Lragir, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

BE STRONG, TOLERANT AND PUNISH CRIMINALS

It is foolish when the minister of defense, who has not got through
with the war, leads a political party, it is not normal when the
teacher is made to join a political party. Meanwhile, Armenia is
slowly approaching the pre-election stage, slowly because the
government is splitting, stated Aram Manukyan, All-Armenian Movement
on November 24 at the Pastark Club.

According Aram Manukyan, with the parliamentary election drawing
nearer, in February 2007 pre-election alliances will emerge, one or
two pro-Russian alliances, it is desirable that the leftists join in
one alliance. Aram Manukyan forecasts: there will be a pro-West
alliance. The government will split into two alliances, Robert
Kocharyan’s and Serge Sargsyan’s. However, these are not going to be
based on ideology, but a clash of two clans, `vulgar anti-political
processes. The Republican Party and the Bargavach Hayastan Party are
busy hunting members, which will not be effective – it is a
mechanical race.’

Aram Manukyan thinks it has a negative impact on the political forces
of Armneia. The same forces get the negative influence of those
political forces which are contending for `who loves the Russians
best, who will obey more easily,’ and Aram Manukyan is against this.
`The Russians are our friend, and will remain our friend. The
Northern bear is strong and it will remain strong for a long time,
but this should not be at the expense of the welfare of my family and
the territorial integrity of my country.’

If the elections are fair, Serge Sargsyan, Gagik Tsarukyan and
Andranik Margaryan will not be elected, Aram Manukyan believes. `I
need 10 minutes of airtime to explain to people why they should not
elect them.’ However, only the H1, H2 and Armenia Channels are
available in the regions, which serve only one purpose, Aram Manukyan
thinks, `Serve the government.’ This complicates the problem, and is
not the only obstacle. `I wish there were people with political ideas
in the parliament. However, it is difficult to argue with someone who
has a fat neck, a thick pocket and is running in the election.’ Aram
Manukyan thinks that in the ideological sphere the All-Armenian
Movement differs from the others with its clear stances and opinions,
`Our complementarism was open, today Robert Kocharyan’s
complementarism is quite different, it is meant to cheat and let
people down.’

Aram Manukyan says the government has problems not only due to
cheating others, but also inside. `A government which feels it will
be endagered after quitting is a bad government. This government is
going to have major problems soon. The next government must be so
powerful and tolerant as not to carry out a massacre.’ Aram Manukyan
meant a human massacre. Of course, the criminals must be punished, be
it October 27, large-scale illegal building or `someone who gave
false testimony against Vano Siradeghyan, who is in power now,’ tax
delinquents should be made to pay taxes, `like Sahakashvili did.’
However, `human massacre is not civilized, forgiving is the mission
of the powerful, hatred belongs to the weak, the miserable. A
government based on hatred dies soon,’ Aram Manukyan believes.

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

SALARY IS EVIDENCE BUT ALSO THE ONLY LEGAL THING

On November 27 the National Assembly is going to discuss the state
budget bill and decide what to do with it. There is no need to worry
about the budget. We may even be sure that this bill will be passed.
And not because it will be discussed on November 27. This date is
highly mystical. It is a time when nobody does anything, but as a
result something happened. For instance, nobody votes to the
referendum on Constitution, but it turns out that the referendum was
adopted with queues of voters everywhere. So, in the end it may turn
out that the members of the parliaments of the previous convocations
came and voted for the budget. The government perhaps chose the day
of the extraordinary meeting on purpose in order not to have the
members of parliament control the situation. The bill on
expropriation taught a good lesson to the executive, and even if
Tigran Torosyan is not in the parliament, an important document such
as the budget should not be exposed to risk.

However, the government need not worry. Even if the budget is not
passed, no one in the country will feel that there is no budget. Of
course, the pensions and benefits, as well as the salaries of
state-financed workers may be endangered. However, today it is
impossible to live on the benefit or pension of the budget, and the
state-financed workers would even be happy if their salary was not
paid from the budget. The point is that the salary fills them with
remorse. For instance, the doctor whose salary is raised by the
government feels remorse when he takes the fee from the patient,
because thus the patient pays the doctor twice: first, through the
budget, as a taxpayer, and second, in cash, as a customer. Meanwhile,
the doctor would be happy to get only from the hand of the patient.

The government raises the salary of the teacher ruthlessly, whereas
the teacher would be happy not to get a salary at all. Thus he would
have more moral rights to ask money from the students or their
parents for curtains, brooms, vaccum cleaners, tablecloths, the
graduation ball, the first love, and the like, or accept their gifts.
Whereas now the teachers undergo a stress when they learn that the
students leaving school or the first-grade schoolchildren have a
small gift for them, such as a golden ring or a dinner.

Let alone the high-ranking and not so high-ranking public officials,
who get their salary from the state budget. Busy with a state
business of a particular importance, they have no time to go to the
government and officially reject the salary. The point is that the
salary is real evidence for the prosecutor. You can judge yourselves.
When someone sees how an official lives, he is amazed how he can live
such a luxurious life on his small salary. They start doubting, and
it is possible that they will be charged one day, like Member of
Parliament Hakob Hakobyan.

But when the official does not get a salary, besides preventing
doubts he also has an `extenuating condition.’ For instance, if a
public official does not get a salary but works, it means he is doing
a favor for the state and the public by serving for free. And the
public and the state will by all means appreciate him. The same
example: if Hakob Hakobyan had rejected the salary for all these
years, they would have certainly pardoned all the tax breaches he is
accused of.

However, strangely enough nobody learns from Hakobyan’s case and
rejects the salary he gets from the state budget. On the other hand,
they are doing the right thing. After all, their only tie with the
law is their salary, and if they reject it as well, even the best
lawyer will be unable to save them. Therefore, the budget is
necessary, and the members of parliament will vote for the budget,
even if it is not November 27.

HAKOB BADALYAN

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

The Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved via UN resolutions, Russian
Ambassador to Azerbaijan says
24.11.2006 17:00

`The Nagorno Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved with the adoption
of a UN resolution. On this question the position of Russia coincides
with that of the OSC Minsk Group,’ Russian Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan Vasili Istratov told APA agency.
The Ambassador noted that the main objective of the OSCE Minsk Group
is the resolution of the conflict. "It is impossible to resolve the
conflict via imposing ways of solution to the parties. The parties
should come to an agreement themselves,’ the Russian diplomat
underlined. `Both parties know what they should do. The Nagorno
Karabakh conflict is not frozen, it is a conflict the settlement of
which had been postponed.’

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

French Armenians disappointed with the decision of President Bush
24.11.2006 14:56

The French-Armenian `New Generation’ organization has expressed its
deep concern about the fact that Armenian Genocide denier and
controversial Middle East historian Bernard Lewis was amongst those
honored by President Bush this month with the prestigious National
Humanities Medal. `Armenpress’ was told at the organization that such
award is an offence to the memory of Armenian Genocide victims.
Unfortunately, it shows that denialism may be encouraged.
In 1995 a French court condemned him for statements he made during a
1993 interview with French newspaper "Le Monde." The case, which
argued that Lewis’ statements caused harm to Armenian Genocide
survivors, was filed by the International League Against Racism and
Anti-Semitism and the Forum of Armenian Associations, representing a
number of French Armenian organizations

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

Presidnet Kocharyan met with the Mayor of Nicosia
24.11.2006 14:29

Armenian Presidnet Robert Kocharyan’s state visit to Cyprus
continues. The Armenian delegation headed by Presidnet Kocharyan was
received by the Mayor of Nicosia Michael Zampelas, Head of `Radiolur’
program Arthur Sahakyan reports from Cyprus. After a short
conversation the Mayor thanked the Armenian Presidnet for visiting
the City Hall and awarded him with the golden key and an honorary
diploma of the golden city. Turning to the history of Nicosia, the
Mayor said a great number of Armenians reside in the city and they
play an active role in the public, political and cultural life of the
country. Robert Kocharyan thanked for the invitation and gifts and
spoke about Armenian-Cyprian relations, particularly the attitude of
the Mayor of Nicosia towards the Armenian community.
Later the Mayor accompanied Robert Kocharyan to the Old City – the
cease-fire zone called Green Line. A small wall here divides Nicosia
into Greek and Turkish parts. Robert Kocharyan wrote a message in the
Condolence Book.
The Armenian delegation will visit the St. Astvatsatsin (Virgin Mary)
Armenian Church and will later meet with representatives of the
Armenian community.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 25 2006

