AZG Armenian Daily #205, 27/10/2006

Neighbors
AZERBAIJAN EXPRESSES DISSATISFACTION ABOUT PHOTOS OF
OBJECTS MADE FROM THE OUTER SPACE BY GOOGLE
Russia, Turkey, China and Australia expressed their
dissatisfaction to Google internet search engine for
its initiatives that concerned uploading the photos of
various countries made from the outer space. According
to the Azeri printed media, Tair Taghizade, the Press
Secretary of the Azeri Foreign Ministry, also
expressed dissatisfaction about the fact that some of
the Azeri territories were included in the Google
maps. In particular, the photos depict the clear view
of not only Baku’s streets and construction objects,
but also similar objects in Nagorno Karabakh and its
neighboring territories. Taghizade stated that such
photos may be dangerous from the viewpoint of national
security.

AZG Armenian Daily #205, 27/10/2006 (2nd Irem)
Someone opens burst of fire on home affairs minister
of Georgia
Recently, in unknown circumstances, someone opened a
burst of fire on Vano Merabishvili, Georgian Interior
Minister, in Kodor gorge, who was then visiting the
region. According to the web site of the Georgian
“Roustavi-2” TV, there had been no victims in the
accident. Merabishvili stated that there had been
three bursts of fire directed to Azhara village. He
informed that the fire was opened from the Abkhazian
side, where Abkhazia’s defence forces are currently
holding military exercises. The Georgian authorities
consider that the case was the provocation carried out
by Abkhazia and Russia. Besides, the case coincided
with the recent online conference of Vladimir Putin.
By Aghavni Harutyunian

PanARMENIAN.Net
RA President to Participate in Unveiling Ceremony of
Aram Khachaturian Monument in Moscow
27.10.2006 15:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 30 Armenian President Robert Kocharian will
depart for Moscow on a working visit, reported the RA leader’s press
office. On the same day he will meet with Russian President Vladimir
Putin. Robert Kocharian will also meet with Russian Prime Minister
Mikhail Fradkov and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and participate in the
unveiling ceremony of the monument to composer Aram Khachaturian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net
No CIS State Except Russia Experiences Problem of Skinheads
27.10.2006 15:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ No CIS state except Russia experiences the problem
of skinheads. The social poll among 2011 respondents conducted by
Gallup in the post soviet space showed that 71% of the Russian
citizens are aware of the problem. At that the urban population is
better informed that the people living in rural areas. 80% of the
residents of Russian major cities know about skinheads. In Moscow and
Saint Petersburg the index reaches 92.5% and 97.5% relatively.
80% of the Russian citizens consider that severe measures up to
imprisonment should be applied against skinheads. 83.9% of women and
76.1% of men adhere to tough policy. The older are the people the more
intolerant is their attitude.
Only 4% support the skinheads’ activities to some extent and 1.3%
consider that skinheads should receive financial support. At that the
sociologists are concerned over the fact that every ninth young man
supports skinheads, reports Lenta.ru

PanARMENIAN.Net
Milan Officially Recognized Armenian Genocide
27.10.2006 15:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Despite the efforts of the Consulate General of
Turkey in Milan (Italy), the Council of the Province of Milan by
overwhelming majority has adopted a resolution formally recognizing
the Armenian Genocide perpetrated in Ottoman Turkey in 1915,
independent French journalist Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net.

From: Sebouh Z Tashjian
Subject: Armenia Entering ‘Winter Time’ October 29
PanARMENIAN.Net
Armenia Entering ‘Winter Time’ October 29
27.10.2006 16:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to a RA law, Armenia is passing to `winter
time’ on October 29, 2006 (the last Sunday of October). At 3 a.m. clocks
should be put an hour back, reports newsarmenia.ru

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Oct 26 2006
1000 LARGEST ARMENIAN TAX PAYERS TRANSFER AMD 136.7BLN TO STATE
BUDGET IN 3RD Q 2006
YEREVAN, October 26. /ARKA/. Armenia’s 1000 largest tax payers
transferred about AMD 136.7bln to the state budget in the third
quarter 2006. According to the official list, issued by the State Tax
Service, the tax service officers collected AMD 76.7bln, and customs
officers – AMD 60mln.
The five leaders still top the list. The Zangezur copper and
molybdenum factory ranks first. It paid the taxes for a total of AMD
13.4bln in January-September 2006. Then comes ArmenTel
Telecommunications Company – AMD 8.3bln, and the third is the
ArmRosgasprom Company, which paid the taxes for AMD 5.6bln.
“Flash” oil trader company and Armenian Electric Networks Company
rank 4th and 5th. The paid AMD 4bln and 3.4bln respectively.
The first hundred of the largest tax payers in the list are such
well-know enterprises as the Canadian joint enterprise Grand Tobacco
(almost AMD 2.2bln), International Masis Tabak (AMD 2bln), the
Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (AMD 1.86bln), “Armenia International
Airports” CJSC (AMD 1.25bln),
Armenia-Lada (1.17bln), MIKA Armenia Trading (935.7mln), and also the
Yerevan Brandy Factory (845.1lmln), HSBC Bank Armenia (640.5mln),
Armenian Railways (487.6mln), Coca Cola Hellenic Bottlers Company
(426.9mln). ($1 – AMD 380.37). R.O. -0–

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Oct 26 2006
10,7 THOUSANDS TRANSACTIONS ON REAL ESTATE REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN
AUGUST 2006
YEREVAN, October 26. /ARKA/. The number of transactions on real
estate reduced by 37,3% and made 10790 in Armenia in august 2006,
against similar period in 2005.
According to the RA State Cadastre in charge for regulating real
estate, the number of transactions increased by 14,4%, as compared to
July 2006.
At that in August 2006, most transactions were registered in Yerevan
– 42,8%, and the least – in Vayots-Dzor region – 2%. Meantime in
Kotayk region of Armenia 13,3% and in Ararat – 7,4% of total numbers
of transaction were registered during the reported period.
The share of Armavir region made 6,6% of the total number of
transactions on real estate registered in August 2006, that of Lori –
6,1%, Aragatsotn – 5,9%, Shirak – 5,4%, Syunik – 4,3%, Gegharkunik –
3,6%, and Tavush – 2,7%. S.P.–0–

EurasiaNet, NY
Oct 26 2006
ARMENIA’S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TAKES ON NEW POLITICAL WEIGHT
Haroutiun Khachatrian 10/26/06
A EurasiaNet Commentary
As the date for Armenia’s parliamentary elections draws closer,
recent amendments that diversify access to the Constitutional Court,
the country’s highest judicial body, have expanded the opportunities
for the opposition and ordinary citizens alike to take aim at the
government.
Under amendments approved in a November 2005 referendum, the
ombudsman, local governments, judges and prosecutors, and ordinary
citizens who have exhausted all other avenues for appeal may now
bring cases before the Court. Access was previously restricted to the
president, the government and one-third of the Assembly’s deputies.
(The amendments reduced that limit to one-fifth.)
The result has been a much busier court. Between 1997 and 2005, the
Court heard only a handful of cases that challenged the
constitutionality of laws. By contrast, since last year’s referendum,
private citizens have submitted more than 130 cases for the high
court’s review. To date, the court has accepted 10 for consideration,
according to Arman Dilanian, head of the court’s department of legal
advisors in charge of handling such cases.
September 13 marked a turning point in the country’s judicial system
when the Constitutional Court heard its first case brought by private
citizens. Two elderly women challenged the government’s refusal to
pay pensions and salaries to citizens without the use of identity
cards equipped with unique personal identification (PIN) numbers.
Since the start of the identity card program in 2002 (named “Social
cards”), many people expressed opposition to the need to enter PIN
numbers in order to gain access to funds. The court found for the
plaintiffs, thereby requiring the State Social Protection Fund to pay
1,317 retirees who were earlier denied their pensions.
The cases brought before the court have also given Armenia’s largely
fragmented opposition a welcome avenue for the criticism of the
government. The next parliamentary election is scheduled to take
place in May 2007.
One such instance occurred in September when the government
introduced to parliament a draft law on construction right-of-way
claims. The proposed bill was the result of the court’s first
decision under the amended Constitution, on April 18, which found
that regulations used to evict property owners from their homes in
downtown Yerevan to make way for new construction projects were
unconstitutional. The topic is a sensitive one; opposition members,
among others, argue that many of the projects are linked to members
of President Robert Kocharian’s inner circle. Parliament in late
October is grappling with a second draft law proposed by the
government on the issue after the earlier bill failed.
Further opportunities for wrangles with the government lie ahead.
Another case, also brought by Armenia’s ombudsman, Armen
Haroutiunian, challenges a provision in the law on political parties
that provides for the dissolution of parties which do not receive a
certain minimum of votes in a general election. No hearing date has
yet been scheduled for the case.
A third, brought by Artak Zeilnalian, one of the leaders of the
opposition party Hanrapetutiun (Republic), challenges a Civil Code
provision that blocks lawsuits against the authorities for violation
of certain rights.
The public reaction to these events, however, has been unusually
muted, despite the apparent improvement in the ability of ordinary
Armenians to defend their civil rights. Some analysts refuse to
comment, deeming the process “unimportant.”
The motivation for the silence from some corners is clear. The
government has lost most of the recent cases brought before the
court. The opposition, for its part, is unwilling to recognize any
positive aspect of the “illegal referendum,” which it charges was
rigged. [For details, see the Eurasia Insight archive.]
In the past, public interest in the court’s activities has increased
only during parliamentary and presidential elections. The court has
the final say on disputed vote results, and, in the past,
occasionally proved a significant political factor in the outcome of
elections. After Armenia’s presidential elections in 2003, for
instance, the court called for a national vote of confidence to be
held, even while refusing to invalidate the election results. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Oct 26 2006
The joy of cooking
By Linda Pinkow/ Staff Writer
Thursday, October 26, 2006 – Updated: 02:01 PM EST
They’ve been cooking for months.

