Author: Virabian Jhanna

Electoral office of presidential candidate Artur Bagdassaryan blames
Armen Gazaryan

2008-02-16 18:43:00

ArmInfo. The electoral office of the leader of Orinats Yerkir party,
presidential candidate Artur Bagdassaryan has blamed Armen Gazaryan for
supporting the first president of Armenia, presidential candidate Levon
ter-Petrossyan on behalf of OY.

The office says that Armen Gazaryan has nothing to do with Orinats
Yerkir but is the man of Ter-Petrossyan, his "stool pigeon" in the
party. "We demand that the Prosecutor General Office punish Armen
Gazaryan for spreading lies. We blame the style of political blackmail
and believe that the practice of electoral fraud and provocations is
doomed to failure," says the electoral office of OY.

"PRE-ELECTORAL STRUGGLE HAS GONE BEYOND FRAMEWORKS OF CIVILIZED BEHAVIOUR," SUPREME BODY OF ARF ARMENIA DECLARES

Noyan Tapan
Feb 14, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The Supreme Body of the ARF Armenia
has made a statement on February 13, which runs as follows:

"The forthcoming presidential elections have a decisive significance
for our state. Certain excitement of the political atmosphere, public
polarizations are natural and inevitable during any election, however,
it is inaddmissible when the pre-electoral struggle goes beyond the
frameworks of the civilized behaviour.

We should record with sorrow that the pre-electoral competition in
Armenia today is just like that. The unhealthy tendencies of the
competition, which were observed at the beginning of the presidential
campaign, get new manifestations day after day. The atmosphere of
intolerance sowed in society, the violation of elementary norms
of the political struggle, the personal offences addressed to each
other by the rival candidates and their team fellows, the obvious
calls and threats of reckoning, as well as the sowing of enmity and
mutual hatred in society have reached a very dangerous level. All this
lights a green light for the interference of non-political elements
and external forces, which is full of unforeseeable consequences.

Realizing the whole danger of the created situation, we condemn any
attempt of unhealthy competition.

We call to all the forces for following the norms of the political
ethics, coming up exclusively from ideaological-program positions,
by keeping away from the instigating attempts to make the situation
uncontrollable during the pre-electoral campaign.

We declare that we will not allow to put the stability of the country
and the future of our independent statehood in danger.

We declare with responsibility that the only way out of the created
situation is to exclude all the possible electoral infringements and
electoral falsifications and to hold really free, fair and transparent
elections."

BELARUSSIAN PLANE CRASHES ON TAKEOFF IN ARMENIA

Xinhua
Feb 14 2008
China

MOSCOW, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — A passenger plane with 21 people onboard
crashed when taking off from Armenia’s capital of Yerevan early
Thursday, but no one was killed in the accident, Russian media
reported.

Four people were hospitalized after the plane crashed at the Zvarnots
Airport, about 10 km west of Yerevan, Russia’s RIA news agency cited
a spokesperson for the Caucasus country’s civil aviation authority
as saying.

The Canadian-made CRJ-100 was heading for Minsk with 18 passengers and
three crew members on board when it slid off the runway at 0015 GMT.

The aircraft split into two parts and burst into flame after one of
its wings hit the ground, the report said.

"All the passengers and crew were rescued from the blazing plane,"
the spokesperson said, adding that most of those injured had received
medical assistance on the spot.

Sixteen of the people on board were reported to be Armenians while
the nationality of the others has yet to be announced.

The aircraft belongs to the Belarussian state-owned airline,
Belavia. Flights to and from the airport were halted temporarily and
experts are heading for the spot to carry out an investigation into
the crash.

SOME 539 HIV CASES REGISTERED SINCE 1988

ARMENPRESS
Feb 13, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS: Some 64, 243 Armenian citizens were
examined last year for the purpose of finding out whether they had
HIV. Some 50,000 of them were females.

The National Statistical Service said almost 31,000 were residents
of Yerevan, 22,000 were residents of other towns and almost 11,000
were from rural communities. Some 29,000 were aged 20-30 years old,
270 were below 15 years old and over 2000 were over 60 years old.

According to the National AIDS Prevention Center, a total of 530 HIV
cases were reported in the country since 1998 to 2007, but independent
experts say the figure is far higher. One hundred people were diagnosed
with HIV in 2007 alone.

The growth rate of HIV infection makes the HIV/AIDS epidemic a real
danger for the country with a population of 3.2 million. A number
of factors such as labor migration to Russia and other former Soviet
republics and massive increase in individual high-risk behaviors are
contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

BALLOT PAPERS REMOVED TO ELECTORAL UNITS

Panorama.am
16:01 13/02/2008

The ballot papers will be sent to electoral units on 13 February. The
information is provided by Abraham Baghchagukyan, the secretary
of the CEC. According to him 1 million 500 thousands ballot papers
are printed.

The secretary reminded that the representatives of mass media and
the committees could see the printing process themselves.

As for the appeals, Baghchagulyan said that they received 23 appeals
and discussed them in the CEC meeting. He reminded that the answers
to the appeals are given within 5 days. "At the moment 4 appeals are
in the process of discussion. Only those appeals are answered which
are signed by all five members and the president of the CEC. There
were proposals in many appeals," said the secretary.

According to Baghchagulyan, all the 15354 members of electoral
committee finished their training courses which were carried out by
the support of the OSCE and IFES professors.

VAZGEN MANOUKIAN: AT PRESENT NATO MEMBERSHIP MAY BE HARMFUL FOR ARMENIA
By Agavni Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
14/02/2008

Foreign Policy

The Presidential Candidate Vazgen Manoukian made this statement in
the course of the press conference at the Armenian Center for Trans-
Atlantic Initiatives on February 12. In particular, he said that in
the visible future Armenia should not consider joining NATO, since
it will not enhance our security and will spoil our relations with
Iran and Russia instead.

As for the improvement of the relations with Turkey within the
framework of NATO membership, Vazgen Manoukian brought the example
of Turkey and Cyprus, two NATO member countries that unfolded a war
against each other. Vazgen Manoukian says he respects NATO and is for
close cooperation with this organization but membership is wrong, he
thinks. Vazgen Manoukian says in ten years this issue may be solved
automatically or become absolutely moot.

In response to the question whether there is a big geopolitical game
in the region, and if he admits, what role he thinks Armenia performs
in this game, the presidential candidate said our region up to the
Persian Gulf is one of the most unstable regions. He reminded that
in NATO’s analyses dating from the 1960s our region was viewed as
the most likely hotbed of World War III. Vazgen Manoukian says if
the local peoples do not promote integration, create a common space,
naturally the great powers should become involved in the game.

In this context, Armenia performs an important role which is both
good and bad, Vazgen Manoukian believes.

According to Vazgen Manoukian, it is good if Armenia has created
a modern effective system of settlement of internal problems, and
realizes its goals, and it is bad if there is no such system and the
goals are uncertain.

Vazgen Manoukian also thinks the countries of our region should
promote integration to rule out alien military presence. In that case,
he thinks, Armenia’s military dependence on Russia will weaken.

As for the expected developments in the coming presidential elections,
the presidential candidate first said in case of a fair election
the government candidate cannot win in one round because he lacks
the resource. Vazgen Manoukian also rules out the victory of any
candidate of the opposition, and thinks such announcements are clear
bluffing. He thinks nobody’s rating is above 20 percent, therefore
the main candidates will most probably get equal votes.

As to the second round, the presidential candidate says one of the
representatives of the opposition will run in the second round, and
the opposition candidate will win the second round if the opposition
comes together around him. As to who the likely candidate from the
opposition is, Vazgen Manoukian declines to tell.

VARDAN OSKANIAN TO DELIVER SPEECH AT MEETING OF FMS OF BLACK SEA REGION COUNTRIES AND EU

DeFacto Agency
Feb 12 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 12.02.08. DE FACTO. February 13-14 in Kiev RA FM Vardan
Oskanian will participate in a meeting of FMs of Black Sea region
member countries and the European Union.

According to the information DE FACTO received at the RA MFA Press
Office, Vardan Oskanian is to deliver a speech within the frames of
the measure.

V. Oskanian’s bilateral meetings with FMs of Georgia, Ukraine and
Serbia, as well as with the European Union’s leadership have also
been scheduled.

NKR DEFENSE MINISTRY: BAKHMANOV’S STATEMENT NOTHING BUT REGULAR PROVOCATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.02.2008 16:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The statement by Nizami Bakhmanov, the leader of
so-called Azeri community of Karabakh, is nothing but a regular
provocation of the Azerbaijani agitation machine, head of the
propaganda and information division at the NKR Defense Ministry,
lieutenant colonel Senor Asratyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"This is a recurrent canard of the Azeri authorities meant to mislead
the public. The statement also conflicts with the EU recommendations
for trust building measures between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Asratyan
said, adding, "There are no Kurds in Nagorno Karabakh. It’s strange
that Mr Bakhmanov is unaware of this fact."

On February 11, Bakhmanov told a news conference in Baku that
Azerbaijan will carry out "anti-terrorist operations in Karabakh if
existence of Kurdish bases is proved." The Azeri Defense Ministry
did not comment on the statement, 1news.az agency said.

In 1928, Soviet Azerbaijan razed to the ground Red Kurdistan, a region
adjacent to Karabakh. Exiled Kurds found shelter in Armenia.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Feb 8 2008

REPRESENTATIVES OF POLITICAL PARTIES MEET PACE SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH

Spokesmen of the political parties represented in the Milli Majlis
met today with the Lord Russell-Johnston, Chairman of the PACE
Subcommittee for Nagorno Karabakh.
In the meeting, YAP Deputy Chairman, Executive Secretary Ali Ahmadov
highlighted that Azerbaijani society has common position concerning
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, stressing there is no
discrepancy of ideas between government and opposition.
The representatives of the political parties updated the guest on the
history of the conflict, its heavy sequences for Azerbaijan and
Azerbaijani nation, as well as violence used by the aggressive
Armenia towards Azerbaijani people and genocides committed by the
Armenians in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
The spokesmen specially stressed Azerbaijan has the right for
restoration of territorial integrity and expressed their anxiety over
double standards concerning settlement of the conflict.
Expressing his attitude over settlement of the conflict, Chairman of
the PACE Subcommittee said Nagorno-Karabakh conflict differs from
Kosovo problem, thus, Azerbaijanis were ousted from their lands and
stressed that efforts for settlement of the conflict should be
increased.

Mermaid

Screendaily
Dan Fainaru at the Berlin Film Fesitval
February 8, 2008

Director: Anna Melikyan. Russia, 2007. 118 minutes.

Azerbaijani director Anna Melkian’s second feature opens Berlin’
Panorama section with a World Cinema Director’s award from Sundance
and solid box office at home in Russia under its belt (her first,
Mars, was also shown in Panorama at Berlin).

A coming-of-age fairytale with dark undertones, Mermaid is delivered
in a light, bantering tone – a first-person narrative of the life of
Alissa (played by Donstova as a child and Shalaeva from adolescence
onwards). With the insouciant approach of a young director who doesn’t
particularly care whether everything in her film makes sense or
follows the rules, Mermaid looks certain for international festival
and arthouse acclaim.

Hailed at home as the Russian Amelie, Mermaid’s heroine is Alissa. the
daughter of a portly, bouncy woman (Sokova) and a passing sailor who
chanced upon her on a deserted beach, bathing in the nude. The sailor
is long gone, and Alissa, aged five at the film’s onset, lives with
her mother and senile granny. She wants to be a ballerina and dreams
of meeting her father but both wishes are denied to her.

Some of her desires do come true, however – such as her village home
being destroyed in a hurricane which forces her mother to move to
Moscow. Whether this, and some other momentuous events in the course
of the film, are actually Alissa’s doing remains an open question
until the very end.

Once in Moscow, she carries out a succession of odd jobs (including
one which involves roaming the streets in a rubber mobile phone) until
one night she fishes a young man called Sasha (Tsyganov) out of the
river. He turns out to be an upwardly mobile young businessman,
successfully selling lots on the moon to people (only the visible
side, he stresses) in the daytime, getting drunk in the evening, and
conducting an affair with blonde bombshell Rita (Skrinichenko) in
between. Alissa falls in love and works some of her (supposed) magic
to save him several times, with mixed results.

A lively portrait of the transition from childhood to maturity,
Mermaid’s bemusing, downbeat ending confused many in the Berlin
audience but seems simply to represent the end of this transition –
the child disappears, the adolescent is no longer there, adulthood
sets in.

Melikyan’s own script doesn’t quite provide the material for an
almost-two-hour move and the length is felt by the audience despite
sterling work from both Dontsova and Shalaeva (in particular).

Some crazy but efficient supporting performances are delivered by
Maria Sokova and Yevgenyi Tsyganov (an actor, singer and youth
idol). Technical credits are solid, and Igor Vdovin’s score rounds up
the fanciful mood.

Production companies
Magnum Studios
Central Partnership
Worldwide distribution
Central Partnership 00 7 495 981 8214

Producers
Ruben Dishdishian

Screenplay
Anna Melikyan

Director of photography
Oleg Kirichenko

Production designer
Ulyana Ryabova

Editor
Aleksandr Andryuschenko
Karen Oganesyan
Maksim Smirnov

Music
Igor Vdovin
Main cast:
Masha Salaeva
Yevgenyi Tsyganov
Maria Sokova
Nastya Dontsova
Irina Skrinichenko
Veronica Skugina