IS THERE PRESSURE ON ORINATS YERKIR?

Iragir/am
18/03/06

“I do not know about attempts of pressing the Orinats Yerkir Party, and
I have no information on this,” stated the chairman of the Committee
of Defense, Internal Affairs and Security, deputy chairman of the
Orinats Yerkir Party, Mher Shahgeldyan on March 18.

He actually denied that the government presses those members of
the party who run or used to run businesses to hamper the political
aspirations of the Orinats Yerkir Party. He declined to comment on
the police search in the house of Member of Parliament Gagik Avetyan,
saying that the member of parliament himself, as well as the leaders
and members of the political party have made relevant statements.

Mher Shahgeldyan thinks it is useless to try to influence the decisions
of the Orinats Yerkir, because the party has considerable potential
for making independent decisions on its further political activities.

“We make our plans ourselves. The Orinats Yerkir Party is the biggest
political force in Armenia. The Orinats Yerkir has considerable
potential and has an important role in both internal and external
affairs. The leader of the party also has a considerable importance
and authority in internal and external policies. This potential
and importance is so big that we decide on our plans,” says Mher
Shahgeldyan.

With regard to specific plans he is even less wordy. Mher Shahgeldyan
is reluctant to state how and with who the political party will run
for the parliament in 2007. He only says that the Orinats Yerkir
Party will do what it will find adequate, which is a matter of time.

The relation with the coalition is, according to Mher Shahgeldyan,
also a matter of time. Only the period before the election, more
exactly the pre-election period, is definite. It has been set down
in a memorandum which marks the solidarity of the opposition over
this period, says the member of parliament.

However, even the memorandum and even over this period will not
guarantee peace for the coalition. And the next thunder may happen
during the upcoming four-day meeting on March 20. The government is
going to raise again the question of amendments to the law on energy
directed at diversification of nuclear energy. The bill was introduced
during the previous four-day meeting, and underwent strictures on
behalf of the Orinats Yerkir in particular. The political party
thinks that private capital cannot be given a deciding role in the
sphere. Therefore, the vote to the project was put off, but the
government does not seem to be likely to change their initiative
essentially. On March 18 Mher Shahgeldyan announced that the standpoint
of their party was unchanged either. “We think that the state should
have a deciding role in the sphere of nuclear energy. We think it is
absolute that the state must be the main shareholder of this nuclear
plant or the nuclear plant that will be built,” says Mher Shahgeldyan.

NKR CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION SUMMONED A SITTING AT LAST

Iragir/am
18/03/06

NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan conducted the recurrent sitting o the
NKR Constitutional Commission, during which the first two chapters
of the draft constitution of NKR were discussed.

After the address of the head of the working group Armenia Zalinyan,
who is member of the Constitutional Commission, a debate among
the representatives of the political forces of NKR, including the
leaders and high officials of the government and the opposition in
the commission followed. The press secretary of the NKR president
informed us about this.

The president emphasized the importance of compliance of the
constitution to the adopted with the international standards. Arkady
Ghukasyan said the final draft of the constitution will be presented
not only to the political forces and public in NKR but also the
authoritative experts of Armenia and the world.

The president instructed the working group to prepare the schedule
of further activity of the Constitutional Commission.

By the way, the constitution has been worked out for the past several
years. This fact has even given rise to doubts. Some people say the
Constitution will be adopted on the eve of presidential election.
Analysts have noticed that President Ghukasyan gave the instruction
of working out the schedule of adoption of the constitution after his
“argument” with President Kocharyan. He might have felt the necessity
to strengthen his position.

ELECTION 2007 TO OPEN AN IMPORTANT WINDOW FOR ARMENIA

Iragir/am
18/03/06

In the modern world democratization is a global mechanism of security,
underlying the strategy of the national security of Armenia too,
said Mher Shahgeldyan, the chairman of the Committee of Defense,
Internal Affairs and National Security, during the news conference
at the Azdak Club on March 18.

Mher Shahgeldyan thinks that the elections in 2007 and 2008 may be
a window of democratization for Armenia. The member of parliament
views the statement of the US State Department Official that the
United States uses its resource to build upward democracy in Armenia
in this context.

“Democracy, in fact, is an upward process. By saying upward democracy
I understand activity of citizens, adoption of laws directed at
establishing civil institutes within the National Assembly, legislative
improvement of electoral mechanisms. Today, for instance, a peculiar
situation has emerged at the National Assembly when all the political
forces have come to an agreement on changes in the Electoral Code,”
says Mher Shahgeldyan, adding that it will greatly favor democratic,
transparent elections.

“For Armenia the parliamentary election 2007 will be deciding. As
to the promotion of democracy, I think this assistance is a normal
thing,” says Mher Shahgeldyan with regard to the intention of the
United States.

AMBASSADOR OF IRAN THREATENS AZERBAIJAN

Iragir/am
18/03/06

“We’ll see what the result of such statements for Azerbaijan will
be. Though I am the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran
to Azerbaijan, I am one of the Azerbaijanis of Iran. Both Iran and
Azerbaijan are my Homeland. Some people can hardly earn their living,
but they make claims, interfere with the internal affairs of Iran.
Naturally this will not benefit Azerbaijan,” stated Afshar Suleymani,
the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Azerbaijan on
March 17.

The ambassador is dissatisfied with the statements of Javad Derehteyi,
the president of the World Congress of Azerbaijanis, during the second
congress of the Azerbaijanis of the world on the problem of the 35
million Azerbaijanis living in Iran.

The Ambassador of Iran assessed the address of Javad Derehteyi as an
interference with the internal affairs of Iran. The Iranian diplomat
thinks there are a number of Azerbaijanis in Iran who could have an
important role in establishing the Azerbaijani lobby in the world.

“There are a number of political parties and organizations in Iran,
which are trying to take certain actions in the country. We do not
create favorable conditions for them. In the meantime, such statements
may give rise to serious problems in the future. It is necessary to
put an end to this kind of speculations. The state should not allow
anyone to damage the interests of another state during an official
meeting. Such people do not benefit Azerbaijan,” the Iranian ambassador
Afshar Suleymani told the Azerbaijani journalists.

He said he knew what is hiding under such statements. “They want to
unite and create one Azerbaijan. But let them not even dream of this,”
said the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Azerbaijan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHANGE OF POWER WILL NOT FACILITATE THE RESOLUTION

Iragir/am
18/03/06

The Karabakh issue will be resolved by the third president of the
Republic of Armenia, announced the leader of the Marxist Party
of Armenia Davit Hakobyan on March 17. “The presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan are not insane to sign an agreement on the eve of
the elections and resolve the issue of Karabakh. This issue will
be resolved by the third president of Armenia, and let the present
leadership forget that the third president will be from their circle.
The third president will be from among people,” says Davit Hakoyan.

Khosrov Harutiunyan, the leader of the Christian Democratic Party,
who was also present in this meeting, thinks it is ingenuous to
think that a democratic revolution could enable a resolution of the
Karabakh issue that would favor this or that party. “If you think
that after power changes in Armenia, a new leadership forms through
a fair and democratic election, Azerbaijan will give Karabakh to us,
you are bitterly mistaken,” says Khosrov Harutiunyan. To support his
words he gave the example of the change of power in Armenia in 1998,
saying that after 1998 the standpoint of Azerbaijan became tougher.

Khosrov Harutiunyan hurried to reject that before 1998 Azerbaijan was
willing for greater compromises than now. He said he simply wanted
to show that a change of power would not facilitate the resolution.

DID THEY MANAGE TO PERSUADE TO MAINTAIN STATUS QUO?

Iragir/am
17/03/06

The new country fails in the direct and party sense of the word. On
March 16 Artashes Tumanyan, the head of the civic action group of
the Nor Yerkir Party (New Country), unexpectedly for many people
and first of all for his supporters, quit the party he had not even
established properly. Tumanyan’s step is an absolutely important event
in the present political situation in Armenia. The reason is not the
importance or function of this political figure. There might not have
been any importance or function at all. And the reason is not either
that Tumanyan’s political party would build a genuinely new country,
and would become a life boat. The problem was the home political
situation in Armenia that was implemented through Artashes Tumanyan,
and apparently will be stopped now. And again the establishment of
a new party is not concerned but a situation inside the leadership,
which enables a choice: power based on a criminal base or a gradual
transition to a civilized format. At least format and not contents.

One of the reasons for such suggestions is the attempt to set up
the Nor Yerkir Party, which was said to have been the initiative
of President Robert Kocharyan to oppose to the politicized criminal
groups. The establishment of the political party of Gagik Tsarukyan
was evaluated as an attempt aimed at this initiative of Robert
Kocharyan. It is notable that Artashes Tumanyan and Gagik Tsarukyan
announced that they would not admit ministers and other officials to
their political parties. In other words, the corrupt. In other words,
they announced that they would not use the governmental resource
because this resource simply discredits.

Naturally, the actual majority of the leadership would detect
threat for their future in everything. What is more, the danger
was absolutely serious, considering that it emanated from Robert
Kocharyan himself. Provided that the endangered officials and forces
knew thanks to their position that the Western powers, particularly
the United States, are not happy about their existence; it is clear
how soon and unexpected the moment of truth would arrive.

It was also clear that they would try to dictate their principles in
home policies rather than they would be dictated from the outside. In
the first round of the election of the chair of the board of Yerevan
State University and in the first round of the election of ombudsman
we witnessed a number of interesting things; then Hmayak Hovanisyan
announced that removing Armenian “Fouchet” would be bad for Armenian
“Napoleon.” Probably, this served its aim, and “Napoleon” “realized”
that he would lose the very first round of every election without
“Fouchet.”

In the meantime, more serious elections than the YSU board or the
ombudsman are coming up. No doubt each aphorism or proverb can be and
must be questioned. But it cannot be denied that every person has
the right to vote, and in this country the president possesses his
right to vote. Robert Kocharyan chooses the familiar thing. It is,
of course, difficult to say what the president would gain from the
election or what he would lose. At least, he would try to retain what
he has now, but the problem is how long he would manage to retain it.

Finally, does it mean that the methods of 2003 will be used in 2007;
however, the repetition of methods does not mean that the result or
the consequence would be the same too. But in the long run it is
important what the state will gain or lose from the change of the
base of the leadership. In this respect the state has more to lose
than this or that representative of the leadership.

CHUBAYS RECOGNIZED NKR FOR HE WORKS WITH REAL OBJECTS

Iragir/am
18/03/06

In the official website of RAO EES, on the page on Armenia “Shusha”
is called “Shushi”, “Lachin” – “Kashatagh”, “Nagorno Karabakh” –
“Nagorno Karabakh Republic” and Naakhidjevan is not mentioned one the
page on Azerbaijan at all. With regard to this the mass media and
NGOs of Azerbaijan are going to launch a campaign against RAO EES,
write the Azerbaijani mass media.

We carried out a mini poll in the streets of Stepanakert. The majority
thinks that Azerbaijan should accept and take into consideration
the reality. “What would you like to be written on the website of
a company which works with real objects? It cannot write “Lachin”
if it makes a deal with Kashatagh. It cannot write “NKR” if it deals
with NKR,” said an inhabitant of Stepanakert. Some people said such
facts will become many because life goes on and the reality is not
always what they would like it to be.

Taviani Brothers Agreed to Mitigate Script of Film on Armenian Genocide

NIAN.Net
18.03.2006 01:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey has protested against Taviani brothers,
world-wide known Italian film directors, going to shoot a film
called Lark Farm, dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. The Turkish
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) sent complaints to the Italian MFA.
Turkish Premier Erdogan drew the attention of his Italian counterpart
Silvio Berlusconi to the matter. The latter promised to do his
best “not to harm Turkish-Italian relations.” After calls of the
Turkish MFA, Taviani brothers agreed to mitigate the film script a
bit. They reported they will change the script and will accentuate
not the Armenian Genocide, but a love story. Turkey highlights it,
as Euromirage sponsors the film. The sum makes 600 thousand euros.
Turkey annually pays the organization 1 million euros. Thus Turks
conclude that an anti-Turkish film is shot at the expense of funds
from Turkey, the Marmara Istanbul newspaper reports.

Israeli Scholar Called Events in 1915 Armenian Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.03.2006 01:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The deportation in 1915, in my opinion, was
a genuine genocide, and it was widely covered by the world press,
despite Ottoman state’s efforts,” Israeli historian Yair Auron stated
at of New Approaches in the Turkish-Armenian Relations conference at
Istanbul University. Auron emphasized that within that period many
newspapers in Palestine covered the issue of the Armenian Genocide. “We
can clearly see it by studying publications of that time. I studied
well memoirs, sources and I conceive that what happened to Armenians
was a genocide,” the Israeli scholar stated. Auron’s statements
outraged some participants of New Approaches in Turkish-Armenian
Relations conference. However, organizers of the event said tolerance
should be displayed to any opposite opinion, the Marmara Istanbul
newspaper reports.

Baku Sent Note to Russian MFA owing to Information on Inter RAO UES Website

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.03.2006 19:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As the website of Inter RAO UES branch establishment
“indicates Nagorno Karabakh territory without referring to its
belonging to the Azerbaijani Republic,” as well as territory of the
Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic is not included in the Azerbaijani
Republic, the Azeri Embassy in Russia sent a note to the Russian
MFA. It indicates “inadmissibility of publishing information, which
reflects violation of the territorial integrity of the Azerbaijani
Republic.” The Ambassador also asked to convey the information in the
note to Inter RAO UES, for experts and specialists working there have
correct notion of the issue of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, in the
settlement of which Russia is engaged as a co-chair of the OSCE MG,
Day.az reports.

As PanARMENIAN.Net reported before, Baku was outraged with the fact
of Inter RAO UES website containing information on Armenia page,
where Shushi town is not named in the Azeri manner of Shusha, while
Kashatagh is not Lachin. Nagorno Karabakh is also written as the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic, while Nakhichevan is not shown as a part
of Azerbaijan at all.