PRESIDENT PRESS SECRETARY SAYS R. KOCHARIAN ASSIGNED TO ELIMINATE FLAWS IN VOTERS’ LISTS
Armenpress
Oct 13 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, ARMENPRESS: Responding to the question of the
Armenpress correspondent on the attitude of the Armenian President
Robert Kocharian towards the flaws in the voters’ lists, the President
Press Secretary Victor Soghomonian said “Armenian President instructed
the chief of the police who is responsible for the voters’ lists to
undertake necessary steps for the elimination of the existing flaws.”
According to the press secretary, Robert Kocharian assigned the chief
of the police to improve the works connected with the voters’ lists.

YOUNG WOMAN THREATENS TO SET FIRE TO COURT OFFICERS
A1+
| 21:49:34 | 13-10-2005 | Politics |
Today resident of Buzand Street Hovik Hovhannisyan was summoned to
the central police station.
The policemen and court officers surrounded Hovhanissyan’s house and
threatened to pull it down. The sister of the accused in her turn,
demanded to return her brother and threatened to pour petrol upon
the court officers.
To remind, Hovhannisyans’ case is presently in the Court of Appeals.
To note, the court officers and policemen also tries to pull down the
half-ruined house belonging to the Muradyans, who showed resistance.

AMERICAN SIDE INTERESTED IN IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION
AZG Armenian Daily #185
14/10/2005
Samuel Bodman, US energy secretary, stated during the meeting with
Armen Movsisian, RA energy minister, that the American side is
interested in the construction of Armenia-Iran gas pipeline. Press
office of RA Foreign Ministry informed that in the course of
the meeting in Washington Armen Movsisian said that the official
Yerevan expects the assistance of the United States in securing the
safe exploitation of the Armenian NPP, as well as in the issues of
developing alternative energy sources in Armenia.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN POLICY – TEMPORIZING OR PASSIVE
A1+
| 21:23:39 | 13-10-2005 | Politics |
“The constitutional referendum will by no means impact upon the RA
foreign policy”, the is the opinion of Armenian political scientists,
who today took part in the discussions dedicated to the Armenian
foreign policy. The meeting was held in Congress Hotel with the
participation of RA MFA representative. The political scientists
concluded that Armenia’s foreign line is reactive, temporizing and
passive.
Head of the department of political programming of the RA MFA Sarmen
Baghdasaryan noted, however, the international processes including the
NATO and EU enlargement, anti-terror struggle in Iraq and Afghanistan,
in which Armenia is taking part. Unlike opposition political scientists
David Shahnazaryan, Vahan Papazyan, Stepan Safaryan and others,
the MFA representative voiced assurance that the positive outcome
of the referendum will have a positive impact at the development of
the country. In his words, “yes” implies democratic changes targeted
at reconciliation of opposite principles of self-determination of
nations and territorial integrity.
All the participants agreed on one fact: the report of the
International Crisis Group is a positive step and testifies that the
mood of the international political community changes in favor of
Nagorno Karabakh.

