ARTHUR BAGDASARIAN WELCOMES THE CANDIDATURE OF TIGRAN TOROSIAN TO THE
OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. On a press conference at the National
Assembly Arthur Bagdasarian said that he welcomes the candidature of
Vice Speaker Tigran Torosian for the office of the Speaker of the
Armenian Parliament.
The opinion of Tigran Torosian himself is not known yet, as the Vice
Speaker is now on an international conference in Bruxelles. The second
possible candidate is Dashnaktsutiun party member Vice Speaker Vahan
Hovhannissian, who refused to make comments on the situation. Another
possible candidate Karen Karapetian, ‘People’s Deputy’ group member
declined the proposition to take the office.

‘ORINATS YERKIR’ PARTY WILL JOIN THE OPPOSITION
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. After leaving the ruling Coalition the
Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party will take its own way and join
the opposition, said on a press conference at the National Assembly
Arthur Bagdasarian, leader of the party at the same time admitting
that the opposition bloc possibly will not welcome that.
Arthur Bagdasarian said that on May 22 he will submit the parliament
his application of resigning his office. Speaking about the today
meeting with the coalition representatives he refused to say anything
of the Presidents’ and Dashnaktsutiun party members’ reaction to
Orinats Yerkir’s decision to leave the Coalition. Mr. Bagdasarian
explained this decision by disagreement of the ruling parties on three
main topics – inner political, social-economic and external political
issues. He admitted that he could remain in the office of the Speaker
even after withdrawal from the Coalition, but he said he is morally
obliged to resign.
Bagdasarian assured that Orinats Yerkir has ever condemned and will
always condemn the negative occurrences in Armenia – corruption,
criminal in economy, privatization of state property, etc. He alleged
that Orinats Yerkir members never abused their authority to their
personal benefit although they had the opportunity. ‘Orinats Yerkir
has ever honestly told the truth and has ever been criticized by those
whose strife against those vices was only fiction. We are determined
to work hard for the progress of Armenia. Our device is “For the
People and with the People”, said the party leader. –

THERE NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY IN ORINATS YERKIR’S WITHDRAWAL FROM RULING
COALITION: ARMENIAN DM
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. There is nothing extraordinary in the
Orinats Yerkir party’s withdrawal from the ruling coalition and one
should not look for any implication, says Armenia’s DM Serzh Sargsyan.
He says that the coalition was set up in 2003 and now one party has
decided to withdraw because of differences with the other two
ones. Sargsyan refutes the reports that he took part in the formation
of Orinats Yerkir and that the authorities are pressuring the
businessmen leaving the party. They joined the party for their
personal purposes and now they are leaving it because of differences
with the authorities, says Sargsyan.
Asked if he considers Artur Bagdassaryan’s resignation and OY’s
withdrawal as his victory over Bagdassaryan, Sargsyan says that one
better ask this question to Bagdassaryan. “I didn’t fight with him,”
says Sargsyan.

ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN DOESN’T EXCLUDE HE WILL RUN FOR PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS IN 2008
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. Artur Baghdasarian, leader of “Orinats
Yerkir” party, speaker of RA National Assembly, doesn’t exclude that
he will run for the Presidential Elections in 2008. He stated about
this at today’s press conference.
At the same time, he emphasized that the resources for carrying out
preliminary planned elections are exhausted. “Armenia should spare no
efforts to carry out Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in 2007-
2008 in accordance with the European standards. My party will
consistently work in that direction,” Baghdasarian said.
It’s worth mentioning that Baghdasarian explained the decision to
withdraw the coalition by deepening contradictions among the coalition
parties and constant pressure on his party.

ARMENIA MUST INTEGRATE WITH THE NATO MAINTAINING FRIENDLY RELATIONS
WITH RUSSIA
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. ‘I do not think that my resignation will
influence external policy of Armenia. Moreover, I do not think that it
will spoil the Armenian-French relations,’ said on a press conference
at the National Assembly Arthur Bagdasarian, leader of the party at
the same time admitting that the opposition bloc possibly will not
welcome that.
Nr. Bagdasarian added that Orinats Yerkir has political contacts
abroad. He said that his party stands for Armenia’s integration with
the NATO and maintaining friendly relations with Russia. Integration
with Europe and the EU in particular is the only way for Armenia, he
said. The Speaker added that this position on foreign policy was one
of the causes of the breakdown of the alliance with Dashnaktsutiun and
the Republican parties.

