Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

RA PRIME MINISTER TO DEPART FOR GEORGIA
Pan Armenian News
30.05.2005 03:41
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian governmental delegation headed by
Prime Minister Andranik Margarian will pay a formal visit to Georgia
June 1-3 to take part in the recurrent sitting of the CIS government
heads. The sitting participants are expected to discuss trade-economic,
financial and humanitarian cooperation. In part, they will focus at
the stepwise liquidation of limitations applied in the trade sphere,
prolongation of terms of the intergovernmental programs, creation of
information and marketing network for spreading goods and services
throughout the markets of the CIS member-states. Over 20 documents
on trade, economy, environment protection, health and defense will
be as well signed. June 2 Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili will
receive the government heads. During the visit the Armenian Premier is
scheduled to meet with Georgian parliament chairman Nino Burjanadze,
Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli. The Armenian delegation members will
hold negotiations with the Georgian government officials.

ROMANIAN JOURANLISTS INCLUDING EDUARD OHANESIAN SET FREE IN IRAQ
BAGDAD, MAY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. On May 22, three Romanian journalists
including Eduard (Ovidio) Ohanesian of the Armenian origin taken
hostage three months ago were set free in Iraq. As Radio Liberty
stated quating information of the “Associated Press” agency, Trayan
Basesku, the President of Romania informed that the journalists were
set free as a result of activities of the special services of
Romania. “No ransom was paid for thier setting free, no negatiations
were held in the direction of Romania’s foreing policy. He added that
the journalists are physically healthy and would return to thier
homeland on May 23.” The Romanian journalists and the translator
accompanying them were taken hostage in Iraq on February 28. Iraq’s
assaults demanded from the authorities of that country to bring out a
Romanian 800 people contingent fixed in Iraq.

World in brief
Sunday May 29, 2005
The Observer
Armenia’s unity dance
Armenians joined hands in a dance of unity encircling the nation’s
highest mountain yesterday. More than 150,000 people, including
President Robert Kocharian, danced for 15 minutes in a 100-mile circle
around Mount Aragats, to celebrate the founding of the first republic
of Armenia in 1918 and remember the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
genocide.

Drowned In Sound, UK
May 28 2005
Mezmerize by System Of A Down on American Recordings
Release date: 16th May 2005 More and more I’m convinced that, rather
than being the crazy moshing half brother of Rage Against The
Machine, System Of A Down are actually not a metal band at all, but
rather the sole heirs of The Dead Kennedys’ estate. On ‘Mezmerize’,
the first part of this years double release (‘Hypnotize’ will be
released in the autumn), there’s that same familiar psychotic energy
and enthusiasm that manages to add a blitz of colour to their records
even when they’re being as dark as hell, black comedy like Slim
Pickens cowboy hick air force captain riding the bomb to oblivion in
‘Dr.Strangelove’. It does not conform.
It’s nice when the album runs from the quiet minor melancholy intro,
‘Soldier Side’, into frenetic supercharged ‘Maiden territory for the
Gulf War tirade ‘B.Y.O.B.’, and also nice when that song empties out
into a hooky chorus that could almost be the Backstreet Boys bent
over a big riff. On ‘Revenga’, Serj Tankian switches between an
almost unintelligibly fast vocal and melancholy armenian folk meets
Fugazi. Loved the epic Devin Townsend-ish middle eight. ‘Cigaro’,
with it’s cock fixation, estranges me a bit. Though the point of the
song appears to be to parody male posturing, it steers a little too
close to that which it mocks.
I don’t know if it’s an attempt to force their songs into being more
‘pop’, but the band have developed a habit of overly repeating a
lyric in the hope that it sticks. In theory that’s fine, but in this
case, some of the phrases they choose to repeat aren’t particularly
memorable and the repetition can be irritating and clumsy (like the
chorus to ‘Radio/Video’)…. Good thing they never stick in one place
long enough to get boring and are still expert at setting verses to
some rhythm you didn’t expect. (That track dives in to a few
different reggae feels and finally settles on something like a
wedding dance!). ‘This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I’m On This Song’
is very much like an modern Dead Kennedys song might sound, fast and
furious, while ‘Violent Pornography’ begins like a bit of a nursery
rhyme. Nice chorus, but I’m not sure if I really get the lyrics. I
really liked the way ‘Question!’ was put together… it’s different,
and difficult to describe. ‘Sad Statue’ and ‘Old School Hollywood’
are both decent enough SOAD fare, but make sure you wait for the last
song!
I think ‘Lost In Hollywood’, a bitter blast at it’s phony
manipulative flipside, is the band’s ‘Under The Bridge’. A great
ballad, a great tune and a great song. Many lighters will sway from
side to side to it, and many fans will sing along, but I wonder if
the caustic words may (sadly) keep it off the daytime playlist.
The minor key melodies and armenian folk side of Daron Malakian’s
writing are much more in evidence on ‘Mezmerize’ than on their
previous albums…imagine Anthrax and the Cardiacs doing a soundtrack
for ‘Fiddler On The Roof’, the eastern folk melodies playing
Dr.Jekyll to the heavy riffing staccato Hyde. Perhaps they’re
settling into their identity…Fast and furious often, melodic often,
powerful often, diverse always. It very occasionally loses me, but on
the whole, the album is perfect for anyone with a low attention span.
If played in isolation, most of the songs would catch the first time
listener because System of A Down still sound very different from
anyone else (remember what it was like hearing ‘Chop Suey!!!’ on
Xfm), but ‘Mezmerize’is primarily an album that I would almost always
play from front to back, since it provides a bit of a journey for the
listener (on the back of a scooter going the wrong way down a one way
street in Naples in rush hour). Worth mentioning the excellent inner
artwork, and specifically the abstract band pictures.
Three years after their brilliant 1998 debut,’System Of A Down’, came
the album that propelled the band into many people’s
consciousness,’Toxicity’, and four years later here we are with
another excellent record, ‘Mezmerize’. It’s nice to see them back,
and I hope the forthcoming ‘Hypnotize’ is as good.

