National Assembly of Armenia
Oct 27 2006
Sittings of Standing Committees in National Assembly

On October 29 the sittings of the National Assembly Standing
Committees were held.
At the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit,
Budgetary and Economic Affairs presided over by Mr. Gagik Minasyan, 6
issues were debated. All the drafts were endorsed to be put on the
agendas of the session and four-day sittings.
Mr. Tigran Sargsyan, Chairman of the Central Bank, presented the
legislative initiative of the Government on Making Amendment to the
RA Law on State Budget.
The executive body proposes to make amendments to the laws on
Accredited Payments and on Taxes.
The draft on Making Addendum to the Law on State Registration of
Legal Entities was presented for the evaluation. The MP Mr. Karen
Karapetyan submitted the draft.
It was informed that the draft on Food Safety is ready for the
adoption in the second reading.
At the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs,
Health Care and Environment presided over by Mr. Mnatsakan Petrosyan,
the government-submitted drafts on Making Addenda to the RA Law on
the RA Budgetary System, on Making Amendment to the RA Law on Nature
Protection Payment Rates, on Substance that Deplete the Ozone Layer,
on Making Addendum to the RA Law on State Duty, on Specially
Preserved Nature Locations, on the RA National Water Program were
debated in the second reading. Mr.Simon Papyan, Deputy Minister of
Environment, presented the drafts. He noted that the proposals and
recommendations on drafts had been received.
The Committee decided to hold debates on the drafts on Plants
Protection Quarantine, on Making Amendments to the RA Law on State
Agrarian Inspections, on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law
on Administrative Offences in the second reading within 24 hours
after the debates in the first reading. The drafts were endorsed to
be put on the draft agenda of the four-day sittings.
At the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Defence, National
Security and Internal Affairs, presided over by Mr. Aramayis
Grigoryan, Mr. Ararat Mahtesyan, Deputy Head of Police, presented for
the second reading the drafts on the Approval of the RA Police
Disciplinary Code, on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law on
Service in Police. The drafts were endorsed to be put on the draft
agenda of upcoming four-day sittings.
Mr. Artur Aghabekyan, Deputy Minister of Defense, presented for the
first reading the drafts on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law
on Legislative Regime of Martial Law and Law on Defense. The drafts
will be endorsed to be put on the agendas of the NA autumn session
and four day sittings.
The NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, presided over
by Rafik Petrosyan, debated the draft on Making Amendments and
Addenda to the RA Law on Administrative Offences in the first
reading, which was presented by Mr. David Avetisyan, Deputy Minister
of Finance and Economy.
The MP Mr.Viktor Dallakyan presented the draft Law on Making
Amendments to the RA Electoral Code in the first reading. The MP
Mr.Arshak Sadoyan presented his version of the draft Law on Making
Amendments to the RA Electoral Code in the first reading. This draft
got the MPs’ negative conclusion.
The MP Mr. Tatul Manaseryan presented the draft on Establishment of
the NA Standing Committee on the Armenian Genocide.
Mr. Rafik Petrosyan informed that according to Mr. Ashot Melkonyan,
Director of History Institute, historians are not against the
establishment of the Committee. Mr. Petrosyan also is in favor of the
establishment of the Committee.
Mr. Davit Harutyunyan, Minister of Justice, presented the drafts on
Making Addendum to the RA Law on Service of Compulsory Enforcement of
Judicial Orders, on Making Amendment and Addendum to the RA on
Treatment of Arrestees and Detainees, on Making Amendments and
Addendum to the RA Law on Criminal Executive Service, on Making
Amendments to the RA Law on the Enforcement of the RA Criminal Code,
on Making Amendment and Addendum to the RA Criminal Code, on Making
Amendments and Addenda to the RA Criminal Procedure, on Making
Addenda to the RA Criminal Executive Code, on Making Amendment to the
RA Law on Administrative Offences.
The MPs debated in the third reading the draft on Making Amendments
and Addenda to the RA Law on Trade Unions.
The debated drafts will be endorsed to be put on the agendas of the
NA big session and four-day sittings, excluding the MP Mr. Arshak
Sadoyan-submitted draft on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA
Electoral Code.
The ARF-submitted draft on the RA State Anthem was postponed for 30
days.