In teams of 10 to 15, the women of the First Armenian Church of
Belmont have been preparing and freezing ingredients for traditional
Armenian pastries, breads and other delicacies.

Their work culminated in the church’s annual Fall Harvest Bazaar
last Saturday, where hundreds of area residents sat down to a
collectively prepared feast for lunch or dinner – or both – and went
home with home-made snacks as well as Armenian books, CDs and crafts.

Proceeds from the bazaar help support orphans and students in
Armenia and Lebanon, and other charities and church programs.

“Each food item is made by a different team,” said Carol Nahigian
of Arlington, as she helped sell take-home packages of cheoreg (small
strips of sweet dough), manti (rolls filled with meat), string
cheese, and yalanchi (grape leaves stuffed with rice and pine nuts).

“The real old-timers, they grow their own [grape leaves],” said
Nahigian. They pick the leaves in June, boil them and then freeze
them.

“That’s like a big party when they all get their leaves in June,”
she said.

Nahigian said it takes cooperation to cook together: “One is team
captain, and you have to do what she says.”

But cooperation in the kitchen is a tradition, she added:
“Armenians never worked alone.”

Helping to dish out the luncheon buffet, Seta Norian of Lexington
said last week was the busiest.

“I’ve been here almost every day this week,” she said.

Norian pointed out that the women of First Armenian Church cook
together “year round.” They prepare traditional meals for holidays
and fundraisers.

Cooking together, she said, “You get ideas off each other, and
you enjoy each other’s company.”

The men of the church had their own culinary camaraderie. Some of
them were in the church’s large kitchen, preparing the kebabs for the
meals.

The buffet also included rice pilaf, salad and fresh pita bread,
and there was cappuccino, popcorn and cotton candy between the meals.
But attention really focused on the three tables of sweets.

There was cheese beoreg in puff pastry or filo dough, paklava
(known in other countries as baklava), shaabiat (triangles of filo
dough with sweet cream filling and ground pistachios), kadayif with
nuts or with cream, and assorted cookies.

There were also Halloween-theme cookies and brownies created by
the Sunday School parents and children.

“I could eat this always,” said the Rev. Gregory Haroutunian,
wiping the remains of a cheese beoreg from his fingers.

Haroutunian, who has been pastor of First Armenian Church for
almost three years, explained that his congregation, “from the
youngest to the oldest,” prepares for the annual Fall Harvest Bazaar
with “enthusiasm.”

The women, in particular, “are so gratified seeing the people’s
joy,” he said.

“They’re happy that people are happy, and that’s what we were
praying for,” said Haroutunian. “You want this to be a blessing to
the community.”