COALITION BREAKS UP, BUT GOVERNMENT REMAINS STABLE
Haroutiun Khachatrian
EurasiaNet, NY
May 22 2006
Artur Baghdasarian formally vacated on May 22 his post as Armenia’s
parliamentary speaker, completing the withdrawal of his Orinats Yerkir
Party from the country’s governing coalition. Experts in Yerevan don’t
expect the shake-up to have much of an immediate impact on government
policy, but suggest that the withdrawal could boost both Baghdasarian’s
and his party’s political fortunes in upcoming elections.
Addressing MPs after the acceptance of his letter of resignation,
Baghdasarian sounded like a politician already on the campaign trail.
Armenia is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections in 2007 and a
presidential poll the following year. “Social surveys show that 70
percent of Armenia’s population is afraid. … We will fight for a
free society,” Baghdasarian said, according to a report distributed
by the A1-Plus web site. “When we said that the state must support
young families, they [political rivals] said it was populism. It is
not populism; it is the road to the development of our country.”
Baghdasarian also maintained it was in the country’s best interest
to pursue integration with Western economic and security structures,
while attempting to cast Orinats Yerkir’s departure from the governing
coalition as the party leadership’s choice. “”Many good things have
been accomplished, but many have been left out,” Baghdasarian said,
referring to his party’s participation in the governing coalition. “Now
we have decided to follow our own route.”
In addressing parliament, Baghdasarian studiously avoided criticism
of President Robert Kocharian.
Baghdasarian signaled on May 12 his intention to resign as speaker,
a day after party leaders voted to pull out of the coalition. Although
seeking to portray themselves as the initiators, many experts believe
that Prime Minister Andranik Markarian pushed Orinats Yerkir, or the
Country of Law party, out of the coalition for conduct damaging to the
government’s interests. In the weeks leading up to his resignation,
the former speaker had been outspoken in his criticism of the
government’s continued reliance on a special political relationship
with Russia. Starting with an April 19 interview published in the
influential German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, he began
to make forceful appeals for Armenia to turn away from Russia and
toward the European Union and NATO. [For background see the Eurasia
Insight archive].
Markarian has maintained that Baghdasarian’s actions constituted
a violation of a 2003 power-sharing agreement, which stated that
coalition members would attempt to reconcile policy differences in
private before making them public. Baghdasarian evidently made no
attempt to do so before the newspaper interview’s appearance. Orinats
Yerkir was created in 1998, thrusting Baghdasarian, who was at the
time only 30 years old, into the center of Armenian political life.
The party, with apparently strong backing from Kocharian and other
top leaders, gained eight seats in the 1999 parliamentary vote,
and went on to secure 20 in the 2003 elections.
Over the near term, experts in Yerevan believe few, if any policy
changes will occur, as the government retains a solid majority
in parliament. On some issues, including the political future of
Nagorno-Karabakh, Orinats Yerkir’s position remains closely aligned
with those of the governing coalition, which also includes Markarian’s
Republican Party and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Following the 2003 parliamentary elections, Orinats Yerkir had the
second largest parliamentary faction, and it received three ministerial
portfolios under the power-sharing agreement. Amid Baghdasarian’s
spat with other governing coalition leaders, the party experienced
a considerable number of defections. The 10 lawmakers who left
Orinats Yerkir’s parliamentary faction have established themselves
as independents, retaining a pro-government orientation.
The party also lost three cabinet portfolios allocated to it under
the 2003 power-sharing agreement.
Though currently operating in a severely weakened state, many observers
expect Orinats Yerkir to quickly recover, and, ultimately, benefit
from leaving the coalition. Re-casting itself as an opposition force
will likely increase the party’s competitiveness in the 2007 vote,
analysts say. “It will be beneficial to create an image of a party
that suffered due to the actions of authorities,” said a commentary
published by the Iravunk opposition weekly.
Iravunk went on to suggest Baghdasarian likely has his eye on
the presidency, saying that he “may have good chances later to
follow the path of Viktor Yushchenko and Mikheil Saakashvili, to
make a turn from the ‘internal opposition of the authorities’ to an
‘orange opposition.'” But Baghdasarian has steadfastly sought to avoid
comparisons with the leaders of the recent revolutions in Ukraine and
neighboring Georgia. At a May 12 news conference, he did not seek to
antagonize his erstwhile political allies, and insisted it was “too
early” to discuss the possibility of his candidacy for the presidency.
Editor’s Note: Haroutiun Khachatrian is a Yerevan-based writer
specializing in economic and political affairs.

