Category: News

Los Angeles Times
April 22 2004
As Protests Flag, Armenia’s President Seems to Prevail

Foes accuse Robert Kocharyan of vote fraud and rights abuses, but he
cites economic growth.
By David Holley, Times Staff Writer
MOSCOW – Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s government appears to
have won at least a tactical victory in deflating recent protests and
defending his hold on office after an election last year that his
opponents claim was rigged.
A string of demonstrations seeking Kocharyan’s ouster began early
this month, and thousands of protesters gathered again in Yerevan,
the capital, Wednesday evening to press their demands, Russian news
agency Interfax reported.
But what organizers had billed in advance as a “decisive” protest
early last week ended with a predawn crackdown, as baton-swinging
police backed by water cannons cleared a crowd from the avenue
leading to the presidential palace. About 30 people were reported
injured, and the opposition was incensed. But subsequent rallies had
less steam rather than more.
Opposition leaders remained defiant and were trying to turn the
president’s tough tactics against him.
“We want the world to know that the opposition is very far from being
subdued and broken,” Stepan Demirchyan, who lost to Kocharyan in last
year’s election and is a leader of the protests, said late last week
in a telephone interview from Yerevan. “We are not flat on our back,
and we are ready to keep on fighting. And we will make sure we see
this struggle of ours through to a victorious end.”
Still, things have not been going according to plan for those in
Armenia who hoped to imitate the success of the opposition in
neighboring Georgia, where a nonviolent revolution forced President
Eduard A. Shevardnadze from office in November.
That uprising has variously been dubbed a “velvet revolution,” after
Czechoslovakia’s peaceful overthrow of communism, or the “rose
revolution,” after the single long-stemmed rose that a key protest
leader – now President Mikheil Saakashvili – carried as demonstrators
took over Georgia’s parliament.
Kocharyan himself has drawn the comparison and emphasized his
confidence that the scenario will not be repeated.
“The Armenian opposition, encouraged by the Georgian ‘velvet
revolution,’ has clearly decided that the situation in the country
will enable them to achieve the same outcome,” Kocharyan told Russian
state television. “But the situation cannot be compared.”
Kocharyan cited strong economic growth in recent years as one reason
he cannot be pushed out, and said another is that his administration
is far stronger than was Shevardnadze’s.
He also downplayed the controversy over the April 13 police crackdown
on protesters.
“The country has carried on in the past and will continue to do so,”
he said.
The opposition’s drive against Kocharyan is rooted in complaints he
failed to win a legitimate victory in the March presidential election
last year, despite official results showing him taking 67% to
Demirchyan’s 33%. Last April, Armenia’s Constitutional Court
confirmed the vote but suggested a referendum within a year to gauge
confidence in the nation’s leaders.
Kocharyan’s government rejected the idea. The recent protests have
been timed to the expiration of the one-year period.
Immediately after last year’s election, Peter Eicher, head of the
observer mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, said there were “serious problems and irregularities” in the
vote, but he declined to say whether they were enough to change the
result. He said there was intimidation, widespread ballot-box
stuffing and discrepancies at a large number of polling stations.
David Petrosyan, a commentator with independent news agency Noyan
Tapan, said there was sufficient anger at the president and his
policies that Kocharyan had good reason to fear holding a referendum.
But Alexander Rondeli, president of the Georgian Foundation for
Strategic and International Studies, a Tbilisi think tank, said there
did not appear to be “a revolutionary situation” in Armenia.
“Mr. Kocharyan has more control of his state than Mr. Shevardnadze
did,” Rondeli said. “Mr. Shevardnadze was already aging, he was
losing control.”
Another factor is Armenia’s conflict with Azerbaijan over the
disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, Rondeli said. “Armenia is at
war, in reality, and many people there are afraid if political
destabilization happens it will be disastrous for Armenia,” he said.
But Kocharyan’s tough stance on the protests has failed to solve any
real problems, said Petrosyan, the commentator.
“Armenia resembles a powder keg today, and whether or when it
explodes will depend solely on who decides to hold a lighted match to
it first,” he said. “Something is bound to happen one way or another.
For now, everything is up in the air. Everyone is waiting and getting
ready for the final showdown.”
Alexei V. Kuznetsov of The Times’ Moscow Bureau contributed to this
report.

Winnipeg Sun, Canada
April 22 2004
News Briefs column
By SUN NEWS SERVICES
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NOTED
OTTAWA — Canada became one of the few countries to formally
recognize the genocide of Armenian Turks during the First World War
in a strongly worded motion adopted 153-68 in the House of Commons
yesterday.
Government members were discouraged from voting for the motion, which
is sure to anger a Turkish government that has never recognized the
massacre of 1.5 million Armenians starting in 1915.
Following a charged debate at their weekly closed-door caucus
meeting, Liberal backbenchers voted massively in favour while the
party’s cabinet contingent rejected the Bloc Quebecois motion.

