Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

NO COALITION IN ARMENIA AS RULING PARTY GETS MAJORITY OF VOTES

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 17 2007

YEREVAN, May 17 (Itar-Tass) – There will be no coalition in Armenia
as the ruling Republican Party of Armenia has got the majority in
parliament, the head of the party’s parliamentary faction, Galust
Saakyan, said on Thursday.

According to preliminary results of the parliamentary election last
Saturday, this right-of-centre party has got about 65 of 131 mandates
in the National Assembly. The remaining seats were distributed mainly
among four other parties.

"The memorandum on a coalition will not be signed," Saakyan said,
stressing that it is not the signing of the document that is important,
but the principle of cooperation of political forces.

He said the Republican Party intends to cooperate with all
parliamentary and extraparliamentary forces, particularly with those
that were close to overcoming the five-percent barrier at the election.

Meanwhile, Armenian president’s adviser Garnik Isagulyan reported on
Thursday that extraparliamentary forces and certain political activists
of the country would participate in the formation of the government.

This will let the country have the government "where different
political forces will be represented".

NO CHANGES CONCERNING ARMENIA IN MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES PROGRAM

Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 16 2007

YEREVAN, May 16. /ARKA/. No changes concerning Armenia have been made
in the program implemented by the US Millennium Challenges Corporation,
Representative in Armenia Alex Russin told reporters. He reported
that all the decisions concerning the program are made by the Board
of Directors in Washington, USA.

Russin reported that over the last two weeks the Board has not met
to discuss any issues on Armenia on any other country.

Earlier, high-ranking officials of the Millennium Challenges
Corporation stated that the program in Armenia could be stopped
if the parliamentary elections were not held in conformity with
international standards.

The international observers assessed the May 12 parliamentary elections
as held in conformity with international standards and as progress
compared to the previous elections. The CIS observer mission assessed
the elections as free, fair and transparent.

However, the US Department of State stated that, although the latest
parliamentary elections were s tep forward, they were not held in
full conformity with international standards.

The program of the Millennium Challenges Program was launched in
Armenia on September 29, 2006.

ACTION PLAN ON FORMATION OF INFORMATION SOCIETY IN ARMENIA TO BE DEVELOPED BY AUTUMN OF 2007

Noyan Tapan
May 15 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. With the aim of implementing the programs
discussed at the World Summits on the Information Society in Geneva
(2003) and Tunisia (2005), the RA state commission will develop
an action plan on formation of the information society in Armenia
by the autumn of 2007. NT correspondent was informed about it from
Armen Grigorian, secretary of the IT Development Support Council,
head of the Secretariat on IT Development Issues of the Armenian
Development Agency.

According to him, based on the studies done in 2003-2004, World
Bank experts submitted to the Armenian government their proposals on
development of the e-governance system. In 2006, with the financial
assistance of the European Union, the national strategical program
on e-governance in Armenia was developed and taken into consideration
by the Armenian government.

"We are going to submit the document to the new government in order to
develop the e-governance system in Armenia. It means that departments
will shift to inner circulation of e-documents and also electronic
circulation between each other, services to the population will also
be provided by electronic means," A. Grigorian said.

It is envisaged that after the start of implementation of the two
documents, all Armenian departments must have their development
programs on providing services in an electronic way and on the use
of IT.

In his opinion, there is no problem with obtaining funds for
implementation of e-governance programs in Armenia. A number of
big companies operating in Armenia’s IT sector, as well as some
international donor organizations expressed a willingness to allocate
funds.

A. Grigorian noted that these organizations are ready to implement
the respective educational programs as well.

AZERBAIJAN IS AMONG WORLD’S WORST FOR SOFTWARE THEFT, REPORT SAYS

Today.Az
The Associated Press
15 May 2007 [14:18]

The rate of global software piracy has remained static for three
years but the cost to businesses is rising, the U.S. Business Software
Alliance said Tuesday.

The BSA survey, conducted by the U.S.-based market research firm IDC,
concluded that for every two dollars (Ë~F1.47) spent on legitimate
software, one dollar (Ë~F0.73) went to pirates.

"The bad news is that overall global piracy rates have remained
stagnant," BSA chief executive Robert Holleyman said. "Overall dollar
losses have gone up because the overall market is growing."

Though the piracy rate declined in 62 countries from 2005 to 2006,
those gains were offset by the growth in sales of computers in some
of the areas most blighted by software piracy.

The report claimed 35 percent of the all software installed on
personal computers in 2006 was obtained illegally. It estimated
software vendors could lose about US$180 billion (Ë~F133 billion)
to pirates over the next four years.

