Author: Tigranian Ani

POLICE REFUSES TO PROBE INTO ALLEGED ELECTION VIOLATIONS

Armenpress
May 08 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prosecutors said today they
refused to start an inquiry into a newspaper report claiming that
police officers were visiting residents of a quarter in Yerevan to
force them to join the governing Republican Party and vote for it on
May 12 parliamentary elections.

The report was published by Aravot daily and quoted Heghine Bisharian
from the opposition Orinats Yerkir as making these allegations.

Prosecutors said they refused to start investigation because
Mrs. Bisharian refused to cooperate with law-enforcement bodies
and provide exact information, even after she was asked for it by
prosecutors.

A statement by the prosecutor’s office said a prosecutor of Yerevan
Davidashen and Achapnyak district H. Melik-Sarkisian telephoned
Mrs. Bisharian to ask for specific information for starting inquiry
into the allegations, but she said she did not know more than the
report said.

Heads of condominiums in the quarter also denied having any report
from residents which would support Mrs. Bisharian’s allegations.

RA PRIME MINISTER ISSUED A CONGRATULATING MESSAGE ON THE DAY OF VICTORY AND PEACE

ArmRadio.am
09.05.2007 12:51

RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan issued a congratulating message on
the occasion of the victory and Peace Day. The message says, in part:

"Dear compatriots, I sincerely congratulate you on May 9 – the Victory
and Peace Day.

Victories are the most prominent episodes in the history of any nation.

Victories inspire the new generations to accomplish new feats. Such
glorious victories and heroic episodes are numerous in our history.

The Victory Day is of dual significance for us, since we celebrate not
only the day of victory over fascism, but also another glorious victory
– the 15th anniversary of Shoushi liberation. In a war imposed on us
we proved that we are ready to struggle for the freedom, independence
and peaceful life of our people. The greatest result of the heroic
victory of Shoushi is today’s de facto independence of Artsakh.

I congratulate our people with whom we have struggled for this victory,
our soldiers and all our adherents. We bow before the memory of all
the boys who sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom of the
motherland.

Once again I congratulate everyone on the Victory and Peace Day and
wish long-lasting peace and wellbeing."

NATO PA REPORT ON SOUTH CAUCASUS TO BE DISCUSSED IN AUTUMN

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.05.2007 18:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The discussion of the report on South Caucasus
initially scheduled for NATO PA spring session was postponed to autumn.

The delay is conditioned by the Armenian parliamentary
election. Consideration of any issues referring to Azerbaijan and
Armenia is not supposed during the spring session to be held May
25-29 in Portugal, APA reports.

ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN ARMENIA GOING ON NORMALLY – SPEAKER

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 7 2007

YEREVAN, May 7 (Itar-Tass) – The election campaign in Armenia is
going on "normally and naturally," to which testify interim reports
of international observer missions, chairman of the country’s National
Assembly, deputy head of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Tigran
Torosyan stated here on Monday.

The parliament speaker noted that unlike the previous campaign,
during this one political forces on the whole manage to avoid
mutual accusations and insults. "Despite the growing tension, the
current campaign is distinguished for its participants tolerance,"
the official noted.

Torosyan believes that the new parliament will comprise six to eight
factions from different political forces. He thinks the new parliament
will have no deputy groups, because most of candidates to deputy seats
under the majority election system are members of that or other party.

The speaker highly assesses his party’s chances for success both
on a multiparty list under the proportionate system and in those
27 single-mandate majority constituencies where the Republican
candidatures have been nominated.

The next elections to the Armenian parliament will be held on May 12.

During them the country will elect 131 deputies to the National
Assembly; 90 parliamentarians are running under a proportionate and
41 – under a majority election system.

YEREVAN SAYS "NO" TO INDEPENDENT TURKISH ELECTION OBSERVERS WORKING WITH AGIT

Hurriyet, Turkey
May 7 2007

With Armenian elections scheduled to take place next Saturday,
independent Turkish observers working with the European Security and
Cooperation Group (AGIT) met with resistance from Yerevan authorities,
who refused to allow Turkish AGIT observers to come and watch election
proceedings.

With Yerevan’s last minute "veto" of the independent Turkish AGIT
observers, the team flew back from Istanbul to Ankara, after having
been about to catch a flight from Istanbul to Yerevan. AGIT is an
international organization which is regularly involved in observing
elections proceedings. The Turkish observers learned of the Yerevan
administration’s veto of their arrival while in the Istanbul airport.

QUADRILATERAL AGREEMENT SIGNED ON PARTICIPATION OF TEAMS OF ARMENIA IN
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF WRESTLING TO BE HELD IN BAKU

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The issue of participation of free and
Greco-Roman wrestling teams of Armenia in the world championship to be
held in September in Baku was discussed with representatives of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Federation of
Wrestling (FILA) and sporting heads of Azerbaijani during the visit of
the sporting delegation of Armenia paid to Baky on May 4-6. The
Armenian side proposed a number of issues, connected with entrance
visas of Armenian sportsmen, hoisting the RA national flag, performing
of the anthem, creating a phone communication with Armenia and
security of safety of the delegation members.

