AZG Armenian Daily #176, 01/10/2005
Karabakh diary
NAGORNO KARABAKH: ON ONE LEVEL WITH DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
President of Nagorno Karabakh, Arkady Ghukasian, received yesterday a group
of members of the World Armenian Congress and Union of Russia’s Armenians
visiting Artsakh within the frameworks of the Days of Russia’s Armenians in
Armenia and Artsakh. The head of the republic welcomed the guests
emphasizing the importance of such meetings. Speaking of current
socio-economic situation of Artsakh, Pres. Ghukasian mentioned of the poor
conditions of Artsakh’s settlements. “Seeing you in Karabakh today, we are
sure that the country will revive, and we will overcome problems in all
spheres. We have to win the economic war, too. I think that will be so”,
Ghukasian said. After having roamed in ins and outs of Stepanakert, deputy
chairman of URA German Anyanyants and his friends expressed their happiness
with what they saw. “It’s hard to imagine that once there was a war here.
Karabakh does fall behind any country with its development. We got in touch
with teachers and pupils and saw happiness and faith for Karabakh’s future
in their eyes”, he said.
The members of the delegation were also interested in the conflict
regulation process. Arkady Ghukasian said on this regard: “We do not say
that Azerbaijan’s army makes no headway but a nation’s spirit is an
important factor. We had a chance to make sure of that. No matter how much
Azerbaijan fumes, Karabakh can never again be its appendage; that’s an
absurd that everybody understands”.
On behalf of the Union of Russia’s Armenians and its chairman Ara
Abrahamian, the delegation presented the schools of Stepanakert with
computers.
By Kim Gabrielian in Stepanakert

AZG Armenian Daily #176, 01/10/2005
Karabakh diary
NKR PRESIDENT RECEIVES AGBU REPRESENTATIVES
On September 29, Arkady Ghukasian, NKR President, received Levon Kebabjian,
member of the AGBU Central Board, and Ashot Ghazarian, head of the AGBU
Armenian Office.
NKR President discussed issues concerning the construction of Norashen
village, in Hadrut initiated and supported by AGBU. Arkady Ghukasian
promised that NKR authorities will spare no efforts to overcome all the
obstacles that may occur during the construction works.
The sides also discussed other projects that are to be implemented by AGBU
in NKR in future.

A1+
| 20:56:48 | 30-09-2005 | Politics |
5 YEARS OF PATIENCE
The Venice Commission is interested in the change of Constitution in RA.
According to the Venice Commission secretary Gianni Buquicchio, it proceeds
from the interests of Armenia, «We want Armenia to be like the other
countries and to develop like them».
Even in case of this interest Mr. Buquicchio assures that if the
constitutional referendum fails, the CoE and EU experts «will express their
honest opinion». But he also noted that patience is not unlimited
underlining that «the Venice Commission spent lost 5 and Armenia – 7 years»
on the Constitutional reforms.
Today the European experts participated in a round table in the NA in which
there was not a single representative of the Parliamentary opposition. «We
sent invitations to everyone», informed the NA deputy president Tigran
Torosyan. He also said in his speech that by the adopted draft «some dreams
will be realized, others will not».
According to him, this draft not only amends the Constitution, but also
gives the opportunity of Constitutional reforms. And as far as no other
changes can be introduced into the draft adopted by the third hearing, the
round table was organized, according to Tigran Torosyan, «to bring the draft
to life».
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1+
| 20:42:22 | 30-09-2005 | Politics |
BETTER NOT ADOPTED?
The RA President’s representative in Constitutional affairs Armen
Haroutyunyan answers the questions of «A1+».
– According to you, is the draft Constitution adopted by the NA third
hearing better than the one which was not adopted by referendum in 2003?
– Of course it is. In general, of all the drafts for these years this one is
the best. And it is not by chance that the Venice Commission mentioned this
one.
– But several months ago the Venice Commission announced that the 2001 draft
was the best.
– No, it was mentioned in the conclusion that this is the best of all the
drafts since 2001.
– What must be done in order for this draft not to deserve the same fate as
the previous one?
– The political powers must act as locomotive and realize propaganda of the
draft, otherwise the same will happen to this version. The author is the
coalition, but those political powers which participated in the voting must
also share the burden of organizing the preaching.
– And can the opposition play a significant role with its negative attitude?
– When the draft is a good one, it is difficult to make it appear bad, and
when it is not good, it is difficult to make it appear good. I think in case
of a good draft the only way to play a significant role it to support it.
KARINE ASATRYAN