RA CULTURE MINISTER BELIEVS THAT “ORINATS YERKIR” PARTY IS NO MORE
COMPETENT FOR DECISION TO RECALL HIM
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. “Though the portfolio of Culture Minister
was handed to “Orinats Yerkir” party, but I am a non-party person and
the cultural figures put forward my candidacy,” Gevorg Gevorgian, RA
Culture Minister, said this in the interview to ArmInfo.
He emphasized that he never clung to the minister’s portfolio and
agreed to occupy this post for the sake of the development of the
sphere. “I am ready to continue restoration of Armenia’s fame as a
country of highly developed culture,” he said. Besides, he said that
there is still much to do in that direction.
It’s worth mentioning that in the course of one of the government
sittings, RA PM Andranik Margarian said that Mr. Gevorgian is a person
who managed to do a lot for the restoration of the cultural sphere in
a couple of months.
Gevorgian managed to return the edifices of the theatres that were
privatized earlier through the court. Today, a number of cultural
figures of Armenia stated about their support to Gevorgian, in the
interview to ArmInfo.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA PRESIDENT:RECENT EVENTS WILL YIELD NO HOME POLITICAL CRISIS IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. RA President Robert Kocharian quietly treats
the withdrawal of “Orinats Yerkir ” party from coalition, as well as
the future resignation of Artur Baghdasarian, Speaker of RA National
Assembly. Victor Soghomonian, Press Secretary of RA President, told
ArmInfo correspondent about this.
He said that a change in the structure of the coalition is a normal
development for any civilized country. Soghomonian said that there was
nothing extraordinary in that withdrawal, especially, if we take into
account the existing contradictions within the coalition. At the same
time, he expressed confidence that the recent events will yield no
home political crisis in Armenia. Soghomonian added that “the
divorce” of the coalition was quite civilized and the ARFD and the
Republican Party will continue their activities within the coalition
memorandum. He stated that after the certain changes conditioned by
the recent events, both RA Parliament and RA Government will continue
their common activities.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARSHAK SADOYAN BELIEVES WITHDRAWAL OF “ORINATS YERKIR” PARTY FROM
COALITION MAY HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT FOR ARMENIA
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. The withdrawal of “Orinats Yerkir” party
from coalition may have also positive impact for Armenia. Arshak
Sadoyan, leader of “Faction of National Democrats” party, said this at
today’s press conference.
He said that the withdrawal of “Orinats Yerkir” from the coalition was
quite natural, as the coalition was shaped on artificial basis, as an
additional pro-governmental force. Certainly, other candidates for
this role came forward and clashes began within the coalition forces,
soon. Artur Baghdasarian, leader of “Orinats Yerkir” party, speaker of
RA National Assembly, became another victim in that clash.
At the same time, Sadoyan said that hardly pre-time parliamentary
elections will be held in Armenia. If the country manages to avoid
chain of resignation of high ranked officials, the next parliamentary
elections will be held in 2007. According to him, the most beneficial
variant for the development of the events in Armenia till the next
elections in 2007 would be the strengthening of the “People’s Deputy”
parliamentary group, including its admission into coalition. Most of
the group’s deputies are elected through the majority principle and
are aware of the current problems. “If I was asked who would I like to
see as the speaker of the parliament, I would offer a candidate from
the opposition, even my candidacy. But none will ask anything, as I am
a mere observer,” Sadoyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SESSION OF RULING COALITION BOARD COMPLETED IN ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S
RESIDENCE
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. The session of the ruling coalition Board,
held in the residence of the Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan, was
completed several minutes ago. The leader of the “Orinats Yerkir”
party, the Parliament speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan, the representative
of the “Dashnaktsutiun” party’s Supreme Body, the Head of the
Parliament Commission for Foreign Affairs Armen Rustamyan, as well as
the Republican party’s leader, the country’s Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan participated in the session, it became known to the Arminfo
correspondent from the Parliament sources.
According to the source, the current situation in the “Orinats Yerkir”
party (OY) and in the ruling coalition was discussed at the
session. To be reminded, the OY party’s governing Board had made a
decision the day before about the party’s leaving the ruling
coalition, the resignation of the Parliament speaker Arthur
Baghdasaryan and recall of his ministers from the government. Ten
deputies-businessmen have left the OY faction for the last several
days. The Minister of City Planning Aram Haroutiunyan also announced
today about his leaving the OY. The OY party explains the last
processes by pressure of the governmental circles upon the OY members
because-of Baghdasaryan’s rough speeches concerning foreign political
issues of NATO-European Union cooperation, as well as party’s
criticism of the 2001-2003 state property privatization program. It is
unknown yet what decisions the meeting participants made.

LPP LEADER: “ORINATS YERKIR” PARTY’S LEAVING THE RULING COALITION IS
RESULT OF GENOCIDE OF COUNTRY’S POLITICAL FIELD CARRIED OUT BY
AUTHORITIES
Yerevan, May 12. ArmInfo. The “Orinats Yerkir” party’s leaving the
Armenian ruling political coalition is a result of genocide of the
country’s political field carried out by the present authorities, the
leader of the Liberal-Progressive party Hovhannes Hovhannessyan told
ArmInfo correspondent. To be reminded, Hovhannessyan had been heading
the Parliament’s Constant Commission for Foreign Relations in
1999-2003.
According to Hovhannessyan, the “OY” party’s leaving the ruling
coalition is appropriate and expected. There was not a uniting idea in
the coalition except one of profit and money, Hovhannessyan
said. Having resigned, the Parliament speaker and the “OY” leader
Arthur Baghdasaryan made a right political step and all the members of
the “OY” faction, as well as the oppositional deputies have to lay
down the Parliament mandates together with him. This will create a
parliament crisis in the country, turning to a governmental one which
will cause serious internal political processes the country needs long
since, Hovhannessyan said.
Asked if the union or cooperation of the Liberal-Progressive party,
well-known by its westernized orientation, is possible with the same
westernized “Orinats Yerkir”, Hovhannessyan did not rule out
neither. However, he made a slip in speaking that the cooperation or
unification with the “OY” is possible only on the basis of a common
ideological platform. But it is ruled out on the basis of “common
money”, Hovhannessyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress