IS THERE ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN CC DECISION AND NA?
A1+
[05:38 pm] 09 November, 2006
Two days ago the Constitutional Court (CC) upheld the claim of the
Opposition and found the involvement of judges in the electoral
commissions anti-constitutional.
“Provided the CC didn’t make such a decision, the provision might
be omitted from the Electoral Code as a result of the Constitutional
amendments,” says NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan while commenting on the
CC decision.
Prior to answering the question of A1+, Mr. Torosyan noted that the
Constitutional amendments were of great importance in the political
sphere and were mainly in favour of the Opposition representatives
who were against the amendments. “The Opposition could appeal to
the CC and make it turn down the proposal of judges’ involvement,”
added Mr. Torosyan.
The NA Speaker doesn’t see any reason for rejecting judges’ involvement
in the electoral commissions as “there a lot of countries where
judges are involved in the electoral commissions and this arouses
no problems. As for Armenia, there are two factors mingling with the
endorsement of the proposal. There are two contradicting provisions in
the acting EC. One of them stipulated that the electoral commission
is a state institution whereas according to the other provision it
is an independent free body.”
I see a contradiction in this connection which must be taken into
consideration. Besides, provided electoral commissions are state
bodies, contradictions arouse in connection with Article 98 of the
Constitution as it states that judges mustn’t hold other posts in
state bodies.”
The NA Speaker informed A1+ that the amendments to the EC, endorsed
during the first hearing, will be put to the second hearing in
December.

THE PROPERTY “PAKAGITS” IS CONFISCATED
A1+
[06:48 pm] 09 November, 2006
Today, at 1-2 o’clock, there was a bustle in the club of “Pakagits”
daily. The Compulsory Executive Services confiscated the property of
the editorial office, thus depriving the staff of the possibility of
publishing the daily.
The representatives of the editorial office claim, “It is already two
days the copies of “Pakagits” daily have been taken from all the news
stands. Today, while participating in the NA session, I got a call
that the Compulsory Executive Services are taking the property of the
office out of the building. The workers of the office forbade them
to take it out in the absence of the editor but they didn’t listen
to them,” says Agapy Haykazuni, editor of the newspaper.
We couldn’t get any information from the Compulsory Executive Services
on the decision according to which they confiscated the property. The
director of the newspaper didn’t sign the documents of confiscation
either.
“According to the documents, submitted by the Compulsory Executive
Services, a Daniel Tounyan demands 8 million AMD from us. I am unaware
of it as I have got no court summons.
I assume the Republican Party is responsible for this action. Our
newspaper displayed courage to open the brackets and here is the
result,” complains Mrs. Haykazuni.
Political commentator Lili Martirosyan added, “Asked how they would
comment on their biased attitude towards “Pakagits” daily, the Defense
Minister and Andranik Margaryan said they are not interested in
“Pakagits.” We have seen how interested they are. This gives us a
perfect ground to conclude that on the eve of elections the current
authorities don’t need free and independent media.”

ELECTIONS ARE AHEAD
A1+
[07:24 pm] 09 November, 2006
Today the residents of North and Main Avenues, Firdus and Kozern
districts and the gardeners of Dalma and Nor Norq, organised a rally
of complaint opposite the National Assembly.
They called on the NA deputies to discuss their version and proposals
of the draft bill on “Alienation of Property for Public and State
Needs.” But their attempts were a failure as the NA passed the old
version with 61 votes for. “We approve of the law but not in its
current form,” complained the residents.
“They were elected due to the residents’ votes. Let them not forget it
and not become the stooges of the government. The government has once
more revealed its “real face.” We see the interests of the government
quite well,” said Sedrak Baghdasayan, one of the rally participants.
By the way, the strikers urged the authorities, “We did everything
within the framework of the law, whereas our-high rank officials
breeched it. They will soon start election campaigns. And the acting
authorities will be treated just the way they treat people. They stir
us to be disobedience… “

WILL ARMENIA HAVE PAYABLE MOTOR-WAYS?
A1+
[07:59 pm] 09 November, 2006
RA Government has initiated draft bill on “Motor-ways” which was
submitted to the NA for the first hearing.
There is a reference to the “payable motor-ways” in the bill which
seems to be obscure.
“Suppose an investor comes and announces, “It takes people three hours
to get to Sadakhlu from Yerevan. I want to open a direct road under
the mountains through tunnels. People can get to Sadakhlu within
half an hour. “Of course, we shall endorse his proposal as half an
hour is less than three hours,” says Andranik Margaryan, Minister of
Transportation and Communication and adds, “People are free to choose;
if they want they can pay and go via shorter route. The payable roads
provide alternative solution for the RA passengers.”
The prospect of employing payable motor-ways in Armenia is still deem
as no one has submitted such a proposal to the RA Government yet.

KASPRZYK: EVERYBODY PUSHES ITS INTERESTS
Panorama.am
13:35 09/11/06
Andrzej Kasprzyk, special representative of OSCE acting chairman on
Nagorno Karabakh, is participating in Wilton Park’s conference on
South Caucasus.
Panorama.am interviewed Kasprzyk on developments in the region.
– You have been in Armenia and Azerbaijan. How does the conflict
between Russia and the West influence the stability and development
in the region?
– I do not think that after cold war there is such a notion as a
conflict between Russia and the West. I think each country represents
its interests. I can point out that Russia has good relations with
France, Germany. It is wishful that similar relations were with Poland
as well. I do not think there is a specific approach to the region. I
think the developments in the region are not the continuation of cold
war. Everybody tries to push its interests.
-However, we are witnessing Russia-Georgia conflict which is viewed
in the context of American expansion in Georgia and South Caucasus
(or Transcaucasus).
After all it hinders the development in the region.
What can you say in this regard?
– I understand that the recent relations between Georgia and Russia do
not contribute to cooperation and reflect on the whole region. As an
external observer, we will hope that Russia and Georgia can regulate
their relations to the level that it will promote cooperation.
– This conference mainly discussed regional security and
development. In this context, we see that Azerbaijan and Turkey
together with Georgia build and form regional and bigger infrastructure
which passes by Armenia. How can this influence the region and can
it create new problems?
– I think the best would be full cooperation among the regional
states. I have no doubts in this and I think no one has. Taking
into consideration the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan
it is clear that it creates problems in the region on the way of
cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan says she does
not want to cooperate because of the territorial occupation. Until
the conflict is regulated, I do not believe that such cooperation is
possible.

AGHAJANOV THINKS FOOLISH TO SELL SHARES OF GOVERNMENT IN ARMENTEL
Panorama.am
16:16 09/11/06
Telecommunication is very profitable and it is foolish from the side
of Armenian government to sell 10% of its shares in ArmenTel, Edward
Aghajanov told reporters today. He thinks if the government wants to
sell its shares, it better sell it to a local company.
“I was generally against the sale of ArmenTel to Greek OTE and
always supported that it was owned by local entrepreneurs,” he
said.

PARLIAMENT APPROVES BILL ON ALIENATION OF PROPERTY
Panorama.am
16:37 09/11/06
Parliament extraordinary session approved several government
proposed bills, among them already famous bill on alienation of
property for public and state needs. The package was approved on 61
in favor and 11 abstained vote. Arshak Sadoyan, who boycotted the
bill, said that Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnakcutiun)
which abstained in the vote, in fact, pushed it forward by ensuring
minimum quota. If Dashnakcutiun did not participate, the bill would
be rejected. Everything was taken into consideration, Sadoyan said.

GOVERNMENT DECISION REQUIRES AUCTION FOR MINING INDUSTRY
Panorama.am
16:55 09/11/06
“Efficient use of mining industry will promote our economy,” Vardan
Aivazyan, minister of nature protection, told a briefing followed by a
government session. The government issued a decision according to which
a tender will be announced for processing the bowels of the earth.
According to the new order, the government announces starting amount
of the auction and the participating companies invest as much or more
to win the auction.
Aivazyan said the starting capital for 5 tones of gold may be “380
million drams.” Aivazyan said these auctions may fill the budget with
big sums.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NGOS SAY NEW GOVERNMENT ORDER BOOSTS CORRUPTION RISKS
Panorama.am
19:28 09/11/06
Some environment organization complain about the order issued by the
government on management of forests. The government decision says
state forests will be accredited to companies if forest economies
cannot manage them on their own or work on losses.
Public organizations in environment believe that this will boost up
corruption risks. Nazely Vardanyan, Armenian Forests NGO Director,
believes the order is underdeveloped and does not include expert
opinions.

HUNGARIAN APPEALS COURT JUDGE: RAMIL SAFAROV’S MOTIVES EXTENUATING
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 9 2006
The motives that made Ramil Safarov to act this way are not ordinary.
The court should pay attention to them and consider as extenuating
circumstances,” the judge of Hungary Court of Appeal Andrash Braqyova
who is on visit to Azerbaijan told the journalists. Hungarian judge
said that Hungary press gives enough information about lifer Ramil
Safarov. Braqyova stressed that Armenian Diaspora’s interference to
the court affairs is inadmissible.
“I do not rule out any political declaration after court’s decision.
These declarations can even be made by Azerbaijani President.
According to the Hungary Legislation Ramil Safarov’s being granted
amnesty or pardon is possible only after trial will over,” he said.
It should be noted that the court will consider Ramil Safarov’s appeal
in spring next year.