Author: Tvankchian Parkev

A1plus

| 15:01:39 | 28-05-2005 | Politics |

OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTE SHOULD BE CONSTITUTIONAL CATEGORY

‘Today due to adopted or not adopted laws and under law acts not only
individuals’ rights but also the rights of groups of people are violated in
Armenia’, Human Rights Defender Larisa Alaverdyan stated.

She cannot contest the correspondence of these laws and under law acts that
caused human rights violations to the Constitution. `At one time
international experts unanimously stated that nothing prevents the Ombudsman
from such possibility via legislative amendments before the conduction of a
referendum’, Larisa Alevardyan says. In her opinion, the society has not yes
come to realize the importance of institute of ombudsman, which should
become a signal for constitutional changes.

She says that the level of the protectability should be raised. The RA
Ombudsman considers that her mission is the revealing of outrageous
violations of human rights. `My mission is to make protection, recognition,
respect and encouragement of human rights a priority task for the
authorities’, she says.

She mentioned of the countries where the institute of ombudsman is system of
quite another kind. For example, in Russia the law of the human rights
defender is called a constitutional law, what proves the serious attitude of
the state towards the institute.

It is not a secret that a great number of violations take place in Armenia
presently. Larisa Alaverdyan does not deny this fact. `According to the
declaration all have equal rights, however it is not so. The rights of a
rural resident and the head of the village administration or the rights of
city-dweller and deputy or minister cannot be equal’, she says.

‘When the law was being elaborated we demonstrated our adherence to the
Paris principles. Today we should either abandon these principles or follow
them. It is an issue of honor and not a political problem’, she notes.

She holds the opinion that the human rights defender should be elected by
the parliament. Candidatures can be proposed by many people, including the
President, however it is the parliament that should take the final decision.

Diana Markosyan

A1plus

| 21:40:52 | 27-05-2005 | Politics |

`CHANGE OF AUTHORITIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE’

`The change of authorities must take place as soon as possible’, said leader
of the People’s Party of Armenia and Justice bloc Stepan Demirchyan during
the meeting with the activists of the party in Arabkir while asked the
question `when’. And he advised everyone for the sake of the successful
finish of the started business not to complain but to struggle for your
rights. He added that the success depends on the efforts of each of us and
we can win only if we are united.

He announced that they can succeed only by means of struggle and informed
those who speak about the constitutional way with irony, `We shall follow
that way’. Stepan Demirchyan called everyone to say `No’ to the
constitutionals draft as the non-elected authorities do not have the right
to change the constitution.

People’s Party Arabkir regional member Emma Makaryan said to Stepan
Demirchyan that the nation sees in him two people – his good past, that is
Karen Demirchyan, and his future. And an old teacher announced, `You must be
strong for our sake’.

The meeting ended with applause cries `Demirchyan-Demirchyan’.

PREPARING FOR THE ELECTION

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
26 May 05

On May 21 the chairman of the NKR Central Election Committee Sergey
Nasibian visited the electoral district N 13 of Martakert, N 14 of
Vank and N 15 of Haterk, Drmbon and Getavan to check the work of the
electoral district committees and instruct on solution of problems
occurring during their work. The chairman of the CEC gave some
information about the local electoral committees to be set up in the
coming days and extended to the chairmen of the electoral district
committees the written message of the NKR Central Election Committee
which states that according to Point 8 of Article 34 of the NKR
Electoral Code, all the members of the committees are freed from their
duties during their activity, and according to Point 9 of the same
article, the salary of all the citizens involved in the electoral
committees will be paid fully in the period of the election. According
to the chairman of the electoral district committee N 14 of Arajadzor
Zaven Shahbarian, they did not encounter any problems in their
work. The electoral committee has held 8 meetings. Of the four
nominees 2 were registered in the May 12 meeting. They are Rudik
Martirossian (running under the proportional system) and Knyaz
Melkumian (running on party ticket). The other two nominees were not
registered for the reason of not having had an election deposit and
withdrawal of candidacy. In the electoral district N 14 the
organizational questions have been solved. The electoral register is
already available at the polling station. The meetings of the
candidates with the voters have been scheduled. The vice chairman of
the committee of the electoral district N 14, the director of the
secondary school of Arajadzor Flora Baghramian stated that the
municipality of the village of Vank had provided good conditions for
holding the election. The polling station will be located on the first
floor of the school of the village, and according to F. Baghramian,
there will be no problems connected with the polls. According to the
chairman of the electoral committee of the electoral district N 15 of
Haterk Seyran Baghrian, 6 meetings have been held in this district,
two candidates will run the election, Sergey Ohanian and Vitaly
Begian. S. Baghrian said that, judging by the turnout in the election
to the head of the village community of Haterk last year, the voters
of the community will participate actively in the upcoming
parliamentary election. The members of the electoral committee gave a
number of questions to the chairman of the CEC S. Nasibian. It was
pointed out that there are many elderly people in Haterk, as well as
bed-ridden patients, and the members of the committee wanted to know
whether moving ballot boxes will be used to enable these people to
vote. S. Nasibian stated that the NKR Election Code does not provide
for moving ballot boxes, therefore the community has to provide
transport for these people. In the village of Drmbon (electoral
district N 15) the place of the polling station was not chosen
yet. The old school building is not suitable for a polling station,
whereas the new school building cannot be used for a number of
objective and subjective reasons. In the village of Getavan (electoral
district N 15) the candidates have not began the election campaign. In
the electoral district N 13 of Martakert the members of the electoral
committee reported on the preparations for the election. In answer to
the questions of the members of the committee on the use of posters
and other means of campaigning, S. Nasibian informed that according to
the NKR Electoral Code,all the political parties and candidates can
freely publish posters, leaflets, and other printed material. Within
five days after the beginning of the campaign the head of the
community provides special places for campaign posters which are
convenient for the voters to visit. According to the chairman of the
electoral committee Rafael Baghdassarian, a high turnout is expected
in theupcoming election. The election will be free, independent and
transparent, in conformity with the principles of democracy. `This
significant political event to be held in Karabakh once again
testifies to the development of democracy in our young republic,’ said
Rafael Baghdassarian.

NVARD OHANJANIAN.
26-05-2005

US SENATOR TO VISIT ARMENIA NEXT WEEK

YEREVAN, MAY 27. ARMINFO. Sen. Chuck Hagel will travel to Central Asia
and Eastern Europe next week to examine regional security, economic
development and energy issues. AP reports that Hagel will visit
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine during a six-day tour
with Gen. Charles Wald, deputy commander of the U.S. European
Command. “As we face ongoing security and economic challenges in
Afghanistan, Iraq and the greater Middle East, Central Asia will
continue to play a critical role in the peace and stability of the
region,” Hagel said.

The Nebraska Republican is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.

Campaigners seek to stop deportation of Armenian

Irish Times
May 27, 2005

Barry Roche, Southern Correspondent

Mental health campaigners are seeking to prevent the deportation of a
mentally-ill 34-year-old Armenian asylum seeker because they fear he
will not receive proper treatment or may be killed if he returns to
Armenia.

John McCarthy of Cork Advocacy Network has urged Minister for Justice
Michael McDowell to rescind his decision of January 25th to deport
Arsen Negocsian.

Mr Negocsian, who has been living in Cork for five years, has been
held at Cloverhill Prison under a deportation order since April 19th
but lawyers have obtained an interim injunction preventing his
deportation.

“Arsen is under medical care and has been under medical care and
medication for the past three years. He suffers from depression and
his present circumstances are hardly ideal for this condition,” said
Mr McCarthy.

“That said, bad and all as they are, they are better than what he can
expect back in his home country and we are asking the Minister for
Justice to delay Arsen’s return on humanitarian grounds for 12 months
so that he can receive proper treatment for his illness.”

Mr Negocsian, a concert flautist, fled Armenia in 2000 after the
assassination of a leading politician. He had met journalist Nairi
Hunanyan, who shot dead former prime minister Vazgen Sargsyan and six
government officials in 1999, at a party some six months before the
assassination when they spoke about the prime minister.

Mr Negocsian believes that meeting has endangered his life.

A1plus

| 18:52:52 | 25-05-2005 | Politics |

DEVELOPMENT ON THE EXPENSE OF EMIGRANTS

Only 10 of the 131 deputies were interested in the RA Central Bank 2004
report that Tigran Sargsyan represented in the NA today. In the report there
was information about the economic growth, and the effective
financial-credit policy.

For example, Tigran Sargsyan informed that in 2004 the bank transfers have
grown for 56% in comparison to 2003. Of course no one explained the reason
for this, but it was clear that the people who have migrated from Armenia
send money to their relatives. According to the Central Bank head 74% of the
bank transfers are from Russia and USA.

In his report Tigran Sargsyan also referred to the consumer basket.
Mentioning that in the past year the costs of some goods have risen, the
chief banker of the country tries to convince those present that it did not
affect the consumer basket. Tigran Sargsyan grounded his conviction saying
that in the consumer basket about 400 types of goods are calculated. They
exclude realty, cars etc. The CB head claims that in 2004 only those goods
have become more expensive.

