OBSERVERS WORKING IN VAIN
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| 18:54:12 | 11-10-2005 | Politics |
Yesterday during a special sitting the Central Electoral Committee
adopted a package of proposals of “It’s Your Choice” NGO. The package
provides for concretization of responsibility, that is, if an observer
makes a violation, not the organization he represents but he himself
will be called to account.
By another proposal the right of moving within the polling station
should not belong to one observing organization but to all the
observers.
This time “It’s Your Choice” organization observed the election to the
local self-government in 98 polling stations in Kotayk, Ararat, Vayots
Dzor and Syunik. By their assessments, the election that could seem
peaceful but it is not the evidence of conscious choice of the voters.
As Chairman Harutyun Hambartsumyan says, new violations were fixed
along with the old ones.
Vice Chair Khachik Voskanyan in his turn noted, “In Nor Hajn, for
example, open voting was a mass violation. We kept the election at
focus. Observers worked in 2 shifts. Cases of illegal filling the
ballot-boxes were not fixed.”
To note, the organization submitted the report to the CEC, yet in vain.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SERGE SARGSIAN: WE CANNOT REMAIN INDIFFERENT TO IRAQ AND KOSOVO
AZG Armenian Daily #183
12/10/2005
“We will possibly turn to the parliament to prolong the stay of our
peacekeepers in Iraq,” Mediamax agency quoted defense minister Serge
Sargsian as saying at the awarding ceremony of Armenian peacekeepers
yesterday. “You represented the Armenian armed forces with honor in
Iraq contributing thus to the authority of our country. On its way to
European integration Armenia cannot step back from the issues facing
the European family. We cannot remain indifferent and that’s why we
took part in peacekeeping missions in Iraq and Kosovo.”
Sargsian also stated that he will discuss issues of deepening
Armenian-American military cooperation at his forthcoming US
visit. Defense minister said no inner political issues of Armenia
will be discussed in the US: “I am not accustomed to discussing our
inner issues abroad.”
Speaking about Baku’s militant statements, Sargsian said that “certain
Azerbaijani leaders are intoxicated with oil dollars.” “Today’s
situation can be compared with that of the early 90s when the leaders
of Azerbaijan wanted to settle the Karabakh issue in a short while
by occupying Karabakh, Armenia or at least part of it. The war
showed that it was a wishful thinking, a legend that vanished on the
battlefield. Today, 11 years past the military operations, they again
sing the same old song,” Sargsian said.

OSCE STRESSED IMPORTANCE OF ESTABLISHING LASTING PEACE IN NKR
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| 18:33:35 | 11-10-2005 | Politics |
On October 10, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Masis Mayilian received head of the OSCE High Level Planning Group,
Colonel Toma~^ Strgar (Slovenia).
Toma~^ Strgar, who visited Nagorno Karabakh for the first time,
presented the activity and prospective plans of the High Level Planning
Group in the region to the Deputy Foreign Minister of the NKR.
In his turn, Masis Mayilian told about the prehistory of the mutual
relations between the NKR MFA and OSCE, noting the effectiveness of
the established cooperation. In this connection, the interlocutors
stressed the importance of the further strengthening of the interaction
for establishing long-term peace and stability in the region of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Olexandr Samarsky (Ukraine) and Harry Eronen
(Finland) attended the meeting.

DISCUSSION ON LOBBYING ACTIVITIES HELD
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| 18:06:45 | 11-10-2005 | Politics |
Today the UN Development Program initiated a recurrent discussion on
the lobbying activities. This time the working group has invited to
the discussion the public organizations dealing with women’s issues.
Co-author of the most debatable laws of the Armenian reality, Deputy
Minister of Justice Ashot Abovyan took part in the discussion.
Many participants wondered whether the elaboration of such a bill is
actual, when there is no law regulating the lobbying activities, and
by whose order the issue is being discussed. “The creation of law is
a pubic demand”, Ashot Abovyan said. “In some 10 years the lobbyists
will form a chamber and like the chamber of lawyers will be become a
self-regulated body. Before this the Justice Ministry is likely to
form a commission on the lobbying ethics to protects the interests
of the lobbyists and at the same time the interests of the people.
Lobbyism is a simple propaganda carried out especially during the
election campaign of a candidate. The RA Constitution is the organic
law of our country and the agitation for the upcoming referendum can
serve as a perfect example of lobbyism.
To note, the bill contains a clause according to which only a citizen
of RA can be a lobbyist.

NIGHT “YES” TO CONSTITUTION
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| 17:08:57 | 11-10-2005 | Politics |
The city authorities used the Armenian singers as an instrument for
spreading the election campaign titled “yes to constitution” during
the Erebuni-Yerevan festivities.
Yesterday a stage decorated for the conduction of the event was
transformed in a huge “yes”. The Armenian stars sang recurrent “yes”
under the posters with “yes” inscribed. Thus, a campaign-concert was
held a video sketch for further propaganda was shot.

ANDRANIK MANUKYAN REJECTED ARMENTEL AGAIN
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| 21:39:27 | 11-10-2005 | Politics |
ArmenTel company appealed to Minister of transport and communications
Andranik Manukyan with a request to reduce the time of free
conversation from 360 to 120 minutes, raise the subscriber fee from
770 to 1400 and lower the 2250 minutes costing 4 drams to 1700 minutes.
The company proposes to make the minute fee 12 AMD.
The Minister rejected the package of new tariffs.
The tariffs proposed are economically ungrounded. However we will
continue the talks”, Manukyan noted.
To note, if the parties do not come to agreement the monopoly terms
will reduce with 3 years.

