I stand by my words on raid
BY BENSON AMOLLO
Kenya Times, Kenya
Oct 21 2006
LANG’ATA MP Raila Odinga yesterday maintained that Internal Security
minister John Michuki had indicated to his Kabete counterpart Paul
Muite that President Mwai Kibaki was fully aware of the raid on the
Standard Group.
Raila also poked holes at the President’s speech delivered at the
Nyayo National Stadium yesterday to commemorate Kenyatta Day, as an
elusive one missing on crucial issues that affect Kenyans.
The former Roads and Public Works minister dared both President
Kibaki and Michuki to challenge his assertions on the floor of the
House where he had earlier made the allegations on the raid.
“Whereas Kibaki might not come to Parliament because he has never,
let Michuki who has been responding to questions on this matter take
the floor of the House and challenge me on the same, if it is not
the truth. I said what he told Muite while giving evidence, it was
not my creation.”
Raila termed President Mwai Kibaki the most incompetent legislator
in the history of the Ninth Parliament.
Responding to the President’s sentiments that the Lang’ata MP should
leave the First Family out of the controversial Artur brothers’ debate,
Raila said Kibaki should be ashamed to respond to him through the
press when “nobody bars him from coming to Parliament and challenging
me on the floor.”
Raila said the people of Othaya constituency who Kibaki represents
should feel short-changed because their MP has never stepped in
Parliament for debates, yet his term of office was nearing an end,
adding: “I would expect Kibaki because the constitution has allowed
him, to come to Parliament and challenge me on any issue and respond
to other members’ concerns.”
Said Raila: “The President as an MP is not a ceremonial
representative. Like any other legislator, he must strive to fulfil
what the electorate expect of him because when such people go to vote,
they know so well that they are voting a representative not a person
who confines himself to State House.”
Addressing a press conference at a Nairobi hotel last evening,
the Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya (ODM-K) luminary said he had no
apologies to make to both the President and Internal Security Minister
John Michuki over his remarks in Parliament this week linking them
to the “Standard” raid and the two Armenian brothers.
He maintained that his statement was based on the evidence Michuki gave
to a joint probe by two Parliamentary committees on the activities
of the alleged Armenians co-chaired by Kabete MP Paul Muite. Michuki
had admitted to ordering the raid.
On Thursday, President Kibaki and Michuki issued statements dispelling
Raila’s remarks, with Kibaki calling on the Lang’ata MP to leave the
First Family out of the Armenians saga.
The President was apparently irked by Raila’s remarks the effect that
Michuki, while giving evidence in camera before the Parliamentary
probe, hailed the ‘Standard’ raid on grounds that the newspaper
intended to publish a story linking Kibaki’s family to the alleged
mercenaries expelled from the country after causing a security scare
at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
On the Kenyatta Day speech, Raila lashed at Kibaki for what he termed
as choosing to ignore the looming strike by the University Academic
Staff Union (UASU) yet it was threatening to affect the country in
entirety, but instead “reading a duplicated speech to Kenyans about
the achievements of his regime some of which are not practical.”
Noting that university learning was a matter of grave importance to
a country, Raila accused the President together with Labour Minister
Newton Kulundu of giving the matter a cosmetic attention.
“The Government, judging by the lack of attention it has paid to the
issue in general, and by the way the Minister for Labour has handled
the matter to date, is evidently not seriously committed to finding
a lasting solution to this current problem.”
The crisis he claimed was attributable to the Government’s stone-fist
control over universities which he said has culminated into appointment
of managers with little knowledge of the running of such institutions
“because they happen to be politically-correct.”
“The time has now come for the Government to end its micro-management
of universities and to adopt a hands-off approach to policy. This
would enable universities to be run more efficiently by independent,
professional management teams appointed by autonomous boards.”
Raila called on the Government to pay the dons Sh1.8 billion sent to
the universities prior to the expiry of the last Collective Bargaining
Agreement (CBA) in January, without hinging it on the current
negotiation process, which he said the Government has shot on the foot.
To avert the crisis, the ODM-K leader urged the Government to
reconstitute a proper Inter-Public Universities Consultative Forum
to negotiate a new CBA with all the parties before Monday. An interim
CBA, he said, should be signed without prejudice to the negotiations,
so that money can be disbursed to the dons and a full agreement signed
later ahead of the next year’s supplementary Budget in January.

Michael Gulezian to play at Windsor Hall in Cumberland Nov. 3
Keyser Mineral Daily News Tribune, WV
Oct 21 2006
Published: Saturday, October 21, 2006 12:40 AM CDT
Michael Gulezian is one of the consummate guitarists of our times.
