Pan Armenian News
TARJA HALONEN: EU WILL SPARE NO EFFORT FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
30.09.2005 03:51
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Achievement of peace within the shortest terms is an
important factor for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Certainly, each party to conflict has its claims. However a compromise
meeting the EU criteria should be achieved. We support the negotiations held
within the OSCE Minsk Group framework. As a state assuming presidency in the
EU we will do everything within the limits of the possible to promote the
peaceful negotiations and provide security of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
citizens. We believe that the New Neighborhood Policy will prove fruitful
for the South Caucasian states’, Finnish President Tarja Halonen stated in
Baku during the joint press conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev. She said she has been to the region with the OSCE Minsk Group
delegation and is informed about the conflict. `In my opinion all the
conflicting parties will derive profit from the peaceful process. The
European Union is interested in the peaceful settlement of the conflict. We
support Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the OSCE and EU,’ Mrs. Halonen noted
adding that the EU will spare no effort for Karabakh conflict settlement.
`The New Neighborhood Policy is very important both for Azerbaijan and the
EU. I welcome your joining to the policy and hope that the negotiations in
this direction will start at the nearest possible date. Democracy in the
region is developing but there is still a great deal of work to be done.
Democracy is a process. I welcome the accession of Azerbaijan to the Council
of Europe. It is obvious that your country is aspired to meet the
commitments undertaken to the CoE’, she said. When commenting on the
forthcoming parliamentary election in Azerbaijan the Finnish President said,
`I believe the authorities and the opposition will act within the criteria
set by the CoE. Let us wait till November. At the moment I call upon the
President and government to hold a democratic election, since the democratic
development of Azerbaijan greatly depends on the upcoming election.’

Helsingin Sanomat, Finland
Sept 30 2005

President Halonen calls for honest elections in Azerbaijan

“I wish you an honest and lively election”, said President Tarja
Halonen, on Thursday as she said farewell to the Speaker of the
Parliament of Azerbaijan. The Azeri capital Baku was the last stop on
the Finnish President’s visit to the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan holds Presidential elections in just over a month,
and observers around the world are wondering if the same kinds of
accusations of fraud will arise that were prevalent in connection
with the Presidential election of 2003 and the referendum on the
country’s constitution in 2002.
It was on the basis of these votes that Azeri strongman Heidar
Aliyev transferred power to his son Ilham Aliyev in the face of
opposition riots and boycotts.

President Ilham Aliyev was the official host of the visit. Heidar
Aliyev, who died in late 2003, has become the focus of a personality
cult of sorts; during Halonen’s visit, he was repeatedly referred to
as “our great leader” and “our national leader”.
Streets in Baku are full of posters depicting the late
President, and Halonen had to lay a wreath of red roses at the statue
of Heidar Aliyev, located in front of the Heidar Aliyev Centre.
President Halonen did not appear to be bothered by the matter.
“It would not seem to be a completely strange phenomenon in Finland’s
past either. We do have quite a few statues of presidents in our
country”, Halonen pointed out to Finnish journalists.

President Halonen appealed for honest elections at every possible
turn on Thursday. Sitting next to Ilham Aliyev at a press conference,
she emphasised that it is the responsibility of the government and
the President to see to it that the elections meet all criteria set
by the Council of Europe and the OSCE.
She also pointed out to the Azerbaijan opposition that it needs
to exercise proper conduct as well.
A large opposition demonstration is scheduled to take place in
Baku during the weekend, and President Aliyev expressed concern that
the opposition would try to provoke clashes, because it knows that it
will lose the elections.
Halonen would not make any predictions about the honesty of the
election, but she did predict that Aliyev’s party would win. At 43,
the younger Aliyev is a very popular figure in the country.