A1+
| 20:15:25 | 30-09-2005 | Politics |
EURO COURT IS GOING TO SPEED UP THE HEARING OF CASES
Great as the hopes are to restore justice in the Euro Court, the time you
spend waiting for it to make a decision makes people desperate. In answer to
the questions of «A1+» the president of the European Court of Human Rights
Luzius Wildhaber who is in Armenia at present said,
– The despair of the people is justified, but justified as the complaints of
the RA citizens of your court system may be, the National courts must be
given the possibility to hear the complaints of their citizens. Only in that
case can they apply to the European Court of Human Rights. As for the dates
of hearings, I agree that the process lasts long, and I have always fought
for speeding it up the. The Governments of the CoE member countries have
come to an agreement in this respect, and the 14th protocol has been adopted
according to which the authors of the complaints must be given quick
responses and the hearings must be accelerated. We get 45 thousand cases a
year and we are not able to hear them all.
– In the Euro Court no case from Armenia has been heard up to now. The TV
Company «A1+» was one of the first which applied to the Euro Court. 3 years
have passed, but the case has not been heard.
– I cannot refer to the details of the case. Really, it has been long since
you applied to court, and «A1+» can get details about the procedure via
corresponding mechanisms.
– Today many people in Armenia are worried by the possibility of the
decisions of the Euro Court being ignored by the RA authorities.
– The decisions of the European Court are subject to immediate fulfillment.
It realizes control over the fulfillment of the decisions, and the CoE
member countries report to the CoE Presidents Committee about the process
from time to time.
– How can you account for the fact that no case from Armenia has been heard
in the Euro Court?
– I am very sorry, but we are not able to hear all the cases. The Court has
only 4 chambers, and each chamber can hear only a case in a month.
VIKTORIA ABRAHAMYAN

Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)
Sept 30 2005
ARMENIA: HOMEOWNERS PROTEST DEMOLITION PLAN
An urban renewal scheme for the capital has drawn the ire of some
residents.
By Gegham Vardanian in Yerevan
In the centre of the Armenian capital Yerevan they are manning the
barricades.
Huge piles of stones, wooden beams and pieces of metal block off both
ends of Pavstos Byuzand Street, 100 metres from the city’s main
Republic Square.
They were built one month ago by 14 families, 60-70 people in all,
trying to thwart government plans to raze their homes in order to
build a new, fashionable boulevard in downtown Yerevan – part of an
urban renewal scheme for the capital.
Police quickly moved in and cleared the first barricades, but they
soon went up again, and since then there has been a stand-off. The
protesters keep watch 24 hours a day – looking out for the tractors
and dumper trucks which they fear may come any time now to demolish
their homes.
Of the roughly 100 one-story houses that make up the street, 80 have
already been destroyed. Their owners received compensation and moved
to other sections of the city.
Those who refuse to vacate face serious consequences. They’ve already
had the compensation amount offered reduced by one third. Meanwhile,
the Yerevan mayor’s office, which is spearheading the urban renewal
campaign, has taken the case to the district court in the hope of
forcibly evicting those who refuse to depart peacefully.
But for the families of Pavstos Byuzand Street, the sum being offered
is far from adequate.
`Apartments in the centre of Yerevan are going for 1,100-1,300 US
dollars per square metre,’ said Byuzand resident Zorik Vardanian.
`They are offering me 48,000 dollars for my 80 square metre
apartment, so my place is worth 600 dollars per square metre to
them.’
`But it’s not about the money,’ added Vardanian. `In general I don’t
believe that our eviction is legal.’
Anzheta Muradian agrees and says that the amount proposed is not
enough to move her 12 family members to the outskirts of Yerevan.
“They think of us as rats,’ said Muradian who wants to receive the
market value for her home. `They don’t want to give us apartments in
the buildings that are being built. We won’t leave until we receive
compensation, even if they destroy our homes.’
In order to make it uninhabitable, Anna has already seen half of her
house destroyed, according to a court order. `I was in the first
floor and did not want to leave the house. Then court officials came
and dragged me out of the house, beating me in order to continue
their black deed,” said Anzheta, displaying the bruises on her arms
and legs.
The protesters and their supporters say the case is just another
example of how the government and judicial system run roughshod over
their rights.
For government officials, however, the residents of Pavstos Byuzand
Street are merely holding up a long-planned project that will benefit
all of Yerevan in order to line their own pockets.
`They register a huge number of relatives in their miserable little
apartments,’ said Karen Davtian, who runs Yerevan’s office of
construction investments, the main body dealing with the project.
Each registered person in a property receives compensation.
`They knew already a few years back that their houses would be torn
down, so they did everything to receive more compensation and to get
new apartments,’ Davtian told IWPR. `We can’t pay them what they
want.’
The urban renewal project – directed by the state, but funded by
private companies – began in 2001 with the construction of another
major thoroughfare, Northern Avenue. Wreckers destroyed some 400
houses covering 70,000 square metres.
Some residents at the time were not satisfied with the compensation
they received. But they did not erect barricades. Instead they
created a public defence organisation, Victims of the Needs of the
State, which is now assisting the Pavstos Byuzand Street protesters.
Zhora Khachatryan, chief legal adviser to Armenia’s human rights
ombudsman, said the urban renewal programme should have been designed
so it did not infringe on people’s rights.
The ombudsman’s office, which has received more than 200 complaints
from residents, has responded to the protests by issuing a special
report on property rights, agreeing that some homeowners who have
been moved did not receive sufficient compensation.
It also believes the government’s actions are in violation of the
constitution and claims that the courts are not protecting the
population, since all judicial decisions have come down on the side
of the government.
Not surprisingly, government officials disagree, saying that the
project is essential and should therefore be given high priority.
“The refurbishment of the centre of Yerevan is a pressing task and,
if the government does not have sufficient resources, it should be
resolved with the help of private investors,” Yerevan Mayor Yervand
Zakharyan told a news conference.
Others, however, say that rebuilding downtown Yerevan does not
constitute a special case.
“A case is exceptional if, God save us, a war starts or a terrorist
attack is carried out,’ said Vahe Grigoryan, a lawyer for one of the
protesters. `Why are they rebuilding the centre of Yerevan where
land is most expensive?’
`Let them think about improving remote villages. This is no
exception. This is being done only to satisfy the government’s
financial needs.”
The protesters, however, have lost all legal challenges to their
eviction, with the courts agreeing with the government and citing
`state need’ for their properties as a legitimate reason to evict
them. Their last hope is the Yerevan Court of Appeal, which is also
scheduled to hear their challenge.
Despite the setbacks, the residents’ faith in the system has not
disappeared completely. On the walls of many of the houses on Byazand
Street hang photos of Armenian President Robert Kocharian and copies
of Article 28 of the Armenian constitution, which describes citizens’
property rights.
Yerevan’s mayor has ordered a final round of consultations with the
residents before the next stage of demolition on Byuzand Street
begins. Neither side places much confidence in resolving the issue,
however.
“We can offer them 10 per cent more, but not 70-80 per cent, as they
are demanding,” said Karen Davtyan of the construction committee.
Vahe Grigorian believes that the government is making a grave mistake
by alienating the residents of Pavstos Byuzand Street. `You should
understand that a beautiful building can be constructed in two years
but, when people’s trust in the rule of law is lost, many more years
will be necessary to restore it,’ he said.

Gegham Vardanian works for the Yerevan office of Internews.