BÝA, Turkey
Oct 27 2006
World Independent Media in Istanbul
Academics, journalists and students aspiring for an independent media
are coming together in Istanbul on Nov. 4-5. Participants including
Ramonet, Castellanos, Tageszeitung’s Mika and TeleSUR’s Aharonian are
to discuss the possibilities of “another media”
BIA News Center
27/10/2006 Tolga KORKUT
BÝA (Istanbul) – Academics, activists and students producing
democratic and independent communication alternatives in the world
and in Turkey are coming together in Istanbul on November 4-5 saying
“another communication is possible”.
The Istanbul International Independent Media Forum will bring
together the experiences of various media organizations and
individuals from around the world, some of them “an adventure on
their own” such as Acik Radio, World Association of Community
Broadcasters (AMARC), bianet, Birgun, Deepdish TV, El Cezire,
Evrensel, Il Manifesto, Inter Press Service, OurMedia, Tageszeitung,
TeleSur, Evrensel, Express, Ulkede Ozgur Gundem, Ozgur Radio ve KAOS
GL.
IPS Communication Foundation Secretary General and BIA2 Coordinator
Ertugrul Kurkcu sums up the Forum effort saying:
“Humanity is so lucky that it is not confined to only a single
alternative in communication. Bringing together small efforts and
means, opening windows and doors to people to exchange and make sense
out of their experiences, the independent media will show how another
communication is possible”.
Approximately 200 participants that are working for another media
will come together at the Dolapdere campus of the Istanbul Bilgi
University where, following the two-day Forum, one or more manifests
are expected to be prepared and issued.
These text(s), that are expected to be a resource for future work of
similar nature, are then to be approved at the closing forum on
November 5.
The organizers committee proposes two manifests before the Forum:
* An appeal for action and monitoring for the Mass Media
* An appeal for action and monitoring for Another Media
The Forum is to be launched by speeches delivered by Le Monde
Diplomatique newspaper editor-in-chief Ignacio Ramonet’nin and IPS
General Director Mario Lubetkin’in .
The first day sees two panels taking place in the Forum: “New Global
Mainstream Media Environment Limits and Challenges” and “Independent
Media Environment and Prospects for non-Mainstream”.
The panel on the second day, meanwhile, focuses on communication
education: “Education for Communication: Critical or Mainstream?”.
The forum is organized under the framework of the “Establishing a
Countrywide Network for Monitoring and Covering for Media Freedom and
Independent Journalism-BÝA²” project jointly by the IPS Communication
Foundation and the Inter Press Service .
Meeting for an open, democratic, transparent and accessible media
The International Independent Media Forum which is open to everyone
has set the following goals:
· Bring together activists, specialists, workers and analysts from
across the globe, who strives for “another media”.
· Share experiences in bringing out independent media and analyze
significant practices.
· Help develop more open, democratic, transparent and accessible
media environments.
· Provide and contribute in cooperation among global, regional and
local alternative media networks.
· Encourage individuals and institutions to support independent media
initiatives
· Increase the quality and quantity of independent media practices in
Turkey
Toplumsal Cinsiyet, Baris ve Bagimsiz Medya
Two important group discussions will take part on the second day of
the forum.
“Social Gender and Independent Media” moderated by journalist and
writer Ipek Calislar is to bring together women rights activist and
journalist Angella Castellanos from Colombia, bianet’s Nadire Mater,
Kaos GL’s Ugur Yuksel, Media Monitoring Group’s Dr. Hulya Ugur
Tanriover, Pazartesi magazine’s Beyhan Demir and Ucan Supurge’s Oya
Ozden Saner.
Later, the “Independent Media for Peace” discussion moderated by
Birgun newspaper editor-in-chief Murat Celikkkan is to bring together
Alexander Iskendaryan from the Armenian Caucasus Media Institute,
Acik Radio’s Avi Haligua, bianet’s Erol Onderoglu, Yucel Gokturk,
Merve Erol, Erdir Zat and Siren Idemen from Express, Cyprus Turkish
Union of Press Workers’ Huseyin Yalyali, Georgia Social Researches
Center’s Marina Muskhelishvili, Azerbaijan Zerkalo newspaper’s Murad
Huseynov, Agos’s Nuran Agan, Israel Peace Journalism Center’s Prof.
Dr. Dov Sinar, Rustem Batum, Sevgul Uludag and Cyprus East
Mediterranean University’s Tony Angastiniotis.
Kurkcu refers to the subjects of focus of these two discussions as
“two new fields of news reporting both for Turkey and the world”. He
adds, “Debates on reporting for peace and social gender will give us
the opportunity to take into consideration the possibilities and
successes of a media that operates outside of the language, shape and
context that has the lasting marks of male domination, sexism,
racism, nationalism and homophobia”.
Local, independent media and civic journalism in Turkey
One of the important events on November 5 is the “Civic, Local and
Alternative Media in Turkey” forum which will bring together
academics and local journalists.
Moderated by journalist Ragip Duran, the forum will start with Dr.
Sevda Alankus’s question “Do the local media and civic media give
opportunities for a pluralism and independence?”
While Dr. Incilay Cangoz discussed local and independent media in the
context of “civic journalism” Coskun Efendioglu from the Milas Onder
newspaper will raise questions on how the media could be local and
independent.
Manavgat Venus Radio’s Dogan Sonmez will look at the issue
approaching journalists as the “human capitals of independence” while
Diyarbakir Gun TV’s Cemal Dogan will share his experiences on news
reporting and broadcasting in a mother-tongue. Mehmet Can Toprak from
the Mersin Radio Ses and Izmir Demokrat Radio’s Nadiye Gurbuz will
explain “local radio broadcasting in metropolitan cities”.
“For another communication: Welcome”
Kurkcu ve IPS Communication Foundation Chairwoman Nadire Mater, say
in their invitation to the forum:
“Yes, we had started to shape the dream of the Forum as one that
would bring ‘Another communication is possible’ to daylight. As
Beirut’s Umayma El-Halil and Hani Siblini to Istanbul’s Sema,
skipping from one language to another, give a us a world tour with
their songs, two groups will prepare reports of the forum.
We have two appeals: Appeal for Action and Monitoring of Mass Media /
Appeak for Action and Monitoring of Another Media.
So this is it: A truly enjoyable weekend of questions, answers,
debate, shared experiences. We are waiting; come, let us fume
together, let us rejoice in hope… Our energy and our stubbornness
always say the same thing to us: Another communication is possible.
In that case, on the days of November 4-5, we are meeting at the
Bilgi University Dolapdere campus for the International Independent
Media Forum.
Welcome!” (TK/II/YE)