Critics say such figures are exaggerated because those obtaining
pirated software are unlikely to have paid for full price software
in any case.

Holleyman said the piracy rate in China, the second-largest market
for personal computers behind the United States, had fallen 10 percent
over three years, saving software companies an estimated US$864 million
(Ë~F638 million).

That drop was offset by an increase in piracy in the Middle East and
Africa, he said.

The report identified Armenia, Moldova, and Azerbaijan as among the
world’s worst for software theft, saying only one in twenty programs
used there was procured legally. The U.S., New Zealand, and Japan are
among the most law abiding — but nearly one in four programs there
were pirated, it said.

Researchers examined the software market in 102 countries, comparing
software sales in each of the countries with estimates of the amount
of software in use.

The report took the difference to be the pirated amount, calculating
losses based on prices for copies of those programs.

–Boundary_(ID_xLi0o2sFUPgjp2Xwulyb6w)- –

VOTES RECEIVED BY ZHARANGUTIUN ARE NOT 80 THOUSAND, BUT 250 THOUSAND, RAFFI HOVANNISIAN IS SURE

Noyan Tapan
May 15 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Indeed the Zharangutiun Party received
250 thousand and not 80 thousand votes in the May 12 parliamentary
elections, as it was mentioned in official data. Zharangutiun
(Heritage) Party leader Raffi Hovannisian stated at the May 15
press conference. He also said that not agreeing to preliminary
data published by the Central Electoral Commission, nevertheless,
Zharangutiun is not going to boycott the work of the new parliament.

Meanwhile, in R. Hovannisian’s words, they will support the process of
appealing against the results of the elections at the Constitutional
Court, irrespective of the circumstance which political force will
be the initiator of that process.

Speaking about negative phenomena registered in the electoral process,
the Zharangutiun leader numbered among them activity of "little
local princelings" aimed at limiting ordinary citizen’s activity,
as well as tolerance of those citizens and their readiness to vote
not of their own free will.

DASHNAKTSUTYUN CONSIDERS FORMATION OF COALITION NOT EXPEDIENT

ArmRadio.am
15.05.2007 14:37

Member of the Supreme Body of Dashnaktsutyun Armen Rustamian stated
in Yerevan today that he does not consider expedient the formation
of a coalition under the conditions of the distribution of forces in
the new parliament.

Armen Rustamian stated that Dashnaktsutyun has not received proposals
on formation of a coalition and he’s not sure such a proposal will
be received.

At the same time, he noted, "there are all the prerequisites for
cooperation both with the parliamentary majority, which is the
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), and with other forces, represented
in the National Assembly."

According to Rustamian, if coalition is formed, it will be of an
"artificial nature."

Armen Rustamian expressed confidence that Dashnaktsutyun will continue
normal cooperation with the Armenian President Robert Kocharyan

STATE DEPARTMENT DEPUTY SPOKESMAN TOM H. CASEY HOLDS STATE DEPARTMENT REGULAR NEWS BRIEFING

Congressional Quarterly
May 14, 2007 Monday

(CORRECTED COPY: FILLS IN TOP)

STATE DEPARTMENT REGULAR NEWS BRIEFING

MAY 14, 2007

SPEAKER: STATE DEPARTMENT DEPUTY SPOKESMAN TOM H. CASEY

CASEY: OK. Good afternoon, everybody. Happy Monday.

I don’t have anything to start you out with, so go right to your
questions.

QUESTION: All of my questions are too sensitive to ask at an open
briefing.

CASEY: Oh, OK.

(LAUGHTER)

Well, maybe we can have a closed briefing for you.

QUESTION: Anything on the elections in Armenia?

CASEY: Anything on the elections in Armenia? Well, I’ve got a little
bit on that, I think.

Basically, we do congratulate the Armenian people on their
parliamentary elections, and share with the international observers
who are present the view that the election infrastructure has been
greatly improved and that this is a step in the right direction toward
meeting international standards.

We do hope, however, that the government of Armenia will aggressively
investigate allegations that are there of electoral wrongdoing and
prosecute people in accordance with Armenian law.

So all in 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.

QUESTION: So you essentially disagree with European Union statement:
"On the whole meeting of standards…"

CASEY: Well, we — again, I’d note that the comments that have been
made by the various observers that this was an improvement, just not
— if you look at what the OSCE observers have said, there’s still
some ways to go before you would have an election that fully meets
all international standards.