Beirut statistics for candidates, districts in Lebanese parliamentary
elections
Quotes package from BBC Monitoring
27 May 05

The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) carried the following
statistical report on 27 May highlighting details of the first leg of
the 2005 Lebanese parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on 29
May in Beirut ‘s three electoral districts:
The first phase of Lebanon’s 2005 parliamentary elections will begin
in the governorate of Beirut on Sunday 29 May, with the polling
process scheduled to start at 0700 [0400 gmt] and to end at 1800 [1500
gmt].
Beirut city governorate
· ·Total number of polling stations: 780
· ·Number of voters: 420,630
· Number of parliamentary seats: 19
Number of voters on the basis of sects distributed over three electoral
districts in Beirut
Sunni Muslim: 181,687
Shi’i Muslim: 57,029
Armenian Orthodox: 47,169
Roman Orthodox: 42,287
Maronites: 24,711
Roman Catholic: 18,723
Armenian Catholic: 9,682
Syriac Catholic: 8,232
Latin: 5,822
Israeli: 5,534
Syriac Orthodox: 5,246
Druze: 5,073
Armenian Protestant: 3,720
Protestant: 3,190
Chaldean Catholic: 1,364
Assyrian: 387
Chaldean: 229
Alawite: 215
Sabbath Adventist: 177
Chaldean Orthodox: 111
Baha’i: 33
Evangelical: 8
Miscellaneous: 1
Beirut first electoral district
· ·Number of voters: 135,899
· ·Number of parliamentary seats: 6 (2 Sunni), (1 Maronite), (1 Roman
Catholic), (1 Roman Orthodox), (1 Evangelical)
· ·Number of polling stations: 257
Number of voters distributed per district
Al-Ashrafiyah: 51,933
Al-Mazra’a: 74,340
Al-Sayfi: 9,566
Uncontested winners of parliamentary seats in Beirut ‘s first district
Solanje Louis Tutanji (Maronite seat)
Michel Pierre Far’un (Roman Orthodox seat)
Basim Ramzi al-Shab (Evangelical seat)
Candidates running for parliamentary seats in Beirut ‘s first district
(2 Sunni seats): Sa’d al-Din Rafiq al-Hariri, Ammar Umar al-Huri, Jihad Munir
al-Danna, Ahmad Muhammad Dabbagh.
(1 Roman Orthodox seat): Jacques Jean Elie Tamir Tamir, Jubran Ghassan
Tuwayni, Khalil Emile Birmanah.
Beirut second electoral district
· ·Number of voters: 137,466
· ·Number of parliamentary seats: 6 (2 Sunni), (1 Shi’i), (1 Roman
Orthodox), (1 Minorities), (1 Armenian Orthodox)
· ·Number of polling stations: 250
Number of voters distributed per district
Al-Msaytbih: 63,132
Al-Bashurah: 45,262
Al-Rmayl: 29,072
Uncontested winners of parliamentary seats in Beirut ‘s second district
Yeghia Jerijian (Armenian Orthodox seat)
Candidates running for parliamentary seats in Beirut ‘s second district
(2 Sunni seats): Walid Ahmad Ido, Bahij Bahij Tabbarah, Adnan Ahmad Arqaji,
Ahmad Yusif Yasin, Nabilah Muhammad Sa’b, Ibrahim Muhammad Dallal al-Halabi,
Zuhayr Ibrahim al-Khatib, Badr Rachid al-Hajj Badr al-Tabish.
(1 Shi’i seat): Amin Muhammad Shari, Ibrahim Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din, Ali
Rachid Shahrur, Salah-al-Din Nizam Asayran.
(1 Roman Orthodox seat): Atif Saliba Majdalani, Najah Anis Wakim.
(1 Minorities seat): Nabil Musa De Frayj, Raymond George Asmar.
Beirut third electoral district
· ·Number of voters: 147,265
· ·Number of parliamentary seats: 7 (2 Sunni), (1 Shi’i), (1 Armenian
Catholic), (1 Druze), (2 Armenian Orthodox)
· ·Number of polling stations: 273
Number of voters distributed per district
Dar al-Mraysih: 10,621
Ra’s Beirut: 30,062
Zuqaq al-Blatt: 42,663
Al-Midawar: 41,789
Al-Marfa (Port): 8,664
Mina al-Husun: 13,466
Uncontested winners of parliamentary seats in Beirut ‘s third district
Serge Tursarkisian (Armenian Catholic seat)
Jean Latfik Ogassabian (Armenian Orthodox seat)
Agup Strak Kasarjian (Armenian Orthodox seat)
Ghazi Ali Yusif (Shi’i seat)
Ghazi Hani al-Aridi (Druze seat)
Candidates running for parliamentary seats in Beirut ‘s third district
(2 Sunni seats): Muhammad Jamil Qabbani, Ghinwah Adnan Jallul, Adnan Khadir
Trabulsi, Yihya Khadir Fattah Ahmad.

Pan Armenian News
TURKEY’S DENIAL OF GENOCIDE MOVES IT AWAY FROM DEMOCRACY
27.05.2005 07:09
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President declaring the acknowledgement of the
Armenian Genocide as a crime against humanity fits the spirit of the
European values, Armenian Permanent Representative of the CoE Christian
Ter-Stepanian said when addressing a meeting of the Committee of Ministers
of the Council of Europe. In his words, Turkey denying the Armenian Genocide
shows the length of the road the country has to pass on the way of `memory
of the past’, which is so important for the democratic development of any
society. As noted by Ter-Stepanian, Turkey’s refusal to hold a scientific
conference on Armenian Genocide issues is a sad evidence of that. In
Ter-Stepanian’s words, in spite of a statement by Turkish PM R. Erdogan
during the CoE Warsaw Summit, it is unfair to consider that the 11 countries
that have acknowledged the Genocide did it under pressure. `They made this
move deliberately,’ he stated. Today Erdogan, inspired by coming discussions
over Turkey’s accession to the EU, calls to form a historical commission,
while evidence and works of a number of international scholars and experts
are sufficient for stating the Armenian Genocide is a fact. Armenia
considers that the present and the future of the Armenian-Turkish relations
are in the sphere of responsibility of the authorities of the two countries.
Today it is necessary not to limit oneself to views of the past, but to the
contrary discuss today’s issues and face the future, Armenia’s
representative to the CoE stated.