His first ever, live concert release, Concert at St. Olaf College,
displays Michael’s love of his craft, the intensity of a singular
artist dedicated to music, and the beauty and love of an
extraordinary musician.
Michael’s guitar work displays a blend of several musical influences.
The virtuosity, power, and haunting spirituality reflected in his
compositions reminds one of Leo Kotke and the late great Michael
Hedges.
In conversations with Michael, you can hear the absolute dedication
to his craft; the intensity of an extremely focused individual, and
the natural beauty and awe reflected in his music.
Michael identifies early influences as his Armenian parents;
Mississippi Delta blues artists such as John Hurt and Robert Johnson;
and current influences such as Keith Jarrett; John McLaughlin; and
Sun Ra.
His epiphanic moment was upon discovering the music of John Fahey,
who Michael identifies as the godfather of American solo acoustic
guitar.
Michael’s music reflects a blend of creative self-expression,
haunting melodic composition and identification with the natural and
spiritual world.
Each of Michael’s albums has increased the heights of contemporary
acoustic guitar. From Distant Memories and Dreams (1992) named Runner
up of the year (New Age) by CD Review Magazine; Dare of an Angel
reached new heights of acoustic fingerplay; a tribute to the late
Michael Hedges Language of the Flame (2003) reflects his
understanding and expression of the yearning of the human spirit.
Jazziz describes his music as ” unbelievable…incredible”.
Music Express calls Michael “…among the great acoustic guitar
innovators of the 20th century.”
But Michael really doesn’t need to prove himself anymore to anyone.
What one can recommend is that you listen to his music… and be
transformed.
Michael Gulezian will be performing at Windsor Hall in downtown
Cumberland, Maryland on Friday, November 3rd. Showtime is 8pm; doors
open at 7pm.
Tickets are available at Kauffman Music, 39 Baltimore Street,
Cumberland or by calling (301) 724-6800 to reserve.

HAMAYAK OGANESSYAN: FRENCH PARLIAMENT’S DECISION IS SERIOUS
CONTRIBUTION TO EUROPEAN INTEGRATION OF POST-SOVIET STATES
Yerevan, October 20. ArmInfo. Adoption of a bill on criminal liability
to deny the Armenian Genocide by the Parliament of a country to
first declare the human rights in the world history, is a serious
contribution to the European integration of post-Soviet states,
RA Parliament deputy, President of the Association of Political
Experts of Armenia, Hamayak Oganessyan, said in an interview to the
Moscow correspondent of an influential “Le Monde” French newspaper,
Madlen Vatel.
In Oganessyan’s opinion, the French Parliamentarians have demonstrated
that adherence to the historical justice, protection of individual
and collective human rights, realization of the fact the human life
is given by God is more important than any mercantile interests. “In
the modern world , where there are many states, ready to measure the
allied relations between the nations by oil barrels or cubic meters of
gas, the French Parliament has given an adequate lesson to everybody”,
the deputy outlined
Asked about the attitude of Russian political figures to the adopted
bill, H. Oganessyan answered that the Parliament’s decision contributes
to the strengthening of positions of the followers of the European
integration in Russia. It has demonstrated how mush objectively
the French lawmakers assess the historical heritage of post-Soviet
countries, with how much respect they treat the historical memory of
nations, living there.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LEVON TER-PETROSYAN MAY RUN FOR PRESIDENCY IN 2008
Yerevan, October 20. ArmInfo. First president of Armenia Levon
Ter-Petrosyan will run for presidency in 2008, said Ararat Zurabyan,
Chairman of the Armenian National Movement (ANM) party Board, at the
Discussion Clob “Pastark.”
He made a slip in speaking: “it is by personal opinion.” A. Zurabyan
thinks participating in the presidential election, L. Ter-Petrosyan
will “radically change the situation of disorder reigning the country
at present.” He noted that if L. Ter-Petrosyan refuses to run for
presidency, ANM will advance its candidate for presidency. For
instance, the candidature of Babken Ararktsyan, the former speaker
of the Armenian parliament.
Levon Ter-Petrosyan was elected president of Armenia in 1991. In
1996, he was officially declared the winner of the presidential
elections that were called rigged by many international authoritative
organizations and the country’s opposition. In the February of 1998,
L. Ter-Petrosyan resigned under pressure of some influential political
forces. Since then, he refuses to give interviews to the media. He
“appears in public” twice or trice in a year at official receptions
and congresses of the party.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BATTLE FOR LEVON TER-PETROSYAN?
