LAW IS A FALSE NATIONAL IDEOLOGY
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
18 April 06
Following the Unity Tree Planting, most of us might have thought
that the Head Public Prosecutor of Armenia should be concerned about
issues of lawfulness rather than environmental issues, and most of us
might be right. Moreover, this lack of lawfulness in the country is
visible to the naked eye, even at night. It is hard to disagree that
no matter how important nature and national unity are, something is
wrong, however, when the head of law enforcers starts taking care of
nature, and the head of environmentalists starts shooting seagulls
like a policemen would shoot a criminal, without thinking that if
a shot in the air would mean a warning for the offender, for the
seagull it might mean death.
Naturally, neither the problem of environment will be solved, nor the
problem of lawfulness, if the law enforcer does not observe the law,
and the environmentalist forgets about nature.
However, the state of things is not as bad as it might appear. It is
the least of evils when they plant trees as a symbol of unity.
Imagine what would happen if they decided to start a development
of unity, considering that they are unable to build anything
except elite houses. The ombudsman would have to spend nights at the
Constitutional Court, although the problem is not that of the ombudsman
but thousands of citizens whose property would be sacrificed for the
sake of unity. So, let us be thankful for tree planting, and let us
be thankful that there is place where to plant trees, and no one has
to start alienation of property of residents.
If the residents of Buzand Street and North Avenue protest because
their property is seized in favor of the elite, refusing to give one’s
property for place to plant trees would be considered treason. How
can one refuse to give some territory, some apartment or some roof
if someone devotes all his time, heart and soul for the Unity Tree
Planting? Yes, it is better to sacrifice one’s apartment (one might
even receive a title of hero) than to be threatened to be seen as
a traitor.
Hence, this is what happens in the countries where public initiatives
come to replace the law. Those to whom the idea of law does not even
occur become devotees of the nation. And those who refuse to follow
the initiative of such a devotee is seen as a traitor. How can one
refuse to participate in the dance of unity or in the unity tree
planting? If you fail to, you are not merely defying the head public
prosecutor but also the idea of unity of the nation. And whoever dares
to criticize, moreover, not to take part in these events of unity,
and even doubt their appropriateness, will be declared a foe of the
nation, who does not want our unity.
That is why the Head Public Prosecutor has set aside the questions of
lawfulness and engages in planting trees of unity and begets ideas
of unity in general. It is like a magic circle, and those who are
outside this circle are heretics. There is no other option; either
you are united, or you are a traitor if you dare to speak about some
laws and equality during such a crucial event for the homeland as
tree planting. It is necessary to make people equal on another plane
for them not to be equal before the law and to forget about this
inequality. First it was Mount Aragats, now it is trees of unity,
next year they will surely invent something else.
The public must not be allowed to remain idle, otherwise they start
talking about the law, and a devotee of the nation is seen as an
offender.

POLITICAL ASPECT OF ABKHAZIAN RAILROAD SETTLED
Lragir.am
18 April 06
The Consortium including Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Abkhazia
will meet April 27 to discuss the reconstruction of the Abkhazian
railroad, said Member of Parliament Vladimir Badalyan, the co-chair
of the Armenian-Georgian Business Association, to the news reporter of
Regnum. He said during the meeting they will discuss the logistics of
reconstruction of the railroad, as well as investments. An estimated
150-200 million U.S. dollars is required. Vladimir Badalyan said the
work on the railroad will begin as soon as all the necessary documents
are ready. “The political issues of the Abkhazian pipeline have been
settled, and in 2-2.5 years of intensive work railroad communication
will be fully restored,” said Vladimir Badalyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STUDENT UNION LAUNCHES EXHIBITION OF PHOTOS ABOUT ARMENIAN MONUMENTS IN THE REGION
Armenpress
Apr 18 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 18, ARMENPRESS: A student organization closely
affiliated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) has
launched today an exhibition of 70 photos, shot by Samvel Karapetian
and Hrayr Baze, which show the past and present state of Armenian
monuments in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran.
Titled ‘Cultural Genocide’ the exhibition will run for three days in
the front yard of the Yerevan State University. The row of photographs
presenting the state of Armenian monuments in Iran where Armenian
monuments are preserved and the government releases funds for their
repair is titled as ‘Dialogue of Civilization.’ This is not the case
regarding the Christian Georgia were numerous Armenian monuments were
destroyed and as many were declared as ‘being Georgian.”
Abraham Gasparian from the student organization, called Nikol Aghbalian
Union, said the word ‘dialogue’ is simply inapplicable when we speak
about the fate of Armenian monuments in Turkey and Azerbaijan. He
said though Turkey’s ministry of culture has developed a ten-year
program for restoration part of Ani, a medieval Armenian capital,
now in Turkey, the Armenian side has to press for dispatching Armenian
experts to the site so that Turks do not distort its history.

UN FAO TO WORK IN ARMENIA IN 2007, 2008
Armenpress
Apr 18 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 18, ARMENPRESS: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) said it will continue its Assistance and Rehabilitation Program
in Armenia in 2007 and 2008. FAO Armenia Office representative,
Muzafar Chuder, said the current two-year program was to finish in the
middle of this year, but it was prolonged until the end of the year,
following which a new two-year program will be developed.
“The overall economic situation in Armenia has visibly improved, but
when we speak to individuals they say no matter how much the situation
has improved Armenia still needs humanitarian assistance,’ he said.
He said this program is supported largely by donor countries- such as
Switzerland, USA, Holland and Japan. The ongoing program that started
in 2004 has an $11 million budget to back up Food for Work and Food
for Training projects, as well as helping rural schools.

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF TAXMAN DISCUSS CRACKDOWN ON SHADY AND FRAUDULENT DEALS
Armenpress
Apr 18 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 18, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian and chief
of taxation service Felix Tsolakian discussed today the service’s
performance in the first quarter of the year, as well as ways to cut
shadow deals in mining and construction businesses and other tax fraud.
Kocharian’s press office quoted Tsolakian as saying that tax revenues
in the first three months of the year amounted to 43.2 billion
drams, by 8 billion drams more from a year ago. The higher portion of
income and profit taxes in the aggregate volume of taxes was singled
out. Tsolakian said tangible progress was made in collecting mandatory
social payments which made in the reported time 15.3 billion drams,
2,4 billion drams up from a year ago.
Tsolakian said as a follow-up of Kocharian’s instructions concerning
fight against shadow deals in mining and construction sectors tax
revenues from non-ferrous mines rose in the first quarter to 700
million drams from 400 from a year ago.
Tsolakian said also his agency was now drafting the list of those
companies whose paid taxes do not seem to be adequate to their
operation. He also said his agency sent 45 cases on fraudulent
transactions to prosecutors, who opened 19 legal actions.

ARMENIAN BOXERS TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT IN CZECH REPUBLIC
ArmrRadio.am
18.04.2006 15:00
An international boxing tournament will start today in Czech
Republic. Five boxes of Armenia – Hovhannes Danielyan, Edgar Manukyan,
Hrachya Hovhannisyn, Andranik Hakobyan and Artak Mamulyan – will
participate in the championship.
The tournament will come to an end on April 23.

YOUTH TOURNAMENT OF RA CHESS FEDERATION CUP STARTED IN YEREVAN
ArmrRadio.am
18.04.2006 15:33
Youth tournament of RA Chess Federation Cup started today at
“Cilicia” tennis-courts. Over 30 tennis players will participate in
the tournament.
Deputy Executive Director of the Tennis Federation of Armenia told”
Armenpress” correspondent that contests will be held in all age groups.
Following that the Tennis Federation Cup will pass the baton to
international contests to be held May in Yerevan. Armenian tennis
players are expected to participate in a number of tournaments out
of Armenia.

THREE-DAY EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN HISTORIC AND CULTURAL MONUMENTS
ArmrRadio.am
18.04.2006 15:48
“Nikol Aghbalyan” Students’ Union of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation is organizing a three-day exhibition of Armenian historic
and cultural monuments, which are currently on the territories of
neighboring countries.
A similar exhibition was organized also in 2005. The former and
current state of Armenian monuments in Azerbaijan, Nakhijevan,
Georgia and Western Armenia and Iran is presented at the exhibition.

AZERI MFA: OSKANIAN-MAMMADYAROV MEETING NOT PLANNED IN MOSCOW
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.04.2006 19:42 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There was no offer yet regarding arrangement of the
meeting between Foreign Ministers (FMs) of Azerbaijan and Armenia Elmar
Mammadyarov and Vartan Oskanian in Moscow, reported Tair Tagizadeh,
Head of Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan. Mr. Tagizadeh said Elmar Mammadyarov,
the FM of Azerbaijan, was to leave for Moscow on April 20 in order to
partake in the next session of CIS Council of FMs scheduled for April
21. There are no arrangements made as of April 18 regarding possible
meeting in Moscow between Mr. Mammadyarov and Vartan Oskanian,
his Armenian counterpart, which means there will be no meeting,
he added. Alongside Mr. Tagizadeh stated the visit agenda includes
some meetings Mr. Mammadyarov will have with counterparts from other
countries.
To remind, yesterday Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri
Merzlyakov reported April 21 he was going to meet with Armenian and
Azeri FMs Elmar Mammadyarov and Vartan Oskanian, who will take part
in the session of the CIS Council of FMs.

MEMORIAL TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS PROFANED IN LYON
Yerkir
18.04.2006 16:45
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Seven days before the commemorations of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915, the steles of the Armenian Memorial set up in the
town of Lyon (France), which must be inaugurated by President Jacques
Chirac, were profaned with inscriptions of insults and negationists:
“There never was genocide of the Armenians”.
This act of vandalism followed upon the consecutive racist drifts with
the ultra nationalist Turkish demonstration of last 18 March. Armenian
associations and organizations (CCAF – CDCA) call the authorities
of Police force to seek and sanction the persons in charge for these
intolerable attacks to human dignity.