TREND, Azerbaijan
Oct 27 2006
`Muasir Musavat’ Party Preparing for a Picket in Front of French Embassy

Source: Trend
Author: J. Shakhverdiyev

27.10.2006

The party `Muasir Musavat’ (`Modern Musavat’) is expected to hold a
picket in front of the French Embassy in Baku, at 3 p.m. local time,
on October 31, the press-service of the Party told Trend today.

The main cause of the forthcoming action is to protest against a bill
concerning acknowledging of the so-called imaginary Armenian
`genocide’ recently passed by the Lower Chamber of the French
Parliament. The Party also told that 50 members of the Party are
expected to take part in the forthcoming picket. In this connection,
a corresponding appeal has already been sent to the Baku City
Executive Power.

The opposition party `Muasir Musavat’ was established by an
initiative of Khafiz Hajiyev in 2002. Mr. Hajiyev is the acting
Chairman of the Party.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Israel Today
Oct 27 2006
Armenian parliamentarian’s remarks cause storm
Vartan Ayvazian, a member of the Armenian parliament, caused a
political storm when he made anti-Semitic statements concerning a
drilling company in Armenia.
`Do you know whom you defend?’ he was quoted by Armenian newspapers
as angrily telling reporters. `You defend Jews. Why don’t you go and
find out who’s behind Global Gold? Instead of preventing them from
violating our country’s laws, you want to defend them?’
His remarks were a result of a bitter dispute between Armenia and the
American mining company `Global Gold’ that was jointly administered
by Jews and Armenians. Ayvazian has made anti-Semitic comments in the
past.
The Jewish community of Armenia was quick to publicize his latest
remarks. The president of the Armenian Jewish community, Rimma
Varzhapetian said Ayvazian’s statements were insulting and hurtful.
`A man in this position should not express himself in this manner. He
should first think. What was said was very hurtful. There is no
anti-Semitism in Armenia and the Jews live in a nice atmosphere,’ she
said. `We think there are personal interests involved, which in no
way extend to the Armenian people and government,’ so we don’t want
to make a fuss about that.’
The dispute between Ayvazian and Global Gold arose when the
Environment Ministry’s decided to revoke the company’s license to
carry out exploratory work at one of its Armenian gold mines saying
it failed to honor its investment commitments. The company denies the
accusations and will not leave before a court ruling.
Global Gold is run by Van Krikorian, a prominent American Armenian
and former chairman of the Armenian Assembly of America.
178&nid=10013

PC Pro, UK
Oct 27 2006
Nabaztag wireless rabbit breeds new generation

‘We are against screens,’ states Rafi Haldjian, authoritatively.
Haldjian is the man behind the Nabaztag wireless rabbit that is
evolving to the next generation; Nabaztagtag.
Nabaztag is that strangest of beasts: it has no compelling reason
commending itself. It doesn’t have a bigger hard drive, or faster
processor than the competition, and it out-Japan’s Japan in terms of
novelty electronic toys, yet it has charmed some 65,000 people –
mainly French – into buying one, and at nearly £80 a pop.
In fact, under the ears, there’s really not a lot going on. A set of
glowing LEDs, a speaker and a wireless component pretty much make up
the technological oomph of Nabaztag. Its charms lie in the range of
online services you can attach to it – reading you your email,
weather and traffic reports – to its Tamagotchi addictiveness, with a
personality that thrives on interaction, and chastises its owner for
leaving it alone too long.
Word of the WiFi rabbit has roamed far afield, with online
communities such as NabaztagAmerica. You’ll also find evidence of
them on Flickr and YouTube. And because there’s an API available to
skilled ‘Nabaznauts’ as they call themselves, there is a constantly
growing range of services available from these communities.
A new European landscape emerges from its popularity. Perhaps it’s
the long nights, but the further north you go, the more likely
Nabaztag will find a loving home. ‘It’s most popular in Nordic
countries,’ says Haldjian. ‘Followed by the Dutch, British, and
French owners. The Spanish like it more than the Italians. The
Hungarians like it more than the Polish.’
Nabaztag means rabbit, in Armenian. ‘It’s an out of nowhere object
for with an out of nowhere name for an out of nowhere people,’ said
Haldjian. ‘In a world of bits, anything can happen, and no-one is
surprised any more. So we wanted to know, is there a way to bring
that back home, bring it into meat-space. Which object should we
think of first to do this? The rabbit of course.’
He said that he deliberately avoided using a household object with a
function such as a fridge, as that carries with it the baggage of
needing to perform that function ‘better’ by being connected to the
Internet.
‘We want to

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prove there is life beyond the PC,’ he said. ‘This is not about the
future of rabbits. We wanted to mix the fun, emotion, magic and
relationships in an object’.
The new version of Nabaztag is Nabaztagtag. ‘In Armenian, that would
translate as Rabbit-bit,’ said Haldjian. ‘Version seven will be
called Nabaztagtagtagtagtagtagtag’. Its evolutionary highlight
resides in the microphone placed approximately where you would
imagine its belly to be.
The microphone gives it a number of new interesting possibilities.
Firstly it can recognise words. You can tell it to tell you the
weather or to ‘shut up’. If somebody is messaging your rabbit whom
you don’t recognise, you can even ask it ‘Who’s that?’.
All the voice-recognition and other processor-pushing capabilities
are performed on the Nabaztag server. The rabbit itself is simply a
dumb terminal. This makes it easy for Violet, the company behind
Nabaztag, to add new services without the need for any upgrade to the
rabbit hardware.
Nabaztagtag can stream mp3 files, and you can add interfaces into
blogs and personalised Google pages as a shortcut for messaging your
rabbit. You can subscribe to podcasts through it, and Haldjian also
talked about adding VoIP capabilities and the ability to monitor its
ambient surroundings through the microphone so that you can tell for
example, whether anyone is in the room and therefore able to receive
messages.
‘Also, it can smell things,’ says Haldjian rather enigmatically. With
each Nabaztagtag you get a roll of RFID tags which you can associate
with other objects. Examples he quoted include attaching one to your
keys. You wave your keys in front of the rabbit as you leave and
return from work each day, and Nabaztag, and anyone else you want to
notify, knows when you are home.
You could also attach one to a present which would trigger a message
from Nabaztagtag once opened. Or in a book for your children, so that
when they showed it to Nabaztagtag would stream a recording of you
reading that book to them. ‘With RFID tags you can add meaning to
anything,’ he said.
Democratising RFID in this way should help allay the privacy fears of
people when they hear of the technology being applied to passports
and the means to monitor and track people in their everyday lives.
‘When you give people the same tools as the authorities, it’s a good
thing,’ said Haldjian. ‘We’re in the early days of the Internet of
things and we should show that this can be about fun, and
creativity.’
For the future Haldjian is even considering his first concession
towards the dreaded screen with a small projector on top of
Nabaztagtagtag’s head that would show its thoughts and moods.
But for now, you can get your Nabaztagtag for around £90 from 18
November from the likes of Selfridges on the high street or Firebox
online.
Matt Whipp

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 27 2006
Azerbaijani football team under 19 defeats Armenian team with score
2:1
[ 27 Oct. 2006 20:56 ]
Azerbaijan football team defeated Armenian team with the score 2:1
within the group stage of European Football Championship under 19,
APA reports.
The match took place in Larnaka, South Cyprus. Armenian team scored
the first goal. Farid Hashimzadeh succeeded to level the score.
Another footballer Nizami Hajiyev scored the second goal of the
national team in the second half time. The match did not turn out
without an incident. An Armenian football fan entered the stadium in
the middle of the second half time and wanted to beat Azerbaijani
footballers. But the police could take him out. Then there was a
fight among the fans and therefore the match was stopped for a time.
After 22-minute pause the match continued and Azerbaijan I team
managed to reserve the victory score. /APA/

Desastres.org, Peru
Oct 27 2006
Russia Develops Unique Seaplanes
Publicado – Published: 27/10/2006
MOSCOW, October 27(Yury Zaitsev for RIA Novosti).- Fire-fighting and
rescue operations, as well as cargo and passenger traffic in remote
areas, are very expensive and involve the use of airplanes,
helicopters, ships, hovercraft and other specialized equipment.
However, experience shows that flying boats are the best option
because they can effectively fight natural and man-made fires.
Their efficiency is enhanced by the ability to scoop up water from
local lakes and rivers and promptly pour it on the seat of the fire.
Russia`s newest Be-200 flying boat, which was developed at the
Taganrog-based Beriyev scientific-technical complex (TANTK) in the
early 1990s, is the last word in Russian seaplane construction and is
best suited for the job, because virtually every Russian forest has
large lakes, rivers and reservoirs.
This seaplane is a descendant of the Be-12 Mail and the A-40 Mermaid
(Albatross) ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) planes, which have proved
their worth in emergencies and do not require airfields to land and
take off.
TANTK, as the main national agency for implementing a joint seaplane
construction policy, planned to develop passenger airliners, cargo
planes and other versions on the basis of the Be-200.
The Be-200 project was not closed after the Soviet Union`s break-up,
but construction was delayed because of financial problems. The first
Be-200, which took off in September 1998, featured special equipment
for scooping up water.
In September 2000, it was first displayed in Gelendzhik on the Black
Sea coast and subsequently traveled to India, Myanmar, Malaysia and
South Korea.
The EU, the United States, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, South
Korea, India and Australia are all interested in this flying
fire-fighter.
Indonesia is interested in leasing two Russian Il-76 fire-fighting
aircraft in the near future, and is negotiating the delivery of a
similar Be-200 seaplane.
The Be-200 was tested in Armenia, operated from a local airfield
located at the altitude of 1,580 meters and from Lake Sevan 1,950
meters above sea level.
The unique new seaplane can take off from 1,800-meter runways, from
lakes, rivers and inland seas. It can land in choppy seas among
1.2-meter waves and scoop up 12-13 tons of water in just 12-14
seconds at 150-190-kph aquaplaning speeds. The Be-200 has several
chemical tanks with a volume of 1.3 cubic meters each. Centrifugal
pumps spray their contents to fire sites together with water. The
seaplane can dump up to 270 tons of water during one fire-fighting
mission.
The seaplane`s ARIA-200 avionics, which were developed by Russia`s
State Research Institute of Aviation Systems and Allied Signals
Aerospace of the United States, ensure automatic fire-fighting
operations. Water can be dumped in salvos or from each separate tank.
The Be-200 has the following specifications:
Maximum ground take-off mass: 37.2 tons
Maximum speed: 610 kph
Service ceiling: 8,000 meters
Maximum range with 7,200-kg fuel load at 8,000 meters: 1,800 km
Ferrying range: 3,850 km
Maximum ground take-off run: 700 meters
Maximum water take-off run: 1,000 meters
Ground landing run: 950 meters
Water landing run: 1,300 meters
Fuselage length: 32.05 meters
Wingspan: 31.88 meters
Parked height: 8.9 meters
The world now operates over 120 fire-fighting aircraft, primarily the
obsolete Canadair Bombardier CL-215 and CL-415 seaplanes, which are
three times less efficient than the Be-200.
The Be-200 faces possible competition from Japanese-made Shin Meiwa
US-2 flying boats, a modified US-1 version. Due to the Be-200`s
faster cruise speed, both airplanes will deliver approximately the
same amounts of water to fire seats. Moreover, the Russian flying
boat`s greater climb speed is an advantage in mountain areas and over
forests and hills. The lighter Be-200 is nearly 100% faster than the
US-2, which has a higher power-to-weight ratio and an intricate
boundary-layer control system.
Production of Be-200-P fire-fighting planes will be sited in Irkutsk
and Taganrog.
The Be-200-T cargo plane can carry 19 passengers, whereas its
airliner version seats 72 people. The Be-200 patrol plane can search
and identify warships, merchant-marine and fishing vessels inside
200-km economic zones, land inspection teams and sink violators.
Each Be-200 has two to nine crew members; its Be-200PS
search-and-rescue version features state-of-the-art electronics and
rescue equipment.
TANTK may develop a Be-200 ASW plane.
The world`s largest flying boat, the Be-42, whose fire-fighting
version will have the capacity to carry 25 tons of water and double
the number of rescued people, is now being developed.
The light-engined multi-purpose Be-103 flying boat with a minimal
take-off mass of 2,270 kg is crewed by one pilot and carries five
passengers over a 550-km range. Its ferrying range is 1,180 km.
Holland, Spain, Malaysia, Turkey and several other countries have
expressed interest in buying it.
Russian designers want to use the more advanced foreign technologies,
avionics, materials and engines. The objective is to develop a
2,500-ton wing-in-ground effect (WIG) aircraft with a 1,000-ton
payload.
Yury Zaitsev is an academic adviser with the Russian Academy of
Engineering Sciences.
-16

