Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

EurasiaNet, NY
May 13 2007

Government: Elections "Best in Armenia’s History"

By Marianna Grigoryan
Published May 12, 2007

Amidst varied reports of voting irregularities, parliamentary
elections widely seen as a test of democracy for Armenia ended calmly
on May 12. The government has hailed the vote as confirmation of its
earlier predictions that a fair and free vote would be held.
Meanwhile, opposition parties are still considering their next move.

After voting ended at 8pm local time, a public television news
presenter called the elections perhaps the best ever held since the
1991 declaration of Armenia’s independence.

A similar view was expressed in the morning by Prime Minister Serzh
Sarkisian, chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, as he
cast his ballot in downtown Yerevan.

`I would wish very much that the elections be the best in Armenia’s
history, both for our people and numerous observers,’ he said.

`Everything is proceeding well and if today’s electoral process
corresponds with the general pre-election process, then we will have
a good evaluation from international observers,’ Armenia’s Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian predicted after voting.

Preliminary evaluations from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, which has the largest international election
observation team on site, are expected on May 13. The Central
Election Commission is expected to publish preliminary results for
the vote by 8 pm local time the same day.

Local political analysts have deemed the results to be a key
indicator of the likely alignment of political forces for the 2008
presidential elections. President Robert Kocharian, however, does not
agree.

`[A]fter the [2005] constitutional reforms, to what extent will a
president with no serious support in parliament be a real figure and
head [of state]?’ Kocharian said after casting his ballot. ` If there
is strong support from the parliamentary majority, we will have a
strong president. If there is no such support, then he will be a
formal figure in a way.’

Deputy Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Abram Bakhchagulian
announced late on May 12 that preliminary data from 15 constituencies
showed the ruling Republican Party of Armenia in the lead with 1,016
votes, oustripping by more than a factor of ten the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, a junior government coalition partner. The
pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party trailed slightly behind the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation, with the opposition Orinats Yerkir
(Country of Law) Party in fourth place, with 51 votes, local news
agencies reported.

The CEC has reported a voter turnout figure of 59.4 percent of
Armenia’s 2,285, 830 voters, more than nine percentage points higher
than during the 2003 parliamentary elections.

Predictions of a high voter turnout had earlier been made by Prime
Minister Sarkisian:
`Because we all have run a good election campaign,’ he told
reporters.

However, some local observers and opposition party representatives
argue that the high turnout is also the result of `good work’ on
election day.

Public transportation was in short supply in Yerevan on Saturday
morning; the minibuses that usually fill downtown streets were not to
be seen. Meanwhile, vans and buses, and sometimes also taxis, could
be seen near polling stations to which opposition members and local
observers claim they took voters.

At polling station 12/26 in the Yerevan district of Noragvit, former
Armenian ombudswoman Larisa Alaverdian told EurasiaNet that voters
had been brought in on buses and minibuses to vote, and given green
pens to use in marking their ballots for the Republican Party.
Alaverdian was a candidate for proportional election for the
opposition Heritage Party.

Speaking on television, CEC representatives have so far skeptically
assessed frequent reports about special color pens, inaccurate voter
lists, carousel voting, and ballot box stuffing.

`People can vote with pens of the color they want,’ Deputy CEC
Chairman Bakhchagulian commented on television in response to such
reports. The Armenian ombudsman’s office had received 30 complaints
about voting irregularities – chiefly to do with voter lists – one
hour before the polls closed at 8pm, the news agency PanArmenian.Net
reported.

Outright vote buying was another frequent charge made by opposition
members and local election observers – with blame usually placed on
the Republican Party of Armenia and, in some cases, also the
pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party, considered the Republican
Party’s chief rival.

Some local observers claim that the purchase of votes — with amounts
varying from $5 to $20 in dram — occurred even outside polling
stations.

`There were numerous cases of election bribes, intimidations,’
Helsinki Association Chairman Avetik Ishkhanian told EurasiaNet.

In the town of Vanadzor, 125 kilometers to the north of Yerevan,
Artur Sakunts, head of the town’s branch of the Helsinki Assembly,
reports that 2,000 dram (about $5.61) to 4,000 dram (about $11.21)
were regularly offered for votes. `Here, the voters themselves are
direct participants and encourage political corruption,’ he noted.
`Of course, this is because of their low living standards, when a
person needs 2,000 to 4,000 drams.’

For now, though, Ishkhanian and other observers are reserving final
judgement. `[W]e had worse expectations,’ Ishkhanian said. `[I]t is
not clear yet whether there will be violations after the polling
stations close [and the vote counting begins], like it happened
during the last elections.’