OMBUDSMAN SUPPORTS RESIDENTS OF BUZAND STREET
A1+
| 21:03:49 | 13-10-2005 | Politics |
The National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) today continued its series of
public hearings with a town-hall meeting on “Violations in Property
Alienation.” By means of the event, NCI brought a new stimulus to the
civic movement against the human rights infringements taking place
during implementation of the new construction plan for Yerevan. On
August 24, at the time of the first hearings devoted to this issue,
NCI had underscored the need to prepare a special report.
Illegalities and arbitrariness are still so widespread in Armenia that
this autumn the country’s ombudswoman Larisa Alaverdian had come up
with a special report in this regard. “The human rights defender had
been criticized for her 2004 annual report, where the facts pertaining
to the sad state of human rights were either under-expressed or
entirely missing. That gap has been filled by the special report,”
Alaverdian said. She also expressed a conviction that even after the
revelation of relevant evidences, unlawful acts continue unabated.
Despite the invitations that were sent to a range of state bodies,
there were very few government officials who took part in the
session. Chairman Karen Davtian of the Bureau for the Implementation
of Yerevan’s Construction Investment Plans attempted to substantiate
the legitimacy of property alienation. According to him, the number
of disgruntled citizens is small because approximately 1200 residents
of that area already have signed pertinent contracts and received
compensations. In the words of Davtian, the complaints by many are
baseless since those people do not possess any documents that confirm
their right to proprietorship.
However, the scores of citizens who participated in the public
roundtable with their private testimonies maintained the contrary
and presented their own counter evidence as victims of the state’s
“eminently false domain and needs.” Sedrak Barseghian in particular,
pointed out that the company, which received the permission to carry
out construction in that zone has an enormous debt to the state. The
Biuzand Street residents Vachagan Hakobian, Levon Ghasabian, Gohar
Gharibian, and Iskuhi Bilian on the other hand, testified that the
state authorities were evicting the inhabitants from their homes
without recompensing them.
Chairman of Helsinki Committee Avetik Ishkhanyan called to appeal to
the European Court of Human Rights, since the report of the Ombudsman
has big advantage.

U.S. ALLOCATED FUNDS TO RA PARLIAMENT
A1+
| 21:01:29 | 13-10-2005 | Politics |
The U.S. allocated $2 million to the RA national Assembly. The
memorandum was signed today by Chairman Artur Baghdassaryan and
representative of the U.S. Agency for International Development
Robin Phillips.
In the course of the event Artur Baghdassaryan stated, “The world
belongs to optimists, pessimists are playing the role of observers. The
optimism of the Speaker lies in his confidence that after the
referendum on November 27 the Constitution will strengthen the role
of the parliament. And the parliament should be ready for it. $2
million will be spent on these preparations. NA specialists training,
technical re-equipment and international exchanged will take place.
Artur Baghdassaryan said he hopes that the nation-parliament ties
will also activate.
The NA-USAID cooperation is planned till 2007.

ELECTION KIDNAPPING IN ECHMIADZIN
A1+
| 22:54:47 | 13-10-2005 | Politics |
Today several hours before the meeting with candidate for Mayor of
Echmiadzin Yervand Aghvanyan 5 his supporters disappeared. Then an
anonymous person informed that if the meeting with Aghvanyan does
not take place, they won’t see the kidnapped any more.
The indignant residents of Echmiadzin tried to meet with President
Kocharian or his representative. However the meeting did not take
place.

THE SINGLE UNSOLVED QUESTION
Panorama
19:28 13/10/05
“You know, that enterprises have been given to us instead of
debts. Russia had to activate the production system there. I think
that Russia haven’t done this. Till now we really do not know what
to produce in the firms, I mean military or civil products. So in
the previous meeting we had an agreement to create a working group
to deal with these problems. The working group had the first meeting
yesterday. They have already decided what to do.
I think that at the beginning of the next year the group members
will report in detail what they are exactly going to produce “, said
the Minister of Transportation, and co-chairmen of Armenian-Russian
intergovernmental committee Igor Levitan. /Panorama.am/
From: Baghdasarian

MILITARY ATTACK AT NALCHIK FORCE STRUCTURES
A1+
| 22:44:10 | 13-10-2005 | Politics |
October 13 the capital city of Kabardino-Balkaria was attacked. Armed
forces attempted to capture the force structures of Nalchik. Several
hundreds of military rushed into the city.
According to the latest data, 50 hirelings were eliminated, 12
civilians were killed and 88 taken to hospital.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN DISCUSSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
A1+
| 22:14:20 | 13-10-2005 | Official |
Today Robert Kocharian held a working meeting with members of the
council of political coalition to discuss matters referring to
constitutional amendments.
As result it was decided to from a council for coordination the
preparatory works on the constitutional referendum. The council
will consist of representatives of political coalition and political
forces speaking out for the amendments. The work of the council will
be coordinated by chairman of the NA commission on defense, national
security and home affairs Mher Shahgeldyan.
The first sitting of the coordinating council will be held on October
18 at 5 p.m.