TIGRAN TOROSIAN CONDEMNS ARMENIAN OPPOSITION FOR GIVING THEATRE PERFORMANCE AT RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. The coming few months will become a test
for the Armenian political forces. Tigran Torosian, Deputy Speaker
of RA National Assembly, said this at today’s press conference.
Mr. Torosian condemned the opposition demand to dissolve the parliament
in connection with the fact that the political coalition stopped
existing after the withdrawal of “Country of Law,” party and that
the coalition is no longer a majority at the parliament. “First of
all, I wander, who said that the coalition should be the majority
at the parliament and a majority memorandum should be adopted. The
first step was taken after the parliamentary elections in 2003,
and I think this step will become a precedent for the future one,
but nothing makes us adopt the memorandum, now. In many countries of
the world the coalitions function without adopting any documents,”
he said. He emphasized that it is precisely stated in RA Constitution
what a parliamentary crisis means and in which cases the legislative
power should be dissolved, underscoring that nothing of the like
happens at the parliament at present.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN: ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR IS SPREAD IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. An atmosphere of fear is spread in Armenia,
the Armenian parliament speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan told today in
the Parliament, having declared about his resignation.
According to Baghdasaryan, much have been done for the past
three years, however, a number of problems still remain unsolved,
particularly, a sad state of the border regions of the country and the
area of Spitak earthquake. He emphasized that disagreements with the
republic’s ruling coalition appeared a year ago. These disagreements
were aggravated more and more for a number of reasons.
Particularly, Baghdasaryan paid attention to the demographic crisis
in the country, which threatens the national security, to the problem
of corruption and other issues. The speaker sees the Armenia’s future
in the European Union and not in the Russia-Byelorussia Union. At
the same time, he is a follower of active relations development with
Russia. He promised to call, during the further work, concrete names
and facts concerning the available problems.
As for the decision about the party’s withdrawal from the coalition,
A. Baghdasaryan reminded that 21 attempts were made to discredit the
“Orinats Yerkir” party’s name for the past three years. As a result,
the party itself decided to leave the coalition. As for the RA
President Robert Kocharyan and the Defense Minister Serzh Sarkissyan,
the party was always respectful to them as to political figures,
speaker said.
To be noted, based upon the Law about the RA Parliament Regulations,
the Parliament Chairman has to confirm his resignation during the
nearest five days. On the basis of the existing legislation clauses,
the duties of the Armenian Parliament speaker will be fulfilled by
the RA Parliament Vice Speaker Tigran Torossyan.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER CALLS LEADER OF NATIONAL UNITY PARTY FOR TV DEBATE
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Arthut
Baghdasaryan has called Leader of National Unity party Artashes
Geghamyan for a TV debate.
Speaking at the parliament Monday, Arthur Baghdasaryan said that A.
Geghamyan has never attended discussions of bills urgent for the
country, he has always occurred in scandalous situations using them
in his favor. The speaker mentioned that it was A. Geghamyan who was
repeatedly stated that Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan funds “Orinats
Yerkir” party. “Now, Geghamyan says that just the president and the
defense minister are involved in the resignation of the speaker,
which is illogic” A. Baghdasaryan said.
To note, A. Geghamyan was constantly making remarks during the final
speech of the speaker. A. Geghanyan believes that the president and
defense minister have ruined the party “Orinats Yerkir” within a
short period of time.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION IN RA PARLIAMENT INTENDS TO INITIATE DISCUSSION OF HEARING IN PARLIAMENT FOR PROBLEM OF COUNTRY’S CIVIL AVIATION
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. The Armenian opposition in the RA
Parliament intends to initiate the discussion of hearing in the
country’s Parliament for the problems of country’s civil aviation,
the Secretary of the “Justice ” oppositional bloc Viktor Dallakyan
said today in the RA Parliament.
According to him, the opposition included the legislation about
Civil Aviation in the Parliament agenda earlier which was, however,
failed by the country’s ruling coalition. After the tragedy of the
Armenian airbus A-320 in the Black Sea, the issue became more actual,
Dallakyan said, having called up the deputies to put their signatures
under the opposition’s initiative.

“NORTH AVENUE” GAINS REAL SHAPES
Yerevan, May 22. ArmInfo. The “North Avenue” Project starts to gain
real shapes. As the Vice Mayor of Yerevan Karen Davtyan said, this
is the first big city planning Program in Armenia in the post-Soviet
period. The Program is complex and, taking into account its scale, it
is unprecedented for the capital. The total territory of construction
is 70-80 thsd. sq. m. The construction is carried out since 2003. The
idea of the “North Avenue” belongs to the author’s group headed by the
former Chief Architect of Yerevan Narek Sarkissyan. Separate buildings
were included in the initial Project later. In addition to tenement
houses and commercial objects, underground complex constructions, which
had never been before in the capital, are also built. For example,
an underground two-high car park, which will allow to considerably
mitigate the functioning capacity of the Yerevan streets by cars. A
foot-street is also built, as it is customary in many cities of
the world.
It is scheduled to complete the “North Avenue”, which is conventionally
divided in three sections, at the end of 2007. Eleven builders are
involved in the Project implementation. Particularly, the “Local
Developers”, “Aykapal”, “Has Profit”. Among the foreign builders,
a good work of the “Moscow House”, “AVO FM”, “Nazaret Berberyan”
Ltd. and “Garni Group” companies was especially noted.

OSCE CHAIRMAN IN OFFICE ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IN 2006
Yerevan, May 23. ArmInfo. In an interview to RFE/RL OSCE Chairman in
Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht says that he is not
pessimistic but is not excessively optimistic about the possibility
of the Karabakh conflict settlement this year.
He says that the OSCE is doing its best to bring the sides to
agreement. Sometimes the hope is strong sometimes not. De Gucht urges
Armenia and Azerbaijan to do all they can to reach agreement. All
depends on them while the OSCE and Belgium, as OSCE Chairman in Office,
can only help them in the matter.
De Gucht says that often there are some side obstacles to the
resolution of frozen conflicts. One of such obstacles to the Karabakh
peace process is the closed Armenian-Turkish border.
De Gucht is still optimistic in the matter. He says that unless one
is optimist he has nothing to do in the politics.

GEGHAM MANUKIAN TO JOIN RA NA “ARF” FACTION STAFF
Noyan Tapan
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Central Electoral Commission
will register Gegham Manukian, an ARF Dashnaktsutiun member, the
head of the information and political programs of the “Yerkir Media”
TV company, the deputy by the NA proportional electoral order at
the May 22 sitting. He will be given the deputy’s mandate on the
same day. CEC Secretary Hamlet Abrahamian informed the Noyan Tapan
correspondent about it. To recap, the ARF mandate by the proportional
electoral order was vacant as a result of elected by the party list
Levon Mkrtchian’s having been appointed on May 17 the RA Minister of
Education and Science and having ahead of time stopped his deputy’s
commissions for this reason.

HRAYR KARAPETIAN TO HEAD NA ARF FACTION
Noyan Tapan
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Former ARF Secretary Hrayr Karapetian
will head the ARF faction of the RA National Assembly from now
on. National Assembly Deputy Speaker Tigran Torosian made this decision
of the faction public at the May 22 sitting of the Parliament. To
recap, Levon Mkrtchian who was appointed the RA Minister of Education
and Science on May 17, occupied the post of the ARF faction head.

HAMLET HOVSEPIAN DISCHARGED POST OF YEREVAN MALATIA-SEBASTIA COMMUNITY PROSECUTOR
Noyan Tapan
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Robert Kocharian signed
a decree on May 20 on discharging Hamlet Hovsepian from the post
of the Prosecutor of the Malatia-Sebastia community of the city
of Yerevan. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by the President’s
Press Office.

ULP TO HOLD SOME VACANT POSTS IN EXECUTIVE POWER
Noyan Tapan
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The United Labor Party (ULP) will
transfer 5 mln drams (over 11 thousand USD) to the account opened
especially for the purpose of providing assistance to the families
of those who died in the accident of A-320 plane. As Noyan Tapan
correspondent was informed from party head Gurgen Arsenian, such
a decision was made at the May 20 sitting of the party political
board. According to him, the issue of the posts that remained vacant
in the executive power after the Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law)
party’s leaving the coalition was also discussed. In particular,
the most active members of the party will assume the posts of Deputy
Minister of Labor and Social Issues, Deputy Governors of Lori and
Shirak regions. According to our unofficial checked information,
the party was also given the right to be nominated for the post of
the Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs: it will be assumed by
non-partisan Hasmik Poghosian, current Chairwoman of the Armenian
Company of Cultural Ties and Cooperation. As for vacant ruling posts
at the parliament, G.Arsenian refused to provide any information
considering it non-expedient to speak about nominations on the vacant
posts for the present.