International Herald Tribune, France
Oct 27 2006
Romanian PM acknowledges problems with country’s proposal for EU
commissioner
The Associated Press
Published: October 27, 2006

BUCHAREST, Romania Romania’s Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu
acknowledged Friday that there were problems with the country’s
nomination for European commissioner but said that attacks on the
candidate were partly based on unsubstantiated information.

Sen. Varujan Vosganian of the Liberal Party was not approved by the
European Parliament on Thursday after criticism from the Socialist
faction in the Parliament, who said he was too right-wing and had
been “on the payroll of big economic tycoons,” according to Hannes
Swoboda and Jan Marinus Wiersma, vice presidents of the Socialist
group in a statement.

The European Commission Thursday accepted Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria’s
European affairs minister for the post but said it would continue
consultations on Vosganian.

Vosganian flew back to Bucharest late Thursday and had talks with
Tariceanu on Friday about the situation. The Romanian media alleged
that Vosganian had collaborated with the foreign espionage agency of
former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

“The sensitive points are that he collaborated with the Securitate
and that he was funded” by economic interest groups, Tariceanu told
reporters after the meeting.

The prime minister and Vosganian said that allegations about
Vosganian collaborating with the secret police could not be
confirmed. Tariceanu said foreign intelligence chiefs had told him
that Vosganian had not collaborated.

“I had no kind of collaboration with the Securitate (communist-era
secret police) and there is no kind of document that says that I
informed for the Securitate or foreign intelligence,” said Vosganian.

Vosganian, 48, chair of the Senate’s budget and finance committee, is
known for supporting free-market policies. He is also a fervent
backer of his country’s flat tax of 16 percent, which Romania
introduced in 2005 to replace a progressive taxation scheme ranging
from 18 to 40 percent.

A mathematician and economist, Vosganian is also a writer and poet.
He heads the National Union of (Ethnic) Armenians in Romania. Romania
and Bulgaria are due to join the European Union on Jan. 1.

BUCHAREST, Romania Romania’s Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu
acknowledged Friday that there were problems with the country’s
nomination for European commissioner but said that attacks on the
candidate were partly based on unsubstantiated information.

Sen. Varujan Vosganian of the Liberal Party was not approved by the
European Parliament on Thursday after criticism from the Socialist
faction in the Parliament, who said he was too right-wing and had
been “on the payroll of big economic tycoons,” according to Hannes
Swoboda and Jan Marinus Wiersma, vice presidents of the Socialist
group in a statement.

The European Commission Thursday accepted Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria’s
European affairs minister for the post but said it would continue
consultations on Vosganian.

Vosganian flew back to Bucharest late Thursday and had talks with
Tariceanu on Friday about the situation. The Romanian media alleged
that Vosganian had collaborated with the foreign espionage agency of
former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

“The sensitive points are that he collaborated with the Securitate
and that he was funded” by economic interest groups, Tariceanu told
reporters after the meeting.

The prime minister and Vosganian said that allegations about
Vosganian collaborating with the secret police could not be
confirmed. Tariceanu said foreign intelligence chiefs had told him
that Vosganian had not collaborated.

“I had no kind of collaboration with the Securitate (communist-era
secret police) and there is no kind of document that says that I
informed for the Securitate or foreign intelligence,” said Vosganian.

Vosganian, 48, chair of the Senate’s budget and finance committee, is
known for supporting free-market policies. He is also a fervent
backer of his country’s flat tax of 16 percent, which Romania
introduced in 2005 to replace a progressive taxation scheme ranging
from 18 to 40 percent.

A mathematician and economist, Vosganian is also a writer and poet.
He heads the National Union of (Ethnic) Armenians in Romania. Romania
and Bulgaria are due to join the European Union on Jan. 1.
From: Baghdasarian

iBerkshires.com, MA
Oct 27 2006
Piano Virtuoso Tchougarian to Perform
– October 27, 2006
Armenian piano virtuoso Karen Tchougarian will bring his
distinguished and international talent to EPOCH Assisted Living at
Melbourne on Friday, Nov. 3, at 3 p.m. EPOCH Assisted Living is
located at 140 Melbourne Road.
Tchougarian studied at the Komitas University in Armenia and the
University of Arkansas. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts from
the Manhattan School of Music and has won many performance
competitions, including the 1999 Artists International Auditions. As
the winner, Tchougarian made a fully sponsored debut at Carnegie
Hall. Tchougarian will perform a full range of music from classical
to movie scores to jazz and waltz.
Part of EPOCH Assisted Living’s programs for residents, this
performance is open to visitors at not charge but a reservation is
requested at 413-499-1992.

Bay Area Indymedia, CA –
Oct 27 2006
Freedom of speech under continuing attack in Turkey
by wsws (reposted)
Friday Oct 27th, 2006 7:27 AM
Last week, a court in Istanbul began hearings against the Turkish
publisher, editors and translator of the book Manufacturing Consent:
The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Noam Chomsky and Edward S.
Herman. The charges related to Article 301 and Article 216 of the
Turkish Penal Code (TCK).
Article 301 is a highly controversial law that has been used to
penalise many writers, journalists, publishers and even translators
and editors. Amnesty International has called for the repeal of
Article 301, which was first introduced as part of the legislative
reforms of June 1, 2005, and poses a direct threat to the fundamental
right to freedom of expression.
The article states that anyone who `publicly denigrates Turkishness,
the Republic or the Grand National Assembly of Turkey be punishable
by imprisonment of between six months and three years.’ If the public
`denigration’ is directed against Turkey’s government, the judicial
institutions of the state, the military or security organisations,
punishment is up to two years. One of the most recent cases involving
Article 301 involved the Turkish writer and recent Nobel Literature
Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, who was charged for speaking out openly on
the massacre of Armenians by Turkey at the beginning of the twentieth
century.
The case launched against Chomsky’s publishers in Turkey, the Aram
Yayincilik Publishing House, its owner Fatih Tas, editors Omer Faruk
Kurhan and Lutfu Taylan Tosun and translator Ender Abadoglu accuses
them of openly humiliating Turkish identity, the Turkish Republic and
parliament, as well as spreading public hatred and enmity by
publishing this book. If convicted, the defendants face jail
sentences of between one-and-a-half and six years.
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