OPPOSITION CHOKES WITH AMBITIONS, ARSHAK SADOYAN CONSIDERS
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| 20:11:24 | 11-10-2005 | Politics |
The opposition does not undertake drastic measures before the
constitutional referendum, since the alliance experiences problems over
ambitions. This is the opinion of leader of the National Democratic
Alliance Arshak Sadoyan, who accused the opposition of passiveness.
He mentioned the names of Stepan Demirchyan, Artashes Geghamyan and
Aram Z.
Sargsyan noting that the initiative of any of them will kill the idea
of forming a joint headquarters. “Unfortunately ambitions strangle
the opposition. Somebody must take radical moves.” In Arshak Sadoyan’s
opinion this “somebody” is he himself.
Despite the fact that Arshak Sadoyan is not going to quit Justice
bloc. He intends to launch a separate propaganda as regards the
upcoming referendum.
WHAT WILL SAVE THE FATHER OF ARMENIAN REVOLUTION?
Leader of NDA Arshak Sadoyan is going to call businessmen of middle
class to form a fund for spreading anti-propaganda against the adoption
of the constitutional amendments. When asked why he did not appeal to
his party fellows, whose financial state allows making some donations,
the deputy said, “Probably there are some well-off figures in the
Alliance, however since 2003 one-sided expenses exhausted their
financial possibilities.
Though financial flows are not observed yet, the NDA officially
appealed to the Central Bank with a purpose of creating an agitation
fund. According to Sadoyan, they were the first to make such a request
REFERENDUM ALREADY FAILED FOR SADOYAN
The real number of people, who will take part in the referendum on the
constitutional amendments will not exceed 300-350 thousand, NDA leader
Arshak Sadoyan considers basing upon the results of a survey conducted.
At least 80% of the citizens will be inactive, a those active will give
a “no” vote. In his opinion, the referendum has no other alternative
but failure, since 800-850 thousand votes “for” are needed for the
adoption of the constitutional amendments.

UAE INTERESTED IN EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 22:29 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Deputy FM Gegham Gharibjanyan met
with Sharjah emirate emir sheik Sultan Al Qasimi’s Supreme Advisor
on Higher Education, Doctor Amr Abdel Hamid. The latter has arrived
in Armenia on the instructions of Sultan Al Qasimi, reported the
Armenian MFA Press Service.
Doctor Amr Abdel Hamid informed Gegham Gharibjanyan on the outcomes of
his visit, noting the interest of Sharjah sheik to develop education
and scientific cooperation with Armenia. He has also had business
meetings with President of the National Academy of Sciences and
Rector of Yerevan State University. Matters of bilateral interest
were discussed in the course of these. The parties discussed possible
cooperation directions, especially student and professor exchange
between YSU and Sharjah University.

SARGSYAN AWARDED MEDALS TO PEACEKEEPERS, WHO TOOK PART IN HUMANITARIAN MISSION IN IRAQ
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 22:16 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 11 Secretary of the National Security Council
at the President of Armenia, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan awarded
Andranik Ozanyan, Vazgen Sargsyan medals, diplomas and memorable
gifts to first group of Armenian peacekeepers, who took part in the
humanitarian mission in Iraq.
Addressing the servicemen, the Armenian MOD head expressed gratitude
for successful fulfillment of the military mission, which was a hard
one in his words. “You promoted enhancement of our country’s authority
in the world.
Working for integration into Europe, we cannot stay indifferent towards
international community’s problems, just like the community cannot be
indifferent towards ours. Thus we have a mission in Kosovo and Iraq,”
he remarked.
In a conversation with journalists S. Sargsyan appreciated the
professionalism of the Armenian peacekeepers. “Undoubtedly, being
in another country our soldier defends the security of our lands. We
protect their security, acting for the sake of their interests, while
they do the same for the sake of ours. We should not forget that
the cease-fire in Nagorno Karabakh is secured not only by our army,
but also owing to our allied states,” he emphasized. S. Sargsyan also
informed that the Armenian MOD “to all appearance will address the NA
requesting to consider expediency of sending third and fourth shifts
of Armenian peacekeepers to Iraq.”
It should be noted that representatives of Armenia serve in Iraq as
part of the Polish peacekeeping division. The US Government covers the
expenses of dislocation, rear, communication, technical and medical
equipment of the Armenian humanitarian contingent. The first shift of
Armenian peacekeepers was sent in Iraq January 18. The first rotation
of the contingent took place six months after that. To continue the
mission Armenian Parliament’s agreement is necessary. The Armenian
contingent includes medical officers, sappers and drivers. Armenia
does not have military tasks and limits itself to the humanitarian
component of the peacekeeping mission in Iraq, reported IA Regnum.

REPORTS ON MURDER OF AZERI SOLDIER BAKU MEDIA CANARD
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 15:45 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The reports on an Azeri servicemen being killed
in a skirmish at the contact line of the Armed Forces of the NKR
and Azerbaijan are false. This was stated by NKR Defense Ministry
Spokesperson Senor Hasratyan in a conversation with PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. It should be reminded that October 10 Azeri media spread a
statement by Ilgar Verdiyev, a representative of Azerbaijan’s MOD, that
” October 9 a 19-year-old Azeri servicemen was killed in a skirmish
at the contact line of the Armed Forces of the NKR and Azerbaijan.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress