Author: Zakarian Garnik

“KOCHARYAN IS AT THE HEAD OF EVERYTHING”

A1+
[07:31 pm] 22 May, 2006

The residents of the Kozern district will organize acts of complaint
opposite the President’s residence demanding the privatization of
their own houses.

Organizing acts of complaints in front of the Government and the
Yerevan municipality buildings and not getting any answers the
residents of the district realized that “Robert Kocharyan is at the
head of everything.”

“He must give the guarantees. The Government and the municipality have
been trying to deceive us for months. We will come here every day in
case of need,” Anahit Hovhannisyan, resident of the Kozern district
says. She thinks that the houses are not allowed to be privatized
on purpose as the district is considered a realization zone. Anahit
complains that people who have been living here for 70-100 years are
not allowed to privatize their houses, whereas the oligarchs who
came to their district 2-3 years go have already privatized their
houses. According to the residents, there are about 400 people living
in Kozern.

“Give us the possibility to keep our own property”, Sasoun Lazarian
demanded. He has decided to apply to the structures of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation in the Armenian Diaspora and ask for help.

By the way, residents of other realization zones of the capital had
joined the participants of the act of complaint today.

Let us add that a number of policemen “protected” the President’s
residence. There were even more policemen than during the meetings
organized opposite the Government building. There were also children
among those gathered. Instead f going to school they had come to the
Baghramyan street together with their parents.

ARMENIAN AIRBUS FLIGHT RECORDER RECOVERED FROM BLACK SEA

RIA Novosti, Moscow
22 May 06

Sochi, 22 May: One of the flight recorders from the Armenian A-320
airliner which crashed near Sochi [on 3 May] has been raised from
the bed of the Black Sea, RIA-Novosti news agency has learned from a
spokesman for the Yuzhmorgeologiya scientific centre, whose experts
are involved in the search.

“One of the flight recorders from the crashed A-320 airliner has been
located and raised. Work to locate the second “black box” continues,”
the agency’s source said.

He said the “black box” was found last night. “Work then started on
analysing the information and raising it,” the spokesman said.

At present the recovered flight recorder is still on board ship,
the source said.

It was earlier reported that the “black boxes” were at a depth of
some 500 m.

[Passage omitted.]

POP HOPEFULS BID FOR GLITZ AND GLORY IN LARGER-THAN-LIFE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
Jill Lawless

AP Worldstream
May 19, 2006

There was good news at the Eurovision Song Contest for a Bosnian
songbird, a Turkish diva, an Irish crooner _ and a lurid heavy-metal
band that declared: “It’s the Arockalypse.”

Ten competitors advanced to Saturday’s final of the venerable
international pop competition, including Turkey’s Sibel Tuzun,
Irish singer Brian Kennedy and Bosnian band Hari Mata Hari, led by
“Nightingale of Sarajevo” Hajrudin Varesanovic.

A surprise finalist in the contest decided by viewers’ phone and
text votes was outlandish Finnish rock band Lordi, whose “Hard Rock
Hallelujah” brought a dash of the demonic to the good-natured contest.

The group’s selection as Finland’s official entry sparked debate
in their homeland, with some questioning whether the mock-Satanic
rockers were the best possible ambassadors for the country.

Finland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ireland, Sweden, Russia, Lithuania,
Ukraine, Turkey, Armenia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia garnered the most votes and advanced from Thursday’s
semifinal. Thirteen other countries were eliminated.

The 10 join Greece, Switzerland, Moldova, Israel, Latvia, Norway,
Spain, Malta, Germany, Denmark, Romania, Britain, France and Croatia
in Saturday’s final showdown.

Viewers tuning in to Thursday’s semifinal were treated to an
over-the-top extravaganza from the opening number _ a medley of past
Eurovision hits performed by figures from Greek mythology.

For half a century Europeans have embraced the glitzy, kitschy
Eurovision contest, a place where nations battle for pop supremacy and
musical tastes collide. And there was good news also for Americans _
the event is soon to be replicated on U.S. television.

“I think this is a beautiful way for countries to come together and
be part of sharing their own artists,” Swedish contestant Carola said
Thursday. “Like the Olympics, but in music.”

The annual contest, which sees nations vying for victory with live
performances ranked by the viewing public, has been running since 1956,
a forerunner of “American idol”-style music contests.

It introduced the world to ABBA, who won in 1974 with “Waterloo,” and
to Canadian crooner Celine Dion, who triumphed for Switzerland in 1988.

It remains a huge event, eliciting a potent mixture of passion and
derision from Europeans. Posters and billboards bearing the Eurovision
2006 slogan _ “Feel the Rhythm” _ are everywhere in Athens, which
is hosting the event because Greece won last year’s contest in Kiev,
Ukraine.

Organizers estimate more than 100 million TV viewers will watch
Saturday’s final from Athens’ Olympic Indoor Arena, an event covered
by 2,000 accredited journalists. Others around the world will follow
the show live on the official Eurovision Web site.

Relatively few Americans will be among them, but the United States is
due to get its own version of the poptastic contest. NBC announced
earlier this year that it would air an American show based on the
format, with acts from different U.S. states competing for viewers’
approval.

Part of Eurovision’s appeal is its equality. Tiny Andorra and giant
Russia are equal on the event’s stage _ each has three minutes to
win over viewers’ hearts.

Traditionally, they pull out all the stops, and this year is no
exception. British rapper Daz Sampson is backed by a group of dancers
dressed as schoolgirls as he advises, hiphop-style: “If you give the
kids time, they won’t do the crime.” Russian singer Dima Bilan is
backed _ for reasons that are not immediately obvious _ by white-clad
ballerinas, one of whom emerges from a piano.

It may be light entertainment, but politics are rarely far from
Eurovision. This year, Serbia-Montenegro withdrew from the contest
after a squabble over whether a Serbian or a Montenegrin act should
represent the former Yugoslav state.

Britons routinely complain that the complex voting system, in which
countries award each other points on a scale of one to 12, leads to
decisions based on national alliances rather than musical merit.

Research appears to confirm this _ a British computer expert has
identified a “Balkan bloc” and a “Viking empire” of like-minded
nations.

Organizers insist the contest is fair.

“This is a 100-percent democratic contest,” Svante Stockselius,
executive supervisor of the contest, said Wednesday.

The explanation for Britain’s poor showing in recent years may be
more complex. Like the European Union, Eurovision is changing, its
center of gravity shifting eastward. Ireland has won seven times,
more than any other country, but has not triumphed since 1996.

Britain is a five-time champion, but has not won the contest since
1997.

Winners these days are often from central and eastern Europe, where
Europop rules the musical roost. Ukraine won in 2004, Turkey the year
before that and Latvia in 2002.

This year, the bookies favor Cyprus-born Greek entrant Anna Vissi,
with British bookmaker Ladbrokes rating her the 3-1 favorite.

Some Greeks may be hoping the country does not retain the title,
and with it the right to stage the show next year. Ireland famously
struggled to pay the costs of hosting the mammoth contest after it
won three years in a row in the 1990s.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: LA PROPOSITION DE LOI ENTERREE

La Nouvelle Republique du Centre Ouest
19 mai 2006

L’Assemblee nationale a enterre jeudi une proposition de loi socialiste
reprimant la negation du genocide armenien de 1915, après des incidents
et une bataille procedurière autour de ce texte sensible.

L’examen du texte, qui avait commence dans la confusion, a ete
interrompu sans etre acheve et son vote reporte sine die sous les cris
de colère de plusieurs dizaines de partisans de la cause armenienne
masses dans les tribunes du public.

La proposition de loi vise a completer par un volet penal la loi
du 29 janvier 2001 par laquelle la France reconnaît le genocide
armenien. Elle fait de la negation du genocide un delit punissable
d’un an d’emprisonnement et de 45.000 euros d’amende.

–Boundary_(ID_YVGEnoK9sA3kDm07wzJEGg)- –

EUROPEAN MOVEMENT IN ARMENIA ORGANIZATION AWARDS PRIZES FOR “BEST EUROPEAN CONTRIBUTION”

Noyan Tapan
May 15 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of celebrations
dedicated to days of Europe in Armenia, the “European Movement in
Armenia” public organization organized in Yerevan “The Best European
Contribution” awarding on May 11-18. RA NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarian
got the certificate in the nomination “The Best European of the
Year.” The “Paris Coffee” company was recognized the best European
investor for its European style, and the “Ayas” sea investigations
club was awarded a prize for presenting the culture of Armenia in
Europe by the means of the “Cilicia” vessel. Representatives of the RA
National Assembly, Government, international organizations, foreign
diplomatic organizations in Armenia as well as Henry Croner, the
Secretary General of the International European Movement participated
in the awarding. Just the latter awarded “The Best European of the
Year” certificate to the NA Speaker. Artur Baghdasarian expressed
an opinion, that Armenia must continue the way of integration in
Europe. “Programs of the European Union will give new appearance and
filling to development of our country. Freely developing economy and
society may do much more that all the governmental programs together,”
he emphasized.

The “European Movement” has offices in 42 European states, and this
gives Armenia possibility to cooperate with European countries. The
European Days in Armenia will be accompanied by a number of information
and youth events.

ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN PLAYS WITH ROBERT KOCHARYAN

A1+
[06:23 pm] 16 May, 2006

At present the fact of Arthur Baghdasayan’s leaving the Coalition is
the main concern in the political sphere. Why did he do it and what was
his step motivated by? Further political procedure and developments
will likely answer these questions. So far we tried to answer them
through the Internet polls.

33% participants of the survey think that Arthur Baghdasaryan’s
act was determined by Robert Kocharyan’s pressure. 20% claim that
Arthur Baghdasaryan wants to increase his image, 6% maintain that
his step was caused by the conflict of the parties “Orinats Yerkir,”
“Dashnaktsutyun” and “Republican,” and 3% consider it an “intrigue
of the Coalition.” 38% of those surveyed urge that it was a game with
Robert Kocharyan which was planned beforehand. 549 people participated
in the polls.

We offer our readers to answer the question “Whom would you elect
if you had a chance,” though it is already evident that the next
candidate of the NA Speaker is Tigran Torosyan.

KIDNAPPING CUSTOM MAKES A COMEBACK IN GEORGIA
Anchors: Liane Hansen
Reporters: Lawrence Sheets

National Public Radio (NPR)
SHOW: Weekend Edition Sunday 1200-1300 PM
May 14, 2006 Sunday

LIANE HANSEN, host:

In some of the more remote parts of the former Soviet Union, there’s
been a resurgence of bride kidnapping. The ancient custom is being
practiced in Kyrgyzstan and in some parts of the Caucusus Mountains.

Women’s groups in former Soviet Georgia are trying to draw attention
to the kidnappings and to use new laws to curb the practice.

NPR’s Lawrence Sheets has this report from Georgia.

LAWRENCE SHEETS reporting:

In the remote mountain villages of the Javaheji(ph) region, the fall
of communism led to a revival of the old ways, even in courtship.

Lea(ph) Meidseradi(ph) had seen her husband-to-be Gia(ph) only once
or twice, when he and some of his friends grabbed her off a village
street, shoved her into a car and took her away to his relative’s
house.

Ms. LEA MEIDSERADI (Kidnapped Bride): (Through translator) I told
him I loved another boy, but he told me, even if you had five kids
I wouldn’t leave you alone.

SHEETS: That time, Gia relented and he let Lea go. But Gia was
persistent. He kidnapped Lea a total of four times, chasing her down a
ravine in one case. Finally, Lea says, most people in her home village
found out she’d been kidnapped and, thus, she had lost her honor.

Ms. MEIDSERADI: (Through translator) He kidnapped me so many times
and everyone knew. I started to be afraid that people might say I
wasn’t a virgin. So I just gave up, even though I wanted to run away.

My family told me, there’s nothing you can do now. You must marry him,
otherwise you’ll shame your brothers.

SHEETS: After village elders celebrated by slaughtering a pig, Lea
and Gia were married. She said she cried through the entire ceremony.

Most so-called bride kidnappings — called Motsatseva(ph) in Georgian
— are actually part of elaborate local courtship rights. Brides
often give their consents to the so-called kidnappings as a way around
parental opposition to the marriages. But locals estimate 20 percent or
so are real kidnappings, done against the wishes of the would-be bride.

Taquiv Aranan(ph) is a civic activist in the Javaheji region.

Ms. TAQUIV ARANAN (Civic Activist, Javaheji Region): (Through
translator) According to our mentality, after that kidnapping, even
if she doesn’t want the guy, she’s forced to marry him. And they live
without love. The woman becomes a slave and in these families there
are many fights and beatings.

SHEETS: Taquiv Aranan says that in Soviet times, bride kidnappings
were very rare. But over the past decade there’s been a big increase.

She attributes the rise to post-Soviet poverty and the lack of ways for
young people to interact in this highly conservative mountain region.

Ms. ARANAN: (Through translator) When I was growing up in the Soviet
period, there was a theater, places to meet, a youth club. Now there
is nothing. We have to create new places where young people can meet.

SHEETS: Until three years ago, kidnapping a woman for marriage was
considered only a relatively minor infraction under Georgian law. It
even fell under a separate statute. That law was scrapped and bride
snatchers now theoretically face 15 years in prison, as any kidnapper
would.

Fifty mile away lies the predominantly ethnic Armenian town of
Ahakalagi(ph), tucked under 10,000-foot high mountain peaks. Bride
kidnapping is rarely discussed here, but a group of women is meeting
to talk about the problem. Some of them are openly talking about it
for the first time.

Lawyer Anita Hoganisian(ph) encourages bride kidnapping victims
to press criminal charges. But she says almost no young women do
because of pressure from their families in this closely knit society
to keep quiet.

Ms. ONITA HOGANISIAN (Attorney): (Through translator) There are very
many cases where the authorities blame this on our traditions. Young
women have no social protection in our society and their families don’t
understand the problem. They see their daughters as having been shamed.

SHEETS: Hoganisian says only five legal cases were opened in this
region over the past year, though she believes the real numbers
of bride kidnappings to be many times higher. And four of those
five cases were dropped after the young women victims refused to
cooperate. Hoganisian represented the only young woman who took her
case all the way to a judge.

Ms. HOGANISIAN: (Through translator) This girl was kidnapped by a
distant relative, held for 48 hours and raped. But the guy was only
given a suspended sentence because the girl’s family evidently put
pressure on the girl not to demand that he be punished.

SHEETS: Hoganisian says the young girl now has been shamed into
isolation. She refuses to even come out of her parents’ house.

(Soundbite of chatter)

SHEETS: And although this women’s forum is discussing ways to raise
social awareness about bride kidnapping, not all in the room agree
that the custom can be stopped.

Ana Naktaktian(ph) is a 62-year-old former accountant.

Ms. ANA NAKTAKTIAN (Former Accountant): (Through translator) It’s a
bad thing that this happens, but this has been going on for hundreds
of years. There’s nothing anyone can do about it. These are our
traditions.

SHEETS: Lea Meidseradi agrees with that. She’s now been with her
husband Gia for 15 years, since she was bride kidnapped. Lea says she
hated her husband at first, but that things worked out fine in the end.

Ms. MEIDSERADI: (Through translator) I got used to it. He’s a very
good husband and I quickly came to love him. Gia fought for his love.

The main thing is for a boy to love you. The woman will love him later.

SHEETS: Lea and Gia now have three children. Lea says she hopes her
now 12-year-old daughter will get married by mutual consent one day.

But Lea, an Orthodox Christian who now teaches religion in a public
school here, says that if her daughter is bride kidnapped, so be it.

It will be the will of God, she says.

Lawrence Sheets, NPR News, Georgia.

TWO POSSIBLE REASONS OF THE AIR CRASH EXCLUDED

ArmRadio.am
11.05.2006 16:10

“Inquiry Group of RA General Prosecutor’s Office, investigating
the criminal case launched on the fact of the crash of the Armenian
A-320 plane, has excluded two versions of the disaster – terrorism
and shortage of fuel,” Head of the Public Relations Office of General
Prosecutor’s Office Gurgen Ambaryan told RIA “Novosti.”

According to him, RA General Prosecutor’s Office continues
investigation of the criminal case, launched according to Part 3 of
the Article 241 of RA Criminal Code. Ambaryan noted he will provide
more detailed information after the end of the investigation.

TRADITIONAL MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT OF VAHIK LEVONIAN HELD IN VAYOTS DZOR

Noyan Tapan
May 11 2006

YEGHEGNADZOR, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. A memorial volley-ball
tournament of Soviet Union hero Vahik Levonian was held on May 4-9 in
Yeghegnadzor. The tournament was held already for the third year after
almost a 20-year interval on the initiative of the hero’s relatives
and with the assistance of Vayots Dzor administration. Teams of 9
communities and the military unit dislocated in the region competed
this time. The solemn ceremony of closing the memorial tournament
took place on May 9 in Arpi, at the secondary school named after
V.Levonian. The Yeghegnadzor team was recognized the winner of the
tournament and won the challenge cup for the third time. The teams
of Arpi nd Chiva took the second and third places, respectively.

YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAM OF ARMENIA TO LEAVE FOR SAN MARINO ON MAY 15

Noyan Tapan
May 11 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The Youth Football Team of Armenia
headed by trainer Samvel Petrosian will leave for San Marino on May
15 to participate the San Marino-Armenia meeting of the qualification
stage of the Europe Championship of up to 21 years old. FFA Executive
Committee member Artak Mnatsakanian will head the FFA delegation. As
Noyan Tapan was informed by the Press Secretariate of the Football
Federation of Armenia, Armen Gyulbudaghiants, the main trainer of
the National Team of up to 19 years old people of Armenia and Arsen
Chilingarian, the main trainer of the National Team of up to 17 years
old young men will leave for San Marino with the Youth Team of Armenia.