Author: Vardanian Garo

HOVANNISIAN STILL UNDECIDED
By Ruzanna Khachatrian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Feb 4 2008

Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian insisted on Monday that he has
not yet decided to endorse any of Armenia’s presidential candidates
despite claims to the contrary made by some of them.

One candidate, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, claimed on Friday
that Hovannisian and another opposition leader, Artur Baghdasarian,
have agreed to back his presidential bid. Baghdasarian, who is also
running for president, left open at the weekend the possibility of his
endorsement by Ter-Petrosian and the popular leader of the opposition
Zharangutyun (Heritage) party.

Speaking to RFE/RL and Noyan Tapan news agency, Hovannisian admitted
negotiating with both opposition candidates but said the talks have
yielded no definitive results yet. In his words, Zharangutyun will
make a final decision on the matter by the end of this week.

"I am glad that everyone is speaking up and making presumptions," said
the U.S.-born politician. "But nobody has grounds to make statements
on behalf of the Zharangutyun party."

Zharangutyun’s leadership indicated last month that the party will
not throw its weight behind any of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s
four main challengers unless at least one of them pulls out of the
race if favor of another candidate.

Hovannisian, who himself is not eligible for the Armenian presidency,
said this remains the main precondition for his party’s direct
involvement in the election. "No matter how much public support
candidates have separately, it is impossible to achieve victory in
the existing conditions," he said.

"Armenia needs a big and long-term unification [of opposition forces,]
rather than yet another short-term unification," added Hovannisian

PRESS RELEASE
Office of Assemblymember Paul Krekorian
Adrin Nazarian
Chief of Staff
620 N. Brand Blvd. Suite 403
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 240-6330
(818) 240-4632 fax
[email protected]

Contact: Adrin Nazarian
February 1, 2008
818/240-6330, 818/512-4045

ASSEMBLYMEMBER PAUL KREKORIAN NAMED NATIONAL CO-CHAIR OF ARMENIANS FOR
CLINTON

Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Glendale), the highest-ranking
Armenian-American elected official in Southern California, formally
endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton for President of the United States on
Thursday. Krekorian will assume the role of National Co-Chairman of
Armenians for Clinton.

Assemblymember Krekorian based his endorsement in part on Senator Clinton’s
strong support of Genocide recognition and aid to Armenia and the Republicof
Nagorno-Karabagh. "Senator Hillary Clinton is the only Democratic candidate
for President who is a co-sponsor of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
currently pending in the Congress," Krekorian said. "She has steadfastly
supported Genocide recognition, and she has been a co-sponsor of the
resolution every year that she has served in the U.S. Senate. No other
candidate for President has a proven record of friendship to our community
like Hillary Clinton’s."

Senator Clinton has spoken eloquently about the Genocide for many years. "Our
common morality and our nation’s credibility as a voice for human rights
challenge us to ensure that the Armenian Genocide be recognized and
remembered," said Senator Clinton. "Alone among the Presidential
candidates, I have been a longstanding supporter of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, and as President, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide."

Assemblymember Krekorian also observed that Senator Clinton’s vision for
building a strong foundation for the future of America will serve the
interests of Armenian-Americans throughout the country. "As President,
Hillary Clinton will build a stronger U.S. economy that produces good jobs,
she will fight to bring health care to all Americans, and she will work to
make public education the best it can be," Assemblymember Krekorian said.

Senator Clinton has a long history of working closely with leaders in the
Armenian community to strengthen the U.S.-Armenia relationship. She has
called for an expansion of U.S. assistance programs to Armenia and the
people of Nagorno-Karabagh, and she spoke at the first-ever White House
gathering to celebrate Armenia’s independence. She is endorsed by some of
the Armenian community’s strongest champions in the Congress, including
Senator Robert Menendez and Congressmen Frank Pallone and Brad Sherman.

# # #

(Photo caption)
SENATOR CLINTON DISCUSSES ARMENIAN ISSUES WITH COMMUNITY ADVOCATES
(L to R) Michael Mahdesian, former high-ranking official in President Bill
Clinton’s Administration; Congressman Brad Sherman; Senator Hillary
Clinton; California State Assemblymember Paul Krekorian, National Co-Chair
of Armenians for Hillary Clinton; Levon Kirakossian, Esq., long-time
community activist and leader

CURRENT REGIME IS NOT READY TO CONCEDE ITS POWER BY RESULTS OF ELECTIONS, ARMAN MELIKIAN SUPPOSES

Noyan Tapan
Feb 1, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, NOYAN TAPAN. The election campaign tactics of RA
presidential candidate Arman Melikian does not suppose implementation
of aggressive agitation against anyone. As the candidate said at the
February 1 press conference, he has not come across any obstacle by
the authorities at this stage, as he does not act the way the other
candidates do. "I have no problem of renting halls, pasting posters. I
am not going to open headquarters, either. Purely in the organization
respect we have insured ourselves against any infringement on that
part as well," the presidential candidate said.

In response to the question of whether the presidential elections
will be fair and transparent, A. Melikian said that it "will depend
on the degree of our maturity." Nevertheless, according to him,
he has an apprehension that the authorities are not ready to cede
"their power" in case of fair elections or the opposition’s most
aggressive part will not admit its defeat.

A. Melikian did not wish to touch upon the surveys conducted by
Adibek Aharonian and the Sociometer center and to estimate their
results. And the Gallup’s survey, in his words, has been done at a
high level. In the candidate’s opinion, that survey can be a serious
ground for orienting the candidates’ preelection tactics.

BRYAN ARDOUNY: BAKU SHOULD AGREE TO DIRECT CONTACT WITH NAGORNO KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.01.2008 17:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Wall Street Journal Europe today published a
letter to the editor from the Armenian Assembly of America, in response
to an editorial by Azeri Foreign Affairs Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
entitled "The Caspian Moment." The Assembly letter sets the record
straight on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and urges Baku to agree to
confidence-building measures to further the negotiation process.

"The Wall Street Journal Europe Elmar Mammadyarov speaks about the
need for, and benefits of a negotiated settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh
("The Caspian Moment," State of the Union, Jan. 21). But he refers
to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk
process – the negotiating framework for the Nagorno Karabakh peace
process – only in passing.

"Mr. Mammadyarov overlooks the fact that in the past 13 years, Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh have accepted numerous proposals as basis for
negotiations – only to be rebuffed by Azerbaijan, which also refuses to
undertake confidence-building measures. Instead, Azeri President Ilham
Aliyev publicly stated earlier this month that "the war has not ended."

"Furthermore, Mr. Mammadyarov asserts that "regional integration is
a priority for Azerbaijan." In reality, Baku persists in its policy
to isolate Armenia – from its continuing blockade in coordination
with Turkey to a pipeline that circumvents Armenia.

Rather than torpedo the recently intensified efforts by the mediators
to reach a settlement, Azerbaijan should take these talks seriously,
end the blockade, cease its bellicose statements and agree to
confidence-building measures and direct contact with Nagorno Karabakh,"
Bryan Ardouny, Executive Director of the Armenian Assembly of America
writes in his letter.

PROGRAM OF DEVELOPMENT OF KASHATAGH WILL BE DISCUSSED IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

KarabakhOpen
30-01-2008 13:41:00

On March 28 an international conference will be held, devoted to
the development of the region of Kashatagh, NKR Prime Minister Ara
Harutiunyan stated in the meeting of government on January 29.

Ara Harutiunyan says representatives of benevolent funds
and humanitarian organizations will participate in the
conference. Presently the government and the regional administration
of Kashatagh are working out a rehabilitation action for Kashatagh. The
program will be presented to the participants of the conference.

The prime minister expects a flow of donations and investments to
the region.

CONGRESSMAN RON KLEIN REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

armradio.am
30.01.2008 10:41

Activists from the Armenian National Committee of South Florida (ANC
of S. FL) and ANCA Eastern Region Executive Director, Karine Birazian
met with Congressman Ron Klein (D-FL-22) and District Director Felicia
Goldstein in West Palm Beach, Florida. The purpose of the meeting was
to thank him for his instrumental vote in the House Foreign Affairs
Committee this past October on the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

"We are very grateful to Congressman Klein for his principled stand
on genocide recognition. We look forward to continuing to build a
relationship with him and his staff," commented local constituent
and ANC activist Hasmig Eskandarian.

During the thirty-minute meeting, Eskandarian, ANC of S. Florida
Chairman Albert Mazmanian, former Florida activist Nora Keomurjian,
and Birazian thanked Congressman Klein for his support of H. Res. 106
which he insisted he stands firm on. The meeting also provided an
opportunity to give further insight on other Armenian related issues
that the ANCA pursues, including aid to Armenia, military parity,
and self -determination for Nagorno Karabagh.

During the House Foreign Affairs Committee mark-up on the
Armenian Genocide Resolution on October 10th, Klein was one of 27
Representatives who voted in favor of the resolution. In his powerful
remarks to the Committee Klein commented:

"… And it wasn’t so much of just teaching the Holocaust, but teaching
of what happens when man’s inhumanity is allowed to fester over a
period of time, and the result was the Holocaust and other genocides
that have occurred before and after. And I think the reason that I
believe it is important that this historical event is acknowledged
and understood is what the survivors of the Holocaust use as their
two-word phrase: Never again. Never again…"

Congressman Klein, first term Democrat, has been proudly been serving
the Boca Raton community since 1992, first in the Florida House of
Representatives, and later the State Senate. One of his proudest
achievements was the passage of the Holocaust Education Act, which
mandated the teaching about the lessons of the Holocaust in all
of Florida’s public schools. Currently Klein serves on the House
Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Financial
Services. Congressman Klein has been active in promoting Darfur
legislation on Divestment this Congress and currently has an "A"
on the Darfur Score Cards a project organized by the Genocide
Intervention Network.

U.S. POLICY TOWARD IRAN WILL CHANGE IF DEMOCRAT ELECTED PRESIDENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.01.2008 16:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ If a Democrat elected the president of the United
States, the policy toward Iran will undergo changes, said Richard
Holbrooke, an adviser to presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.

"We wish to establish direct ties with Tehran, may be with assistance
of France. The Bush administration was guided by an absurd idea
to fight in Iraq and challenge Iran simultaneously. This is an
erroneous idea engendered mostly by variance between Republicans and
Democrats. The talks with Iran should focus not only on the nuclear
program but also on Hamas and Hezbollah," he said.

"The data provided by the U.S. intelligence on Iran’s nuclear
facilities has cardinally changed the situation. This was a real
outbreak of the secret services which openly refused the role of
puppets as it was in case with Iraq. That was a real revanche!

The reports shocked everyone and the president, first of all. Under
the circumstances, the Bush administration will never dare to attack
Iran," Mr Holbrooke said in an interview with Le Monde.

CLEARANCE OF LANDMINES IN KARABAKH WILL FINISH IN 5-6 YEARS

KarabakhOpen
29-01-2008 12:52:16

On January 28 Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan met with the manager of
the HALO Trust program Valon Kumnova and Patrick Thomson who will
replace him, the Department of Information and Public Relations of
the NKR government reports.

Valon Kumnova told the prime minister during the three years of his
office considerable work of mine clearance and disposal of unexploded
ordnance has been performed.

According to the new head of the mission Patrick Thomson, he is likely
to involve more people (280 people).

Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan highly appreciated the activities of
The HALO Trust and underlined their importance for the security of the
people of NKR and enlargement of the demined areas. The prime minister
thanked the organization and underlined that the government of NKR will
continue to cooperate with the organization and help with fundraising.

Memorial to ‘genocide’ vandalised

Monday, 28 January 2008, 12:52 GMT BBC WALES NEWS

The cross was erected in November 2007

An ornamental cross erected last year in Cardiff to commemorate what
some say was the genocide of Armenian people during World War I has
been damaged.

The Armenian Celtic-style cross was smashed and a hammer was left
lying near the damaged memorial ahead of a commemoration service on
Sunday.

The service took place outside the Temple of Peace to mark Holocaust Day.

South Wales Police are investigating the damage and have appealed for
information from the public.

On Sunday, around 30 people gathered for the ceremony, which marked
the deaths of 1.5m Armenians between 1915 and 1923.

Two protesters who objected to calling the deaths a genocide disrupted
the ceremony for part of the time.

A number of countries have officially recognised an Armenian genocide,
including France, Canada, Argentina and Switzerland.

Levon Aronyan winner of the Corus Tournament

armradio.am
28.01.2008 12:00

Armenian Grand Master Levon Aronyan played a draw with Judith Polgar of
Hungary in the 13th round of the Corus International Chess Tournament
held in Wijk aan Zee, Holland. Gaining 8 points, Aronyan became the
winner of the tournament together with Magnus Carlsen of Norway.

Sergey Movsisyan of Slovakia became the sole winner in Group B.
Armenian Grand Master Gabtiel Sargsyan defeated V. Shpulman in the last
round and shared the 12th and 13th positions with Mikhal Krasenkov of
Poland.