AZG Armenian Daily #176, 01/10/2005
Home
LAW ON REPATRIATION?
“Yerkir” NGO sent a letter to Tigran Torosian and Vahan Hovhannisian, deputy
chairmen of the Armenian Parliament, as well as to a number of political
parties and factions proposing to pass a law on repatriation. The NGO
presents its views on national policy of repatriation and how it should be
implemented. It believes that current constitutional reforms are a unique
opportunity for documenting the importance of repatriation. The NGO suggests
passing a law on repatriation before the constitutional referendum that will
specify the status of a repatriate, his/her privileges as well as setting an
order for a state program on repatriation. The needs highlight the following
basics: it is the state that should organize repatriation, giving right to
every Armenian to be repatriated and recognize him/her citizen of Armenia
without prerequisite once they return.
The NGO suggests elaborating and adopting a state program on “repatriation
and settlement” that will ascertain arrangements for adaptation and
integration, social rights protection and for providing favorable conditions
and freedom of activity in the early stage of repatriation.
The NGO thinks that the Armenians of Diaspora will be ready to repatriate
only in case of carrying out these arrangements. Approach to all groups of
repatriates should be differentiated. The traditional Diaspora that was
formed as a result of the Armenian Genocide also needs to be distinguished
from the “new Diaspora” formed after the collapse of the USSR.
The letter also points out to the negative consequences of immigration of
the last year and a half that will be noticeable in the coming decade. The
NGO alarms about reduction of the male population of the country which
resulted in decrease of married couples, aging of the society, decline of
birth rate, migration within the country etc. “Yerkir” NGO does not think
there are sufficient measures to stop further flow of immigrants and undo
the damage caused by immigration.
By Ruzan Poghosian

Mediamax news agency, Armenia
Sept 30 2005
Armenian president, Georgian premier discuss projects in ethnic
Armenian region
Yerevan, 30 September: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli today discussed in Yerevan
the social and economic situation in [Georgia’s] Samtskhe-Javakheti,
populated mainly by Armenians.
Zurab Noghaideli told the Armenian president that the Georgian
government was planning to implement in Samtskhe-Javakheti a
five-year programme for the maintenance of roads, the [Armenian]
presidential press service told Mediamax news agency. These funds
will be allocated by the American Fund Millennium Challenge and
partially from the Georgian budget.
Zurab Noghaideli also said that the Georgian government intended to
implement educational programmes for the Armenian-speaking population
and take an active part in the construction of school in
Samtskhe-Javakheti.
Speaking about an outcome of the meeting of the Armenian-Georgian
intergovernment commission, Zurab Noghaideli said that the sides had
managed to find mutually acceptable solutions almost on all issues.
The Armenian president and the Georgian prime minister discussed new
opportunities for exporting Armenian electricity to Georgia. Robert
Kocharyan spoke of the importance of cooperation in the energy sphere
which, he said, could become a real programme for regional
cooperation.
Given an increase of mutual trips of Armenian and Georgian citizens
and tendencies of developing tourism, Robert Kocharyan and Zurab
Noghaideli noted the importance of creating new transport
possibilities. In particular, they spoke about the opening of
Yerevan-Tbilisi and Yerevan-Batumi direct flights and establishing
railway communications from Yerevan to Batumi.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
GEORGIAN EXPERTS TO ASCERTAIN SAFETY OF ANPP
30.09.2005 07:38
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian and Georgian Prime Ministers achieved an
agreement according to which Georgian experts will be rendered an
opportunity to attend the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant and ascertain of its
not being dangerous for the neighbor states. To note, Greens of Georgia
insist that the Armenian NPP being located in a seismically active zone
represents a danger to Armenia and the neighbor states, RFE/RL reported.

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN-LATVIAN BUSINESS FORUM TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN OCTOBER 7
30.09.2005 05:41
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Latvian Minister of Economy Krisjanis Karins and a
delegation of Latvian entrepreneurs engaged in IT, building, woodworking
industry, telecommunications, education, etc. will accompany President of
Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga during his regional visit to the South Caucasus.
A number of events targeted at expanding cooperation and creation of new
business contacts will be held Yerevan, Tbilisi and Baku. Thus, October 3-4
a Latvia-Azerbaijan business forum organized by the Latvian Agency for
Investment and Development will take place in Baku. The Latvian and
Azerbaijani Presidents are expected to address the conference. Similar
business forum will be held October 5 in Georgia with the participation of
President Saakashvili. The Latvian-Armenian conference with the
participation of RA President Robert Kocharian is scheduled for October 7,
IA Regnum reported.