THE LIKE TAKES THE LIKE, LOVE WILL COME LATER
Lragir.am
21 July 06
The citizens of Armenia may wonder why Andranik Margaryan and Serge
Sargsyan are gathering senior and junior officials and members of
parliament in the Republican Party and making them Republicans.
Businessmen, governors, ministers, members of parliament become
members of this political party. The answer is evident. They are made
Republicans to serve the political, which is the same as the personal
interests of Andranik Margaryan and Serge Sargsyan. It is also clear
to the first-grade children of schools, the directors and teachers
of which are “annexed” by the Republican.
But people, and especially children, who have not managed to study
the peculiarities, everyday life and relations of the Armenian elite
yet, wonder whether it is impossible that the ministers, businessmen,
senior and junior officials and members of parliament serve Andranik
Margaryan and Serge Sargsyan without becoming Republican. The question
is interesting, if not a core question. In fact, why do they order
everyone to become members of the Republican Party? Perhaps, they
are in doubt. They suspect that one day these officials, businessmen,
ministers will betray them. One day they will serve someone else than
Andranik Margaryan and Serge Sargsyan. Margaryan and Sargsyan fear
that these people will not serve them.
But does membership solve the problem of no loyalty? Andranik Margaryan
and Serge Sargsyan know that it does not. How can a person be loyal
if he has already betrayed a political party? Or how can a person be
loyal if he was forced into the Republican Party? How can a person
be loyal if he becomes member of the Republican Party to be in the
center of force? What if another center of force appears? How are they
going to keep this person in the Republican Party. These people will
betray Andranik Margaryan and Serge Sargsyan as soon as the first
opportunity arises, and they will not have any moral rights against
the betrayers. They can only use legislative bars against betrayal,
like in Russia, for instance. A member of one faction cannot go to
another faction. Russians thus tried to prevent betrayal. In Armenia
they can adopt this model. The problem is, however, that betrayal is
not an external phenomenon, it only has, but it also may not have
an external manifestation. Betrayal first occurs in one’s soul and
mind. And it is not a primitive or void philosophy to crush against
the Nzhdehian ideology of the Republican Party of Armenia.
Betrayal is a highly concrete notion. Both Andranik Margaryan and Serge
Sargsyan know this. Otherwise, how can they explain why six years
ago Andranik Margaryan demanded within a circle of other people the
resignation of Serge Sargsyan, who led the administration of someone
else, whereas now he shares his party “bed” with this man? And the
more people they admit to the part, the more the mistrust of Andranik
Margaryan and Serge Sargsyan towards these people and each other will
grow. And together they will suspect everyone, because they perfectly
know everyone, they also know each other well and they also know that
the others know them well too. A membership ticket is not a guarantee
that a parliamentarian businessman or an official who became member
of the Republican Party will remain faithful to the party. Even if
he became member of the political party voluntarily, he knew that if
he did not enter the party, he would be suspected as well.
The presumption of faithfulness is not accepted in the Armenian
elite. And by failing to join they would miss the historical chance
of betrayal. Meanwhile, they know very well that the holy of holies of
processes in Armenia is betrayal. You can do everything early or late
but you have to betray on time. Nobody is to blame. They are taught
to do so, therefore they do not trust “pupils” and call them to the
party later to be able to accuse them of betrayal of their “bosses”,
“guardians”, “teachers”. They force them into cohabitation, hoping
that love will come later.
HAKOB BADALYAN

REPUBLICAN PARTY WON’T SWEAT FOR IT
Lragir.am
21 July 06
The Republican Party is in good health, stated Rep. Member of
Parliament Armen Ashotyan at the Pastark Club, the day before the July
22 extraordinary assembly of the Republican Party. He even advised
other political forces, which predict sickness of the Republican, to
repeat the Republican step of consolidation. Armen Ashotyan thinks
that effective activities in the political sphere of Armenia is no
longer possible without this.
“First of all, in my opinion, people who speak about a political
crisis in Armenia, a crisis of the political system, and relate it to
our assembly, are concerned about their political crisis, their own
careers, because it is clear that a political fist, which is forming,
will form tomorrow, will leave little space for the other players,”
says the Republican member of parliament.
He thinks that the consolidation of the Republican is characterized
by obviously positive tendencies, which are visible, and others also
noticed them. For those who fail to notice, Armen Ashotyan describes,
“All that is going to happen means that the political sphere in
Armenia is headed for consolidation. It means that the imperfection
of the political system persisting in Armenia at last has a chance
to be reshaped, regrouped, and appear to the voter and the public
in a more concrete form,” says Armen Ashotyan. His logic refers to
downplaying the factor of personality in the political sphere of
Armenia, or in other words, his partisanization, when the political
personality factor Serge Sargsyan starts making his actions fit in
the framework of a political party. Armen Ashotyan believes that the
Republican Party thereby sets a new record, and the other political
parties have to keep ups.

LET DASHNAKTSUTIUN ATTEND TO ITS PROBLEMS
Lragir.am
21 July 06
On July 21 Republican Member of Parliament Armen Ashotyan gave this
piece of advice to the ARF (Dashnaktsutiun), their coalition partner
and to all the other political parties. With regard to possible
pre-election controversies between the rightist Republican and
leftist Dashnaktsutiun, Armen Ashotyan said, “Until May 2007 every
political party, everyone must attend to their political problems,
let Dashnaktsutiun think out its actions, and the other political
parties theirs. We have our goal, our program, the Armenian society
is known as a conservative society, and our resource is that Armenians
are conservative by nature, by thinking, and there is every condition
for the rating of Republican to grow in 2007,” stated Armen Ashotyan.

Sargsyan: Speaking of Presidency Plans Hard Now
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.07.2006 13:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan will make
a decision on putting forward his candidacy or not for the post of
the President after the parliamentary election in 2007, he stated
in an interview with RFE/RL. “At present speaking of presidency
plans is hard. I never worked for any post,” Sargsyan said. He
explained that his decision will be conditioned by the returns of the
parliamentary election. “If the Republican Party of Armenia collects
21-22% of grassroots votes, I will consider it satisfactory, if 25% –
good. If the party gains over 25%, it will be an excellent outcome,”
Sargsyan said.
At that he noted he is not going to resign, as there are no reasons
for that. “Why should I resign? It is senseless. Did I work bad? If
I did, the President should make a corresponding decision himself,”
Sargsyan remarked.

Kocharian Will Not Go to Moscow
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.07.2006 13:56 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian’s visit to Moscow
is cancelled, reports the Press Service of the Armenian leader. Bad
state of health is the cause for canceling the visit to the Russian
capital: the President has an acute virus disease of the respiratory
tract. In Moscow the Armenian President was to take part in informal
summit of CIS state heads. A bilateral meeting with Russian President
Putin was also planned.

Military support of Azerbaijan by Turkey Not Ruled out Theoretically
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.07.2006 14:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At present new redistribution of forces is
taking place in the region and the Iranian factor is becoming
increasingly efficient force in the region, Head of Hay Dat Office,
ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau Responsible for Foreign Policy Affairs
Kiro Manoyan stated in Yerevan. In his words, in case the dragging of
solution of the Karabakh issue is favorable to Armenia. “The conflict
will not be solved in a way, which fits Armenia in the near future. Our
country should make efforts to become stronger. Events in Lebanon
showed that a weak state easily becomes subject to aggression. If
Armenia becomes strong, it will be taken into consideration,”
Manoyan said.
The Hay Dat Office Head underscored that any conflict, which cannot
be solved for a long period of time finally ends in a war. As of the
position of some countries in the region regarding the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, military support to Azerbaijan by Turkey is not ruled out
theoretically if Baku really wants to resume hostilities. However,
upon launching Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline this theoretical
assumption becomes almost impossible. Oil in this case will be a
stabilizing factor,” Manoyan underscored.

Karabakh: Agreement on General Principles Possible in 2006
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.07.2006 14:16 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The situation over settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict in 2006 is different from that in 1997, before
the resignation of Armenian first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
Head of Hay Dat Office, ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau Responsible for
Foreign Policy Affairs Kiro Manoyan stated in Yerevan. In his words,
when Levon Ter-Petrosyan said that opportunities of 1997 will not
repeat, he meant a totally different thing. “I believe that the
first President meant that Armenia will not have to choose, as at
that time. In 2006 some form of an agreement on general principles
is possible at best. However, inadequate conduct of Azerbaijan will
bring to naught all efforts of the mediators and the international
community,” Manoyan said.
At that he underscored that in case of attaining an agreement between
the Armenian and Azeri President on the security zone around NKR,
not fitting the interests of the Armenian people, the ARFD will appeal
to the state leader for explanations “in accordance with the law.”
Speaking about the idea of changing the format of the talks, which
issues from Azerbaijan, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau member stressed,
that is merely a desire of official Baku, which is not a decisive
one in this issue. “The format of the OSCE MG for settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict remains still. At least for the near future,”
he remarked.

To End the War It Is Necessary to Stop Fighting
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.07.2006 14:56 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Representatives of Azerbaijan were also present
at a six-sided meeting of citizens and NGOs of the South Caucasus,
held in Yerevan July 8-13.
Upon returning to Baku Azeri journalist Alekper Aliyev published travel
notes Trip from Baku to Erivan, where he distorted the statement
of editor of web-site Luiza Poghosyan on
problems between the two peoples. Aliyev interpreted her words as,
“The myth on genocide, we are stuffed with, has become a complex
for the Armenian society and made it sick. We raise our children
in hatred towards Turks. In this case Turks for us are Turkey and
Azerbaijan. We are told we won a war, however, actually our entire
region lost, specifically we lost.
No development is observed, nothing good is taking place. How long
can this hatred propaganda last? We cannot work for the future,
constantly thinking retrospectively.”
As Luiza Poghosyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the term “peope’s
diplomacy” has is a bit worn out and it does not exactly express the
process, which provides for search for reconciliation ways. Simple
human communication at the meetings of Armenians with Azeris is
arranged in most cases. In her words, the information war of many
years between Armenia and Azerbaijan resulted in inability to find
common language when discussing issues and frankly wishing to do more.
“We speak and we do not hear each other. At that breaking the silence
on painful issues helps finding friends and associates in Azerbaijan. I
do not think that Alekper Aliyev is a journalist having a propaganda
mission and I do not think his reports are written from “an enemy
perspective.” Alekper is not only journalist, but also an outstanding
writer. He is a man, frankly wishing peace between our peoples. Some
exaggerated interpretation of my position and that of Georgy Vanyan
is only a literary trick and I hope readers both in Azerbaijan and
Armenia will be able to take his reports with humor. We know too
little about each other and we forget that to end the war it is
necessary to stop fighting,” L. Poghosyan remarked.

Cedar Crest College’s President, Dorothy Gulbenkian Blaney, Dies
By Melanie Hughes and Genevieve Marshall Of The Morning Call
eyjul11,0,6598481.story?coll=all
-newslocal-hed
J uly 11, 2006
Dorothy Gulbenkian Blaney, who for 17 years as president of Cedar Crest
College championed the cause of elevating the education of women to
the same rigorous academic achievement once reserved only for men,
died about 5 p.m. Monday in her home on campus, a college spokesman
said. She was 65.
Blaney, who took over the Allentown women’s college in 1989 when it
was struggling and gave it new stature and renewed vigor, had been
battling cervical cancer for two years.
Michael Traupman, director of college relations, and Blaney’s husband,
Joseph, said the family and college will issue a statement about her
death today.
“She was a courageous woman, a visionary leader who accomplished a
tremendous amount for the college she loved so much,” Muhlenberg
College President Randy Helm said. “I will miss her deeply as
a friend.”
During Blaney’s tenure, the college’s enrollment doubled from 700
to more than 1,400 students, the number of honor students rose 35
percent, and the endowment grew fourfold, with annual giving rising
from $1.2 million to $5.7 million. This year’s goal is $3.5 million.
Since the early 1990s, Cedar Crest has consistently ranked in the
top 15 liberal arts colleges in the Northeast in the U.S. News &
World Report annual listing.
For almost all her career at the 139-year-old school, she contributed
opinion columns to The Morning Call, writing on women’s and local
issues. When Playboy magazine sought Cedar Crest students for a
pictorial on the women of women’s colleges in 1990, she wrote that
Cedar Crest’s women are more likely to be leaders than centerfolds.
In the past year, many of Blaney’s columns focused on cancer.
“She was a dynamic woman, a superb president, and she put up a valiant
battle with cancer,” said David V. Voellinger, who is on the executive
committee of the college’s Board of Associates. “It’s quite a loss
for Cedar Crest.”
Blaney had dreamed of changing the world since growing up in
Plainfield, N.J., reading Shakespeare or Dickens aloud on the porch
with her family as a 6-year-old.
After graduating from the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, she completed
her bachelor’s degree with high honors in comparative literature at
Cornell University, where two teachers persuaded her to pursue her goal
as a teacher. She later completed her doctorate in English literature
at the State University of New York, studied at the University of
California at Berkeley and taught at Webster College in Geneva,
Switzerland.
During the ceremony that made her Cedar Crest’s 11th president, she
told the crowd to “transform knowledge into wisdom and wisdom into
action. We need to expand our minds to embrace the diversity of other
cultures and the ideas of the world.”
One of her goals was to more aggressively recruit students from
other countries and have the college become known as a place for
women throughout the world.
On Monday night, Blaney’s office inside the administration and
admissions building, Blaney Hall, was empty, as were most of the
offices in the building.
College security had blocked off an area of parking spaces in front
of Moore Hall, preparing for a possible gathering of mourners. Signs
posted on orange cones in front of the spaces read: “Reserved for
president’s family and friends.”
Traupman said Provost Carol Pulham issued a brief statement via
e-mail about Blaney’s death to students and staff. Pulham will assume
all presidential duties as outlined in the college charter until a
replacement is named.
Blaney was chairwoman of the Women’s Sports Foundation, which was
founded by tennis star Billie Jean King and promotes girls and women
in sports and fitness.
Blaney was diagnosed with cancer in June 2004. She announced in a
Morning Call column three months ago that her outlook on the disease
had taken on new meaning, moving from teariness to triumph, celebrating
the army of people helping to care for her and the spirit of Lance
Armstrong and others like him.
Tom Tenges, president of the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent
Colleges, said, “I knew she was slipping quickly, but it’s been many
months since I’ve last seen her. … Dorothy is someone I had a high
regard for. She was a supporter and believer in our consortium. Her
strength came in finding a valuable focus for Cedar Crest College.
“She made the natural science a very strong, important part of the
curriculum. She was a great conversationalist and had a vast knowledge
of many things beyond education.”
Helm, the Muhlenberg president, said, “I’m very, very grief stricken
to hear about her passing, though it’s not unexpected. … We often
got together and shared our dreams and frustrations. I’m really just
flattened by this. I’ve been expecting to hear this for some time,
but it doesn’t make it any easier.
“She was someone I could turn to for advice and comfort,” Helm
said. “She made health a theme for the campus. She was such a
passionate believer in its mission. My heart goes out to her family
and the school. They’re a wonderful school and wonderful neighbors.”

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/20/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1. Lebanese Consulate in LA Calls for Community Assistance 2. Bryza Will Visit Karabakh During Tour 3. CIS Summit Begins Today 4. Turkish Lawyer Puts Patriotism Before Free Speech, EU 1. Lebanese Consulate in LA Calls for Community Assistance LOS ANGELES--The Lebanese Consul General in Los Angeles Charbel Wehbe issued an appeal to all Los Angeles residents of Lebanese descent to assist the government as Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue. The announcement addresses the damages caused by the nine-day old attack on the country, which has been categorized as a "disaster zone" by the Lebanese Prime Minister. The announcement asks the public to donate money, food, clothing and medicine, as well as safety and other equipment. The Consulate appeal urges the community to donate powdered milk, canned goods, baby food, diapers, rice, sugar, blankets, generators and other goods. For financial donations, the consulate asks that the contributions be made to the following address: US dollars Federal Reserve Bank of New York Bic Code FRNYUS33 Routing Number: 021084694 Favor: Banque du Liban Account number 02 700 362123 Lebanese lira Banque du Liban Account number 02 700 362123 The Consular announcement urges the community to immediately heed this urgent call and through contributions ensure that the people of Lebanon receive the basic needs during this crisis. In a related matter, Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian spoke with Consul General Wehbe Tuesday, expressing his sympathy and that of the entire Armenian community for the casualties the country has suffered, wishing for unity and solidarity to prevail in Lebanon and among the Lebanese people. The Consul General spoke of the situation in Lebanon, and on behalf of the government requested that the Armenian community offer any humanitarian assistance within their means to the civilian victims. The Consulate is planning to designate a special committee to coordinate the humanitarian efforts. On Sunday July 23, a special prayer will be said in all Prelacy churches for the lives lost in the fighting. The Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church urges all community members to attend and pray for the peace. In Lebanon, efforts of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Central Committee of Lebanon to assist with displaced and affected Lebanese continued in Armenian-populated neighborhoods, as institutions and organizations have all put forth their resources to aid the victims of the attacks. An ARF delegation, accompanied by parliament member Hagop Pakradouni Wednesday visited refugee centers in Bourdj Hammoud to gain first-hand knowledge of the situation. Pakradouni praised the resilience of the people of southern Lebanon and pledged the Armenian community's continued efforts to provide necessary relief and humanitarian assistance to the victims of the attacks. 2. Bryza Will Visit Karabakh During Tour YEREVAN (Lrakir)--The US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza, who is scheduled to visit Armenia on July 29, will also go to Stepanakert, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic press service announced Thursday. The press service reported that Bryza will meet with Karabakh President Arkady Ghoukassian. Bryza's visit to Stepanakert marks a turning point in the OSCE Minsk Group peace process, since during past several years, visiting co-chairmen have side-stepped visiting Karabakh. "One should not place big hopes OSCE Minsk Group's US Co-chair Matthew Bryza's visit to the region," Russia's charge d'affaires in Azerbaijan Peter Burdikin said. He said Bryza's visit to the region may be useful only from the standpoint of assessing the situation by the new appointee. "It would not be unlikely that a new meeting between the Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers be organized upon completion of the visit," he said. 3. CIS Summit Begins Today YEREVAN (Yerkir)A two-day summit of CIS leaders was scheduled to convene in Moscow Friday. The agenda of the summit includes two principal issues--the assessment of global developments and the CIS reformation. "Being the CIS chairman the Russian President invited his counterparts to arrive in Moscow for an informal summit without a precisely outlined agenda and discuss the ways of CIS reformation," said assistant to the Russian leader Sergey Prikhodko. Presidents of Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are expected to attend the summit. Armenia's presidential spokesman Viktor Soghmonyan told reporters Thursday that a meeting between presidents Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan was not scheduled during the CIS summit. 4. Turkish Lawyer Puts Patriotism Before Free Speech, EU ISTANBUL (Reuters)--A lawyer instrumental in trials of writers who challenge Turkey's limits on freedom of speech vowed on Wednesday to advance a nationalist campaign which has put Ankara at odds with the European Union. Bitter EU critic Kemal Kerincsiz has come to prominence this year through his involvement in bringing charges against internationally renowned novelist Orhan Pamuk and other writers for comments on the Armenian issue and insulting "Turkishness". The EU, which Turkey wants to join, is pushing Ankara to improve freedom of expression as a condition for membership, but nationalist lawyers and the judiciary are undermining the drive. This week he filed a complaint to prosecutors about comments made by Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant Dink, prompting a fresh probe of the writer just a week after a previous conviction. "You cannot view what writers like Hrant Dink and Orhan Pamuk have said as freedom of expression. They are provoking the situation under the Armenian Diaspora's influence," Kerincsiz told Reuters in his office in an Istanbul apartment block. "We will not allow insults and abuse of Turkishness in the name of freedom of expression. We will continue to defend Turkishness and the rights of Turks from Central Asia to Western Thrace (in eastern Greece)," he said. Kerincsiz heads the Grand Lawyers' Association which claims 800 members in Istanbul and devotes itself to nationalist causes. As he spoke, his colleagues prepared placards for a pro-Turkish Cypriot demonstration they were staging in Istanbul. The latest target of his campaign was an interview which Dink gave to Reuters on July 14 in which he said Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman forces during World War One. "Dink has sealed his own fate with this comment. He has convicted himself. It is now impossible from him to escape his suspended sentence and a new conviction," said Kerincsiz. The European Parliament has called on Turkey to recognize the Armenian massacres as a genocide before it joins the bloc. The High Court of Appeals last week confirmed a six-month suspended jail sentence for Dink under a controversial article of Turkey's penal code which outlaws insults to "Turkishness". The EU has urged Turkey to scrap Article 301, which carries a jail sentence of up to three years, arguing it restricts freedom of expression. The government says the revised penal code, introduced last year, needs more time to be tested. "Nobody will have the strength to abolish 301, neither the political powers or the European Union," Kerincsiz. "If you get rid of it your are recognizing the Armenian genocide allegations." Cases against Pamuk and four columnists collapsed on a legal technicality, but only after drawing a sharp rebuke from the EU, which Turkey aims to join, and from human rights groups. Ankara began EU membership talks last October but is not expected to join the wealthy bloc for many years. Kerincsiz wants Turkey to halt those talks immediately, annul its customs union with the bloc and review its NATO and US relations. "The European Union means slavery and a prisoner's chains for Turkey," he said. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.