Lragir.am
20 Oct 06
The first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan will run in the
presidential election 2008, stated Ararat Zurabyan, the chair of
the administration of the All-Armenian Movement. “I believe that
the appearance and activity of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, and his word
will have more importance than the activities of several political
forces of Armenia,” says Ararat Zurabyan. However, he says, his
confidence is not the result of his talk with Levon Ter-Petrosyan
but his personal impression. Perhaps, it is not worthwhile to mention
that the All-Armenian Movement will nominate Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Thereby the figures of the previous government appear in a curious
state, when two forces representing the former government consider
Levon Ter-Petrosyan their candidate. The point is that Babken Ararxyan,
the informal leader of Alternative, a union created several days
ago, expressed his personal opinion that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is his
candidate. Ararxyan announced, of course, that if Levon Ter-Petrosyan
is not nominated, they will go on to think what to do.
Meanwhile, Ararat Zurabyan knows what to do. He stated that the
All-Armenian Movement will propose another candidate, and according
to Zurabyan, it could be Babken Ararxyan.
This statement, which appears innocent at first sight, acquires an
absolutely different shade when we consider that Babken Ararxyan
and other former members of the All-Armenian Movement set up a new
political union, which was criticized by Ararat Zurabyan one or
two days ago. In fact, Ararat Zurabyan has a milder opinion now and
says he does not want to say anything negative about Alternative,
adding that this force has been set up recently, and it takes time
to evaluate their activities.
“We are a political force which works. If say two, ten or one hundred
figures choose to follow another path, we do not try to prevent them,
or to join, or not to join. The All-Armenian Movement is a separate
unit, I think it is serious enough to work, to act and unlike others
we alone can do more,” says Ararat Zurabyan. He tries to find out that
his criticism was determined by the worry that the establishment of
Alternative can give rise to a number of problems.
“When there is something, definite, there is a political party.
Generally, the political party is the place of political activities,
in normal societies, I think it is wrong to set up another unit.
People have set up a unit which they think is the right way. I think
it is not. I do not battle this unit, I have no wish and have no such
intentions. I am ready to cooperate, I am ready to do everything.
Maybe the problem is different. Nobody put the question differently:
why is this unit set up or why Babken Ararxyan did not want to become
the chair of the administration of the All-Armenian Movement and
preferred to lead 18 persons rather than a political party,” says
Ararat Zurabyan. And though he states that there is no need to seek
controversies between Alternative and the All-Armenian Movement,
he nevertheless, displays these controversies. And when he says it
is unnecessary to seek, he probably means that there is no need to
look for them because the controversies are evident.
These controversies can be settled by Levon Ter-Petrosyan, in other
words, the nomination of Ter-Perosyan can bring together Alternative
and the All-Armenian Movement. But this is highly hypothetical because
for the time being Ter-Petrosyan divides these forces. For instance,
Ararat Zurabyan states that in 1996 Ter-Petrosyan’s election campaign
was badly coordinated, and the candidate, who had 70 percent of votes,
hardly won the election. One may ask what relation Alternative has
with this. The relation is that in 1996 the headquarters of Levon
Ter-Petrosyan was led by Babken Ararxyan.
“Do you think the election in 1996 was the result of good
coordination? If there is anyone who thinks that Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
team was coordinated correctly in the election 1996, which produced
an outcome, you are mistaken,” says Ararat Zurabyan, which allows to
conclude that the member of the administration of the All-Armenian
Movement is simply joking when he says that after Ter-Petrosyan the
next candidate, the reserve, will be Babken Ararxyan, who hindered the
absolute victory of Levon Ter-Petrosyan in the presidential election,
making it appear doubtful. However, Zurabyan’s words allow concluding
that his criticism is directed against the coordinator Ararxyan,
because Zurabyan says maybe he was a bad coordinator but he will make
a good candidate. And why not? Especially that Ter-Petrosyan could
lead Babken Ararxyan’s election headquarters.

Adoption of the bill by the French Parliament reinforces Armenia’s security
(Analysis)
20.10.2006 16:40
Armen Manvelyan
“Radiolur”
As it was expected, the adoption of the law penalizing the
denial of the Armenian Genocide in the French Parliament brought
forward controversial comments and even criticism. No one had the
slightest doubt that it would be discussed by Turkish h media and
society. Criticism came also from the bureaucratic system of the
European Union, which is not surprising, either. The latter consider
issues proceeding from political interests of their structure,
rather than from the perspective of revelation of the historic truth
and correct assessment of events. Yet, it is understandable that
adoption of such a law will seriously hamper the process of EU-Turkey
talks, and it will disturb them more than a similar law adopted by
the European Parliament. Nevertheless, turning to the core of the
question, let’s try to discuss it from the standpoint of Armenia’s
interests in order to understand what it will give us. It’s not a
secret that the Republic of Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno
Karabakh Republic are surrounded with the hostility of Turkey and
Azerbaijan, and this is the reality we cannot escape. The situation
was created in the first half of the past century in the result of the
genocide perpetrated by Turks, when the Armenian people was deprived of
the right to live on its historic land. As it is known the reason of
such policy was the national aspiration of Turks who wished to unite
all Turkic nations and move to Central Asia and Siberia to conquer
all the lands inhabited by Turkish-speaking peoples. A considerable
part of the Armenian nation fell victim of these political ambitions
called Panturkism. Although 90 years have passed after these events,
Turkish ambitions and priorities have not changed, and unfortunately,
today we cannot say we are safe from attacks and aggression of this
kind. One of the reasons is that up to now the Armenian Genocide has
not been condemned by the international community and has not been
acknowledged by Turkey. No one will refute the danger of reoccurrence
of an uncondemned crime. Therefore, we can say that the step of the
French Parliament was the first attempt to prevent any possible future
anti-Armenian crimes of Turkey and Turks in general. Anyway, the time
will come to answer for everything. It is clear that the activity of
the French Parliament is not enough, decisions of the whole Europe and
especially the US Congress are necessary here. To put it different,
French legislators promote the rise of Armenia’s security level in
the region. And it is from this very perspective that the adoption
of the bill penalizing the Armenian Genocide is to be considered.

Chahe Keuroghelian promises to listen to his voters
20.10.2006 17:35
Alisa Gevorgyan
“Radiolur”
In 2007 Armenians will be engaged in active electoral process not
only in Armenia but also in distant California, since our compatriot
Chahe Keuroghelian is going to run for Glendale Mayor.
He told “Radiolur” that there is essential difference between
pre-election promises in Armenia and the United States. In Armenia
future officials promise prosperous life to the voters, while Chahe
Keuroghelian promises his Glendale voters something very rare –
to listen to them.
Born and grown up in Beirut, Chahe Keuroghelian moved to the US in
1991 at the age of 21. After graduating from the university he started
working in an Armenian school as a teacher of journalism and American
history. Later he got engaged in politics. For two years he has been
engaged in organizing election campaigns.
Having a broad circle of interests, once out compatriot got interested
in the work of the Public Relations Department of the Glendale Police,
which is comprised of not only revelation of crimes and execution
of punishment, but also taking diverse measures for prevention
of felonies. Thuus, an application was submitted, and after some
training and several exams Chahe Keuroghelian became an employee of
the above-mentioned departmenet.
Simultaneously he was continuing his education in the Department of
political science and Political Administration.
“This lasted for one year. Later, familiarizing with may capacities
and emphasizing the importance of my knowledge of five languages, the
Chief of Police transferred me to his Department, where I was working
under his direct control. I was entrusted the position of Head of
the Press and Public Relations Department,” Chahe Keuroghelian noted.
Mr. Keuroghelian occupied this position for 13 years. In 2001
he resigned from the position and after taking law courses, he
established a legal advisory office and started his own business. In
2005 he suggested his candidacy for membership in the Glendale City
Hall Council and with the minimum budget among all 15 candidates he
received a surprisingly great number of votes.
“Inspired and encouraged with this success and giving in to the request
of numerous representatives of the Armenian community I decided to run
in the elections for Glendale Mayor in 2007,” Chahe Keuroghelian said.
It should be noted that Chahe Keuroghelian is not the only Armenian
running for Mayor. However, unlike Mr. Keuroghelian, the other
candidate is a member of a party and member of the current City Hall
Council. However, Chahe Keuroghelian is not concerned about the fact,
since the party label is not particularly welcomed in Glendale.
“I’m not a member of any party and it gives me a greater advantage to
speak for the defense of rights of the whole people, present programs
to serve not only local Armenians but also the whole population
of Glendale. Naturally, there is nothing condemnable here, but his
approaches will be that of his party. And his programs will not serve
the whole population of the city,” Chahe Keuroghelian noted.