Turkish Press
May 27 2005
Turkish parliament amends controversial penal code

ANKARA – Turkey’s parliament Friday approved a package of amendments
to a controversial new penal code, put on hold in March amid harsh
criticism that it restricts press freedoms and contains technical
flaws.
The code, which was first adopted in September amid much fanfare and
praise, was a key condition that Ankara fulfilled to win a date for
accession talks with the European Union at a summit in Brussels in
December.
It overhauls Turkey’s 78-year-old penal code borrowed from fascist
Italy and has won praise for introducing a more liberal criminal
justice system, in particular increasing penalties against human
rights abusers and torturers and improving the rights of women and
children.
The package adopted Friday contains improvements to a number of
articles concerning the media, but press groups have denounced the
changes as inadequate on the grounds that journalists may still end
up in prison, even though jail sentences were purged from the press
law in another reform last year.
The amendments notably scrap provisions that envisaged increased
penalties for some offenses if they are committed via the media, such
as slander, insult to the president and incitement to war.
The lawmakers also narrowed the scope of a controversial article
envisaging up to 10 years in jail for those who accept benefits from
foreigners in return for acting against “fundamental national
interests.”
A provision that would have increased the jail term to 15 years if
the offender committed the crime by spreading propaganda via the
media was removed from the code.
The article raised alarm when it emerged that explanatory notes in
the draft bill said it targets those who may, for instance, advocate
the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus and support claims that
the massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire was genocide.
Other articles denounced by the media, however, remained unchanged.
Most of them concern the protection of privacy and the secrecy of
judicial proceedings until suspects are formally charged.
Press groups say the provisions are too restrictive and will deal a
heavy blow to investigative journalism.
Complete with Friday’s amendments, the new penal code is now
scheduled to enter force on June 1, if it is approved by the
president.
A row between the government, which has its roots in a banned
Islamist movement, and the secularist main opposition marred the
debate on the amendments late Thursday when ruling party deputies
proposed a last-minute change.
The amendment, approved later with support from AKP MPs, paves the
way for those who run illegal educational institutions to escape with
a fine rather than a jail term.
Turkey’s secular elite is categorically opposed to easing
restrictions on opening schools on the grounds that such a move will
allow political Islamist movements to set up their own schools and
train Islamist-leaning sympathisers.
The conservative AKP is often accused of having a secret Islamist
agenda, even though it has disavowed its Islamist roots.

e=politicsNews&storyID=737144&section=news
Merkel stellt Türkei Bedingungen für EU-Verhandlungen
Freitag 27 Mai, 2005 08:08 CET

Hannover (Reuters) – Die CDU-Chefin und voraussichtliche
Unions-Kanzlerkandidatin Angela Merkel hat der Türkei Bedingungen
für die Aufnahme der vereinbarten Gespräche über einen
Beitritt zur Europäischen Union (EU) gestellt.
Für den Beginn der Gespräche am 3. Oktober sei festgelegt
worden, dass die Türkei bis dahin noch einige Dinge zu machen habe,
sagte Merkel am Donnerstag bei einer Podiumsdiskussion auf dem
Evangelischen Kirchentag in Hannover. Dazu gehöre die
Zypern-Frage. “Ich halte das für ein ziemlich inakzeptablen
Zustand, dass Zypern Mitglied der Europäischen Union ist, die
Türkei will es werden und gleichzeitig kommen die beiden nicht
zueinander.” Das müsse geklärt werden. Die Türkei macht eine
Anerkennung Zyperns, dessen griechisch-sprachiger Teil EU-Mitglied
ist, von einem Friedensabkommen für die Insel abhängig. Zypern
ist seit der türkischen Invasion von 1974 geteilt.
Merkel dringt auch auf eine Normalisierung der Beziehungen zwischen
der Türkei und Armenien: “Ich muss auch deutlich sagen, dass ich es
für veränderungswürdig halte, dass die Türkei mal
diplomatische Beziehungen zu Armenien aufnimmt.” Die Beziehungen
zwischen beiden Ländern sind angespannt, da die Türkei den
Volkermord an der armenischen Bevölkerung Anfang des vergangenen
Jahrhunderts leugnet. Auch mehrere EU-Länder haben gefordert, dass
die Türkei den Tod von etwa 1,5 Millionen Armeniern während des
Ersten Weltkriegs als Völkermord anerkennt.
Auch in der gesellschaftlichen Entwicklung sieht Merkel Defizite. Bei
der Rolle der Frau in der Türkei habe sie große
Fragezeichen. Das sei ein ganz ernstes Problem ist, jenseits von
irgendwelchen religiösen Wurzeln.
Merkel plädierte erneut für eine privilegierte Partnerschaft der
Türkei mit der EU. Eine Vollmitgliedschaft kommt aus ihrer Sicht in
absehbarer Zeit nicht in Frage. Vor dem Hintergrund der Erweiterung
der EU um osteuropäische Länder habe sie Zweifel, ob die Union
auch die Kraft habe, zusätzlich noch die Türkei zu integrieren.
Die Bundesregierung hatte im Gegensatz zur Union die Aufnahme der
Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der Türkei befürwortet. Bundeskanzler
Gerhard Schröder will, dass die Türkei in die EU aufgenommen
wird, wenn sie deren Bedingungen erfüllt.

NKR FOREIGN MINISTER: KEEPING LOCKED UP BORDERS WITH ARMENIA TURKEY
BLACKMAILS EU
STEPANAKERT, MAY 26. ARMINFO. Inactivity of Armenian-Turkish border
sorts a little with Karabakh problem, stated NKR Foreign Minister
Arman Melikyan in an interview to NKR Public Radio and TV Company.
“Serious geopolitical changes take place today in both the region and
the world, and, in my opinion, Turkey keeps the border locked up with
the aim to argue about an issue of its accession to the European
Union, thus, Turkey blackmails the EU. That is the base”, he noted.
Melikyan expressed an opinion that European diplomats realize it. “I
think, they put as a counterbalance the issue of recognizing Armenian
Genocide. i.e. Armenian problems are used as an instrument for solving
mutual problems: Turkey – the closeness of borders and Europeans – the
issue of recognizing Armenian Genocide”, he added.
Melikyan noted that, in these conditions, Armenian people should
defend their interests. “I think, the main interest for NKR people is
to reach country’s fully participation in international processes and
to change the country into a fully member of international community”,
he concluded. -r-

Press sees shortcoming in Ankara’s legal code
The Associated Press
Friday, May 27, 2005
ANKARA — The Turkish Parliament on Thursday began debating a revised
version of the country’s delayed penal code reform, amid criticism by
journalists who say the amendments do not go far enough toward
eliminating threats to press freedom.

The reforms are part of efforts by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
government to raise the country’s chances of joining the European Union.
But there are concerns that the government’s failure to address certain
shortfalls may jeopardize the its chances.

Parliament had been expected in March to approve the legislation, which
would revamp Turkey’s 79-year old code by improving women’s rights and
eliminating all reference to the death penalty, which was abolished in
2002. But the government delayed the vote until now to address fears
that the new code could threaten freedoms and result in prison terms for
journalists.

Critics, however, say the revised draft makes no significant
improvement, and that one change – making it a crime to humiliate state
institutions – would even bring harsher punishment. Journalists say the
new code needs further improvements. The code was to have taken effect
on June 1.

Erdogan’s government had made EU membership a top priority, but it has
been accused of flagging in the pace of reforms needed to join the bloc.
EU leaders have agreed to start membership negotiations with Turkey on
Oct. 3.

Critics say the draft penal code legislation contains vague language
that could make it easier to crack down on journalists and make it more
difficult to cover legal proceedings.

“We know that the days when Turkey will again be remembered as ‘the
world’s largest journalists’ prison’ are ahead of us,” wrote Oktay Eksi,
a columnist for Hurriyet newspaper.

Justice Minister Cemil Cicek defended the code, saying: “It may have
shortfalls and mistakes, but no one should say these were deliberate.
Important improvements were made through good will and hard work.”

One article calls for prison sentences for those who disregard the
state’s “fundamental national interests.” A reasoning attached to the
draft of that article specifies that calling for the withdrawal of
Turkish soldiers from Cyprus or saying that Armenians were subjected to
genocide during World War I should be considered an offense punishable
by 3 to 10 years in prison.

The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said it shared the concerns of
Turkish journalists. “Far from bringing Turkish law into line with
European law on freedom of expression, some articles of the code on the
contrary, would facilitate arbitrary legal action against journalists
and entail a climate of self-censorship damaging to press freedom,” the
group said.

Late Wednesday, Parliament also introduced a measure that allows
authorities to be present during meetings between some convicts and
their lawyers.

Human rights groups say the measure infringes on prisoners’ rights.
Observers say the measure appeared to target the lawyers of imprisoned
Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan’s by making it more difficult for
him to pass on messages to his rebel group.

Among other measures, police can, with court approval, take prisoners
away from jails for re-questioning. Human rights groups object to the
measure saying it may leave them vulnerable to abuse.