DID A1+ LOSE OR `LOSE?’
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
Lragir.am
26 May 06
On May 25 the National Committee on Television and Radio passed a
decision that Ulysses-Media and Radio-Pro will be broadcast on FM 90.3
and FM 90.7.A1+ had made bids for both frequencies. However, once
again the fair contest of the Committee revealed that the program of
A1+ was weak.

GRADUATION PARTIES WERE BANNED BUT CHILDREN HAVE FUN

Lragir.am
26 May 06

May 25 is the last day of the academic year in secondary schools of
NKR. This year 2324 students left school (814 from the capital). The
Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport informed that 10 alumni are
candidates to gold medals. 7 are from the schools of the capital, 3
from Askeran.
As long ago as April 21 signed an order banning parties at schools
after the final exams, as well as graduation parties with the teaching
staff and directors. Open Society and Unity NGOs held a round-table
meeting to find out the attitude of teachers, students and parents to
these parties, which have become a tradition at schools. A family
usually spends about 100 dollars on the graduation party only.

UNITED LABOR PARTY TAKES UP POSTS IN TURN
Lragir.am
26 May 06
The United Labor Party will nominate chairs of committees and speaker
of the National Assembly when these positions finally become vacant,
said Gurgen Arsenyan, the leader of the ULP faction, May 26. He said
that they got a post in the executive and reached a consensus with the
government, because for the time being they consider the prime issue
of the country to guarantee the activities of the parliament in the
pre-election year. It is surprising, however, that the party of Gurgen
Arsenyan considers legislative activities a primary question but is
definitely passive with regard to the posts in the parliament, whereas
it was quick in getting the government posts. Gurgen Arsenyan explains
this by order. According to him, they were first offered posts inthe
executive, therefore they first responded to this offer; the ULP will
act when the parliamentary posts become vacant,. `If people are
willing to work, they look for ways of fulfilling this wish. If people
are reluctant to work, they look for reasons not to work,’ says Gurgen
Arsenyan with regard totheir appointment to government posts.

COALITION WILL NOT SIGN A NEW MEMORANDUM

Lragir.am
26 May 06

There is no need to sign a new memorandum to expand the coalition
formally, stated the representatives of the two political parties
remaining in the coalition, Hrair Karapetyan, ARF, and Galust
Sahakyan, Republican, May 26. Hrair Karapetyan said the ARF and the
Republican Party have expressed their willingness to cooperate with
all the forces, and it is important that these forces share the ideas
set down in the memorandum. In this case, according to Hrair
Karapetyan, it is not important which forces will take up the vacant
posts in the parliament.
This question has not been settled finally, and generally, Galust
Sahakyan thinks, the process has just begun, and it will become clear
later whether a new memorandum needs to be signed or not.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WHO IS DISTORTING, GEGHAMYAN OR DEMIRCHYAN?
Lragir.am
26 May 06
During the parliament briefings on May 26 a distance debate between
Artashes Geghamyan, the leader of the National Unity Party, and Stepan
Demirchyan, Ardarutiun Alliance, took place. The reason was
Geghamyan’s May 24statement on Shant TV. The leader of the National
Unity stated that before the presidential election of 1998 he had
talked to Karen Demirchyan in their house, and had persuaded Karen
Demirchyan `that it would be better if he became prime minister, and
Kocharyan became president, because it would be better to trust the
settlement of the Karabakh issue to Robert Kocharyan,’ said Geghamyan,
adding that he was surprised when after this talk Karen Demirchyan was
nominated. Stepan Demirchyan replied to Geghamyan’s statement in
press, saying he would not bear any distorted information about Karen
Demirchyan.
On May 26 Stepan Demirchyan even showed up at the briefing of
Ardarutiun Alliance, which happens very rarely. `I was present at that
talk. Karen Demirchyan offered the leader of the National Unity to
become the head of his electoral campaign headquarters. He declined
this offer. And if there was such an offer, it means he had already
been nominated. It was his right to supportor not to support, to be
nominated or to support another candidate. It was his business, his
right, however, he does not have the right to distort the truth,
especially if it is connected with Karen Demirchyan,’ says Stepan
Demirchyan.
Stepan Demirchyan, however, did not answer any questions, saying that
he closed this topic by his statement and there would be no
debates. The other side of the debate Artashes Geghamyan had stated
earlier that certain forces are trying to tap a wedge between Stepan
Demirchyan and him, which will not be successful.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Karabakh hails Montenegrin independence vote
Mediamax news agency
25 May 06

Yerevan, May 25: The foreign ministry of the Nagornyy Karabakh
republic today issued a statement about the referendum on independence
in Montenegro. The statement says the following:
“It is a positive event that a referendum on independence was held in
Montenegro and the international community showed its readiness to
recognize its results. We are sure that the respect for a nation’s
right to self-determination exercised through a nation-wide referendum
is a cornerstone of the settlement of similar situations and is a tool
for establishing political stability in a conflict region.
“In this connection, it is expedient to recall that the disrespect for
the right of the people of Nagornyy Karabakh, who voted for
independence at a referendum on 10 December 1991, in fact resulted in
Azerbaijan’s military aggression against the Nagornyy Karabakh
republic which led to human casualties and destruction.
“In the process of settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, the
disregard of the right of the people of Nagornyy Karabakh to
self-determination and to political independence and economic and
military security, will reduce the possibility of finding a mutually
acceptable solution and establishing lasting peace and mutual
understanding in the region.”

“NEW TIMES” PARTY LEADER GIVEN RUSSIAN AWARD “PROFESSIONAL OF RUSSIA”
Yerevan, May 26. ArmInfo. Leader of “New Times” party, Aram Karapetyan, was
granted Russian state award – “Professional of Russia,” at the Moscow
Government House, today, “New Times” party informs ArmInfo.
The award was meted out by the Armoury, RF President, jointly with the RF
State Duma, Federal Assembly, Moscow Government and Moscow Duma, as well as
Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Citizens of CIS member-states are also
granted the award for achievements in various spheres. The award was granted
to such authoritative Russian public workers and political figures as Yuri
Luzhkov, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Yevgeny Primakov, Vladimir Katrenko, film
director Fedor Bondarchuk and others.

Suspect in Carnival Crash Charged
WXYZ.com (Channel 7 in Detroit, ABC Affiliate)
May 24, 2006
By Takisha Roberson, web produced by Sarah Morgan
The man accused of plowing his van into a crowded carnival in Southfield
was charged with almost 30 felony counts, Wednesday morning.
34-year-old Timothy Buss faces life in prison for assault with intent to
murder, felonious assault for failing to stop his vehicle after an
accident and property charges.
Buss is accused of driving his minivan into a carnival outside the Alex
and Marie Manoogian Schools and injuring nine children and two adults on
Sunday.
Police said Buss was driving nearly 60 miles per hour at one point. He
was later arrested at his Troy home.
Buss appeared to be close to tears as the judge read the charges against
him. The judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and gave him a
court appointed attorney.
Buss has a history of substance abuse and told the judge he had been
drinking earlier in the day, but alcohol has not been determined to be a
factor in the crash.
ticle/0,2132,WXYZ_15924_4723317,00.html

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
May 26, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
REP. PALLONE CONDEMNS AMB. EVANS FIRING
— Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman
Presses for Answers from the State Department
— “Amb. Evans should be praised, not dismissed,
for rejecting a ‘gag-rule’ imposed by the Turkish
Government on the discussion of the Armenian
Genocide by America’s leaders at home and
diplomats abroad.” — ANCA WebFax to Congress
WASHINGTON, DC – The controversy surrounded the firing of U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans continued to grow this
week with a powerful statement by the Co-Chairman of the Armenian
Caucus, calls for Congressional hearings, and a series of as yet
unanswered inquiries from the national media during the State
Department’s daily press briefing, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
In a May 25th statement on the House floor, Congressman Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) forcefully condemned the Administration for forcing
Amb. Evans to vacate his post for publicly affirming the Armenian
Genocide. He voiced his “fear that the Government of Turkey may
have played a role in this unfortunate event. I strongly believe
they have expressed concern to the White House over Evans’ remarks
last year. In fact, immediately following his remarks, Evan issued
a “correction,” all too seemingly at the behest of the
Administration. We must not allow a third party to interfere in
U.S. diplomacy and refrain from declaring the truth in order to
promote relations with Turkey.”
Congressman Pallone noted that he has yet to receive an explanation
from the State Department, despite having written a letter to the
Secretary more than two months ago requesting a thorough
description of the reasons behind the Ambassador’s recall.
Commenting on similar unanswered letters and questions posed during
Congressional hearings regarding this controversy, he noted that,
“now, the White House has made an ‘official’ announcement but still
has not given an explanation.” He closed by expressing his “hope
that the newly-appointed U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Richard
Hoagland, will not play the word games of the White House, and
comply with Turkey’s campaign of genocidal denial.”
The White House made the recall of Amb. Evans official this week
with the public announcement of his replacement, Richard Hoagland.
As he has repeated over the past several months, the State
Department spokesperson, Sean McCormack, yesterday, again avoided
answering a direct question about the reasons for Amb. Evans’
recall. In response to persistent questioning, he limited his
remarks to generically praising Amb. Evans’ service, noting his
replacement, and repeating the stock-phrase that he and other
senior Administration officials “serve at the pleasure of the
President.”
The ANCA has called for Congressional hearings to investigate the
firing of Ambassador Evans. Using the ANCA website, activists can
send their legislators a free ANCA WebFax asking them to call for
hearings of both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the
House International Relations Committee. These letters call for a
full hearing, featuring testimony from all the key figures involved
in this situation, as well as a thorough examination of the role of
the Turkish Government in exporting its suppression of speech to
the United States.
The ANCA WebFaxes state, in part, that, “Amb. Evans is, in effect,
being punished for honoring his President’s pledge to properly
recognize the Armenian Genocide – a promise that George W. Bush
made on the campaign trail in February of 2000 but abandoned once
in the White House. Amb. Evans should be praised, not dismissed,
for rejecting “gag-rules” imposed by the Turkish Government on the
discussion of the Armenian Genocide by America’s leaders at home
and diplomats abroad.” The letters close by expressing outrage
that the “Administration has lacked the courage to speak honestly –
either to Congress or the American people – about its reasons for
firing Ambassador Evans. Hopefully, these hearings will provide
the transparency that we, as citizens, have the right to expect of
our government.”
Earlier this week, sixty Members of Congress, led by Rep. Ed Markey
(D-MA), sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking
for clarification of the reasons behind Amb. Evans’ recall. Prior
to this letter, Rep. Pallone, Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Grace
Napolitano (D-CA) each independently called on the State Department
to explain reports that Amb. Evans was being recalled because of
his speech on the Armenian Genocide.They have yet to receive any
response to their inquiries.
The Los Angeles Times, in a strongly worded March 22nd editorial,
made direct reference to Amb. Evans’ impending dismissal, calling
on the Turkish Government and U.S. State Department to end their
policies of Armenian Genocide denial.
Following his statements last February, Amb. Evans was forced to
issue a clarification that his references to the Armenian Genocide
were his personal views and did not represent a change in US
policy. He subsequently issued a correction to this statement,
replacing a reference to the genocide with the word “tragedy.” The
American Foreign Service Association, which had planned to honor
Amb. Evans with the “Christian A. Herter Award,” recognizing
creative thinking and intellectual courage within the Foreign
Service, reportedly rescinded the award following pressure from the
State Department a few days before Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Washington, DC to meet with President
Bush.
The full text of Congressman Pallone’s remarks are provided below.
#####
Text of Congressman Frank Pallone’s (D-NJ) remarks
U.S. House of Representatives
May 25, 2006
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the White House has finally made
an announcement of what many of us already knew: Ambassador John
Evans is officially being replaced as United States Ambassador to
Armenia.
“Ambassador Evans has given exemplary service to his country and
was a well-respected ambassador in a region of strategic importance
to the United States. However, as it turns out, Evans was forced
to vacate his post for publicly affirming the Armenian Genocide.
“Reports highly suggest that because Evans declared that “the
Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century”
he is being unjustly penalized for speaking the truth. However, by
employing the proper term last year, the Ambassador was only
building on previous statements by our leaders in government, as
well as the repeated declarations of numerous world-renowned
scholars. Ambassador Evans did nothing more than succinctly repeat
the conclusions enunciated by many before him.
“Mr. Speaker, it is my fear that the Government of Turkey may have
played a role in this unfortunate event. I strongly believe they
have expressed concern to the White House over Evans’ remarks last
year. In fact, immediately following his remarks, Evan issued a
“correction,” all too seemingly at the behest of the
Administration. We must not allow a third party to interfere in US
diplomacy and refrain from declaring the truth in order to promote
relations with Turkey.
“To this day, the Republic of Turkey refuses to acknowledge the
fact that this massive crime against humanity took place under its
control, in the name of Turkish nationalism. Unfortunately, some
90 years later, the US State Department continues to support
Turkey’s denials despite all evidence to the contrary.
“It is unacceptable for this Administration to penalize Evans for
his comments. What he did was courageous and should be viewed as
such, not punished. Ambassador Evans simply articulated the same
message as that of the Administration; however, the only difference
was his assigning a word to define the actions taken against
Armenians.
“Ambassador Evans is in fact an expert on the subject. He has
studied the history of Armenia, and based on his substantial
studies, he was willing to go on the record and define the
systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and
children as genocide.
“Mr. Speaker, in early March, I wrote a letter to the State
Department because I was outraged to see that Ambassador Evans was
withdrawn from Armenia. Based on news reports, the State
Department recalled the Ambassador as retaliation for his
statements.
“Over two months have passed since I expressed my disappointment
and I have yet to receive a response from the State Department. I
specifically asked Secretary Rice for an explanation as to why
Ambassador Evans was removed from his post. Not only was my
inquiry ignored, but other Members’ inquires have also gone un-
answered. Now, the White House has made an “official” announcement
but still has not given an explanation.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that the newly-appointed US Ambassador to
Armenia, Richard Hoagland, will not play the word games of the
White House, and comply with Turkey’s campaign of genocidal denial.
The New York Times editorial on May 16th this year detailed the
dangers to Turkey, and to the world, of that country’s continued
denial of the Armenian Genocide. I just want to read the last
paragraph of that insightful editorial …”The preponderance of
serious scholarship outside Turkey accepts that more than a million
Armenians perished between 1914 and 1925 in a regime-sponsored
campaign. Turkey’s continued refusal to countenance even a
discussion of the issue stands as a major obstacle to restoring
relations with neighboring Armenia and to claiming Turkey’s
rightful place in Europe and the West. It is time for the Turks to
realize that the greater danger to them is denying history.”
Thank you.

The Response to Hatred: A Labor of Love
Artistic monuments destroyed by Azeris live on in
Ararat Sarkissian’s designs
by Sonia Porter
May 27, 2006
Much of Ararat Sarkissian’s art reflects a lifelong fascination with
signs and icons. It’s a fascination that goes to the heart of
symbol-making — its mechanics, cultural underpinnings, and evolution
across the ages. Not surprisingly, history is a powerful constant in
Sarkissian’s paintings and graphics, making for narratives, however,
that go beyond the linear.
Alphabets, pictographs, architecture, urban grids, religious
iconography. All of these spheres are by turns honored and playfully
tweaked in Sarkissian’s work, whose perhaps most salient statement is
about movement and becoming. In his paintings of vanished cities, for
instance, the purpose is not to inspire nostalgia or romanticize a
glorious past, but to convey the transformation of a certain spirit
that may be traced to the vanished space in question.
It is no doubt the quest for such a transformation that these days
finds Sarkissian busy in his Yerevan studio, painstakingly reproducing
khachkars, or cross stones, that no longer exist.
Cross stones have been a central element in Armenian architecture and
decorative art since the 4th century. Consisting of intricate cross
designs carved on rectangular slabs of stone, cross stones can
function as gravestones, free-standing monuments in cathedral
complexes, or integrated sections of church facades and other
structures. Cross stones were also built for a wide range of social
and political purposes. They commemorated war victories, baptisms and
weddings, and were built as offerings to God for good luck and the
redemption of one’s sins.
Ever since the early 19th century, Armenian cross stones have been
casually and often systematically destroyed throughout the occupied
territories of historic Armenia. The obliteration of cross stones
continues today in Turkey, Nakhichevan, and Azerbaijan, where there
was a sizeable Armenian community until the start of the
Nagorno-Karabagh conflict in the late 1980s. In recent months, the
razing of Armenian monuments reached fever pitch in Nakhichevan, where
local armed forces destroyed some 3,500 cross stones in the Old Jugha
cemetery. The incident prompted Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian to file a letter of protest with the United Nations.
`The men behind the destruction of these monuments either don’t
realize or don’t care that they’re wiping out irreplaceable pieces of
a rich artistic legacy,’ Sarkissian said. `Their crime is being
carried out not only against Armenian culture per se, but civilization
as a whole. As a human being and an artist, I am saddened and
outraged, but I also believe that I must act.’
Sarkissian’s decision to respond has resulted in one of his most
profoundly-felt projects to date. After pouring over hundreds of
sources such as photographs, cross stone fragments, archeologist
drawings, and illuminated manuscripts, he has begun etching likenesses
of extinct cross stones, then embossing the designs on paper that he
himself makes, using a time-honored technique. The goal is to produce
packages containing 36 designs each — 36 being the number of letters
in the Armenian alphabet. Each package will also include a compact
disc documenting the destruction of cross stones and featuring
Sarkissian at work throughout the reproduction process.
`I wish I could help undo the damage at the Old Jugha cemetery… I’d
love to travel there right now and start rebuilding some of those
lovely cross stones,’ Sarkissian said. `But wishful thinking won’t get
us anywhere.’ He then pointed at his designs. `This project, right
here, is my way of dealing with the brutality in Nakhichevan. I’d like
to believe that, in a sense, I’m rebuilding what has been lost,
through these recreations on paper; I’m helping preserve the memory.’
History, Christian lore, folklore, and a great deal of personal
narratives converge in Sarkissian’s embossed designs. As he explained,
the diversity of themes and styles found on cross stones offers an
important insight into the history and artistic evolution of the
Armenian people.
`Armenian sculptors did not simply carve a cross on a piece of stone,’
Sarkissian continued. `Rather, they expanded the definition of the
design with progressively elaborate compositions.’
Born in Gyumri, Sarkissian studied fine art in his birthplace and
Yerevan, and has become one of Armenia’s most prominent painters and
graphic artists, exhibiting his works in Europe, the United States,
Japan, and Russia. Several of his paintings are now part of museum
collections throughout the world. Sarkissian has also published a
number of catalogues, including monographs on signs, icons, and
archetypes.
—
Ms. Sonia Potter has acted as philanthropic advisor to galleries,
museums and foundations promoting artists, cultural institutions and
humanitarian causes. She may be reached at [email protected]