80 thousand out of the total of 209 thousand of Glendale population
are Armenians, but Chahe Keuroghelian’s pre-election promises are
not addressed only his compatriots. The promises are as follows:
“I do not promise to work wonders, but my whole professional career
evidences that I’ve always kept my promises. And if I promised
something I always made it true. Naturally, it will continue this
way in case I’m elected Mayor of Glendale.”
Like everywhere, one of the most complex problems of Glendale voters
is to be heard by authorities. Therefore, the most attractive of Chahe
Keuroghelian’ s promises is the following: “Our elected representatives
have great difficulties with listening. They tend to speak rather than
listen. I have no problem with speaking, but I promise to listen too.”

EU does not want Armenia to stand apart from regional projects
ArmRadio.am
20.10.2006 11:35
“Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, who are included in the TRACECA,
support the Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalak-Kars railway project. However,
the European Union does not support the idea, ” National Secretary of
TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission of Azerbaijan Akif Mustafaev said,
Azeri APA agency reports. In his words, the EU does not want Armenia
to stand apart from regional projects. The EU demands to continue
construction of the railway passing through Armenia instead of the
Baku-Tbilisi- Akhalkalak-Kars. “It is, however, impossible before the
settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. The fact that separate
countries do not wish to finance the project will have no impact on its
accomplishment. Countries participating in the project have already
expressed willingness to provide means for implementation of works,”
Mustafaev declared. To remind, the project costs about $350 million.

WHY AAM DID NOT PUNISH SERGE SARGSYAN?
Lragir.am
20 Oct 06
The regime set a goal of reproduction, and the opposition must prevent
this, stated the chair of the administration of the All-Armenian
Movement Ararat Zurabyan October 20 at the Pastark Club.
“I think this is possible. I think there were such possibilities in
2003. The opposition should have been more determined, and everything
would end quite normally,” says Ararat Zurabyan answering the question
on the mechanisms of preventing reproduction.
Ararat Zurabyan thinks that the government hardly gets 15 percent
in elections, and it is necessary not to allow the government to get
more votes. Naturally the news reporters asked the advocate of fair
elections if electoral fraud was not established in the period when
his political party was government. It became clear that electoral
fraud had been established earlier, “In the early 20th century,”
says Ararat Zurabyan, adding that it would be very difficult for
their government to battle this traditions, when the public was used
to unfair elections.
Besides, Ararat Zurabyan says in the years when they were government,
Andranik Margaryan, Serge Sargsyan were also in the government
and they falsified the results of the election to the degree that
their power enabled. “At that time they had 10 percent of power,
and their fraud was 10 percent, now they have 100 percent of power
100 percent of fraud,” says Ararat Zurabyan. In that case, it would
be interesting to know why the All-Armenian Movement government did
not punish Andranik Manukyan and Serge Sargsyan for electoral fraud.
Ararat Zurabyan does not know the answer to this question, because
first he pretended having perceived the question differently, saying
that in the years of government of the All-Armenian Movement he was
the head of Armenian Press, whereas Serge Sargsyan was the minister
of National Security, and naturally he could not punish him. But we
certainly gave Ararat Zurabyan additional explanation that not he
was supposed to punish and did not punish but the political force he
represented, which was supposed to punish but failed to punish.
“The force I represent is people, and perhaps people got the
punishment,” says the present chair of the administration of the
All-Armenian Movement, the former head of the Center community and the
former director of Armenian Press. If there is someone who understood
from his words why the All-Armenian Movement did not punish Serge
Sargsyan and Andranik Margaryan who had falsified the election for its
favor, we have probably reached our goal, but if nobody understood,
it means it remains unclear why the All-Armenian Movement did not
punish electoral fraud, but handed power to these people and quitted,
enabling them to expand electoral fraud.

PROTEST IN FRONT OF HOME OF NATIONAL SECURITY
Lragir.am
20 Oct 06
The members of United Javakheti started a sit-in in front of the
building of the National Security Service demanding to set free Vahagn
Chakhalyan, one of their leaders, who had been arrested October
11 for illegal crossing of the Armenian border. The participants
of the sit-in say the real reason for arresting Chakhalyan is the
effort of the Armenian government to support the Georgian government
in repressing the Armenian movement in Javakheti. The news agency
Regnum informs that the protestors consider Chakhalyan’s arrest an
“Armenian and Georgian plot”. They announce that they are ready to
start a hunger strike for releasing Chakhalyan in case the Armenian
government fails to release Vahagn Chakhalyan within three days.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress