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ARMENIAN TEAM MAKES ITS FIRST PLACE FIRMER
[11:39 am] 30 May, 2006
The Armenian chess team celebrated its next victory in the 8th round
of the World Olympiad beating the team of Cuba 3:1. Vladimir Hakobyan
and Gabriel Sargsyan among the Armenian Grand Masters celebrated their
victory, and Levon Aronyan and Karen Asryan tied their meetings. After
these meetings Armenia firmed its first place by 24 additional points
as the Russian team tied with the Czech team 2:2.
At present the Russian and the Ukrainian teams are in the second place
with 22 points. The Ukrainian team beat the Sweden team 3:1. By the
way, Armenian Grand Master Gabriel Sargsyan gained 7 points from the 8
meetings he held, thus showing the best result in the current
Olympiad. Vladimir Hakobyan also displays excellent participation, and
he has already gained 6 points from the previous 7 rounds. Armenia
will meet the Ukrainian team in the 9th round. This will be the most
important meeting. Provided they win, Armenian chess players will have
a good opportunity to occupy the first place. The Russian team will
meet the French one in this round.
Armenian women team beat the Indian team 2:1 due to Lilit Lazarian
and Elina Danielyan. Siranoush Andreasyan lost the meeting this
time. At present the team is in the 9th place with 15.5 points. The
leader is the Russian team with its 19 points. The next rival of the
Armenian women team will be the German team.

NEGOTIATIONS ON NA VACANT LEADING POSTS STILL GO ON
YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. As of May 29, the negotiations on
parliamentary vacant posts still continued. These posts became vacant
as a result of the Orinats Yerkir Party’s leaving the coalition and
the acception of the party representatives’ resignations from the
posts assumed by them within the framework of the coalition
memorandum. The same day it was also envisaged to convene a sitting of
political coalition’s council on the above-mentioned issue.
According to preliminary information, it is envisaged to convene a NA
special sitting on May 31 where, among other issues, the issue of the
election will be also discussed. The agreement on nomination of the
candidature of current NA Vice-Speaker, Vice-Chairman of the
Republican Party of Armenia Tigran Torosian for the post of RA NA
Speaker is considered to be achieved, while one can speak about the
possible candidates for the post of the chairmen of two standing NA
committees and for NA Vice-Speaker’ post that will be vacant in case
of Tigran Torosian’s being elected NA Speaker only at the level of
rumors. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by by RPA faction
Head Galust Sahakian, the principle of political balance will be
preserved in the issue of nominating candidates for NA vacant leading
posts and the opinion of the committees will be taken into
consideration when determining the candidates for the posts of the
committees chairmen. According to non-official data, the right of
nominating a candidature of the chairman of NA Standing Committee on
Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs, in all probability,
will be reserved for the ARF Dashnaktsutiun faction though formerly it
was ULP that aspired to this post. The latter wil be given the post of
the Chairman of RA NA Standing Committee on Social, Healthcare and
Nature Protection Issues. To recap, Mnatsakan Petrosian, the only
representative of the faction in the above-mentioned committee, is the
current Vice-Chairman of the Committee.

VANADZOR INHABITANTS MARK 88th ANNIVERSARY OF KARAKILISA HEROIC
STRUGGLE

VANADZOR, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The 88th anniversary
of Karakilisa heroic sruggle was marked on May 28 in Vanadzor. In the
morning the inhabitants of Vanadzor moved towards the place called
Kotrats Yekeghetsi (Broken Church), to the memorial of the fighters
who perished in the Karakilisa battle. Leader of Gugark Diocese of
Armenian Apostolic Church Sepuh Bishop Chuljian made a patriotic
speech, then a requiem took place in the churchyard.
Those present at the event stood in silence to respect the memory of
the fighters who perished in the liberation struggle, laid flowers and
wreaths to their memorial. On May 28 1918, Armenia marked three
victories at once, in Sardarapat, in Bash-Aparan and in Karakilisa.

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SAMVEL BALASANYAN RESIGNS
[06:41 pm] 29 May, 2006
Head of the OYP faction Samvel Balasanyan answering our questions
confirmed that he is not going to leave the party. After he failed to
be present at the NA briefings the rumors about his resignation
sounded more and more truthful. `I have lived for 52 years and lived
in a righteous way. I have two children who are about to start their
own lives. Wouldn’t they asked me – father, what have you done?’
Samvel Balasanyan said.
Asked if he will continue to head the faction or Arthur Baghdasaryan
will take up the responsibility Samvel Balasanyan answered with a
counter question, «Do you think it is possible to announce during
tomorrow’s plenary session that member of the OYP faction Arthur
Baghdasaryan is going to make speech? Naturally that won’t happen, so
I’m resigning immediately. I will announce about it officially». By
the way, there have been no discussions in the party yet but Samvel
Balasanyan is decisive.

FIRST REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATED IN KRASNODAR
PanARMENIAN.Net
29.05.2006 13:43 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Day of the First Republic or the day of
restoration of the Armenian state system was celebrated in the Russian
town of Krasnodar, reported the Yerkramas, the newspaper of Armenians
of Russia.
The festivities were held in the yard of the Armenian Church of
Surb Hovhannes Avetaranich. Creative groups of the center of the
Armenian culture and education “Narek” and of the Armenian community
of Krasnodar gave performance despite the rain.
To remind, May 28 Armenians throughout the globe mark the national
holiday, the Day of the First Republic that was formed in 1918. In
1918-1920 Armenia was ruled by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun, one of the oldest Armenian parties, which serves on
the ruling coalition to date.

AZERI BARBARISM CONTINUES: GRAVES OF JEWS AND ARMENIANS BEING DESTROYED IN AZERBAIJAN
ArmRadio.am
29.05.2006 15:00
Graves of Jews and Armenians are being destroyed in Azerbaijan. The
article titled “The country of barbarians” printed in “Real Azerbaijan”
newspaper notes that the editorial office received a letter from
Sumgait residents, who report about the destruction of Armenian and
Jewish tombs.
The author of the article informs that the same happens also in
Baku. Ac cording to the author, “it is an intentional and cynical
persecution.” “First, the barbarism at the cemetery is a serious blow
to our reputation,” the author notes.

ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN LEAVES WITH KINDNESS
ArmRadio.am
29.05.2006 15:46
For the last time today Arthur Baghdasaryan met the journalist
as the Chairman of the National Assembly. According to the NA
By-law, he publicly confirmed his resignation filed five days
ago. Mr. Baghdasaryan noted he wants to leave with kindness. With
this reasoning he did not answer the journalists’ questions today.
“I want to leave with kindness, not with malice. Therefore, I prefer
not to answer any questions today, since there is nothing new to say,
all the questions were answered long ago. There have been public
evaluations of the political course of the party as well. We shall
hold the recurrent sitting of ” Orinats Yerkir,” during which we
shall voice more synchronized and precise positions on the future
political activity,” Arthur Baghdasaryan said.
He thanked all the journalists accredited at the National Assembly
and presented gifts. “I’m grateful also to those who wrote the
sharpest and the most critical articles, since it is criticism
that helps to advance. I’m thankful also to those who correctly
understood my activity and me. I consider them to be my friends,
and I’m confident this friendship will continue in the future,”
Arthur Baghdasaryan noted.

ARMENIAN INTERNET COMMUNITY OFFERS KOMMERSANT DAILY TO APOLOGIZE FOR MISINFORMATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
29.05.2006 14:07 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As it was reported earlier, Russian magazine
Kommersant Dengi (¹19) affixed a booklet advertising Turkey’s places
of interest. In addition the readers found a CD with a 70-minute
film about the “Turkish genocide perpetrated by Armenians”. As
reported by the Yerkramas, the newspaper of Armenians of Russia,
the Armenian Internet Community (, ,
forum.hayastan.com and others) launched a protest action and offered
all people concerned to write a letter to the magazine editorial office
with a suggestion to apologize for having spread false information.
The numerous letters sent to the Kommersant Dengi say that
“the Armenian Diaspora of Russia is one of the biggest in the
world. Armenians have worked for Russia’s welfare for centuries. The
Republic of Armenia is Russia’s strategic partner and the two states
enjoy allied relations. An anti-Armenian action of the kind carried
by Turkey through your edition cannot but arouse discontent among
the Armenian population of Russia. We appeal to you with a request
to apologize to the readers for having spread information that does
not correspond to historical reality and offends the feelings of the
heirs of the Armenian Genocide victims. The denial of the Armenian
Genocide is actually equal to complicity in the crime.”
–Boundary_(ID_xyf1Esl46eD8l0u+k90P9A)–
From: Baghdasarian

GEORGIA-RUSSIA RAILWAY COMMUNICATION RESTORED AFTER 13-YEAR BREAK
PanARMENIAN.Net
29.05.2006 14:21 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The railway communication between Georgia and Russia
resumed last Saturday after a 13-year break. The first passenger train
started for Moscow from the Tbilisi central railway station May 27 at
5.15 p.m. The Abkhazian railway sector allowing direct communication
between Georgia and Russia has been not to work since 1992. Presently
the possibility of its restoration is being discussed. In 2005 a
consortium formed by Russia, Georgia and Armenia set the price of
the project at some $200 million, reported Interfax.

ARMENIAN EX-SPEAKER VOWS TO STRUGGLE FOR BETTER ARMENIA
Mediamax news agency
29 May 06
Yerevan, 29 May: The leader of the Orinats Yerkir [Law-Governed
Country] Party, Artur Bagdasaryan, officially relinquished his
authority as chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia today.
Speaking at his final news conference today, Bagdasaryan said that
the party would hold a special congress to outline its tactics and
strategy and lay out a “clear position” on its further activities.
“We will struggle to create an Armenia of our dreams,” the ex-speaker
said.
Bagdasaryan expressed readiness of the Orinats Yerkir to cooperate
with all political forces in the country “for the sake of real hopes
for the future and progress”.
“Our party has its own path forward which we will follow,” Bagdasaryan
said.
The new chairman of the National Assembly will be elected at a special
session of parliament, the date of which is yet to be set.
[Passage omitted: background info]