It was not the implementation of a power change by destroying the power camp received Since then, only disputes have remained as to whether the described opposition path can be called a bourgeois-democratic revolution. Everyone is left to their own opinion.
The difference in the strategy of the struggle was radically different in 2008. compared to post-election complaints. This time, the leader of the opposition, Nikol Pashinyan, presented an ultimatum on complete capitulation not only to the head of the current regime, but also to the entire ruling party. A demand was put before the latter to choose the “representative of the people” as the prime minister of the country. Such questioning led to the fact that the other parliamentary parties moved to the opposition camp and nominated the “people’s prime minister” candidate in the parliament. The Prime Minister was elected. It is noteworthy that already then Pashinyan announced that there will be no oligarchs and businessmen in the government. A dividing line between the popular movement and the “bourgeoisie” was marked from the beginning.
Later, the next ultimatum of the elected Prime Minister on the need to hold extraordinary parliamentary elections in December of the current year put all parliamentary parties “outside the people’s law”. They were described as “counter-revolution”. As a result, the entire parliamentary staff of the National Assembly surrendered. In other words, the popular movement rejected the entire cadre of the ruling class. That trend was already noticeable during the Yerevan mayoral elections, when “Prosperous Armenia” and HY Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary parties received a small number of voters’ votes.
There is almost no doubt that the entire current staff of deputies will remain outside the National Assembly in the upcoming extraordinary parliamentary elections. Pashinyan’s government will receive the absolute majority of votes. However, the question whether it was a “velvet” revolution or a simple change of power does not lose its urgency.
Again, the question is ambiguous. Therefore, judgments on that subject would not be superfluous. Is there any characteristic of the changes taking place in the country that can be considered significant? One thing can be stated unequivocally. big owners and representatives of shadowy and legal business (let’s call them bourgeoisie) are gradually pushed out of the state administration system. The route of “de-feudalization” declared by the Prime Minister is being carried out throughout the country. The same thing happens in power structures – army and police. Most often, “relatives” of the revolutionary camp are appointed to state positions.
But what could that mean? The definitions of the last century are not capable of describing the current socio-political transformation in Armenia. Superficially, it resembles a “proletarian revolution”. removal of wealthy strata from power and transfer of power to “the people”. In the country itself, it has been talked about for a long time that the process of dismantling the criminal-oligarchic system is going on. The Prime Minister has repeatedly stated that his course is aimed at the establishment of the rule of law in the country, that is, a comprehensive legal system. For now, measures are being taken to root out corruption, which are based only on the will of the Prime Minister. No other goals have been announced yet. But it would not be correct to claim that the popular movement does not have clear values ​​and goals.
The meaning and logic of the transition from the system created in the country to the planned legal system in the last two decades are completely transparent. The tactic used is also clear: imposing universal subordination to the direction of the prime minister. However, one circumstance is not so clear. can this transition be called a revolution? If this is a revolution, then we have to deal with a change in the political system. In that case, it is necessary to find out whether the existing criminal-oligarchic regime can be called a state political system. If yes, then we are dealing with a revolution. If not… it’s hard to pinpoint what we’re dealing with.
There is no consensus among researchers as to whether a criminal-oligarchic regime is a state entity. There is agreement only about the essence of such regimes, that is, similar systems are anchored on the agreement of the big owners who appropriated the state management system (the law of oligarchy) on the division of spheres and zones of political and economic influence. In other words, on the basis of appropriation of the state with capital. Under such regimes, all state institutions are paralyzed or subject to the “law of the oligarchs”. Basically, it’s a typical criminal community. But there is an important circumstance. a criminal-oligarchic regime cannot exist without a formally adopted Constitution. It is the Constitution that allows to “legitimize” the “law of the oligarchy”, moreover, the Constitution obeys the “law of the oligarchy” and turns into a mechanism to suppress the will of the citizens. In other words, the “law of oligarchy” is not self-sufficient and can work only under the conditions of complete suppression of public activity.
The last circumstance allows us to assume that the criminal-oligarchic order corresponds to one of the forms of state orders. And it arises when the society is completely de-ideologicalized and unable to form a state on the basis of the adopted law. Therefore, the dismantling of the oligarchy and the design of the legal system can be called a revolution with a certain reservation. In Armenia, we are dealing with just such a process. Time will tell if it will be possible to complete the whole cycle as planned.
Manvel Sargsyan