Ruben Hayrapetyan: In 2007 the Republican Party will comprise
Parliamentary majority
25.11.2006 17:30

The Republican Party will get a great number of ballots at the
parliamentary elections in 2007, and like 2003 it will comprise
majority in the Parliament, member of the Political Council of the
Republican Party, President of the Football Federation of Armenia
Ruben Hayrapetyan told the journalists today.
In his words, his confidence in the victory of the Republican Party
is associated with the fact that voters are tired of adventurous
programs and they tend to cast their votes for real platform of
political parties, which lead the country to a progress like the
Republican Party.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 25 2006

`Unshot bullets’ film presented in Stepanakert
25.11.2006 16:48

The presentation of the `Unshot bullets’ was held in Stepanakert, the
capital of Nagorno Karabakh. The film was shot at `Hayfilm’ studio.
The scenarist and author of the film is Samvel Tadevosyan. The
full-length film is based on the events of 1992-1994. Real
participants of the war acted in the film.
The film was shot in Nagorno Karabakh, Sisian and other regions of
Armenia.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 25 2006

Arkady Ghukasyan and Matthew Bryza met in the US
25.11.2006 16:00

During yesterday’s meeting in the US NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan
and the American Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza
exchanged views on the current stage and perspectives of settlement
of the Karabakh conflict.
During the conversation held in a constructive atmosphere the
interlocutors emphasized the necessity of resolving all the questions
at the bargaining table.
The same day in Los Angeles NKR President participated in the dinner
organized by benefactor Albert Boyajian.
Acting Press Secretary of the NKR President informs from the US that
speaking at the dinner, Arkady Ghukasyan expressed gratitude to the
organizers and participants of the Telethon.
The President noted that the Telethon succeeded due to the joint
efforts of all the Armenians.
NKR President was accompanied by Armenian Consul General in Los
Angeles Armen Liloyan and NKR Permanent Representative in the US
Vardan Barseghyan.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 25 2006

French Ambassador not to participate in the exhibition excerpted from
Turkish archives
25.11.2006 14:37

Among the Ambassadors of 40 countries accredited in Turkey only the
representatives of New Zealand, Morocco, Georgia, Japan, Poland,
Israel, Sweden, Sudan and Australia agreed to participate in the
exhibition against the assertions of the Armenian Genocide titled
`Live together under the sky’ organized by the Chairmanship of the
Turkish Parliament.
Turkish `Aqsham’ writes that the French Ambassador in Turkey refused
to participate in the opening ceremony.

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 25 2006

Azeri Justice Ministry intends to transfer Ramil Safarov to Aerbaijan

25.11.2006 13:04

The Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan has applied to the Ministry of
Justice of Hungary for allowing Ramil Safarov, the murderer of the
Armenian Officer Gurgen Margaryan, to carry the punishment in
motherland, APA agency reports. Let us remind that the Hungarian
Court sentenced Ramil Safarov to life imprisonment.
According to Zaver Gafarov, Chairman of the International Cooperation
Agency of the Ministry of Justice, in 1983 both countries joined the
European convention on `Handing over the prisoners for carrying
punishment.’
According to Gafarov, the court hearing in the Court of Cassation on
the appeal against the verdict on Ramil Safarov is scheduled in
April. He informed also that the negotiations will continue with the
Hungarian Ministry of Justice after the verdict legally comes into
force and measures will be undertaken for transferring Ramil Safarov
to Azerbaijan.