Seattle Times, WA
April 22 2004
Thousands march to demand Armenian president resign
YEREVAN, Armenia – More than 10,000 demonstrators marched yesterday
to demand the resignation of Armenian President Robert Kocharyan,
whom they accuse of rigging his re-election last year, and to seek a
national referendum on his administration.
Kocharyan dismisses any notion of a “rose revolution” like the one
that forced the resignation last year of veteran leader Eduard
Shevardnadze in ex-Soviet Georgia to the north.
The president says Armenia, unlike Georgia, has a more solid economy
with authorities enjoying broader support.

M.F.A.: We Extremely Regretted Erection Of A Monument In Poland Defaming Our
Nation
Anadolu Agency:
4/21/2004
ANKARA – Turkey has expressed its extreme regret over erection of a
monument in yard of a Catholic church in Poland on which it was
written that Turks had committed genocide against Armenians.
Releasing a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on
Wednesday, ”a monument was erected in yard of a Catholic church in
Krakov city of Poland on April 17, 2004. There is an inscription on
the monument writing that Armenians had been exposed to genocide in
Turkey in 1915.”
”Although we have learnt that Polish government rejected the
inscription on the monument, we extremely regretted erection of such a
monument in Poland defaming our nation since we have always supported
Poland in its most difficult periods,” the MFA stressed.
Expressing Turkey’s concerns about a church’s being used as a tool of
an understanding of history based of distorted data, and of obsessions
of some marginal groups, the MFA emphasized, ”all countries should
remember that if all religious faiths and their adherents are purified
from prejudices and feelings of hatred, we can succeed in our efforts
to provide inter-religious dialogue.”
”Otherwise, we will face the jeopardy of inciting intolerance and
giving rise to social turmoil. The current sensitive period entails
everyone, especially religious officials, to be responsible and
careful in all steps to be taken,” the MFA added.

Armenian premier rules out talks with opposition on president’s resignation
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
20 Apr 04
If the opposition wants to change the authorities, it should wait for
the 2008 presidential elections, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Markaryan has said in an interview with Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper.
Commenting on possible dialogue with the opposition, the prime
minister said that their major demand was the president’s resignation,
which under no circumstances could be a subject of negotiations.
Markaryan did not rule out that opposition protests could be
orchestrated from abroad in order to weaken the Armenian government
and create a puppet state that would be easy to manipulate. The prime
minister also said that President Robert Kocharyan was not planning a
government reshuffle in order to relieve the tension. The following is
the text of Naira Zograbyan report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan
Zhamanak on 20 April headlined “Be ready for the 2008 elections”;
subheadings inserted editorially:
Arrests at opposition demo “technical fault”
[Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent] Mr Prime Minister, police carried out
an operation to round up demonstrators on Bagramyan Street on 13
April, which is forbidden by international conventions. Moreover, they
also used barbed wire that is not allowed either to be used against
peaceful demonstrators. Why was a corridor not provided for the
demonstrators to leave?
[Andranik Markaryan] Barbed wire is used in this kind of operations in
all countries. An area cannot be cordoned off with barbed wire, and
this was not applied. As for the operation to round up people, it was
only a technical fault. Simply, at that moment the police could not
strictly follow their orders. Of course, a corridor should have been
left for the people to leave. This problem was discussed, and as I
already said, it was not a well-considered step, but a technical
fault, and I am sorry for that.
As for the events of 13 April, the authorities did not keep their
actions in secret and informed opposition representatives of them at
different meetings. But the opposition did this in order to use this
in the future [sentence as received]. Today, the opposition is trying
to make not the reasons but the consequences of 13 April a subject of
talks with the coalition [government].
Incidentally, they will continue on this path to reach their political
ambitions, using discontent and feelings of a group of people to
settle their own problems. One must not use a group of people to
settle this kind of problems, when one knows very well from the very
beginning that this is a hopeless step. I would call on the people not
to allow them to use themselves to settle some people’s problems.
Protests orchestrated from abroad
[Correspondent] According to a pro-government force, today certain
forces from outside are implementing their business programmes, using
the opposition. Do you also think that the opposition actions are
being orchestrated from abroad?
[Markaryan] Yes, there are certain political forces which realize very
well that they cannot achieve results in this way, but nevertheless
are creating pre-conditions to disturb stability in the country and
damage Armenia’s authority in the world. The programme is clear: they
have an objective to make the authorities of Armenia less resistible
to the problems of the country. In particular, they can offer a
[settlement] package on the Karabakh issue, which we shall not agree
to, but we shall see how the opposition will immediately become active
in this case. They will immediately recall arrests, make speeches and
statements at the Council of Europe and different international
instances, up to demanding that Armenia’s membership of the Council of
Europe be revoked. Whereas all of us understand what expelling the
country from the Council of Europe means. That means putting the
country into a political blockade, threatening investment, closing
various programmes of international organizations. If not the [UN]
blue helmets, helmets of other colour or different international
organizations will then start acting against the authorities of
Armenia, because it will be then easier for them to have a puppet
state.
Talks on president’s resignation ruled out
[Correspondent] Mr Prime Minister, nevertheless the current situation
needs to be settled. The opposition believes that the coalition’s
statement calling for a dialogue is not serious. It says that the
coalition does not decide anything and that they can negotiate only
with the president or [Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan.
[Markaryan] If they want to negotiate with the coalition the
president’s resignation, then we have nothing to negotiate with
them. But I have a better opinion about our state and political field
in order to say that parties decide nothing and Serzh Sarkisyan and
the president decide everything. What does the opposition want? Does
it want Serzh and the president to decide if they will tender their
resignation or not? Does it want to negotiate with the president of
the country and the defence minister the handover of power to them?
By the way, during my talks with opposition leaders, one of their main
problems was how I should persuade the president to hand power over to
the opposition without shedding blood. And naturally, I did not accept
that. That is, according to their logic, I already agree to the change
of the authorities and the opposition asks me to persuade the
president to resign without a shock. However, today the position of
the Republican Party of Armenia [RPA] and my own position is as firm
as it was during the presidential elections of 2003.
[Correspondent] Nevertheless, today the opposition seems to be taking
a step back saying that it is ready to have a dialogue if all those
who were arrested are released and guarantees are given that there
will not be new arrests. Can you give such guarantees to the
opposition?
[Markaryan] If they stop expressing their demands in the form of
demonstrations, which means there will be no new arrests, in that
case, yes, I can describe this as a change in the political situation
and will submit that problem to the president. That is, let us outline
the rules of the game: they stop acting in the same way, and we can
negotiate and find positive solutions to the consequences of the
previous actions.
[Correspondent] But the opposition will hardly stop demonstrations,
especially as [Anrapetutyun Party leader] Aram Zavenovich Sarkisyan
has resolutely announced that [President Robert] Kocharyan will not
live a comfortable life in this country.
[Markaryan] I do not think that Aram Sarkisyan’s bragging will have
many consequences for our state and that the authorities will be
frightened of my friend Aram’s words.
Opposition should wait for presidential polls
[Correspondent] What do you think is the way out of the current
situation?
[Markaryan] The opposition should strengthen its structures and be
prepared to the presidential elections of 2008. They will not gain
anything by means of demonstrations and making emotional demands. And
I think that the government which takes those demands into account
gives up on the future of the country.
Today we are solving not the problems of Kocharyan or the government
and the coalition or Aram Sarkisyan and [opposition Justice bloc
leader] Stepan Demirchyan, but the problem of our state’s future
development. Are we not going to make a coup a tradition because of
some displeased political forces? A coup is a coup, be it a
constitutional or armed one, and the state, the president, the
executive authorities and the parliament will all prevent a coup in
the country.
The opposition speaks of democracy, national interests and, at the
same time, ignores all these. How can democracy of a minority be
accepted while democracy of a majority is rejected, the interests of a
minority are accepted while the interests of a majority are not? We
have found ourselves in an absurd situation: 20-25 people tell 80
people that they will come to the parliament only if the majority
agrees to their demands. In what country can 20 people blackmail the
majority?
No government reshuffle planned
[Correspondent] The Russian press, as well as the Western press, says
that a change of the authorities is unavoidable in Armenia.
[Markaryan] This is not the first time the foreign press has published
this analysis. Naturally, I do not have to feel bad that Ivanov,
Sidorov or Jack wrote something about my country. Let them first deal
with the problems of their own country, sitting in Paris or Moscow,
they are not the persons to teach us how democracy should look like.
[Correspondent] Mr Prime Minister, some analysts say that in order to
ease tension, the president could replace the prime minister and the
government. The dissolution of the National Assembly is not ruled out
either. Do you think this is possible?
[Markaryan] I do not think that the president will take such actions
because these actions will not promote a solution to the problems
raised by the opposition. First, I should know and the president
should explain what problems could be settled by means of such
steps. If he says that a political problem will be settled and
sacrifices the RPA’s interests to the steps suggested by Pogos-Petros
[somebody else], in that case I shall say thank you and join the
opposition. Naturally, not because of the illegitimate president. We
can give relevant explanations of our steps and undertake certain
actions within the framework of the constitution. According to the
same logic, I rule out the dissolution of the National Assembly
because this will be the second step in the president’s resignation.

Roads to Armenian capital blocked due to opposition rally
A1+ web
21 Apr 04
It is rather difficult to get to Yerevan from Vanadzor today.
Meanwhile, those who managed to arrive in the capital said that both
highways from Vanadzor to Yerevan, the Vanadzor-Aparan-Yerevan and
Vanadzor-Sevan-Yerevan highways, were blocked.
Police officers from the Lori [Region] police station stopped all
vehicles without exception, irrespective of whether those were taxis
or private cars.
The police officers asked them why they are travelling to Yerevan and
whether they are planning to attend a rally set for 21 April.
[Passage omitted: minor details]

Azeri MPs concerned about cultural monuments destruction in Karabakh
ANS TV, Baku
20 Apr 04

[Presenter Aytan Safarova] Nagornyy Karabakh became a subject of
discussion in the Azerbaijani parliament today. MP Ibrahim Isayev
called on his colleagues to appeal to international organizations with
regard to the fate of cultural monuments and graves destroyed in Susa
[Shushi].
[Correspondent, over video of parliament’s sitting] The parliament
started its sitting today with current issues. MPs mostly spoke about
the Nagornyy Karabakh problem. Citing precise information, Isayev said
that the Susa castle and the Susa cemetery had been destroyed and Susa
had been renamed Shushi. He called on his colleagues not to be
indifferent to these facts.
[Isayev] The UN and various international organizations must be told
about that and all the bells must be set ringing. According to
reports, the walls of the castle are being destroyed to expand the
territory under a carpet workshop built by an Armenian entrepreneur of
Belgian origin. The names of the town’s ancient quarters have been
replaced by Armenian ones.
[Correspondent] Isayev also said that several US companies have been
operating on the occupied Azerbaijani lands. He added that the US
government should urgently recall these companies and the US
ambassador to Azerbaijan should be told about this.
MP Zahid Oruc spoke about a rapprochement between Iran and Armenia. He
said that the Azerbaijani foreign minister should protest against the
agreement on the construction of Iranian-Armenian power plants on the
occupied lands.
Some MPs called for an information war against the Armenians.
[MP Sabir Rustamxanli, captioned] There is a need for establishing a
certain body to conduct the information war.
[MP Qudrat Hasanquliyev] We must certainly establish a TV station in
Agdam [partly occupied by Armenia] which will broadcast in the
Armenian language in Nagornyy Karabakh. Azerbaijan must finally
initiate this.
We can form a provisional administration by restoring Nagornyy
Karabakh’s autonomous status with people who will recognize
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and agree to be citizens of
Azerbaijan. After liberating our lands, we could bring these forces to
power and then determine the status of Nagornyy Karabakh.
[Passage omitted: MPs discussed other issues]

Armenian opposition leaders meet US envoy to discuss political situation
A1+ web site
21 Apr 04
US ambassador to Armenia John Ordway met the leader of the Justice
bloc, Stepan Demirchyan, and the leader of the National Unity Party,
Artashes Gegamyan, today.
The details of the meeting have not been disclosed. However,
Demirchyan said that they mainly discussed the country’s internal
political situation.

German foreign minister in Azerbaijan, then to Armenia, Georgia
Deutschlandfunk radio, Cologne
21 Apr 04

Following his visit to Afghanistan, Foreign Minister [Joschka] Fischer
has arrived in Azerbaijan. In the capital, Baku, Fischer plans to meet
with his counterpart [Elmar] Mammadyarov and then with President
[Ilham] Aliyev. Azerbaijan is the first stop of his trip through the
southern Caucasus, which will take Fischer to Armenia and Georgia as
well. All three countries want closer relations with the EU.

Armenian opposition member re-detained over foul language use
A1+ web site
21 Apr 04
Police officers from the Nork community police station turned up in
the house of Col Gegam Arutyunyan, member of the Republic Party’s
political council, former deputy defence minister and historian, and
took him to the police station. Gegam Arutyunyan is charged with the
use of bad language.
They attempted to summon Arutyunyan to appear in court, but he
declined to enter the courtroom without his lawyer. Gegamyan is
currently being held at the Interior Ministry’s Nork station.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
Members of the Republic Party think that this act by the police
officers is a preventive measure ahead of the 21 April rally.