Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

FIFTH CANDIDATE MAY THWART PLANS OF LOCAL POLITICAL FORCES AND GOVERNMENT
Davit Karabekyan

KarabakhOpen
Independent Center for Humanitarian and Political Studies
16-05-2007 14:23:41

May 5 was the last day of registration of the initiative groups
naming presidents. The CEC registered the initiative groups of five
candidates: Vania Avanesyan, professor at Artsakh State University,
Bako Sahakyan, head of the National Security Service, Hrant Melkumyan,
first secretary of the NKR Communist Party, the deputy foreign
minister Masis Mayilyan and Member of Parliament Armen Abgaryan,
businessman, former deputy minister of defense and commander of the
NKR Defense Army.

The initiative group naming Armen Abgaryan was registered May 4,
the last day of registration of initiative groups.

Armen Abgaryan’s bid was a significant event. First, unlike the
other candidates, he runs a business and has immense for Karabakh
legal funds to spend on the election campaign. Others rely on the
government funding, businessmen who support them, or slush funds.

Finance and relative protection from pressure of the government and
the tax service is a significant factor in NKR.

Besides, pressure on a government official is one thing, pressure on
a member of parliament and the Yerkrapah Union of Veterans is another
thing. Hence, only the deputy foreign minister Masis Mayilyan and Armen
Abgaryan can be real opponents to Bako Sahakyan, who is supported by
the NKR government.

Armen Abgaryan used to be the deputy minister of defense for a long
time and in the years of the political confrontation of Samvel
Babayan and Arkady Ghukasyan he supported his commander. He is
also an eminent person, especially that in the post-war years the
army of Nagorno-Karabakh was more than an army; it was government,
customs service, police, etc. In those years the field commander was
as eminent as the prime minister or even the president.

After the nomination of Armen Abgaryan the arrangement of candidates
reflects the specter of forces and moods dominating in the Karabakh
society. If Bako Sahakyan, the preferable candidate of the government,
is for moderate reforms, Masis Mayilyan upholds the rule of law and
fundamental reforms, Armen Abgaryan is apparently an oppositionist,
who has non-standard thinking and can effectively resist for a long
time the administrative pressing.

As a supporter of Samvel Babayan, he did not testify against him
during the trial in 2000-2001 and unlike others he preferred business
to the post.

His victory in the parliamentary election is evidence to this. After
the victory of Edward Aghabekyan supported by the ARF Dashnaktsutyun –
Movement 88 alliance in the election to the mayor of Stepanakert his
victory was the second significant event. These victories shattered
the idea of almightiness of the government and their ability to
predetermine almost every political process.

Besides, Armen Abgaryan possesses all the features that are listed
among Bako Sahakyan’s advantages. He is a military, a participant and
initiator of the Union of Veterans of the war in Artsakh, he is well
known in the capital and the country, he is a successful businessman,
he initiates aid to veterans, assistance to sport, etc.

The idea upheld by the official media that the government has already
worked out approaches and decided on the candidate of president,
and some nuances remain to agree upon, aroused concern.

Besides, the statement by the four parties on supporting the single
candidate also produced a negative effect. Of course, Mr. Sahakyan
is one of the most positive figures on the government Olympus and
has advantages over his colleagues in the security agencies and the
government officials. But why does the person who is believed to win
the election need the support of the forces which have diverse programs
and attitudes towards the government? Will a person benefit from the
support of a person who is accused by the procuracy of a number of
breaches (the mayor of Stepanakert Edward Aghabekyan), especially that
the board of the party he leads stated that he had not been authorized
to sign the statement on behalf of Movement 88? Besides, the subject
of their agreement – the principles – also arouses doubt. It is
difficult to even hypothetically assume that any of the candidates
would deny that the resolution of the Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflict,
anti-corruption efforts and social justice are not priorities, and
would uphold corruption, reject recognition of NKR and everything
that was included in those principles.

And if a few weeks ago Bako Sahakyan’s victory seemed to be
indisputable, now it is obvious that there will be a runoff election. I
do not think there is anything terrible about it. The second round
will show if the government is able to solve the problems which were
too difficult for their successors – to battle corruption in the
system of education, especially that July and August is the time
of both the election and the entrance exams, solve the problems of
building, health care, etc. And the voters will decide if they may
expect anything new from the election. Finally, the second round may
help create a basis for a government which people trust.

The Library of Congress
H.RES.106
Title: Calling upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the
United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning
issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in
the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide, and for other
purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] (introduced 1/30/2007) Cosponsors
(192)
Related Bills: S.RES.106
Latest Major Action: 1/30/2007 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred
to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

COSPONSORS(192), BY DATE [order is left to right]:
Rep Radanovich, George [CA-19] – 1/30/2007Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] –
1/30/2007
Rep Knollenberg, Joe [MI-9] – 1/30/2007Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] – 1/30/2007
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] – 1/30/2007Rep McNulty, Michael R.
[NY-21] – 1/31/2007
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] –
1/31/2007
Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12] –
1/31/2007
Rep Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9] – 1/31/2007Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] –
1/31/2007
Rep Lipinski, Daniel [IL-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] –
1/31/2007
Rep Dreier, David [CA-26] – 1/31/2007Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] – 1/31/2007Rep Udall, Mark [CO-2] –
1/31/2007
Rep McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [WA-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] –
1/31/2007
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Royce, Edward R. [CA-40] –
1/31/2007
Rep Neal, Richard E. [MA-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15] – 1/31/2007Rep Kirk, Mark Steven [IL-10] –
1/31/2007
Rep Nunes, Devin [CA-21] – 1/31/2007Rep Capuano, Michael E. [MA-8] –
1/31/2007
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] – 1/31/2007Rep Berry, Marion [AR-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] –
1/31/2007
Rep Doolittle, John T. [CA-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] –
1/31/2007
Rep Matsui, Doris O. [CA-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] –
1/31/2007
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] – 1/31/2007Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] –
1/31/2007
Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] – 1/31/2007Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] –
1/31/2007
Rep Allen, Thomas H. [ME-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23] – 1/31/2007
Rep Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [FL-21] – 1/31/2007Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] –
1/31/2007
Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] –
1/31/2007
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] – 1/31/2007
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] –
1/31/2007
Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] – 1/31/2007
Rep Rogers, Mike J. [MI-8] – 1/31/2007Rep Cantor, Eric [VA-7] – 1/31/2007
Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Meehan, Martin T. [MA-5] –
1/31/2007
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] – 1/31/2007Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] –
1/31/2007
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] – 1/31/2007Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] – 1/31/2007
Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] – 1/31/2007Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] –
1/31/2007
Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] – 1/31/2007Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] – 1/31/2007
Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30] –
1/31/2007
Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille
[CA-34] – 1/31/2007
Rep Tierney, John F. [MA-6] – 1/31/2007Rep Diaz-Balart, Mario [FL-25] –
1/31/2007
Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-46] – 1/31/2007Rep Campbell, John [CA-48] –
1/31/2007
Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] –
1/31/2007
Rep Porter, Jon C. [NV-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] – 1/31/2007
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13] –
1/31/2007
Rep Tauscher, Ellen O. [CA-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Frelinghuysen, Rodney P.
[NJ-11] – 1/31/2007
Rep Visclosky, Peter J. [IN-1] – 1/31/2007Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] –
1/31/2007
Rep English, Phil [PA-3] – 1/31/2007(withdrawn – 3/15/2007)Rep Cardoza,
Dennis A. [CA-18] – 1/31/2007
Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] –
1/31/2007
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] – 1/31/2007Rep Jindal, Bobby [LA-1] –
1/31/2007(withdrawn – 1/31/2007)
Rep Sarbanes, John P. [MD-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Gerlach, Jim [PA-6] – 1/31/2007
Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] – 1/31/2007Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] –
1/31/2007
Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] – 1/31/2007Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] – 1/31/2007
Rep Levin, Sander M. [MI-12] – 1/31/2007Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] –
1/31/2007
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] – 1/31/2007Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44] – 1/31/2007
Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] – 1/31/2007
Rep Costa, Jim [CA-20] – 1/31/2007Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] –
1/31/2007
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] – 1/31/2007Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] –
1/31/2007
Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Ryan, Paul [WI-1] – 1/31/2007
Rep Miller, George [CA-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25] – 1/31/2007
Rep Becerra, Xavier [CA-31] – 1/31/2007Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] –
1/31/2007
Rep Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [GA-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Schakowsky, Janice D.
[IL-9] – 1/31/2007
Rep Solis, Hilda L. [CA-32] – 1/31/2007Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] –
1/31/2007
Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] –
1/31/2007
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Ferguson, Mike [NJ-7] – 1/31/2007
Rep Bono, Mary [CA-45] – 1/31/2007Rep Miller, Candice S. [MI-10] – 1/31/2007
Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-13] – 1/31/2007Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] – 1/31/2007
Rep Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [WI-5] – 1/31/2007Rep Musgrave, Marilyn N.
[CO-4] – 1/31/2007
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] – 1/31/2007Rep McKeon, Howard P. "Buck" [CA-25] –
1/31/2007
Rep Herseth, Stephanie [SD] – 1/31/2007Rep Bean, Melissa L. [IL-8] –
1/31/2007
Rep Wamp, Zach [TN-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] – 1/31/2007
Rep Renzi, Rick [AZ-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Weller, Jerry [IL-11] – 1/31/2007
Rep Pastor, Ed [AZ-4] – 1/31/2007Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] – 1/31/2007
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] – 1/31/2007Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] –
1/31/2007
Rep Peterson, Collin C. [MN-7] – 1/31/2007Rep Issa, Darrell E. [CA-49] –
1/31/2007
Rep Carnahan, Russ [MO-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Hinojosa, Ruben [TX-15] – 1/31/2007
Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Jones, Stephanie Tubbs
[OH-11] – 1/31/2007
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Millender-McDonald, Juanita
[CA-37] – 1/31/2007
Rep Shimkus, John [IL-19] – 1/31/2007Rep Dent, Charles W. [PA-15] –
1/31/2007
Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10] – 1/31/2007Rep Boren, Dan [OK-2] –
1/31/2007(withdrawn – 5/2/2007)
Rep Davis, Lincoln [TN-4] – 1/31/2007Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] – 1/31/2007
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] – 1/31/2007Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] – 1/31/2007
Rep Matheson, Jim [UT-2] – 1/31/2007Rep Melancon, Charlie [LA-3] – 1/31/2007
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] – 1/31/2007(withdrawn – 3/13/2007)Rep Ross, Mike
[AR-4] – 1/31/2007
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] – 1/31/2007Rep Scott, David [GA-13] –
1/31/2007(withdrawn – 4/18/2007)
Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1] – 1/31/2007Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35] – 1/31/2007
Rep Lungren, Daniel E. [CA-3] – 1/31/2007Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] –
1/31/2007
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] – 2/5/2007Rep McNerney, Jerry [CA-11] – 2/5/2007
Rep DeGette, Diana [CO-1] – 2/5/2007Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. [NY-12] –
2/5/2007
Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] – 2/5/2007Rep McCarthy, Kevin [CA-22] – 2/5/2007
Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [GA-4] – 2/8/2007Rep Lamborn, Doug
[CO-5] – 2/8/2007
Rep Walsh, James T. [NY-25] – 2/8/2007Rep Wu, David [OR-1] – 2/8/2007
Rep Marchant, Kenny [TX-24] – 2/8/2007Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] – 2/8/2007
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] – 2/8/2007Rep Green, Al [TX-9] – 3/1/2007
Rep Bachmann, Michele [MN-6] – 3/1/2007Rep LaTourette, Steven C. [OH-14] –
3/1/2007
Rep Space, Zachary T. [OH-18] – 3/12/2007Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] –
3/12/2007
Rep Baird, Brian [WA-3] – 3/12/2007Rep Bilbray, Brian P. [CA-50] – 3/12/2007
Rep Perlmutter, Ed [CO-7] – 3/29/2007Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] – 3/29/2007
Rep Miller, Gary G. [CA-42] – 3/29/2007Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] –
4/16/2007
Rep Hunter, Duncan [CA-52] – 4/16/2007Rep Reichert, David G. [WA-8] –
4/16/2007
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] – 4/16/2007Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] –
4/19/2007
Rep Tancredo, Thomas G. [CO-6] – 4/19/2007Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] –
4/19/2007
Rep Hodes, Paul W. [NH-2] – 5/9/2007Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] – 5/14/2007
Rep Udall, Tom [NM-3] – 5/14/2007

U.S. CAUTIOUS IN WELCOMING ARMENIAN POLL CONDUCT
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
May 15 2007

The United States has said Armenia’s parliamentary elections were a
"step in the right direction," but unlike Western election observers,
stopped short of describing them as largely democratic.

"All and all, I think this is an improvement over past elections;
though certainly if you look at what the observers said, it did not
fully meet international standards," Tome Casey, a spokesman for the
State Department told a news briefing in Washington on Monday.

In a preliminary report released on Sunday, the 400-strong monitoring
mission led by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe said the vote was conducted "largely in accordance with
international standards for democratic elections." It was the most
positive assessment of Armenian elections ever made by the OSCE.

The European Union rushed to praise the Armenian authorities’
conduct of the polls. The German government, the current holder
the EU’s rotating presidency, said they were "on the whole" free
and fair. In a separate statement, the bloc’s foreign policy chief,
Javier Solana, said Armenians "demonstrated greater political maturity
trough these elections" and sent a "positive signal to other countries
in the region."

The U.S. took a more cautious position, with Casey urging the
authorities in Yerevan to "aggressively investigate allegations that
are there of electoral wrongdoing and prosecute people in accordance
with Armenian law." In a separate statement posted on its website on
Tuesday, the U.S. embassy in Armenia said the alleged fraud may have
influenced the official vote results that gave a landslide victory
to the governing Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).

"Part of the election process is a careful consideration of all
issues raised in connection with the election, including several
serious allegations of fraud or intimidation which may have affected
the outcome of some of the races," the statement said. It also noted
that long-term OSCE observers are currently verifying figures reported
by the Central Election Commission.

Tone Tingsgaard, a top member of the observer mission representing the
OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly, insisted on Sunday that irregularities
reported by the Western monitors were not serious enough to affect
the election outcome.

BUT HOW DID THEY SOUND?

TIME
May 15 2007

A Review Of This Year’s Eurovision Performances

After all the pre-event furor surrounding politicized drag queens
and nuclear annihilation, it was a surprisingly straight-forward
performance that secured victory for Serbia in the 52nd Annual
Eurovision Song Contest held in Helsinki, Finland on Saturday night.

The soaring ballad Molitva (Prayers), performed by Marija Serifovic,
bucked many of the latest Eurovision trends to secure the country’s
first win. The Serbian entry was one of only a handful of songs
not to be performed in English and, unlike the majority of other
entrants, Serifovic made little use of stage accessories, apart
from a gang of glamorous backing singers who caressed her at regular
intervals. Ukraine’s hotly-tipped entry, Vera Serdyuchka, resplendent
in a space-age silver outfit and supported by male dancers dressed
in Bacofoil shorts, took a well-deserved second place. But it was
another disappointing night for Eurovision’s old stalwarts, with
Ireland , Britain and France occupying the bottom three spots out of
a record 24 countries. The night was particularly bitter for Ireland,
Eurovision’s most successful nation, who only escaped the humiliation
of "nul points" thanks to a vote from unlikely allies Albania.

Besides the triumph of Serbian sobriety, this year’s Eurovision
offered up plenty of other surprises – notably the elimination of
much-fancied Israel and Switzerland in Thursday night’s qualifying
round. Teapacks, the seven-piece rock band representing Israel, had
garnered extensive media attention for their multi-lingual song Push
the Button; an anti-war track with clear references to Iran’s nuclear
program. Prior to their semi-final collapse, Switzerland had been a
leading favorite for the overall title with the sublimely ridiculous
Vampires Are Alive; a gothic version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller
complete with a somewhat incongruous use of the word "hence" in its
opening verse.

The night’s events also proved beyond doubt that petty factionalism is
alive and well in today’s Europe. Indeed, the more Eurovision grows,
the more numerous and complex the public’s voting alliances seem
to become. As expected, Cyprus awarded the maximum twelve points
to Sarbel – a Greek Ricky Martin who, for reasons unexplained,
performed his catchy track Yassou Maria in an ill-advised grey
tracksuit. The Scandinavian countries also rewarded each other with
neighborly generosity. At certain points, the voting took on the feel
of a musical Peace and Reconciliation Commission, with love-fests
developing between formerly warring nations. The Balkan states of
Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia all voted for each other
like the best of friends. Yet the audience’s biggest gasp of the
night came when Turkey awarded a full twelve points to Armenia.

Hosting the Eurovision Song Contest is not only about treating your
fellow Europeans to a musical (and political) extravaganza. For a small
country such as Finland, it’s a rare opportunity to inform over 100
million potential tourists and investors of all the attractions your
over-looked nation has to offer. In Eurovision, where advertising
is strictly prohibited, these marketing moments take the form of
short video clips inserted between each song. The Finnish clips were
especially bizarre. In a series of increasingly abstract vignettes,
the most frequent inclusions were snow, computer nerds, Santa
Claus and groups of teenage goths. Overall though, Helsinki put on
a good show and, at several points in the evening’s entertainment,
Finnish tongues were firmly in cheek. Their roaming reporter, Finnish
comedienne Krisse Salminen, was an inspired touch of Euro-trash.

Reminiscent of Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen’s camp, fashion correspondent,
Salminen enlightened viewers with post-show interviews of the
contestants, most of whom were already making full use of the backstage
hospitality. An inebriated member of the Swedish party struggled when
asked, in broken English, why tonight was, like, totally going to be
the moment in his life.

Even if music seems an increasingly irrelevant detail of what is fast
becoming the Eurovision Voting Contest, Eurovision is still in fine
health. An estimated 110 million viewers tuned on Saturday night –
the highest TV ratings in the contest’s history. And long may it be
so. After all, how many other events can juxtapose Georgian warriors
dancing to a techno record with leather-clad Bulgarian drummers while
keeping a (mostly) straight face?

CREATION OF COALITION IS NOT END IN ITSELF FOR RPA

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.05.2007 15:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) is in the mood
of cooperation with all parliamentarian parties, RPA Press Officer
Eduard Sharmazanov stated to a press conference in Yerevan.

He stressed creation of a parliamentarian coalition is not end in
itself. "We already have notorious experience of creating a coalition
with "Orinats Yerkir" party and we would not like to repeat it again,"
Sharmazanov said. At the same time he does not exclude the possibility
of cooperation with "Prosperous Armenia" party, which runs second in
the result of the May 12 elections. Sharmazanov also underlined RPA
is ready to take the responsibility in the country if a single-party
government is created.

The Republican Party of Armenia led by Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan,
Prosperous Armenia party led by entrepreneur Gagik Tsarukyan, ARF
Dashnaktsutyun, Orinats Yerkir party led by former RA NA speaker
Artur Baghdassaryan and Heritage party led by Armenia’s first Foreign
Minister Raffi K. Hovannisian garnered over 5% of votes in the May
12 parliamentary election.

IF KILIKIA IS IN YOUR HEART . . . THEN SAIL ON!
Sender: Jack Manuelian

PanARMENIAN.Net
Published: 13.05.2007

Thousands of years ago Noah landed his ship on Mt. Ararat, today his
original descendants were able to ‘land’ another ship near the slopes
of Mt. Ararat, the ship’s name is Kilikia, an exclusive Armenian
ship that was built by AYAS, the only specialists in navigation on
middle-age ships in the world.

The Armenia kingdom of Kilikia evokes a special resonance from
the heart of the Armenians, at gatherings they often still
sing nostalgically their well-beloved song "how I wish to see my
Kilikia." Hopefully visitors of lake Sevan in Armenia this summer would
be able to enjoy a tiny taste and a small glimpse of medieval Kilikia
when they sail on board the replica of the medieval ship Kilikia; yes,
that same historical Armenian ship that Armenians have rebuilt and
navigated the seven seas during 2004, 2005, and 2006, then brought
it back on September 2006 to Yerevan, Armenia, close to Mt. Ararat;
there were twelve ancient Armenian historical banners flying on the
ship in addition of the present tricolor flag.

Presently the ship should be undergoing a renovation and complete
maintenance job, and it is expected that this summer it will be
moved to a special pier on lake Sevan, near the Sevanavank peninsula,
a popular recreation destination with modernA hotels and campsites
along the comfortable beaches where Armenians and tourists go every
summer for fun, for swimming, and for vacation.

According to the captain of Kilikia, Karen Balayan, the ship will be
a working museum on Lake Sevan. The visitors will correspond with the
history of Armenia and that of the ship. Sailing trips on abroad the
ship for one, two, and three hours will be organized. Maintaining and
running this floating museum entails a lot of expenses and is beyond
the financial reaches of "Ayas" the Nautical Research Club which owns
the ship and has only few members. The captain hopes that individual
sponsors and the AR government will pick up the expenses.

If you have ever dreamed sailing on Kilikia then this summer could be
your chance on Lake Sevan, some 2000 meters high above sea level. Be
sure to contact first "Ayas" for certainty, as plans in Armenia can
be changed from one day to the other.

, [email protected]. Phones: +37410 578510 (ph/fax),
+37491 430382.

Literature printed by Ayas states that "AYAS Nautical Research Club
(the only specialists in navigation on middle-age ships in the world)
had built a replica of XIII century merchant sailing-ship of the
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, and had sailed by medieval trade sea
routes around Europe, via the Black, the Mediterranean, the North, the
Baltic Seas and the Atlantic Ocean. The ship had been reconstructed
in strict accordance with the information found in the medieval
manuscripts and miniatures have used the techniques and technologies
available in XIII century. The travels have equipped ‘Cilicia’ with
all accessories traditional to the XIII century (navigation tools,
merchandise goods, meals, clothes, etc.) replicating the methods of
navigation and the lifestyle of medieval sailors. The main goal of
the experiment is to feel and to check how our ancestors had sailed
and operated with this kind of vessels. As a result of experiment
we could note as technical details of sailing and operating of the
vessel, as psychological aspects of living aboard of the ship during
long term sailing."

Ayas is the port city of ancient Kilikia where the original ship was
built by Armenians in XIII century. Today Ayas still exists but the
Turks call it Yumurtalik. As to the 100% Armenian Ayas Club, the
literature the captain gave me (with permission to quote) states:
"Ayas Nautical Research Club was founded in 1985. The range of its
activities is quite wide including historical aspects of World and
Armenian navigation and shipbuildings, reconstruction of ancient
Armenian vessels, study of sea routes, old maps, navigation devices,
banners, collecting data on Armenian navigators, making underwater
archaeological surveys and research. Since 1985 the Club has
organized 15 exhibitions and has carried out several surveys on
Armenian navigation. There are more than five thousand books in the
Club library. Twenty-six different types of vessels (rafts, leather
boats, log-boats, boats and ships) used in historical Armenia,
were restored and reconstructed. Members of the Club permanently
participate in international conferences on underwater archaeology
and nautical history and have published a number of articles. The
Club has established connections with similar organizations worldwide
and is the member of International Commission of Maritime History,
International Foundation of Disabled Sailing, the Armenian Geographic
Society, and the Armenian Sailing Federation."

When visiting Armenia this summer, make sure to spend a whole day at
least at Lake Sevan. Enjoy the magnificent scenery, the clean cool
air. Visit Sevanavank, the two ninth-century churches on the hill of
the Sevan Peninsula.

There are many beaches located near the Peninsula for free
swimming. There are some very good restaurants to eat. They have
modern clean restrooms. There are a souvenir shop and Armenian artists
selling their paintings on the stairs leading to the Sevanavank. Buy
some paintings, take off the wooden frames, roll the canvases,
put them in your baggage and bring them home to USA. No problem and
no questions are asked in the airport. And while you are at Sevan,
don’t forget to take the sail of your lifetime on the ancient ship
of Kilikia–if all goes well according to the plan and Kilikia has
its lasting home at Lake Sevan, starting this summer.

Today, Armenians would be able to see and enjoy a very tiny part of
that Medieval Armenian Kingdom while they sail on Kilikia over lake
Sevan, one of the largest freshwater alpine lakes in the world.

In medieval times, "while the inhabitants of the Greater Armenia
eye-witnessed the loss of their national statehood and numerous
foreign invasions, the Cilician Armenians lived in wealth and
prosperity. Good geographic location involved the country into an
intensive international trade. Science and culture flourished. This
period of Armenian history is regarded as the brilliant Age of
Ecclesiastical manuscript painting. The school of genius Thoros
Roslin was especially famous. Theology, philosophy, rhetoric,
medicine and mathematics were taught in a large number of new
schools and monasteries. New significant names appeared in the
Armenian literature. It was a period of Armenian Renaissance"
n.htm

The ship parameters

"Cilicia is 20 meters long (20x5x5) with a 14 meter (2 m. under
the deck) mast. The main sail is 100 m?. The ship is made from two
types of wood: marine oak (skeleton) and pine (planking).’Cilicia’
needs 14 crew members. Up to 50 people can be aboard as visitors at
one time. The ship can carry more then 20 tons of cargo.

"5 tons of copper nails were used to build the ship. She was tested on
the lake Sevan in Armenia before going to the open sea. She shows good
results as a navigation device. She has good speed (6 knots) and the
ability to sail under the wind. She is equipped with 6 spare sails."

Bon voyage!

The content of the materials does not necessarily reflect the views
of the Â"PanARMENIAN.NetÂ".

–Bounda ry_(ID_HjVhA7Syf5Ahzvqx6WMmTg)–

ARMENIAN POLICE ACCUSED OF DEADLY TORTURE
By Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech rep.
May 14 2007

Relatives of a young man who died in police custody at the weekend
appealed to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian on Monday to thwart
what they see as attempts by the Armenian police to cover up the
extraordinary case of brutal torture.

Levon Ghulian died in mysterious circumstances on Saturday while being
questioned by the police as a presumed witness of a deadly gunfight in
Yerevan reported earlier last week. The police claim that during the
interrogation the 30-year-old father of two tried to escape through
a window but slipped and fell to the ground from the second floor of
a police building in Yerevan.

Ghulian’s close relatives strongly deny this version of events,
saying that he was tortured to death by police interrogators. State
prosecutors have launched a criminal inquiry into the incident
which has cast a fresh spotlight on the problem of police brutality
in Armenia. Local and international watchdogs say the practice is
widespread.

"They probably hit him in the head with something and he died,"
Ghulian’s uncle, Toros Papazian, told RFE/RL. "They just don’t want
to admit that he died in a police office."

Papazian said his nephew’s body bore traces of violence such as
a broken rib and thigh bone and bruises on his heels. "Levon was
accidentally tortured to death before being thrown out of the window,"
he said.

Ghulian was the owner of a restaurant in Yerevan’s southern Shengavit
district near which a man was shot dead on May 9 in a reported dispute
between two groups of unknown individuals. He was first detained and
questioned at Shengavit’s police department.

"They were forcing Levon to name the murderer," Papazian said. "He
didn’t know that, but they kept beating him."

Papazian added that Ghulian was for days repeatedly interrogated by the
Shengavit police and prosecutors before being taken to the national
Police Service’s Directorate General of Criminal Investigations on
Saturday. He said the deputy chief of the department, Hovik Tamamian,
personally drove him to his office.

In a joint letter, members of the dead man’s extended family asked
Sarkisian to interfere in the inquiry. "The prime minister was saying
during the election campaign that all the guilty must be punished and
that Armenia must become a law-abiding country," explained Papazian.

"I’ve heard that my brother wasn’t the first victim [of police
torture] and that there have been such cases before," Ghulian’s
grieving sister Marine told RFE/RL. "I don’t know want the relatives
[of other victims] did. I am appealing to them to join us in fighting
against such injustice."

"Let my brother be the last victim," she added.

Austrian Ambassador handed the copies of his credentials to Minister Oskanian

ArmRadio.am
14.05.2007 16:33

On May the newly appointed Ambassador of Austria to Armenia Marius
Calligaris handed the copies of his credentials to RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian received

The Minister congratulated the Ambassador on appointment and wished
success in carrying out his high mission.

Later the interlocutors touched upon issues connected with bilateral
relations, discussed the opportunities of Austria’s support for the
execution of the Armenia-EU Action Plan. The parties emphasized the
high level of bilateral relations and expressed willingness to use the
existing potential.

At the Ambassador’s request, Minister Oskanian presented the
preliminary results of the parliamentary elections.

Reference was made to the latest developments in the negotiations on
the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

HERITAGE PARTY
Reports of Violation
Parliamentary Elections of May 12, 2007

The following is a summary of some of the official complaints filed by party
observers during the Armenian parliamentary elections of May 12. Attached
are copies of the forms of complaint.

At Precinct 5/19, Heritage observer Manya Hovannisian recorded that at 10am,
an Election Commission member ignored an inconsistency between a voter’s
surname as it appeared on registration rolls and on his passport.
Hovannisian’s rights as an observer were also violated; she was prohibited
from inspecting election documents throughout the day. Furthermore, the
Commission Chairman refused to accept complaints from Hovannisian or from
any other observer. Moreover, the Commission Chairman attempted secretly to
give ballots to six youths, without signature or authentication. When
observers intervened, the imposters ran off.

>From almost every precinct, observers have phoned in to Heritage
Headquarters and media outlets over glaring discrepancies in ballot box
designs. The four 4-centimeter holes underneath the ballot boxes contradict
the Election Code, which calls for airtight ballot boxes.

Heritage observer Rafik Hakobian recorded that an unidentified man, driving
the 02 002 jeep of Vartashen’s deputy mayor, warned observers in the
precincts of District 5 against recording complaints.

At precinct 3/31 and 3/32, Heritage observer Stepan Safarian was told that
various persons were entering the precinct already with ballots in their
hand. When Safarian attempted to discover the cause of this glaring
illegality, he was intimidated and insulted. He left the precinct with no
answers.

At precinct 1/28, Heritage observer Hermine Santrosian reported at 15.50 to
senior observer Stepan Safarian that she had continuously observed instances
when a voter would be given ballots for absent members of his family. This
was not denied by the Commission Chairman.

At precinct 1/2, Heritage observer Anahit Arustamian recorded at 14.00 that
mysterious new voter lists had appeared at the Budaghian School. Voters were
signing and receiving ballots based on this list. The precinct was in
disorder.

At precinct 5/8, Heritage observer Tamara Sargsian rang her bell at 13.35.
She complained by phone and in writing that, in blatant violation of the
Election Code, more than fifteen people gathered around the ballot box,
obstructing the observers’ view. In response to her complaint, she was
threatened with eviction from the precinct. Similar complaints were filed by
Armine Petrosian of Precinct 1/25 and Susanna Safarian of Precinct 1/26. In
this last case, the number of voters exceeded 45; clear monitoring of the
election process was simply impossible.

At Precinct 5/09, Shushanik Avagian reported that she was denied her basic
rights as an observer, including inspection of voting documents. Similar
reports rang from Hamayak Avagian of Precinct 5/10, Meruzhan Davtian of
Precinct 05/52, Susanna Barkhudarian of Precinct 10/18, and Anush Gharibian
of Precinct 9/29. The denial was often coupled with insults and intimidation
on the part of Election Commission members.

At precinct 4/12, Heritage observer Zaruhi Postanjian reported at 13.35 that
one voter had cast his ballot in the name of another person. When that other
person appeared at the voting station, he was not permitted to vote, as his
signature already appeared on the list.

At precinct 1/28, Heritage observer Hermine Antonian recorded that Election
Commission member Rita Brutian handed one extra envelope to a voter who,
apparently having expected it, returned the envelope to Brutian upon
completion.

At precinct 7/23, Heritage observer Hovsep Khurshudian recorded at 7.00 that
the voter lists were not bound in the form required by law, merely being
loosely stapled. Khurshudian’s request for proper binding was not fulfilled.

At precinct 06/29, Anna Martirosian recorded that when local resident
Gulepsik Gevorkian arrived at the station, his name was already signed for.
Martirosian’s complaint was ignored by the Election Commission.

At District 5, Heritage observer Mihran Amirkhanian submitted a complaint to
Election Commission Chairman Edward Barseghian, where he notes that at
Precinct 05/32, the rights of Heritage’s observers were rudely infringed
upon.

At Precinct 4/30, Heritage observer Armen Hayrapetian reported that citizen
Hripsime Hambartsumian (Sose Street 2/2, Apartment 16) arrived at the voting
station, noticed that her name was signed for, and left, not being able to
cast a vote.

At Precinct 12/26, Heritage observer Larisa Alaverdian complained that some
voters were arriving with colorful (most often green) pens and, having
received permission from the Election Commission Chairman, were using them
to vote. Just outside the voting station, campaigns for the leading
establishment parties were in full swing.

Armen Martirosian, Heritage’s representative at the Central Election
Commission, submitted a letter to Chairman Garegin Azarian, noting an error
on the ballot. The 2-3 millimeter line underneath the names of the Heritage
candidates could well distract the voter, Martirosian said, asking for the
Commission’s leniency on ballots marked in error. In response, the Election
Commission stated that the flaw would not excuse any errors.

At District 4, Heritage observer Zaruhi Postanjian reported on May 13 at
11.25 that the bags of votes brought from neighboring precincts are now open
and unguarded. The regional Election Commission refused to accept complaints
on this matter.

On May 13, 2007, Heritage observer Meruzhan Davtian presented to District 5
a request for a recount at Precinct 05/32, asserting that the degree and
nature of the violations held at that precinct altered significantly the
final result.

On May 13, 2007, Armen Martirosian, Heritage’s representative at the
Central Election Commission, submitted a formal complaint to the 9th
District Election Commission Chairman Eghish Terterian. The complaint
surrounds the fact that, after the vote count was made and finalized, the
Chairman refused to give the stamped result to Heritage’s observer and,
obviously bewildered and distressed by the party’s good showing, delivered
insults instead.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 13 2007

Problems for nationalism

DOGU ERGIL [email protected] Politics

I have always maintained the position that nationalism is the
ideology of advancement for the nation.
To achieve this national unity has to be forged out of diverse
ethnic, religious and cultural groups (in the framework of an
encompassing political supra-identity within which each sub-group can
identify themselves with some degree of comfort and satisfaction), a
sustainable, relatively efficient and inclusive economy has to be put
into motion, and a utopian vision for a better future must be in
place to generate a sense of hope and common fate. The second aim of
nationalism ought to be that of securing a respectable place for the
nation and the national state within the international arena. With a
failing state and a pathetic national image no society may have a
revered place among the family of nations. Thus the national state
must be economically vibrant, politically inclusive and successful in
managing change for nationalism to be a functional cohesive ideology.
Otherwise what? Well, if not, nationalism turns into a defensive
ideology in the international arena and a divisive ideology within.
Domestically a failing state or an authoritarian state that holds the
`nation’ together by force fails to reconcile diverse ethnic and
cultural groups and develops an exclusive understanding of nationhood
based on the superiority of one of them. Built-in fault lines
generate incessant frictions between included and excluded groups.
Systemic crises reinforce this search for communalism; either because
the nationalism imposed is not inclusive, or else the state that is
imposing it is fails to forge a nation out of diversity. Failing
and/or authoritarian national states define the nation as an
exclusive group lacking social differentiation or a mono-cultural
entity that is a political fabrication.
Two things have happened simultaneously in recent decades. This
fabricated national (exclusive identity) construct came under strain
because the national state failed to deliver what it promised in the
name of equality of welfare, freedom and respect. On the other hand
globalization deprived the national state of its instruments by which
it controlled and partially pacified their citizens. Citizens felt
bereft of the security (no matter how partial) and the support of
their traditional values and reference systems, which were no longer
relevant in the face of global challenges at all levels.

People had two choices: a — To seek refuge in newly invented and
defined communities and communal identities on the one hand, and b —
To reinvent those national symbols that are common to the society.
However what has emerged is not nationalism. At best it is a
pseudo-nationalism that is based on fear of the external and the
unknown, with an indefinite future feared most of all. The generation
of such pseudo-nationalism is made easier by the unearthing of past
traumas and wounds inflicted on the national psyche. There is nothing
healthy or therapeutic about this process. On the contrary it creates
a sense of victimization and mixed feeling of anxiety and anger
against alien and inimical forces/actors that are perceived as the
enemies that caused a lot of the pain the nation has suffered in the
past and is about to suffer in the near future.

So can we call this process `a surge of nationalism,’ as I have done
before? Hardly. But there is a surge of potent and negative feelings
against the failures of the system and the international developments
(globalization) that have disrupted the traditional life of
insufficiently developed societies. The only refuge within which to
seek shelter is the already-failing national state, which needs to be
reinforced to protect its unprotected citizens. This may seem like a
contradiction, but the pseudo-nationalism of nowadays is pretty much
a futile effort to reinforce and to revitalize the national state
that is part of the problem. So this so-called `surge of nationalism’
is an unproductive effort that will end up further aggravating the
frustration of the people who seek its protection.

There are two key ingredients of this pseudo-nationalist surge: fear
and frustration. The combination of these is explosive in that it
leads to rage and violence against often fabricated `enemies’ if
other conditions avail. Other conditions are encouragement and
protective leniency of official circles in order to get rid of the
`enemies’ of the nation and thuggish role models who are exalted as
`heroes’ by popular culture through the media. So it was with the
assassin of Hrant Dink, the Armenian-Turkish journalist (O.S.) and
the man who shot Pope Jean Paul II (Mehmet Ali Agça) nearly thirty
years ago. Both are in circulation as `nationalists.’ But in fact
both figures hate many groups in the (political) nation as defined by
the constitution and identify themselves not with the whole, but with
a faction of the nation that is either ethnically, religiously or
politically defined, or a combination of these. Why? It is because
the `national identity’ or the national state neither includes nor
satisfies many sections of the nation. Yet this failure is
transferred to the putative external enemies of the nation such as
the IMF, NATO the EU or the US. Hence the `community’ is reinvented
in a new context where the nation state does not deliver
sufficiently, and globalization challenges all that there is with new
demands and standards.

However the multiplicity of communities runs counter to nationalism
and loyalty to the nation state. This fragmentation leads to further
popular anxiety regarding the integrity of the nation. That is why
even the communities use common nationalistic symbols and seek a
common shelter. This shelter is found in the persona of the state,
devoid of the original concept of the nation that ought to be
homogeneous and harmonious. If this process leads to an inclusive
state structure that reconciles differences rather than dictates
uniformity, and if the exiting of communities leads to a
multi-cultural or pluralist understanding of the nation, then there
is hope for democracy and a state that is respectful of pluralism.
Otherwise there is more stormy weather ahead.

13.05.2007