As it was mentioned at the May 7 press conference at the RA Sports
Committee, the Azerbaijani side gave corresponding guarantees. A
quadrilateral, Armenia-Azerbaijan-IOC-FILA, agreement was signed. FILA
Chairman Raphael Martinetti promised that irrespective of everything,
wrestlers of Armenia will be allowed to participate in 3 pre-Olympic
rating tournaments.

To recap, Deputy Chairman of the RA Physical Education and Sports
State Committee, NOCA Secretary General Armen Grigorian, NOCA Deputy
Chairman Razmik Stepanian, Deputy Chairman of the Wrestling Federation
of Armenia, Olympic champion Levon Julfalakian left for Baku in the
staff of the Armenian delegation.

AZERI LEADER REVEALS MAIN PRINCIPLES OF KARABAKH TALKS – TV

ANS TV, Baku
4 May 07

The Azerbaijani president has said that peacekeepers may be deployed
in the disputed area of Nagornyy Karabakh as part of a settlement
plan. Addressing displaced persons from Nagornyy Karabakh in a Baku
suburb on 4 May, Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan does not mind
peacekeepers being deployed in Nagornyy Karabakh temporarily and that
without Azerbaijan’s consent no status can ever be granted to Nagornyy
Karabakh. He also called on people not to trust anyone else but him on
the issue. The following is text of the report broadcast on Azerbaijani
TV station ANS on 4 May; subheading have been inserted editorially:

[Presenter] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met displaced persons
today and spoke about the main principles of talks on a peaceful
settlement to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict that have been kept
secret so far.

He called on the people not to believe statements by Armenian and
other politicians who speak on the basis of their own interests.

[Aliyev] Our position is as follows. In principle, I have repeatedly
said this. However, if we take into account the fact that both the
[OSCE] Minsk Group representatives [mediating the Nagornyy Karabakh
talks] and Armenian representatives are putting forward various
theories, I want to tell you once again about Azerbaijan’s position
and the principles of the talks.

All occupied areas must be vacated

Our demand is that all occupied territories must be vacated, without
any conditions being set. True, at previous stages proposals were made
that five districts be vacated while Kalbacar and Lacin districts be
left and be subject of future talks. We never agreed to this because
we cannot allow the return of Kalbacar and Lacin to be carried out
under some conditions. Never. [pausing for people’s applause]

Therefore, at the current stage of the talks, there is general
agreement that seven districts [around Nagornyy Karabakh, controlled
by Armenians] should be cleaned from occupying forces and be returned
to Azerbaijan. Certainly, we understand that we can do this in a
phased way but this phase cannot be protracted for long. We have been
demanding for several years, [repeating] several years, that all the
seven districts must be returned immediately after the signing of a
peace treaty. Afterwards, Azerbaijanis who lived in Nagornyy Karabakh
must return to their home lands, and this is our fundamental condition.

Our position on this has gained sufficient value, and both the
mediators [Minsk Group co-chairs] dealing with this issue and the
Armenian side already accept this in the negotiating process.

Armenia breaches confidentiality in peace talks

Now, I am not interested in whatever they say in their own county
[presumably, Armenia], what lies they are telling. I am telling you
the fundamental points of the talks precisely because the opposite
side has breached confidentiality [in peace talks].

In one word, the seven districts must be unconditionally returned. At
the same time, Azerbaijanis must return to Nagornyy Karabakh,
including Susa.

[applause] Afterwards, Nagornyy Karabakh’s future status can be
defined. How [will this be done?] – without our consent no status can
ever be granted to Nagornyy Karabakh, and Azerbaijan will never put
up with the separation of Nagornyy Karabakh from Azerbaijan. We will
restore our territorial integrity in any way. [applause] Nagornyy
Karabakh can be given a status, but within the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan. [edit point]

Peacekeepers may be deployed

Peacekeeping forces may be brought. What is more, this has not
been our desire, we do not find it necessary. However, we see that
Armenia is very much afraid of us and wants to ensure its security
there. In principle, we do not mind peacekeepers being temporarily
deployed there.

This exists in world practice. You may know that peacekeeping forces
always come to other conflict zones and serve there. At the same time,
they can use the Lacin corridor to maintain contact between Nagornyy
Karabakh and Armenia by land. That is, these are the main principles
negotiated and discussed and Azerbaijan’s position – I am telling you
like it is. Whoever says whatever, whatever someone pursuing their
political aims or an Armenian representatives or anyone else says,
do not trust them. Trust me. I have never gone back on my words. I
have done what I said. [applause]

TENSION IN US-AZERI TIES PROMPTS BAKU TO FLIRT WITH RUSSIA’S MILITARY PLANS

Ayna, Baku
26 Apr 07

Excerpt from Casur Sumarinli’s report in Azerbaijani newspaper
Ayna on 26 April headlined "Baku teasing Washington?" and subheaded
"Azerbaijani authorities prepare to discuss Russia’s initiative on
creating Casfor joint military unit in Caspian".

The Baku authorities are preparing to put on the agenda for discussion
Russia’s proposal of setting up Casfor, a joint military unit in the
Caspian Sea. Ayna has received this intriguing report from diplomatic
sources in Russia.

According to the report, this position of Baku was communicated
to Moscow through diplomatic channels several days ago. Baku wants
Moscow to supply extensive information on why the Casfor military and
political alliance in the Caspian is necessary and what steps are to
be taken in this regard. Russian sources regard this as an indication
of Baku’s wish to take part in this military unit.

"It is true that this message from Baku came as a surprise to Russian
diplomats. However, this only strengthens our opinion that Casfor
will finally be set up. The latest information regarding Casfor will
be sent to Baku by the end of May," the source in Moscow said. It is
also possible that a delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Xalaf
Xalafov will head for Moscow to study the issue closely.

Can the discussion of the issue at the same moment when there is
diplomatic tension between Azerbaijan and the USA be regarded as a
coincidence? It should be taken into consideration that the agenda
of the bilateral talks in Washington scheduled for 23-24 April
also included security issues in the Caspian. The 130-million-dollar
Caspian security programme was also on the agenda. However, Baku cited
pro-Armenian corrections to the US State Department [human rights]
report and postponed the visit of the delegation to Washington.

Independent experts believe that if warm relations between Baku and
Moscow are observed soon, it will mean that cooperation with Moscow
has become an important part of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. If this
is the case, reports about the renewed interest on part of Azerbaijan
to Casfor allow for drawing certain conclusions.

In the summer 2006 we reported that there was an unofficial surge of
military and political tension between Baku and Moscow over Casfor.

The reason was that Baku first accepted Moscow’s Casfor proposal,
but then turned it down.

[Passage omitted: Russia first aired the idea of Casfor back in 2003]

Baku did not respond to the Casfor proposal. Some believe that this is
the reason the meeting [between foreign policy and defence ministry
officials of the Caspian littoral states] scheduled to take place
in Moscow in May [2006] did not take place. At first it was said
that Azerbaijan wants Casfor to be at the initial stage a formal
(small) organization and also does not want Casfor to infringe on
its sovereignty, security, political and military interests, or on
Baku’s partnership relationships. Following that, Baku received
indirect hints from the USA, which wants to pursue its interests
in the Caspian Sea through the realization of the Caspian security
programme. After the situation concerning Iran’s nuclear programme
emerged (Iran rushed to support the idea of Casfor), the possibility
of Russia transporting nuclear components to Iran via the Caspian
Sea and the fact that Azerbaijan began building radar stations on
the Caspian shore using financial and technical support of the USA
became major obstacles to implementing Casfor.

But it seems that the situation is different now. Experts believe that
if reports about Baku saying "Yes" to Casfor are true, then this is
in effect an anti-US move by Azerbaijan.

TRIBECA FILM FEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Access Hollywood
May 4 2007

NEW YORK (May 4, 2007) — "Taxi to the Dark Side," a documentary
detailing the Bush administration’s policies on prison torture,
won best documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The winners were announced Thursday evening at an awards dinner in
downtown New York.

Directed by Alex Gibney (who made the 2005 documentary "Enron: The
Smartest Guys in the Room"), "Taxi to the Dark Side" takes the death of
an Afghan taxi driver as a leaping off point for a more expansive view
of American treatment of prisoners captured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Jewish drama "My Father My Lord," directed by David Volach, won
the Founders Award for best narrative feature. The film follows an
Orthodox rabbi struggling to keep his faith and family.

The Tunisian film "Making Of" won for both screenplay and best actor.

Written and directed by Nouri Bouzid, the film stars Lofti Edbelli as
a break dancer who falls in with a fundamentalist group that intends
to make him a terrorist.

Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst’s directorial debut won the festival’s
"Made in NY" award for his film "The Education of Charlie Banks."

The documentary "A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol
Factory" won the "NY Loves Film" award, while the narrative film
"The Killing of John Lennon" won a special jury recognition for the
"Made in NY" category.

Mexico’s Enrique Begne was honored as the best new narrative filmmaker
for his "Two Embraces." And Armenia’s Vardan Hovhannisyan was chosen
as the best new documentary filmmaker for "A Story of People in War
& Peace."

The sixth annual Tribeca Film Festival, founded by Robert De Niro, Jane
Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, runs through Sunday. The audience award,
dubbed the Cadillac Award, will be announced at the closing night on
Saturday, when the HBO produced documentary "The Gates" will premiere.

178.shtml

RUSSIA OBSERVERS TO MONITOR MAY 12 ARMENIA PARL ELECTIONS

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 3, 2007 Thursday

The Government of the Russian Federation assigns up to 2, 203,
000 roubles in the second quarter of the current year to finance
expenditure connected with the dispatch of Russian observers to monitor
the May 12 elections to the National Assembly (parliament) of Armenia.

A respective decision has been signed by Prime Minister Mikhail
Fradkov, the Russian government press service announced on Thursday.

Russian observers will go to Armenia among a monitoring mission
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Bureau for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.