KARABAKH – ON MAY 12, 1994 THE PROTOCOL ON CEASEFIRE WAS PUT INTO ACTION
"PanARMENIAN.Net" analytical department

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.05.2007 GMT+04:00

The essence of "the Russian plan" of the conflict regulation was as
follows; "The conflict may not be liquidated without the Karabakh
authorities being recognized by the conflicting party"

On May 12, 1994 the Bishkek Protocol on ceasefire on the conflict zone
was put into action. By that time the Armenian Army had liberated
Shushi, the Lacin Corridor and established a safe haven of seven
regions adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian Army’s advance
became a serious threat for Azerbaijan and soon Shaumyan and Getashen
were liberated. This is the reason why the President of Azerbaijan
Heydar Aliyev, to avoid more losses, made an appeal to the RF President
Boris Eltsin with the request to cease the war.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On May 4-5, 1994 in Bishkek on the initiative of
the CIS inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliament of the Kyrgyz
Republic, RF Federal Assembly, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs a
session was held, during which it was stated that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict "doesn’t only cripple the Azeri and Armenian Nations but
also touches upon the interests of the other countries of the region,
as well as tenses the international climate."

The participants of the session called all the confronting parties
"to listen to the voice within and cease the fire, resting upon
the Protocol of February 18, 1994, as well as to secure this in the
shortest time by signing a trustworthy and legally binding agreement,
anticipating a mechanism of securing the resumption of the ceasefire,
the withdrawal of the troops from the occupied territories and renewal
of the communication, as well as returning the refugees."

It was then, when "the Russian Plan" of regulation was promulgated,
the essence of which according to the chairman of the Supreme
Soviet of the Russian Federation Vladimir Shumeiko was as follows;
"The conflict may not be liquidated without the Karabakh authorities
being recognized by the conflicting party" which naturally didn’t
like the Azeri delegation, whose head Afiyeddin Jalilov at first
didn’t sign below the Bishkek Protocol of May 5. But on May 9 in the
session of the Supreme Council of Armenia its former Chairman Babken
Ararktsyan informed, that he had had a telephone conversation with the
former Chairman of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Rasul Guliyev who had
informed him that Azerbaijan had signed below the Bishkek Protocol too.

The Bishkek Protocol defined the date of the ceasefire – May
9. There was a relative lull on the fronts, though the armistice
was put into effect not on May 9, but May 12. It was validated by a
letter from the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan and Armenia and the
Nagorno-Karabakh army commander addressed on May 11 by the Russian
Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs and the representative of
the President of Russia. On May 17 a specified "Arrangement" about
the order of realization of the Protocol of February 18 was signed.

Below it carried the same signatures as the Protocol.

But the USA made it clear that it was against Russia’s intermediary
efforts. George Mareska; the former CSCE Co-chairman supported
America’s conception of Nagorno-Karabakh self-determination, the
realization of which would leave it within the bounds of Azerbaijan
"on the basis of free union." According to the RF first Ambassador
to Armenia Vladimir Stupishin peaceful way of conflict regulation
without interference of outer powers is not possible in the nearest
future. "Plans" suggested by the CSCE, which always stand in favor
for Azerbaijan and are always unacceptable by Karabakh have become
one of the factors creating troubles in the regulation process,"
Stupishin writes.

ARMENPRESS

POLICE DENY OPPOSITION LEADER ALLEGATIONS

YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian police have
denied today allegations by an opposition leader that
the authorities have printed 400,000 news passports
‘to rig the May 12 parliamentary elections."
The allegations were made by Nikol Pashinian, chief
editor of a newspaper (Haykakan Zhamanak) critical of
the government, who is also one of the leaders of the
Impeachment bloc that failed to win a seat in the
elections.
A statement by a police department that is in
charge of passports, said overall 194,623 passports
were printed from 2006 May 19 to 2007 May 10. Some 31,
795 passports were granted to children- from newborn
to 16 years old, while 113,000 to persons 18 and
older.

ACCORDING TO PROSECUTOR GENERAL’S OFFICE, NO SERIOUS VIOLATIONS
REGISTERED DURING VOTING AT PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

YEREVAN, MAY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. No serious violations were registered
during voting at the parliamentary elections, NT correspondent was
informed from Sona Truzian, spokeswoman for the RA prosecutor
general. According to her, the prosecutor’s office received 10 written
reports, based on which materials are being prepared and decisions
will be made.

The prosecutor’s office also examined Internet reports of the mass
media (5 of them are now being examined, after which a decision will
be made), as well as electoral violation-related information at
websites of various parties.