There was discussion on Thursday on increasing trade between Finland
and Azerbaijan, on possible investments, as well as over the conflict
in the ethnically Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Halonen urged the three countries of the Southern Caucasus,
Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, to work together to find a
solution. According to her calculations, “1+1+1 equals more than
three”.
President Halonen returns to Finland on Friday evening.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 375033, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 10) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website:
September 30, 2005
ACNIS Polls Target Armenia’s Regional and Communal Development
Yerevan–The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS)
today convened a policy roundtable to sum up the results of the two public
surveys it simultaneously conducted in September on local development and
governance perceptions in Yerevan and all Armenia. 1000 respondents from all
regions of Armenia except the capital participated in the first poll, while
500 Yerevan residents took part in the second.
ACNIS director of research Stiopa Safarian greeted the audience with opening
remarks and made a comparative analysis of the two polls. According to their
findings, there is a marked difference between the socioeconomic development
of Yerevan and that of the remaining regions. Accordingly, 50.3% of the
respondents living in the regions find this disparity to be very
significant, 35.2% significant, and only 11.3% insignificant. The results
among Yerevan residents are 49.6%, 40%, and 8.2% respectively, fairly close
to the opinions of the first group of respondents.
It is unfortunate that people living both in the regions and in Yerevan have
a desire to move away from their permanent places of residence: 44.7% of
regional respondents and 37.9% of those living in Yerevan express such an
inclination. The percentage of those who do not want to leave constitutes
43.7% in the regions and 52.5% in the capital city. Of interest is that
whereas a plurality, namely 15.4%, of those who want to move from the
regions prefer Yerevan as their new destination, most Yerevan dwellers have
their sights set abroad, particularly the United States at 8.6%, Russia
7.8%, and Europe 5.8%. The other peculiarity refers to the causes for
leaving their places of habitation. Among the respondents from the regions
the primary reasons are unfavorable living conditions and unemployment,
48.1% for each. For 45.1% of capital residents it is the uncertainty of
their future, though 44% of them also point to unfavorable living conditions
and 30.1% to unemployment. This notwithstanding, an almost equal
preponderance of the two respondent groups, more than 70%, is convinced that
finding a job and earning money is much easier in Yerevan than in the
regions.
According to the surveys, agriculture, at 48.1%, has the greatest
development potential in the regions, while in Yerevan it is trade and
commerce with a result of 26.7%. As indicated by 47.1% of the respondents
living in the regions, the most promising branch of agriculture in their
place of residence is farming, followed by cattle breeding at 29.4%,
agricultural products 22.4%, small cattle breeding 19.7%, and beekeeping
9.6%.
It also is noteworthy that the participants of both surveys favor the
election of local community leaders. To the question “Would you like to
elect your regional governor?,” 63.5% of regional participants respond in
the affirmative, with 10.4% opposed. Regarding a corresponding query on
election of the mayor of Yerevan, 62% of capital residents say “yes” and 14%
“no.” The questionnaires make it clear that only 22.8% of the respondents
from the regions are satisfied with the activities of their community
leaders, whereas in Yerevan this rating is a mere 19.2%. On the contrary,
49.6% and 50.6% respectively are dissatisfied with the work carried out by
the person in charge of their community. Even more, a large percentage has
no confidence whatsoever in its community leader. 45.6% of the republic-wide
respondents maintain that their regional governor impedes the development of
the region or has no role in it at all, and 60.5% of survey participants
from the capital city say the same of their mayor. On the matter of the
current territorial-administrative division of Armenia’s regions, 40.5% of
the first and 24.6% of the second respondent groups express discontentment
over the regional layout.
During his policy intervention on contemporary problems facing local
government, prefect Davit Petrosian of the Nor Nork district of Yerevan
brought forth the example of his own neighborhood and highlighted recent
institutional changes, such as the collection of property tax by the
boroughs, which have increased the community budget and solved many
problems. “The relationship between community bodies and condominia needs
legislative clarification. It is also necessary that jurisdiction over the
schools be transferred over to the communities, and empowerment of the
councils of elders be further elucidated and enlarged,” Petrosian said.
In his address, deputy chairman Davit Tumanian of the Association of
Community Financists talked about the prospects for improving local
administration in Armenia. “Overall, this domain is legislatively regulated,
but it requires further fine-tuning. In order to consolidate the local
government system, it is indispensable for the National Assembly to adopt a
strategy for decentralization.”
The formal interventions were followed by contributions by Sos Gimishian
from the Association of Community Financists; chairman Aram Grigorian of the
Association of Condominium Presidents; analyst Hripsime Manukian from the
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Monitoring and Assessment working group;
chairman Aram Mailian of the Political Discussion Club; analyst Armen
Galstian from the International Center for Human Development; lecturers
Vilik Yedigarian and Haik Chilingarian from the Academy of Public
Administration; analyst Gor Hakobian of the Institute for Democracy and
Human Rights; ACNIS analysts Syuzanna Barseghian and Hovhannes Vardanian;
National Citizens’ Initiative coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian, activists
Gohar Isakhanian and Armen Martirosian; and several others.
Among the respondents from the regions 9.3% are 16-20 years old, 25.4%
21-30, 22.9% 31-40, 20.2% 41-50, 10.4% 51-60, 7.1% 61-70, and 2.6% 71 and
above. 45.7% are male and 54.3% are female. Among them 31.8% have received
higher education, 10.6% incomplete higher education, 24.6% secondary
specialized, 29.4% secondary, and 3.2% have incomplete secondary education.
44.6% are employed, 34.8% unemployed, 11.5% are pensioners and welfare
recipients, and 8.8% are students.
In the Yerevan poll, 13.3% are 16-20 years old, 30% 21-30, 15.6% 31-40,
21.7% 41-50, 11.6% 51-60, 4,6% 61-70, and 2.2% 71 and above. 40% are male
and 60% are female. Among them 49.2% have received higher education, 13.2%
incomplete higher education, 16.4% secondary specialized, 17.6% secondary,
and 3.2% have incomplete secondary education. 54% are employed, 24.6%
unemployed, 8.2% are pensioners and welfare recipients, and 12% are
students.
Founded in 1994 by Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K.
Hovannisian and supported by a global network of contributors, ACNIS serves
as a link between innovative scholarship and the public policy challenges
facing Armenia and the Armenian people in the post-Soviet world. It also
aspires to be a catalyst for creative, strategic thinking and a wider
understanding of the new global environment. In 2005, the Center focuses
primarily on civic education, conflict resolution, and applied research on
critical domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.
For further information on the Center or full graphics of the poll results,
call (37410) 52-87-80 or 27-48-18; fax (37410) 52-48-46; e-mail
[email protected] or [email protected]; or visit or
and
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

European Parliament

Sept 30 2005

EU: European Parliament postpones vote on protocol to Ankara
Agreement

/noticias.info/ – The Parliament postponed voting on approval of the
protocol extending Turkey’s association agreement with the EU to the
ten new member states. MEPs feared that the Turkish declaration that
the protocol does not mean any form of recognition of Cyprus would
form part of the ratification process in the Turkish parliament and
thus gain legal force.
Nevertheless, in a political resolution voted afterwards, Parliament
notes “the Commission and the Council take the view that Turkey has
formally fulfilled the last conditions for starting the accession
negotiations on 3 October 2005.”
At the request of the EPP-ED group, Parliament voted 311 votes in
favour, 285 against and 63 abstentions to postpone the vote on
Parliament’s approval of the protocol extending Turkey’s customs
union with the EU to all its new members, including Cyprus. The vote
to postpone has no legal consequences in terms of the starting date
for accession negotiations. Stumbling blocks were the Turkish
declaration that the signing of the protocol to the Ankara Agreement
does not mean any form of recognition of Cyprus and the Turkish
refusal to admit vessels and airplanes from Cyprus. A majority of
MEPs first wanted guarantees from the Turkish authorities that the
declaration was not going to be part of the ratification in the
Turkish parliament, fearing that it would then have legal
implications.
Nevertheless, in a political resolution adopted afterwards by 356
votes in favour, 181 against and 125 abstentions, Parliament noted
the Commission’s and Council’s view that access negotiations with
Turkey can start on 3 October. But by the end of 2006, the Commission
must assess if Turkey has fully implemented the protocol. If not,
this could lead to halting the accession negotiations. During the
negotiations, which are open-ended and will not automatically lead to
Turkish EU membership, Turkey should be kept under permanent scrutiny
and pressure to ensure that it maintains “the pace of the necessary
reforms”.
Parliament also said it considered Turkish recognition of “the
Armenian genocide … to be a prerequisite for accession”.
MEPs deplore that the Annan plan for a settlement of the Cyprus
question has been rejected by the Greek Cypriot community and hopes
that Turkey will maintain its constructive attitude in finding an
equitable solution. Meanwhile, the Council should keep its promise
and reach an agreement on the financial aid and trade package for
northern Cyprus.
On other issues, MEPs voiced their concern about the criminal
proceedings against Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, about article 305 of
the penal code which criminalises “acts against the fundamental
national interest”, about the restrictions on foreign funding for
associations, and about the “Law on Foundations” concerning religious
communities.
Parliament wants each negotiation session at ministerial level to be
preceded by an assessment of the fulfilment of the political
criteria, both in theory and in practice, “thus exerting permanent
pressure on the Turkish authorities to maintain the pace of the
necessary reforms”. Also, a full programme of clear targets,
timeframe and deadlines should be fixed for the fulfilment of the
political criteria. The Commission and the Council should report
annually to the European Parliament and the national parliaments on
the progress made by Turkey in this respect. MEPs reiterate that the
accession negotiations are an open-ended process and will not
automatically lead to Turkey joining the EU, even if the objective is
Turkish EU membership. Finally, Parliament underlines that the EU’s
capacity to absorb Turkey is an important consideration as well, and
needs to be monitored by the Commission during the negotiations.
Debate on opening of accession negotiations with Turkey
Speaking on behalf of the Council, Britain’s Minister for Europe,
Douglas ALEXANDER said the strategic case for opening negotiations
with Turkey was convincing, but it was necessary to be scrupulous in
ensuring all the requirements were met before Turkey could join.
Turkey had met the two conditions laid down by the Council in
December, and its declaration stating that it had not recognised the
government of Cyprus had no legal effect. The negotiations would be
the most rigorous yet, and Turkey would not accede imminently. The
Turkey which would join would be a different Turkey, and the EU might
also be different by then too. Progress so far had been encouraging,
and the conditions for opening talks had been met, he said.
Enlargement Commissioner Oli REHN agreed that the formal conditions
set out by the Council for opening negotiations had been met. He also
stressed that the talks would be the most rigorous yet undertaken.
There were good signs – such as the Turkish government’s recognition
that there was a Kurdish issue and that the conference on the
Armenian question would finally go ahead – but also bad signs – such
as the uneven implementation of freedom of expression rights. “Both
Europeans and Turks should work to build a relationship based on
mutual trust, ” he said, pointing out that the common goal would be
accession but that by their very nature the talks were open as to the
result they would achieve.
British speakers during the debate on Turkey
Roger KNAPMAN (IND/DEM,UK) said that he opposed political union with
Turkey as much as he opposed it with France, Germany or Italy. “But
what of the euro-fanatics whose ardour suddenly cools when they reach
the Bosphorus? It is not hypocrisy, but fear, fear that public
support for the whole EU project will collapse if Turkish membership
were seriously pursued.” For this reason, he said, he was happy to
see the EU plough ahead with negotiations, destroying itself in the
process.
Andrew DUFF (ALDE, UK) said “It is extraordinary that those who have
profited so much from EU integration in terms of prosperity, security
and liberal democracy should not refuse to extend these prizes to
Turkey.” He said the EU’s absorption capacity was a real issue, with
the need for a settlement of the constitution ahead of Turkish or
Croatian entry. He also argued that the Cyprus issue and instability
in the Balkans could not be resolved if the EU refuses membership to
Turkey, and called for a stepping up of trade relations with northern
Cyprus.
Roger HELMER (NI, UK) said there were powerful reasons in favour and
against Turkey’s accession to the EU. The key condition, he said,
should be “democratic accountability”, Mr Helmer felt that Turkey’s
accession would “dilute the influence” of his constituents in terms
of self-determination and he therefore opposed Turkish membership of
the EU. Mr Helmer welcomed the proposal from Angela Merkel on
privileged partnership for Turkey as it would incur fewer costs for
Turkey. Mr Helmer wished the option of privileged partnership could
also be made available to the United Kingdom.
Geoffrey Van ORDEN (EPP-ED, UK) stated that “last Christmas the
Council voted for Turkey”. The conditions laid out at that time had
been met and Turkey was therefore ready to start negotiations. Mr Van
Orden warned against the separatist dissidents still at large in
Turkey that risked undermining Turkish secularism and unity. He
stated that Turkey should be treated in the same way as all other
candidates for accession. Mr Van Orden stated that the Cyprus
question should be treated separately from the accession
negotiations. However, he recalled that the people of Northern Cyprus
had voted in favour of the Annan plan on reunification and that Greek
Cyprus had rejected. He said the EU had done little to support
Northern Cyprus. Mr Van Orden welcomed the imminent opening of
negotiations and recognised that the talks would last many years.

Datos de Contacto :
Contact: Marjory VAN DEN BROEKE Press Room Unit – Press Officer
E-mail address : [email protected] Telephone number in
Brussels : (32) 2 28 44304 (BXL) Mobile number : (32) 0498 98 3586
Telephone number in Strasbourg : (33) 3

Pan Armenian News
RA AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT TO COMBINE OFFICE IN MOROCCO
30.09.2005 02:56
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As PanARMENIAN.Net came to know from the RA President’s
press office, according to Robert Kocharian’s decree of 29.09.2005 Sergey
Manasarian was relieved of the post of Armenian Ambassador to the Kingdom of
Morocco. By another decree Armenian Ambassador to Egypt Ruben Karapetian was
appointed RA Ambassador to Morocco (residence in Cairo).

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN COMMISSION NEXT SITTING TO BE HELD SPRING 2006
29.09.2005 12:39
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Coordinated and important decisions were taken during the
4-th sitting of the Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental commission on
economic cooperation held in Yerevan today, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab
Nogaideli stated during the press conference upon completion of the sitting.
He marked out several important lines that were discussed during the
sitting. `First of all it is trade. Both parties supported consolidation of
economic ties. Georgia cancelled transit highway-user tax early this year
and today we agreed that Armenia will make analogous decision as regards
Georgia. This move will promote the growth of commodity turnover between
Armenia and Georgia,’ he said. `Presently we are discussing the possibility
of opening new highway, railway and air communication lines in two
directions Yerevan-Tbilisi and Yerevan-Batumi. We fully support the creation
of alternative transport ties for Armenia including the restoration of
Kars-Gyumri railway communication,’ emphasized Zurab Nogaideli. He informed
that during the sitting the commission touched upon tourism development as
well. `We were glad to learn that 12 thousand Armenians had a rest at the
Georgian coast of the Black Sea this year. We are also pleased that Armenian
investors pay attention to the resort infrastructure in Adjaria’, he said
adding that some important decisions were taken in energy sphere as well. In
this view he specified two directions. `First, we have not coordinated
Georgia’s debt for the energy supplied by Armenia yet. Second, an investment
program targeted at construction of a high-voltage power line that will
allow to increase the export of Armenian to Georgia should be discussed,’
the Georgian Premier said. `Besides, we have considered the possibility of
opening a joint Georgian-Armenian university in Georgia. Next year we are
launching an efficient investment program in Samtskhe Javakhetia. The
program includes building of a highway connecting the region with Tbilisi,
Armenia and Turkey. Being a highway of international motor communication it
will attract investments to the economy of the region. Next year we are
launching a project targeted at repairing of Georgian schools including the
schools in Javakhetia. The Armenian government will co-finance the repair of
village schools of Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki regions,’ the Georgian
Premier stated. He also informed that the next sitting of the
Armenian-Georgia commission on economic cooperation will be held next spring
in Batumi. `I attach great attention to the development of business
cooperation between the commercial structures of Georgia and Armenia. I will
by all means contribute to the consolidation of ties and creation of an
economic system promoting efficient activities of Armenian and Georgian
entrepreneurs’, Zurab Nogaideli resumed.

Pan Armenian News
CYPRUS MAY VETO BAKU-EU COOPERATION
30.09.2005 04:54
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Threatening with veto upon EU-Azerbaijan cooperation
within New Neighborhood Policy Greek Cyprus urged Azerbaijan to sever ties
with the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The response of
official Baku is expected no later than early October, Day.az reports.

Chicago Sun-Times, IL
Sept 30 2005

System of a Down gets bigger stage for its act
September 30, 2005
BY JIM DeROGATIS POP MUSIC CRITIC Advertisement
Cheerfully idiosyncratic in an old-school, Frank Zappa way, System of
a Down is an unlikely arena act. Nevertheless, in the decade since
the progressive metal quartet formed at an Armenian Christian school
in Los Angeles, it has become one of the most popular and outspokenly
political groups in rock today.
Vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo
Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan released their eagerly anticipated
fourth album, “Mezmerize,” in May, after keeping fans waiting for
more than four years after 2001’s “Toxicity.” Now, as the band
prepares to release “Hypnotize,” the second installment of its double
album, on Nov. 22, it is touring with another equally strange and
creative act, the Mars Volta.
I spoke with Tankian from his home in L.A. shortly before the start
of the tour.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN; THE MARS VOLTA; HELLA
7 tonight
Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim, Rosemont
Tickets, $32.50-$45
(312) 559-1212
Q. I saw one of the club gigs that launched “Mezmerize” at Metro in
May. Now you’re headlining the Allstate Arena. Did you ever think
System of a Down would become an arena band?
A. It’s been 10 years, so we’ve been working at it step by step. It’s
not like we had one radio single and went from clubs to arenas. We’ve
been steadily working, and “Hypnotize” is going to be our fifth
album. It’s a trade-off: You get more people, so the energy of the
crowd is amazing. But we’re trying to get as much of that club sound
as possible.
Q. What was the thinking in splitting “Hypnotize” and “Mezmerize”
into two releases?
A. Simply put, it is a double record, and the type of music that we
have, although it has pop arrangements, it is still progressive and
it starts and stops and has tempo changes, so listening to more than
35 or 40 minutes at a time is absolutely exhausting to me. We’ve
always liked short records and not putting too much onto the plate.
Q. The group has always been outspokenly anti-war and
anti-administration, yet you don’t preach about your views in
concert. Do you think the audience connects with your message?
A. Music in general is an intuitive form. It can be intellectual, but
generally it’s a right-brain activity. I always give “B.Y.O.B.”
[“Bring Your Own Bombs”] as an example: You don’t have to be anti-war
to appreciate the satire in a song talking about a hypocritical war.
It’s more intuitive: You get it and you feel it more than you think
it. Later on, if there is some thinking, that is fine. If there
isn’t, that’s fine, too.
Q. People talk about the role music played in stopping the war in
Vietnam. Do you think that’s still possible today?
A. Music, again, touches the heart, not the mind. It can affect the
mind, but only after it has affected the heart. With Vietnam, there
was a whole cultural and social movement that precipitated that, with
the media showing clips of what was going on. People were really
finding out the truth and realizing, “Hey, this is not something that
is part of the American dream.” Music became a part of that culture.
I don’t think music created that resistance to the war; it was a part
of it. At best, true art is a good representation of our times, and a
truthful correspondence of what is going on doesn’t create that
change. It may help bring that change to an emotional place in our
lives, but it doesn’t create that change.
Q. But you’re optimistic that we’ll see a change?
A. I think I’m already seeing a change. It’s gradual, but there is a
change in attitude toward Iraq. Although they’re not showing film of
soldiers dying, people do realize that there are deaths every day and
that, “Hey, this is a war I might have supported years ago because of
my feelings about Sept. 11, but this is definitely not the right
thing. It’s the wrong war in the wrong place.” Music has a place in
that, but it is mostly people realizing the truth about what is
happening in the world.
Q. Both albums contain a mix of songs with heavy messages, like
“B.Y.O.B.,” and tunes that are simply scatological silliness, like
“Violent Pornography.” Isn’t that a bit schizophrenic?
A. I have a hard time being serious all day. I have a hard time being
serious for more than three seconds! It’s all part of life, and
lyrically it is a combination of a lot of things that Daron and I
write together. “Violent Pornography” is a funny way of talking about
media and where we are today — things we show and things we don’t
show.
Q. How do the songs come together?
A. It’s a balance of ideas. The way that it started is that Daron
would bring in most of the music and I’d bring in the lyrics. As time
progressed, I’d start to bring in more music and fully written songs,
and Daron progressed as a lyricist and a singer, so he was able to
bring in more completed songs. That balance has created better
songwriters out of both of us.
REASONS FOR LIVING
As fans of psychedelic rock giants Pink Floyd continue to hope for a
full-fledged reunion tour in the wake of the band’s performance at
Live 8 and the news that it will reconvene again in November for its
induction into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame, a new DVD offers a rare
look at the start of its career nearly four decades ago, when it was
fronted by the soon-to-become notorious acid casualty Syd Barrett and
building a reputation as the freakiest British band during the Summer
of Love.
“Pink Floyd: London 1966-1967” features the quartet performing at the
legendary UFO Club in London, making the scene at the 14-Hour
Technicolour Dream at the Alexandra Palace (a much cooler “happening”
than Woodstock) and playing in the studio during its first recording
session with American producer Joe Boyd. Much of the footage hails
from director Peter Whitehead’s film “Tonite Let’s All Make Love in
London,” and scenes of the band are interspersed with appropriately
stoned flower children contemplating the universe, go-go dancers
stripping and gyrating, Yoko Ono doing performance art and John
Lennon dropping by to check it all out (the two hadn’t met yet).
The disc only includes two songs, “Interstellar Overdrive” and
“Nick’s Boogie,” but at 17 and 12 minutes, respectively, that’s
plenty of mind-blowing music to get you through at least a bong or
two. The DVD will be released Tuesday through Snapper Music, and at
under $20, it’s a patchouli-scented, paisley-covered Day-Glo bargain.
Pop music critic Jim DeRogatis co-hosts “Sound Opinions” from 10 p.m.
to midnight Tuesdays on WXRT-FM (93.1). E-mail him at
[email protected].
dave trying to cross the Mississippi River to rebuild his life in
southwest Louisiana,” Adcock explained. “He is hallucinating as he
comes closer to his death in the swamp. But that is one of those
songs that doesn’t take too much tricking around with, in that
there’s so many people who feel like runaways right now. When I’ve
been singing that song I’ve definitely been thinking about those
people.”
Adcock then sang from the song:
“… Running through the cypress shadows/just to save my life/I’m a
man whose been through hell/ yeah, we know it well/I’m ready for my
final day with the devil/ooh yeah its a runaway life/oh yeah gotta
run tonight/misery is a runaway’s life/goin’ down down down/ drown in
Atchafalaya. …”
Adcock, 33, began calling his New Orleans friends on the Saturday
before the hurricane hit (Aug. 29). He said, “I won’t name names, but
I got a lot of, ‘I’ve been out all night, I need some sleep, can you
call back in an hour?’ That’s New Orleans for you. Alex Chilton’s
girlfriend was at my house. Alex decided to stick around, then had
strange stories of trying to get out of town yet trying to be
inconspicuous so he wouldn’t get caught up in the [crime] that was
going down in the streets of New Orleans. But it was great for people
to see our little corner of the world. It was great to see someone
like Ani out at El Sido’s [in Lafayette] listening to Keith Franco’s
zydeco on a Saturday night. She was dancing all night. It kept people
preoccupied.”
As early as the Thursday following Hurricane Katrina, Adcock,
DiFranco and Napolitano drove back into New Orleans to retrieve
records, tapes and hard drives. Adcock has been writing songs since
Katrina and Rita, but he needs time to process his thoughts.
In the meantime, he will try to focus on “Lafayette Marquis,” one of
the best roots-rock records of last year. The roadhouse beat of
Adcock’s “Stealin’ All Day” is an appropriate signoff for Nitzsche,
whose last rock production was in 1979 with Graham Parker’s
“Squeezing Out Sparks.” Nitzsche, who died in 2000, was nominated for
an Oscar for his 1975 score for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
The Chicago native was a fan of Adcock’s only other solo record, a
1994 self-titled debut for Island Records. “Stealin’ All Day” was
recorded in 1997.
“Jack’s process of producing was not the most economical and
efficient,” Adcock explained. “But it was certainly grand and
wonderful. It wasn’t the way people produce things today, like
sitting down for a couple of hours to figure out what reverb to use.
He wanted to get inside your head and inside your life. We became
very close and slightly entangled in each other’s lives.
“He dug ‘Stealin’ All Day.’ Jack understood roots music and he liked
simple things, which sounds funny to say about a man whose work is so
complex. He had a firm handle on Wagner and orchestral things
[Nitzsche did the choral arrangement for the Stones’ ‘You Can’t
Always Get What You Want’], but he loved Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson and
Howlin’ Wolf. It was the last song he ever produced, although he did
other things on me I haven’t released.”

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Sept 30 2005

Saakashvili Gives Promises in Adjara on Eve of Poll
President Saakashvili called on local residents in the Adjara
Autonomous Republic on September 30 for a support in order to enable
the government to continue more vigorously infrastructure development
in the region.
Saakashvili was speaking at an opening ceremony of a new tunnel,
which cuts the distance between Adjara’s two resort towns of Kobuleti
and Batumi almost in half. He was accompanied by the ruling National
Movement party’s two MP nominations – Koba Khabazi and Jemal
Inaishvili, who will run for the MP by-elections in Kobuleti and
Batumi single mandate constituencies, respectively, on October 1.
`I promise that roads will be reconstructed, infrastructure for water
supply will be completely rehabilitated and schools will be
reconstructed in Adjara in the period of my first presidential term
[before 2009]… You will have 24-hour electricity supply… and these
are not just empty promises. I love most of all when I keep my
promises. I have promised to opened this tunnel by the end of
September… We’ve done it,’ Saakashvili said.
`Some people [referring to opponents] say that we are doing this just
for the elections. But we were working a year before the elections,
three months before the elections, the day before the elections, we
will work on the election day and we will continue to work after the
elections as well, only if there will be your support,’ he added.
He also said that attracting more tourists in Adjara should be a
priority. `We are refurnishing the facades of the buildings, opening
beautiful fountains in Batumi and this is done to turn it into a more
beautiful place… Next year a direct railway connection between
Yerevan [Armenia] and Batumi will be launched; also a new direct
flight between Yerevan and Batumi will start to operate next year…
This is all done to attract more tourists,’ the President said.

Council of Europe

Sept 30 2005

The best way to achieve democratic change in Armenia – Venice
Commission round table on constitutional reforms in Armenia

Experts of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission and
representatives from other international organisations are to hold a
round table with representatives of Armenian political parties, media
and civil society on constitutional reform.
They will discuss the proposed new constitution at a meeting in
Yerevan at 4pm on Friday 30 September 2005, at the offices of the
National Assembly. This text, which was finalised by the National
Assembly on 28 September, is the result of five years of continuous
efforts. It will be put to a referendum at the end of November.
The Venice Commission considers the proposed constitution to be a
decisive step forward for a number of reasons:
– It provides a much better balance between the powers of the
President and the Parliament
– It also provides for the abolition of the death penalty and for
better recognition and protection of other human rights
– A more independent judiciary and a stronger local self-government
are among other major improvements.
The Venice Commission’s positive assessment of the draft constitution
is shared by the European Union and the OSCE. At the same time
certain issues are not considered to be addressed clearly by the
current draft and the international experts attending the round table
are ready to explain how the proposed new constitution can
nevertheless provide viable solutions.
Among the Armenian participants will be representatives of civil
society and a large spectrum of political groups, including those who
oppose the referendum and who are not represented in the National
Assembly.
The round table is open to the press.
See the assessment of the Armenian draft constitution on the Venice
Commission’s website .
Contact:
Contacts for more information: Anna Ghukasyan, Office of the Special
Representative of the Secretary General to Armenia Tel: +374 10 24 33
85 Tatyana Mychelova, External Relations Officer, Venice Commission
Tel.:+33 388 41 38 68