AIRBUS FLIGHT RECORDER SENT FOR DECIPHERING – MINISTER
Interfax, Russia
May 22 2006
MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax) – The audio flight recorder of the Airbus
A320 of the Armenian Airline retrieved from the Black Sea bed has
been submitted for deciphering to the technical commission of the
Inter-State Aviation Committee, head of the governmental commission
probing the crash and Russian Transportation Minister Igor Levitin
told the Moscow press on Monday.
“Last night we managed to find the audio flight recorder under a
thick layer of sediments,” he said.

REFERENDUM IN MONTENERGO: NEW STATE TO APPEAR IN EUROPE
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2006 19:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The head of the country’s electoral commission said
55.4% of voters had voted to secede from Serbia, just above the 55%
required for victory.
The result is set to erase the last vestige of the former
Yugoslavia. The question of independence has deeply divided Montenegro,
with its opponents arguing it will damage economic, family and
political ties with Serbia. “Tonight, with the majority decision by
the citizens of Montenegro, the independence of the country has been
renewed,” said Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana commended the conduct of the poll and said he
would respect the result.
Electoral Commission Chairman Frantisek Lipka said 25,000 votes,
about 5% of the total, were still to be counted, but he said they were
not expected to affect the outcome. Final results will be announced
at 19:00 local time (17:00 GMT). One European Parliament election
observer, Robert Evans, said everything in the vote had satisfied
their requirements, reported BBC.

HASMIK POGHOSYAN APPOINTED MINISTER OF CULTURE
PanARMENIAN.Net
22.05.2006 19:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By RA President’s decree Hasmik Poghosyan, the
chairwoman of the Council of the Armenian Society for Cultural Ties
will replace Gevorg Gevorgyan at the post of the Minister of Culture,
reported RA leader’s press service. To note, Gevorg Gevorgyan was
appointed the Minister of Culture in February 2006 after Hovik Hoveyan,
member of Orinats Yerkir party, handed in his resignation.

ARMINEH CHELEBIAN ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENTS FOR 40TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT RACE
California Chronicle, CA
May 22 2006
WINNETKA, CA – The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Los Angeles
County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, and Los Angeles City Councilman
Greig Smith have endorsed the candidacy of Republican Armineh Chelebian
for the State Assembly in the western San Fernando Valley’s 40th
assembly district, the Chelebian campaign announced today.
Chelebian, an accountant and business woman with deep roots in the
Valley’s cultural and business communities has also won endorsements
from:
Former Gov. George Deukmejian, State Sen. Chuck Poochigian & Mrs.
Debbie Poochigian, State Sen. George C. Runner, Assemblywoman Sharon
Runner, Assemblyman Keith S. Richman, Former Assemblyman-Caucus Chair
Tony Strickland, Former Assemblywoman Paula L. Boland, Glendale City
Councilman Bob Yousefian, California Republican Assembly, and Armenian
American Republican Association.
Her supporters also include party and community leaders, among
them Mary Hawkins, Doug Boyd, Walter Allen III, Al Han, Sylvia
Granados-Southerland, Cesar Castellanos, Gary Aminoff, James Pavik,
Albert Abkarian, Paul H. Weisman, Heather Peters, Sean McCarthy,
Gretchen Martin, Juan Hovey, Eric Wickland, Richard Hunter, Terry L.
Higham, Esq., Jeffers MacArthur Dodge, Boghos (Paul) Boghossian, Gene
Giegoldt, Duke Ritter, Hrand Safarian, P.E. and Zabelle Safarian,
Hovannes and Kohar Chelebian, Nora Basmadjian Linda Safarian, Anahid
Grigorian, Adrineh Safarian, Porter Arthur Sims, Jozef T. Essavi,
Nina F. Essavi, Anthony Sims, Delores Sims, Isabel M. Oelgardt,
Kenneth Baldwin, Alex Dadourian, Pat & Russ Milham, Duane C Buckley,
Rose Injejikian, Dianne Ohanesian, Vatche Terzian, Andria Page, Erma
Smith, Zaven Atashian, Andria Page, Erma Smith, Dave and Lora Thomas.
A graduate of California State University, Northridge, Chelebian
is founder of A.S.C. Accounting and Financial Consulting Services,
Winnetka, CA., a member of the executive board of the Los Angeles
County Republican Party, for which she serves as Assistant Treasurer;
Chair of the 40th Assembly District Republican Central Committee;
and an elected board member of the Winnetka Neighborhood Council
also serving as the Chair of Public Works Transportation Committee
and Vice Chair of Planning and Land Use Committee.

VERBAL DUEL IN ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT: ROBERT KOCHARYAN AND SERZH SARKISYAN HAVE DESTROYED ORINATS YERKIR?
Regnum, Russia
May 22 2006
Speeches of opposition National Unity (NU) Party and parliamentary
faction Leader Artashes Geghamian and ex-Speaker Artur Bagdassaryan,
who announced his resignation on the same day, turned into a verbal
duel in raised voices.
In particular, speaking before the MPs, Artashes Geghamian stated
that “Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sarkisyan succeeded in destroying
Orinats Yerkir (OE) Party (Head – Artur Bagdassaryan) within several
days.” “Artur Bagdassaryan says that atmosphere of fear has developed
in the country, may be the atmosphere hinders him in revealing true
information that exactly Kocharyan and Sarkisyan have forced him to
reject speaker’s post; otherwise, why he does not call for a vote of
confidence?” he stressed.
Artur Bagdassaryan, who had returned into the session hall at the
moment, sharply retorted that nobody led the OYe out of the ruling
coalition. “We have decided it by ourselves. Much is said in the
hall about President Kocharyan. Yes, we state that we supported his
candidature during first and second rounds of presidential elections
in 2003 because such political figures appeared, who suddenly stopped
to be opposition in the second round (OYe did not support opposition
candidate Stepan Demirchyan in second round of 2003 presidential
elections – REGNUM). Also, very much was said about Serzh Sarkisyan,
but he has been illegally financing you. You fulfill order, why you
were absent when we were speaking about privatization and other vital
important questions?” Artur Bagdassaryan asked himself.
In his turn, Artashes Geghamian proposed Bagdassaryan to take Serzh
Sarkisyan into court as a briber, and Bagdassaryan as bribe-taker.
Effusive sorting out of the parties’ relationship continued some time
else. After that the parties agreed to continue “the duel” on air of
one of Armenian TV-channels.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA CAN BECOME EU MEMBER ONLY WITHIN SOUTH CAUCASUS’ GEOPOLITICAL FRAMEWORKS
Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, May 22. /ARKA/. Armenia can become an EU member only within
South Caucasus’ geopolitical frameworks, MP from opposition Armenian
Republican Party Armen Ashotyan told reporters.
According to him, a state, cooperating individually with European
structures cannot hope for a status of an individual EU member. In
this respect, he expressed doubt as to the fact that the region of
South Caucasus is ready to adopt the European values.
“The problem lies in the unresolved status of regional issues,
particularly the Karabakh conflict, and also the unfavourable situation
with economic integration and disturbance of economic relations,”
he said.
Ashotyan also stated that the South Caucasus region cannot expect
a positive resolution of the problem of joining the EU in the near
20-25 years.

MIHRANYAN FINDS PROFOUND AND BITTER CONFRONTATION BETWEEN RUSSIA, ARMENIA IMPOSSIBLE
Arka News Agency, Armenia
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, May 22. /ARKA/. Profound and bitter confrontation between
Russia and Armenia is impossible, Russian political analyst Andranik
Mihranyan told journalist on Friday in Yerevan.
“There is a widespread opinion expressed by western media outlets that
a new cold war has broken out between Russian and the United States. I
consider this as stupidity and primitive analysis result”, he said.
The political analyst thinks only local rivalry is possible between
these countries and finds nothing surprising in that, because every
country searches for its niche in today’s changing international
relations.
In his opinion, Russia wants not so much. The only the Russia avoids
is to merely comply with the U.S. will. Instead, the country is trying
to strengthen itself by financial buildup in order to become a partner
and a subject of international relations, Mihranyan said.
Mihranyan doesn’t deny that there are some problems in Russian-American
relations. These problems are connected with different stances taken
by the countries on Iran’s nuclear program and Washington’s ambition
to intensify its influence in CIS member countries.

BLACK BOX OF DROWNED ARMENIAN PLANE FOUND
Sofia News Agency, Bulgaria
May 22 2006
One of the two flight “black boxes” from an Armenian Airbus that
crashed in the Black Sea May 3 has been recovered. A representative
of a center involved in the recovery effort announced Monday efforts
are continuing to find the second black box. Rescuers are striving
to retrieve the black boxes from a depth of 496 m and 5 m apart from
each other. An Airbus A-320 operated by Armenia’s Armavia flying
from Yerevan came down May 3 in stormy weather 6 km from the popular
Russian resort of Sochi. All 113 people on board were killed.

FLIGHT DATA RECORDER FROM CRASHED A320 FOUND
ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 22 2006
MOSCOW, May 22 (Itar-Tass) — One of the two flight data recorders
from the Armenian Airbus-320 passenger plane, which crashed into the
Black Sea off Sochi on May 3, was found on Monday, Russian Transport
Minister Igor Levitin said.
The search for the second “black box” will start this night, he said.
The first “black box” was lifted from the seabed at about 3.05 p.m.
(1105 GMT). “The flight data recorder was found under a layer of
soil. The operation to lift it began at 09:00 Moscow time and lasted
six hours. The ‘black box’ has been sent to Moscow for deciphering.
The second data recorder may be not far from the place where the
first one was found,” the operational headquarters told Itar-Tass.
The head of the Interstate Aviation Committee, Tatyana Anodina, said,
“The found flight data recorder is badly damaged because of strong
impact and because of lying in an aggressive environment.”
She said data from the recorder would be analysed by a standard
procedure that will involve officials from Armenia, France, and Russia.
The operation to lift the flight data recorders started last Tuesday
but was interrupted by a strong side wind that constantly carried
away the ship, which is operating the RT-1000 apparatus, which is
conducting the search for the flight recorders.
Silt on the seabed complicated the work, covering the video camera
and the searchlights. The team had to raise the apparatus several
times to clean them. It takes 40 minutes for the apparatus to sink
and as much to come back to the surface.
The apparatus had not participated in such operations before. It
raised only geological samples weighing up to 20 kilogrammes and did
not work at such depths.
The device is capable to lift fragments of a plane weighing up to
12 kilogrammes and the two flight recorders, each weighing seven
kilogrammes, the head of the Federal Agency for Sea and River
Transport, Alexander Davydenko, said.
The RT-1000 is a system consisting of control and lifting equipment
and the apparatus itself with photo and video equipment and a hydraulic
manipulator operating in all directions.
Davydenko said the operation would involve several groups of 18
people. Each will work for eight hours.
The Navigator’s crew obtained the first television image of the flight
recorders lying at the depth of almost 500 metres, using the top-notch
research complex Kalmar.
The Kalmar equipment was provided by the department for salvage and
emergency operations based in the port city of Novorossisk.
The designer of the complex, the Russian corporation Tetis-Pro,
made the Kalmar for the Russian Navy. When the A-320 crashed, the
complex, which includes a sonic depth-tester having the functions of
a side-looking sonar, was still in the phase of testing.
The Kalmar is capable of tracking down objects at the depths of down
to 600 meters.
The flight recorders are lying on the seabed 496 metres from the
surface and about five metres apart. “The visibility is sufficient
for the work to be done,” the minister said.
Flight recorders used on aircraft of the Airbus-320 type withstand
the depth of up to 6,000 meters for 30 days, experts from the French
air crash investigation bureau said.
They said that flight recorders’ radio beacons keep working during
the 30-day period.
One of the flight recorders registers flight parameters, including the
speed, height and direction of the flight and the autopilot operation,
each second. The other gadget records conversations in the cockpit.
Each flight recorder weighs 10 kilograms, including a seven-kilogram
armoured casing for the gadget. The casing can withstand water pressure
at a depth of 6,000 meters, the temperature of 1,100 degrees Celsius,
and the compression of 2.2 tonnes.
The bureau retrieved flight recorders from the depth of over 1,000
meters in the Red Sea in January 2004, when an Egyptian plane crashed
near the Sharm-el-Sheikh resort. The rescuers were using a Scorpio
deep-water apparatus.
A technical commission investigating the Sochi air crash, which is
led by the CIS Interstate Aviation Committee, has asked French experts
to help find A-320 flight recorders.
Of 113 people who were abroad the plane, 51 bodies have been found
so far.
The Airbus A-320 of the Armenian airline Armavia plunged into the
Black Sea as it was making a landing manoeuvre in the early hours of
May 3. The accident claimed the lives of 113 people.