The Republican Party of Armenia has dismissed allegations that its
members were involved in such vote-buying schemes. Prosperous Armenia
echoes the denials, and argues that the elections went `well.’

`The elections proceeded normally except for a few minor violations,
voter list inaccuracies and local violations, although I don’t think
that they will impact the outcome of the elections,’ Prosperous
Armenia Party spokesperson Baghdasar Mherian said.

Other key political parties, both pro-government (The Armenian
Revolutionary Federation) and opposition (National Democratic Party,
National Unity Party, People’s Party of Armenia, Orinats Yerkir
Party), have been less forthcoming about the elections’ conduct,
telling EurasiaNet that they would make statements after the
publication of the preliminary results on May 13.

The hardline opposition coalition made up of the Republic Party, New
Times Party and Impeachment election bloc have already announced
plans for a public demonstration on Sunday in Yerevan against alleged
widespread election violations.

Editor’s Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a reporter for the independent
online ArmeniaNow weekly in Yerevan.

A1+

WILL VILLAGERS GIVE BACK THE MONEY?
[03:02 pm] 12 May, 2007

At N 5/3 precinct in Arabkir-Davtashen Community a voter had tried to
put into an envelope already marked ballot and the Commission members
noticed it and prevented, informed National Unity party. The marked
vote was in Levon Sargsyan’s favor, a candidate nominated for NA
Deputy on majority list.

Hovakim Gevorkyan, a proxy presenting National Democratic Party (NDP)
had not been allowed to enter precinct N 18/21 in Tatyevakan village
of Ararat Marz/Province motivating that the latter was on the party
list, informed NDP. Later CEC restored the proxy’s right. As of 10:15
am the number of ballots was not fixed and the Commission Chairman of
the same precinct Sargsyan said `that they would certainly register
them’. According to NDP data, `Bargavatch Hayastan’ and Armenian
Republican parties gave out 5000 AMD to grassroots in Proshian
village. And when it became clear that people had taken bribrery from
both parties, the representatives of the parties were trying to
identify those villagers to take their money back.

According to `Orinats Yerkir’ Party mass bribery facts have been
noticed at Erebuni N68 School, precinct 11/7 and at precincts 6/28,
6/29, 6/30 as well.

A proxy presenting `New Times’ Party had noticed that in the yard of
precinct 12/24 voters were given special pens to go and vote.

At precinct 20/15 in Jrarat village of Etchmiatsin, people were voting
on behalf of citizens who currently reside in the Russian Federation
in favor of Repuplican Party. According to `New Times’ Party, a RoA
citizen Arthur Hakobian who at the present out of Armenia however he
is registered as a voter.

IN ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN’S WORDS, CASE OF USED STAMP AND FACT OF 100 LOST
BALLOT-PAPERS FIXED IN DILIJAN

YEREVAN, MAY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Artur Baghdasarian, the Chairman of the
Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party made his choice at polling
station No10/28 of the capital at 10:00 of May 12, the day of the
parliamentary elections in Armenia. As of the moment, 52 citizens
participated in the elections in the mentioned polling station. In the
interview to journalists A. Baghdasarian mentioned that alarms were
already got concerning falsifications. Particularly, OYP
representatives fixed a case of used stamp and fact of lost 100
ballot-papers in the district of Shamakhian, the city of Dilijan. They
prepare to address to corresponding bodies on the occasion of the fact.
He mentioned that they yesterday made a call-statement by which they
addressed to the legal bodies, giving the alarm that electoral bribe
was given in a mass way in the whole territory of the republic.

A. Baghdasarian mentioned that according to the OYP foresights, if
free, fair, transparent elections are held, the party will have rather
weighty presence at the future NA. The OYP observes the electoral
process with the help of its 6 thousand commission members and
confidents.

Responding the Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, what the OYP will
do tomorrow if it is turned out that the elections were not held fair,
transparent, A. Baghdasarian said: "We do not want to speak with "if"
and "then," we shall make a political statement after the end of the
elections and the process of counting the votes and will state about
future steps."

A. Baghdasarian called on everybody "not to violate the people’s vote
and rights," as already without it, the ruling parties had exclusive
privileges in numerous directions during the propaganda mission.

CONFERENCE ON RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN RELATIONS HELD IN YEREVAN

ArmRadio.am
10.05.2007 17:40

The "Russian-Armenian relations and the Armenian foreign policy
before and after the elections" conference took place in Yerevan at
the initiative of the Deputy of the Russian State Duma, Director of
the Institute of CIS States Konstantin Zatulin.

Сpeaking during the conference, Konstantin Zatulin refused to name
his sympathies concerning the Armenian political forces running
for Parliament.

The participants of the conference discussed the perspectives of
development of political, economic and social cooperation between
Armenia and Russia.

CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo, deputies of the Russian
State Duma Yuri Kvitsinski and Ruben Badalov, Head of Section of the
4th Department of the CIS states of the RF Foreign Ministry Aleksey
Dvinianin took part in the conference.

During the conference, the opening of the branch of the Institute of
CIS states in Yerevan was announced.

–Boundary_(ID_sVHwKLKCDHGB02pNGxGGoA) —

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY COMMENTED ON THE REFUSAL TO GRANT VISAS TO THE TURKISH OBSERVERS

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
May 10 2007

Yerevan, May 10. /Mediamax/. Spokesman of the Armenian Foreign Ministry
Vladimir Karapetian described as "a bit disingenuous" the initiative
of Turkey to send observers for the parliamentary elections in Armenia.

Mediamax reports that Vladimir Karapetian said this, commenting on the
refusal of the official Yerevan to grant visas to eight representatives
of Turkey, who were going to observe the parliamentary elections in
Armenia on May 12 within the OSCE Mission.

"Turkey maintains a closed border with Armenia and refuses to establish
diplomatic relations. Under these circumstances, to expect to send
observers is a bit disingenuous", Vladimir Karapetian stated.

According to him, "Armenia regrets that Turkey did not demonstrate
sensitivity in relation to its citizens-representatives participating
in the OSCE observer mission to Armenia, given the absence of relations
between our two countries".

"Turkey cannot choose and select which kinds of political relations
it wishes to have with Armenia, and which it does not wish to have.

Political and diplomatic relations are not entered into selectively",
Vladimir Karapetian stated.

"Armenia understands the concern of OSCE members regarding Armenia’s
OSCE commitments, and reaffirms that we remain faithful to those
commitments. But we expect that participating states will also expect
Turkey to adhere to its commitments to engage in normal, neighborly
relations with Armenia", the official representative of the Armenian
Foreign Ministry stated.

FRANCE CLOSES DOWN ARMAMENTS OFFICE IN TURKEY
Lale SariÝbrahÝmoÐlu Ankara

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 10 2007

Amid growing fears that Nicolas Sarkozy, elected as France’s next
president in Sunday’s election, could block Turkey’s EU negotiations,
which have already suffered a setback due to Cyprus, France has
decided to close down its armaments office in Ankara by the end of
July due to the decline in mutual arms trade.

Col. Jean Claude Geay, who was appointed to Ankara as France’s
armaments attache almost three years ago, will be completing his term
of duty this summer. He told Today’s Zaman that when he leaves in
late July, the Armaments Attache’s Office will also be closed down as
a result of the reduced trade between the two countries. Col. Geay,
however, stated that the office may be reopened depending on future
ties in the arms trade.

The French decision to close down its office of the Delegation Generale
pour l’Armement (DGA), the French defense procurement agency, in Ankara
did not affect the French military attache mission in the city. DGA
is a civilian arms procurement agency that oversees the country’s
arms trade with its staff having special training on arms procurement.

The French decision comes after Turkey’s announcement of the suspension
of military ties with France — a reaction to the French Parliament’s
approval of a bill in October of last year that made it a crime to
deny that Ottoman Turks committed "genocide" against Armenians during
World War I. Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen.

Ýlker Basbuð said on Nov. 15 of last year that Turkish military ties
with France had been suspended after French lawmakers’ approval of
this so-called genocide bill.

Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said the following day
that France was not officially invited to the International Defense
Industry Fair (IDEF) 2007, to be held between 22 and 25 May in Ankara.

Though the Turkish announcement of the suspension of military
ties between the two countries did not include arms trade, French
participation in major arms procurement programs in Turkey has seen
a decline, though French companies have continued bidding in the arms
projects — with little hope that they will win.

According to a September 2006 armaments report delivered to French
Parliament, Turkish military imports from France stayed at around
1.5 billion euros ($1.9 billion) between 1995 and 2005, partly due
to the Armenian genocide dispute.

Though France was not officially invited to IDEF French companies
such as Thales or Nexter (formerly known as Giat Industries) will
open stands at the fair.

Turkey’s Meltem project, which envisions the joint production with
French Thales of 19 maritime patrol and surveillance systems for
Turkey’s Navy and Coast Guard Command, has been continuing while French
companies bid in Turkish projects within the European Aeronautics
Defense and Space Company (EADS).

The DGA operates in 15 countries where there is the potential for
arms trade. Despite its closure in Ankara several French companies
continue operations in the capital.

Meanwhile the court case between the two countries at the International
Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
in Geneva continues. This concerns the decision of Turkey and MBDA
in 2004 to solve a dispute over a missile project at the court. MBDA
argued that Turkey has allegedly violated contract terms when it
cancelled Eryx short-range anti-tank missiles, while Ankara blames
MBDA for failing to meet its obligations.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense signed the Eryx contract with French
firm Aerospatiale — now part of MBDA — worth about 2.7 billion
French francs ($486.5 million) in 1988 to replace the Turkish Land
Force Command’s outdated 3.5-inch rocket launcher and RPG-7s seized
from Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists. The deal aimed to
allow Turkey to build a total of 19,200 missiles and 1,600 launchers
under license over 10 years.

–Boundary_(ID_aiUR41WNa4vpiMHgGJQ+cA)–

ARMEN RUSTAMIAN: "SOME FORCES STRIVE FOR INFLAMING POST-ELECTORAL ATMOSPHERE AS MUCH AS IT IS POSSIBLE"

Noyan Tapan
May 10 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The opposition strives for provoking the
authorities to use violence, and the authorities attempt to provoke
the opposition to take wrong steps. Armen Rustamian, a representative
of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Body of Armenia
interpreted in this way at the May 10 press conference the clash taken
place among the participants of the peaceful march organized on the
previous day by the Impeachment alliance, Hanrapetutiun (Republic)
and Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) parties and the legal bodies. And,
in his words, this situation is very dangerous for the country.

In A. Rustamian’s words, "there are some forces for which it is
not important to have a faction at the National Assembly, but is to
inflame the post-electoral atmosphere as much as it is possible,"
In the ARF Armenia Supreme Body representative’s words, there is
little time till the 2008 president’s elections, and those forces
want to prepare ground for negative estimations of the international
community. In A. Rustamian’s words, the struggle in the innerpolitical
field will be turned on the threshold of the president’s elections
into the "authorities-opposition" antagonism.

ON MAY 10 IT WILL BECOME CLEAR IF PETITION WILL BE FILED FOR CHOOSING ARREST AS MEASURE OF RESTRAINT FOR ALEXANDER ARZUMANIAN

Noyan Tapan
May 10 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. At 23:30 pm on May 10, the 72-hour
term, during which it is allowed by law to hold under arrest the
former RA foreign minister Alexander Arzumanian, expires. To recap,
A. Arzumanian is charged with money laundering. Hovik Arsenian, defence
lawyer of A. Arzumanian, told NT correspondent that now A. Arzumanian
has status of a suspect. According to him, on May 10 it will become
clear if the RA National Security Service Investigation Unit, which
is investigating the case, will file a petition for choosing arrest
as a measure of restraint.

The lawyer said that there is no penal action in the activities of A.
Arzumaian so corpus delicti is absent.

OLD MANSIONS IN ADANA BEING RESTORED
Mehmet ÞahÝn Adana

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 8 2007

The houses in the ancient Tepebað neighborhood, among the few that
have survived the 4,000-year-old history of the southern Turkish city
of Adana, are being restored and repaired one after another.

The newest link in the chain is the Bosnian Salih Efendi Mansion,
restored with the permission of the Cultural and Natural Assets
Protection Board by the Halil Avcý Group, which carried out the
project, remaining faithful to the original architecture of the
building. The mansion, built by Bosnian Salih Efendi one of the men
behind one of the largest enterprises ever launched in Adana, BOSSA,
will serve the city’s tourism industry as a boutique hotel.

In an attempt to demonstrate that cultural assets can be revived and
maintained with use, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism chose Tepebað
in 1993 as a pilot region in Adana’s protected area. The buildings
that have been restored so far by this project carried out by the
Protection Board are the old Governor’s Office, the old Adana Court
House, Ataturk Culture and Science Museum (Suphi Pasha Mansion),
Dr. Eþref Akman Mansion — currently used by the Protection Board,
and the historical Girls’ High School that nearly collapsed during
the 1998 earthquake.

Adana Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman Þaban Baþ bought a derelict
historical mansion, restored it and opened for public use. Baþ also
bought a second mansion opposite the old governor’s building on behalf
of ATO. In the meantime the Turkish Chemists Union bought and restored
the Mustafa Gulek Mansion; the Turkish Association of Travel Agencies
(TURSAB) and Seyhan Culture Association each bought and restored a
mansion in the same area. The Fifth Regional Directorate of Public
Highways repaired the foundations of a 3,500-year-old Taþkopru Bridge,
the restoration work was done with stones chosen to harmonize with its
original appearance. The Regional Charitable Foundations Directorate
restored the Grand Mosque, the Yað Mosque and the New Mosque, all of
which had been damaged in the earthquake of 1998.

The Protection Board is planning to turn the Mansion of Sheikh Cemil
Nardalý, who heroically resisted the French and Armenian occupation
forces, into a museum. The former building of the Riot Police will also
be restored according to its original plan. All of these buildings
on the banks of the Seyhan River are taking on a very charming look,
thanks in large part to the recreational projects carried out by the
Adana Metropolitan Municipality.

Director of the Protection Board Ýsmail Salman said that the buildings
in Tepebað were totally disregarded up until seven or eight years
ago by businessmen; he stressed that with each restoration effort
the area as well as the buildings became more and more valuable.

Adana has accumulated a considerable potential for cultural tourism
with the revitalization of this protected area and its buildings,
Salman noted, adding that Tepebað is now becoming a place combining
the old and the modern, the past and the future, with its nearly 300
attractive historical buildings.

Salman further noted that the buildings in the Tepebað and Sullar
Neighborhoods used to be called "Leb-i derya," (the Lip of the
Ocean) since they overlooked the Seyhan River, and recalled that
the restoration works were exempt from taxation. He also said that
Bosnian Salih Efendi Mansion with its 11 chambers and dining hall
for 70 people would be used as a boutique hotel, adding: "Those who
want to see Adana’s internal architecture and eat its traditional
food will stay here. Tourism investments are long-term projects;
they start making profit in the long run."

————————————– ——————————————

Bosnia n Salih Efendi Mansion

Bosnian Salih Efendi was one of the most prominent businessmen of
Adana. Even Hacý Omer Sabancý, the father of the late founder of the
Sabanci Holdings, one of the most powerful businessmen in Turkey,
worked for him for a while. Later, in 1951 they co-founded Bossa
in Adana; the "Bos" of Bosnian and the "Sa" of Sabancý. As his name
implies, Salih Efendi’s ancestors came from Bosnia.

–Boundary_(ID_26hEA0Cfi/xSCHMuU4ZDrw)–

ARMENIA VETOES TURKISH OSCE OBSERVERS

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 8 2007

Independent Turkish observers, who were scheduled on Monday to
depart from Ýstanbul for Yerevan in order to fulfill their duty in
the upcoming elections in neighboring Armenia under an assignment
by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
had to return to Ankara after "a last minute veto" by Armenia.

Dr. Mithat Celikpala, an expert on the Caucasian region and an
OSCE election observer, told Hurriyet daily upon his arrival in
Ankara on Monday that he was notified of "Armenia’s veto" at the
airport and that other Turkish observers assigned by OSCE have been
waiting in Ankara for further information from Yerevan in order to
decide whether they will be allowed to travel to Armenia. The Turkish
observers were scheduled to depart for Yerevan on Monday and Tuesday,
Hurriyet also said.

Diplomatic sources, speaking with Today’s Zaman under condition of
anonymity confirmed the Ataturk Airport incident. The same sources,
however, were not able to elaborate for the moment, only saying that
the Foreign Ministry has been closely following the issue.

In late February Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan sent
an invitation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE), the European Parliament and the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) parliamentary assemblies in addition to the OSCE, calling
on them to participate in observing the parliamentary elections
scheduled for May 12, Russian news agency Regnum reported at the time.

Both Turkey and Armenia are members of the OSCE, with Ankara
participating in the organization in 1973, and the latter in 1992.

Ankara has recognized Yerevan since the former Soviet republic gained
independence in 1991, but nevertheless refuses to set up diplomatic
ties because of Armenian efforts to secure international condemnation
of the controversial World War I era killings of Anatolian Armenians
as genocide. Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were
slaughtered in orchestrated killings during the last years of the
Ottoman Empire. Turkey categorically rejects the claims, saying that
300,000 Armenians along with at least as many Turks died in civil
strife which emerged when the Armenians took up arms for independence
in eastern Anatolia and sided with the Russian troops which were
invading Ottoman lands.

In 1993 Turkey also shut its border with Armenia in a show of
solidarity with its close ally Azerbaijan, which was at war with
Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, dealing a heavy economic
blow to the impoverished nation. Ankara wants Armenia to abandon its
campaign for the recognition of the killings as genocide and make
progress in its dispute with Baku before formal diplomatic relations
can be established.

The sole Armenian diplomat based in Turkey is Karen Mirzoyan, Armenia’s
permanent representative to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(BSEC). The Armenian representative office was opened in 2001.

–Boundary_(ID_NQgLHAhiOtUGPZRR/S2sqw)–