DRAFT BILL SUGGESTS DEPUTIES TO KEEP TO ETHICS NORMS
Panorama.am
14:08 13/09/06
One of Armenian Republican Party (ARP) members, Sukias Avetisyan,
expressed his discontent with the bill on the discipline of deputies
at the National Assembly.
The deputy said it is more proper for schoolchildren.
In fact, Avetisyan’s discontent was addressed to Ararat Malkhasyanm,
who is the co-author of the bill and a member of the same ARP. The
authors of the bill say they have considered the experience of
countries at different stages of democratic development in drafting
the bill. The bill says, “Deputies are obliged to be present at
the sessions of the National Assembly and the committees to which
they are members.” It also says, “the deputy must be honest,
self-restrained, tolerant. He/she must never abuse his official
position and avoid rude words in oral and written speech. He/she
must be respectful during communication with any person (persons)
and keep to ethics norms.” According to the draft, “A deputy of the
National Assembly votes in person and only for himself during the
sessions.”

ARP REFUTES POLITICAL CRIMINALISM IN ARMENIA
Panorama.am
18:49 13/09/06
Large-scale criminalism has troubled the opposition in the republic
and they have launch anti-criminal fight.
“No one is protected and even top public officials.
Measures should be taken,” Aram Sargsyan, Armenian Democratic Party
(ADP) chairman told a discussion with Armen Ashotyan, Armenian
Republican Party (ARP) member and member of parliament.
However, Ashotyan believes that criminalism is a natural phenomenon
and he learns about it from 02 newspaper. “But if criminalism
is politicized and directed against one political force, it is a
black PR,” Ashotyan said casting doubts that criminalism originates
from ARP. “There is no political criminalism in Armenia and in the
Republican Party,” he said. Angry reporters referred to several
incidents connected with Suren Khachatryan known as Liska and Ruben
Hairapetyan known as Nemets Rubo – both ARP members. However, Ashotyan
firmly affirmed, “It is not criminalism,” blaming reporters in lacking
clear dispositions and performing someone’s orders.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES ITS RULES AND REGULATIONS
Panorama.am
19:09 13/09/06
The National Assembly Rules and Regulations, draft bills proposed by
several factions, will continue tomorrow. The secretary of Justice
fraction, Grigor Harutunyan, says the National Assembly is playing
a performance but, in fact, aims to keep to old powers.
He also said the deputies praise the bill proposed by United Working
Party (UWP) only because it is part of ruling coalition now. “I think
there is a political trade going on here,” Harutunyan said.
Arshak Sadoyan, Member of Parliament, said this parliament has no
right to develop regulations for the upcoming parliament. He was
attacked by Gurgen Arsenyan, UWP chairman, saying Sadoyan does not
believe he will appear in the next parliament. “I am sure we will be
in the next parliament and even aspire for being in the majority,”
he said.

PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ADORES ARMENIA’S FRIENDLY TIES WITH IRAN
FARS News Agency
14 Sep 2006
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad
Adel appreciated the Republic of Armenia for its friendly attitude and
kindness to Iran during the two thousand years of the two countries’
neighborly relations.
Visiting Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel met with
his Armenian counterpart Teigran Torousian in Yerevan on Tuesday,
a statement released by the Information and Press Department of the
Islamic Consultative Assembly said.
During the meeting, Haddad Adel described the two countries’ ties in
the last 15 years as exemplary and stated that ever since the victory
of the Islamic Revolution, Iran has based its political relations with
other countries on the understanding of its religious leaders, adding
that justice-centered approach (that Iran has always been pursuing)
rises from Islamic teachings.
Reminding that Iran is an extensive country with a large population
and abundant possibilities and potentials, he thanked the Republic
of Armenia for its friendly attitude and kindness towards Iran during
two thousand years of coexistence of the two nations, and mentioned,
“And it is now the time for the two parliaments to help to the
consolidation of mutual ties.”
The top legislative official further voiced preparedness of the
Islamic Consultative Assembly to ratify the laws required for the
development of Iran-Armenia relations, specially in the economic
areas, and expressed the hope that the two nations’ friendship would
further deepen and consolidate through the exchange of visits by the
parliament members of the two countries, Parliamentary friendship
groups in particular.
For his part, Speaker of Armenia’s National Assembly Teigran Torousian
expressed pleasure with the presence of the Iranian parliamentary
delegation in Yerevan and described the visit as a significant step
for the consolidation and strengthening of mutual ties.
He also viewed Tehran-Yerevan relations as exemplary and appreciated
the Islamic Republic of Iran for all the aids and assistances it has
extended to Armenia during the years of his country’s independence.
The chief law maker also noted the significance of Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline, Aras hydropower Plant and the high voltage power projects and
said that development of such cooperation would further reinvigorate
the two countries’ ties.
He also praised Iran’s due attention and efforts to safeguard the
historical and cultural heritage of the Iranian Armenians as well as
Tehran’s attention to the Armenian society in Iran.
To conclude his words, Torousian called for the expansion of the two
states’ parliamentary relations in all the various spheres.

RUSSIA AGAINST UN ASSEMBLY ROLE TO RESOLVE POST-SOVIET CONFLICTS
RIA Novosti
15:47 | 13/ 09/ 2006
MOSCOW, September 13 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is against involving the
UN General Assembly in the resolution of long-running conflicts in
the former Soviet Union, the Foreign Ministry’s official spokesman
said Wednesday.
The assembly’s general committee discussed September 12 an initiative
put forward by Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova to include
this issue on the current 61st session’s agenda.
Mikhail Kamynin said that Russia had spoken against this initiative
and most members of the general committee had supported its
decision. Accordingly, the issue was not added to the session’s agenda.
“We have from the outset been against politicizing this issue and
involving the General Assembly,” Kamynin said.
Russia has had peacekeepers stationed in the conflict zones of
unrecognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia,
as well as the self-proclaimed republic of Transdnestr in Moldova,
since ceasefires were brokered between the breakaway and central
authorities in the early 1990s. Armenia and Azerbaijan have observed an
often tense truce over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan with
a largely Armenian population, since about three years of fighting
came to an end in 1994.
“Russia regards attempts to eliminate the existing mechanisms of
resolving the Nagorno- Karabakh, Georgian-Abkhazian, Georgian-South
Ossetian and Transdnestr conflicts as counter-productive,” Kamynin
said.

SERRAFINA FOR YEREVAN CUP
The Hindu
12 Sep 2006
Online edition of India’s National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 13, 2006
KOLKATA: Serrafina is expected to claim the Yerevan Cup (1,200m),
the main event of the races to be held here on Wednesday (Sept. 13).
1 YEREVAN CUP (1,200m) – Cl. I, rated 80 & above – 1-10 p.m:
1. Exploding Wonder (4) M. Reuben 60, 2. Regal Empress (3) Amandeep
Singh 57, 3. Serrafina (2) S. Shanker 57 and 4. Diffidence (1)
I. Chisty 54.
1. Serrafina, 2. Exploding Wonder
2 BRUSH ASIDE HANDICAP (1,100m) – Cl. V, rated 00-30 – 1-40:
1. Mischevious Notes (5) Rajinder 60.5, 2. Schumacher (2) V. Jaiswal
60, 3. Sweet Charity (1) Md. Islam 59, 4. Legacy of Love (3) I. Chisty
53.5 and 5. Vancouver (4) Afzal Khan 48.5.
1. Mischevious Notes,
2. Legacy of Love
3 REPLICATE HANDICAP (1,400m) – Cl. IV, rated 20-50 – 2-10: 1. Firing
Power (3) S. Shanker 60, 2. Modee Roch (2) P. Alford 56.5, 3. Atlantic
Waves (5) I. Chisty 55, 4. Best Prospect (4) G. Ross 53.5, 5. Magical
World (6) R. Ahmed 53.5 and 6. Salinger (1) Appu 50.5.
1. Atlantic Waves, 2. Firing Power
4 ALTERNATOR CUP (1,800m) – Cl. II, rated 60-90 – 2-45: 1. El Cid (4)
Rajinder 60, 2. Proud Native (6) Amandeep Singh 58, 3. Remarquable
(5) N. Akhtar 58, 4. Clockwork (3) S. Shanker 56, 5. Adderly (2)
Appu 54.5 and 6. King Is Born (1) G. Ross 50.
1. Adderly, 2. Clockwork
5 ANNIHILATOR HANDICAP (1,000m) – Cl. IV, rated 20-50 – 3-15:
1. Asmi (5) Rajinder 60.5, 2. Aluminous (7) S. Shanker 59, 3. All
For Love (3) Appu 56, 4. Alashaan (2) Md. Islam 54, 5. Polar Magic
(1) C. P. Manasseh 53.5, 6. Star Cluster (4) I. Chisty 53.5 and 7.
Cupid’s Glory (6) G. Ross 51.
1. Aluminous, 2. Star Cluster,
3. Asmi
6 FUSEBOX HANDICAP (1,800m) – Cl. V, rated 00-30 – 3-45: 1. Lightning
Flash (4) G. Ross 61.5, 2. Asmodeus (1) V. Jaiswal 59, 3. No Politics
Please (7) N. Pandey 59, 4. Avisholom (2) S. Domingo 58, 5. Finders
Keepers (6) Appu 54, 6. Indigo (5) I. Chisty 52 and 7. Ganga Bose
(3) Md. Amil 47.5.
1. Asmodeus, 2. Indigo,
3. Lightning Flash
7 SIR AALI CUP (1,200m) – Cl. III, rated 40-70 – 4-15: 1. Anokato (7)
Amandeep Singh 62, 2. Wonnabee (6) M. Reuben 60.5, 3. Arabian Boy (4)
K. Kumar 58.5, 4. Regal Romance (2) Malcolm Maseyk 56, 5. Notable
Guest (3) G. Ross 55, 6. Jango (5) Md. Islam 53 and 7. Cameo Role
(1) I. Chisty 51.
1. Notable Guest, 2. Wonnabee,
3. Jango
8 SELECT HANDICAP (1,100m) – Cl. III, 5 y-o & over, rated 40-70 – 4-45:
1. Small Soldier (5) M. Reuben 60, 2. Wild Flowers (3) Amandeep Singh
57.5, 3. Grand Pere (4) Som Singh 57, 4. Alcades (6) V. Jaiswal 56, 5.
A’Ma Jaju (2) Afzal Khan 55.5, 6. Boogie Nights (8) Md. Islam 54.5,
7. Falaknuma (1) Asghar 53.5 and 8. Sergeant Slipper (7) S. Pawan 48.
1. Alcades, 2. Small Soldier,
3. A’Ma Jaju
Treble (i): 1, 2 & 3; (ii): 3, 4 & 5; (iii): 6, 7 & 8.
Jackpot: 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8.
Tanala: On races where the number of starters are four or more.

CONSTRUCTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA PIPELINE COMPLETES
FARS
14 Sep 2006
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Parliament Speaker informed that
the construction of the gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia has
finished and that the two countries are now studying construction of
another pipeline.
Speaking in a press conference in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan
on Tuesday, Gholam Ali Haddad Adel said that the natural gas pipeline
would soon be inaugurated in the presence of the two Presidents.
He further mentioned supply of gas to Armenian as the most important
goal pursued by the project, reminding that Iran’s natural gas could
also be exported to other countries through the same pipeline.
The top executive official expressed hope that after the launch of
operation by the pipeline, the volume of the two countries trade
exchanges would go beyond the current annual figure of $200 million

CHINGIZ ASKEROV: AZERBAIJANI IDPS SUBMITTED OVER 800 COMPLAINTS TO THE EUROPEAN COURT AGAINST ARMENIA
APA – Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
12 Sen. 2006 15:33
“Some Azerbaijani politicians aim to get money from the Government
by appealing to the European Court”
Azerbaijan’s authorized representative at the European Court of Human
Rights Chingiz Askerov’s exclusive interview to the APA.
– How many appeals have the European Court received from Azerbaijan?
– Azerbaijan has submitted over 100 complaints to the European
Court. Great majority of these complaints were rejected at the
preliminary review. The Court is going to send notification to the
government related to nearly 200 complaints. The Azerbaijani government
received communication on 27 complaints. As a rule, the court appoints
a reporting judge to consider the received complaint. And the court
sends a notification to the government to clarify some questions. It
asks the responsible government whether there is an opportunity
to sign an agreement of reconciliation with the complainant. The
experience shows that there is much likelihood the communicated
complaints contain more cases on human rights violation. Decision
has been made on seven of 27 communicated complaints, and none of
them contained cases on human rights violation.
-What kind of damages do the complaints demand from the Government?
– Different damages are demanded in different countries related to the
violation of the rights protected under the European Convention on
Human Rights and Freedoms. As Azerbaijan is not in the list of with
“old democracy” countries, the demanded damages are not so high. Some
complaints are sent by persons engaged in political activity in
Azerbaijan.
The damages they demand from the Government are measured by 100
million euros. Common citizens claim reasonable damages from the
Government. They want their violated rights to be restored. But most
politicians aim at getting money from the Azerbaijani government by
appealing to the European Court.
-What articles of the Convention are claimed to be violated in the
appeals sent to the European Court from Azerbaijan?
-All of the complaints claim that the 6th article of the Convention
(right to a fair court) is violated. It is natural. According to
the 35th article of the Convention, an individual can appeal to
the European Court after having appealed to all court instances of
his country. Most complainants claim that their rights are violated
during trial hearings. Thus, not both sides can be satisfied with
the court decision.
Therefore, all complaints claim that the 6th article has been
violated. However, during the communication this claim is not made
often. All of the communications the court sent to the Azerbaijani
government are related to rights violations claimed to before 15
April, 2003 (after the Convention came to force) till 2003. We have
not received any communications related to violations after 2003.
-As you mentioned, most of the appeals sent by Azerbaijan are
rejected. What is the reason for that?
– The European Court said in one of the decisions against Azerbaijan
that all the local courts should be appealed before appealing to the
European Court. that is the main reason why mot of the complaints are
rejected. Thus, in most cases citizens complain to the European Court
directly of the decisions of the court of first instance and court
of appeal without appealing to the Supreme Court. In such cases,
the complaints are rejected. Another reason is that the complaints
do not show what rights protected under the Convention have been
violated. If an individual is dissatisfied with the court decision
it does not mean his right has been violated. The violation of the
6th article means violation of procedural rights.
An individual should precisely show what rights of the Convention
have been violated. The European Court will reject a common complaint.
-The European Court delays considering the complaints for years. The
Court is very busy. The 14th protocol has been adopted to carry our
reforms. What amendments are expected to be made to the 14th protocol?
– A reporting judge is appointed to review a complaint received
by the Court. After that procedure, the Committee composed of five
judges reconsiders the complaint and decides whether or not it will
be communicated. Another innovation is that the complainant should
substantiate that he suffered great damages. If the damages are
not great, the European court might reject the complaint. The third
innovation is related to the improvement of controlling mechanism on
implementation of the Court’s decisions. If a responsible government
refuses to comply with the Court’s decision, the Council of Europe
Committee of Ministers can re-appeal to the European Court about it.
Another innovation is about the term of office of judges. The European
court’s judge is elected for nine years term. This protocol has not
came to force as Russia, Turkey, Poland and Belgium have not ratified
it yet.
-When the European Court will consider the appeals submitted from
Azerbaijan?
– The number of appeals sent from Azerbaijan increases and decreases
sometimes. In 2002, The Court received 300 appeals and more appeals in
2003. However, this number decreased in 2004-2005. The European Court
has passed a preliminary decision on Azerbaijan. This is related to
Faina Kungrova’s complaint. Her complaint was rejected. Kungrova
claimed that the 3rd, 5th and 6th articles of the Convention as
well as freedom of expression and avoiding discrimination have been
violated. The European Court decided to consider the complaint on
the 5th article. But later on the plaintiff withdrew her complaint
due to some reasons we do not know. So, the Court rejected it. The
Court is expected to pass a decision on Azerbaijan late this year or
early next year.
-Some human rights defendants claim that a plaintiff should appeal
to Constitutional Court before the European Court.
-The European Court said in its decision on Azerbaijan that the
plenum of the Supreme Court is not an absolute instance. It means a
plaintiff can appeal to the European Court after the decision of the
Supreme Court. It concerns the Constitutional Court as well.
If the Supreme Court plenum and Constitutional Court review the appeal,
the European Court may reject it.
-Have the European Court received any complaints from Armenians once
lived in Azerbaijan and by Azerbaijanis once lived in Armenia?
– Azerbaijani refugees from Armenia can appeal to the European Court
in line with the 35th article of the European Convention. They are
to appeal to interior courts of Armenia. If Armenian courts refuse
to meet their claims, the plaintiffs can appeal to the European
Court. These procedures concern Armenians moved from Azerbaijan. As
coming to Azerbaijan’s complaining to the European Court of Armenia,
all the ways to remove Armenia’s aggression are being investigated,
possible options are being analyzed.
There is not a concrete result yet. Azerbaijanis, who have become
internally displaced persons as a result of Armenian aggression,
have submitted over 800 complaints to the European Court against
the Armenian government. The Armenians, who moved from Azerbaijan,
have also attempted to complain to the Court of the Azerbaijani
government. However, these complaints can be considered if the 35th
Article of the Convention is violated.
-What can you say about the complaints on which the Court is in
correspondence with the Azerbaijani government?
-There are complaints submitted by former politicians.
One of the first complaints was made by Alikram Hummatov. The
European Court passed a relevant decision on the possibility of
considering the complaint. Most of the violations claimed by Hummatov
were rejected. Thus, he claims that commuting of death sentence to
life-term imprisonment is a right violation. But this does not violate
the Convention’s articles, there is no human rights violation here. I
hope local courts will follow this decision of the European Court. The
European Court will consider Alikram Hummatov’s complaint on the
violation of the 3rd and 6th articles of the Convention. There is much
likelihood the Court will pass a relevant decision next year. We hope
the Azerbaijani government will win this case. The European Court will
also review Fahmin Hajiyev’s complaint of the Azerbaijani government.
Hajiyev demands millions of euros from the government claiming the
6th article of the Convention is violated.
-Are there any problems to the application of the European Court’
precedence rule by Azerbaijani courts?
Will it help to remove shortfalls in the activity of the courts?
-This rule will first of all raise law culture in the society, will
give impetus to development of juridical system in line with European
standards. For this purpose,the application of the law on “Modernizing
juridical system of Azerbaijan Republic and making amendments and
additions to some legislative acts of the Azerbaijan Republic” under
President Ilham Aliyev’s January 19, 2006 decree recommends following
European Court’ precedence rule by the courts. The local courts have
applied the European Court’ precedence rule recently. If some judges
follow this rule, the articles of the European Convention will be
obeyed, and the number of complaints on human rights violation will
decrease.

BAKU DECLARATION OF 5TH SESSION OF THE ICTM CONDEMNS DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION OF ISLAMIC MONUMENTS BY ARMENIA
APA
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
12 Sep 2006
The fifth session of the Islamic Conference Tourism Ministers has
come to an end today. Baku Declaration and Resolution was adopted at
the end of the Session, APA reports.
The Deceleration reflects reaffirmation of previous conferences and
meetings, being committed to policy of openness and close cooperation
with the world’s relevant international organizations operating in
the field of tourism and cultural exchanges such as UNWTO and UNESCO,
reiteration of Islam as a religion of Pease and advocating principles
of appreciation of human values, tolerance with regard to religion
and races and peaceful coexistence of all nations, the vital role of
diplomacy in the development of tourism.
The Declaration reads that terrorism, conflicts, territorial
occupation, natural disasters, epidemics and economic crises
seriously harm the economic development and negatively affect
the tourism potential of the Member States. It also says that the
important role of tourism for intercultural exchanges, preservation and
popularization of Islamic historical and cultural heritage, promotion
of better knowledge and mutual understanding among civilizations
as well as the role of the tourism can play in overall improvement
of the image of Islam. In the Declaration it was decided to join
efforts toward increasing the tourism flow among the Member States,
create favourable climate for investment projects in the sector
of tourism and related activities, urge member States to actively
participate in tourism fairs in OIC countries, promote youth tourism,
develop tourism in costal and rural types of tourism, simplification
of visa issuance procedures with non-OIC countries, condemn any
manifestation of terrorism and aggressive separatism and stress the
importance of expeditious solution of conflicts, all of which have
detrimental impact on tourism and on the exercise of peoples’ right for
leisure and travel, strong condemn the illegal exploitation of natual
resources and the destruction of cultural and historical monuments
in the territories of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia as well as the
deliberate destruction of Islamic cultural and historic monuments in
the territory of Armenia in accordance with the norms and principles
of international law, particularly those related to the territorial
integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of
a state.
The other adopted document- a resolution endorses the efforts of
ICCI aimed at encouraging the private sector to play its due role in
promoting tourism and takes note of the initiative of ICCI to establish
an International Tourism Company, adaptation of open visa for the
movement of businessmen among the OIC member states, facilitating
of the movement of media people among the movement States in order
to utilize the media to serve the purposes of tourism, promote youth
tourism in OIC countries, condemn Israeli aggression.
The Declaration expresses gratitude to Mr. Ilham Aliyev for kindly
patronizing the Conference and for his guidance-giving speech he
delivered at the opening ceremony as well as thanks to the government
and the people of Azerbaijan for the warm welcome and generous
hospitality extended to the delegations.

ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN VISITS VAYOTS ZOR
Panorama.am
12:53 13/09/06
Armenian Ombudsman Armen Harutunyan paid a visit yesterday to
Vayots Zor. He met with the regional governor, Samvel Sargsyan,
and Yeghegnadzor mayor, Sirekan Babayan.
The meetings discussed up-to-date issues for the region, including
limited housing for young families.
The interlocutors also said drinking water is also a problem in
Yeghegnadzor. Vaik has a problem of umemployment causing people
to migrate.
Armenian ombudsman paid another visit to Vaik military unit and met
with soldiers and military management.