Man crashes car into Northwest Side church

Driver flees scene on foot

ABC7 News (Chicago, Illinois)
May 24, 2005

A man is charged with crashing his car into a Northwest Side church and
running away from the scene.

Police say 21-year-old Ivan Perea lost control of his car at the
intersection of Normandy and Diversey. He crashed into Saint Gregory The
Illuminator Armenian Church. The church was empty at the time. But the
impact scattered debris into a basement classroom.

Police caught up with Perea at his home a short time after the accident.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
TASS
May 23 2005

Azerbaijan worried by RF military hardware transfer to Armenia.

BAKU, May 23 (Itar-Tass) — Azerbaijan expressed concern about
Russia’s possible plans to move part of the property and hardware
from its military bases in Georgia to Armenia.

The Foreign Ministry on Monday sent a note to Russian Charge
d’Affaires in Azerbaijan Pyotr Burdykin, which said, `Such a move
will not serve the interests of peace and security in the region and
will escalate tension in the already complex process of resolving the
conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which is going through an
important period of fragile hopes for a long-awaited breakthrough in
the talks.’

The note expressed the hope that Russia `will give up its intension
to withdraw part of the property and weaponry from the Russian
military bases in Georgia to Armenia and thus confirm its commitment
to security and stability in the region, continued trust and
traditional friendship and good-neighbourliness between Azerbaijan
and Russia’.

On May 19, the chief of the Russian General Staff, Yuri Baluyevsky,
said part of the property and hardware from the Russian military
bases in Georgia could be transferred to Armenia.

He speculated that `part of the military equipment and other assets
may be relocated to neighbouring Armenia.’

`This will help reduce the pullout period to four years. It is a
forced measure and over this period new infrastructures cannot be
created elsewhere from scratch for purely technical reasons,’
Baluyevsky said.

Coordination of positions at the level of experts will become the
basis for signing a Russian-Georgian agreement.

`This agreement will establish the dates and rules of pullout and the
liabilities of both parties, including security requirements. There
is one fundamental condition. The Russian military bases must be
redeployed to properly prepared infrastructures, and not abandoned in
the middle of nowhere,’ Baluyevsky said.

`Earlier the Georgian side insisted on signing a statement on the
withdrawal of bases or a declaration of intent. This is unacceptable
for us, because the Ministry of Finance is unable to allocate
financial resources that have not been properly formalized, without a
proper inter-state agreement ratified by parliaments.’

About Russia’s consent to reduce the originally requested pullout
period from 10-11 years to four, Baluyevsky said `with the passage of
time approaches to the problem changed.’

`We are forced to take into account the political circumstances and
the situation around the bases. The Georgian side seals off the
bases, denies water and electricity supply. There have been attempts
to make us pay for alleged abuse, for allegedly outstanding
ecological and property debts inherited form the Soviet era,’
Baluyevsky said.

Concerts
by Steven Mazey

Ottawa Citizen
May 19, 2005 Thursday

[parts omitted]

Suren Barry, a 15-year-old Ottawa pianist who has won prizes at the
Canadian Music Competitions, will present a recital Saturday to raise
funds for Armenian orphans.

A student of Nicole Presentey, Barry will perform pieces by Bach,
Beethoven, Schumann, Debussy, Rachmaninov, Khachaturian and others.
The concert is presented by the Armenian Cultural Association of
Ottawa. Proceeds go to the milk fund for the Nork Marash orphanage
in Armenia.

It starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the First Unitarian Congregation,
30 Cleary Ave. Tickets, at $15 and $10, will be at the door or can
be reserved by calling 521-0041.

International Water Power and Dam Construction, UK
May 20 2005

Iran and Armenia co-operate on hydro
20 May 2005

Iranian and Armenian officials signed agreements in mid-May for the
construction of two hydroelectric power plants on the Aras river,
according to the IRNA news agency.

The deputy head of Iran’s Water and Energy Resources Company, Nasser
Nemati, said that ‘given the 40km Iran-Armenia common border across
the Aras river, the two sides decided to use the relevant hydroelectric
potential.’

A report released by the public relations department of Iran’s Water
and Energy Resources Company cited Nemati as saying that based on
the agreement, the first power station with a production capacity of
130MW will be established on the Armenian side of the border.

The second plant of 140MW capacity will be constructed on the Iranian
side. Feasibility studies concerning the first phase of the second
plant are underway.