Winning the War Against Antipersonnel Mines: Biggest Challenges Still Ahead
24 Nov 2004 07:48:00 GMT
Source: NGO latest
ICBL
Landmine Monitor Report 2004
Cover Photo: Fred Clarke, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) – USA
Website:
New Report Looks at 5-Year Trends
Since the international treaty prohibiting antipersonnel landmines
took effect five years ago, use of the weapon around the world has
fallen dramatically, global funding for mine action programs has
increased more than 80 percent, more than 1,100 square kilometers
of land has been cleared, and the number of new mine victims each
year has decreased markedly, according to a 1,300-page report by the
International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) released today.
â~@~The international norm established by the Mine Ban Treaty is
rapidly taking firm hold around the world, especially in the heavily
mine-contaminated countries where it matters the most,â~@~] said ICBL
Ambassador Jody Williams, who shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize with
the ICBL. â~@~Clearly we are succeeding in our struggle to eradicate
this weapon. But even bigger challenges remain, to convince hold-out
governments to come on board, to ensure effective implementation of
and compliance with the treaty, to get mines out of the ground within
the ten-year deadline, and to provide adequate assistance to landmine
victims,â~@~] said Ms. Williams.
There are 143 States Parties to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which entered
into force with unprecedented speed on 1 March 1999. An additional nine
countries have signed but not yet ratified the treaty that prohibits
the use, production, trade and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines,
and requires clearance of mined areas within ten years. Since the last
Landmine Monitor report, nine countries joined the treaty including
Burundi and Sudan, which are both significantly mine-affected,
and Belarus, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, and Turkey, which are
also mine-affected and combined have over ten million stockpiled
antipersonnel mines to destroy.
The ICBLâ~@~Ys Landmine Monitor Report 2004 cites compelling evidence
of use of antipersonnel mines by four governments since May 2003:
Georgia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, and Russia. In contrast, the
first Landmine Monitor Report 1999 identified 15 governments using
antipersonnel mines in the 1998/1999 reporting period.
â~@~One of the greatest success stories of the Mine Ban Treaty is
that sixty-five States Parties have completed the destruction of their
stockpiles, collectively destroying more than 37 million antipersonnel
mines, including four million mines in the last year,â~@~] said Stephen
Goose of Human Rights Watch, the Chief Editor of the Landmine Monitor
initiative. Every State Party so far has met its treaty-mandated
four-year deadline for stockpile destruction, except for Guinea and
Turkmenistan, both of which have subsequently completed stockpile
destruction.
â~@~Compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty by States Parties has
been very impressive, but not absolute or uniform,â~@~] said
Mr. Goose. Since the Mine Ban Treaty entered into force, the ICBL
has consistently raised questions about how States Parties interpret
and implement certain aspects of Articles 1, 2, and 3. In particular,
the ICBL has expressed concerns regarding the issues of joint military
operations with non-States Parties, the prohibition on assisting banned
acts, foreign stockpiling and transit of antipersonnel mines, mines
with sensitive fuzes and antihandling devices, and the permissible
number of antipersonnel mines retained for training and development
purposes. The ICBL has pointed out that some States Parties have
diverged from the predominant legal interpretation and predominant
State practice on these matters.
Forty-two countries remain outside of the Mine Ban Treaty, including
China, Russia, and the United States, most of the Middle East, most
of the former Soviet republics, and many Asian states. In February
2004, the United States abandoned its long-held goal of eventually
eliminating all antipersonnel mines and joining the treaty.
Still, the power of the mine ban movement is reflected in the fact
that a de facto global ban on the trade of antipersonnel mines has
been in effect since the mid-1990s, with only a very low level of
illicit trafficking and unacknowledged trade taking place. Moreover,
of the more than 50 countries known to have produced antipersonnel
mines, all but 15 have formally renounced production.
>>From 1999 to 2003, more than 1,100 square kilometers of land were
cleared, resulting in the destruction of more than four million
antipersonnel mines, nearly one million antivehicle mines, and many
more millions of pieces of unexploded ordnance. â~@~There is now
consistent and reliable evidence to show that mine action is making
a measurable difference in the lives of millions of people living
in mine-affected countries,â~@~] said Ms. Sara Sekkenes of Norwegian
People’s Aid, co-chair of the ICBL Mine Action Working Group, while
cautioning that global mine action numbers should not be regarded as
precise. â~@~Clearly tremendous progress has been made in the field of
humanitarian mine action using the comprehensive framework provided
by the Mine Ban Treaty,â~@~] she added. The past five years have
witnessed the initiation and expansion of many mine action programs,
and ever-greater amounts of land being returned to communities for
productive use.
Some form of mine clearance was reported in 2003 and 2004 in a total
of 65 countries, including the first humanitarian mine clearance
operations in Armenia, Chile, Senegal, and Tajikistan. In 2003 alone,
a combined total of more than 149 million square meters (149 square
kilometers) of land was cleared, resulting in the destruction of at
least 174,167 antipersonnel mines, 9,330 antivehicle mines, and 2.6
million items of unexploded ordnance (UXO).
According to Landmine Monitor Report 2004, 83 countries are
mine-affected, including 52 States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty. The
Mine Ban Treaty requires States Parties to clear all mined areas
within ten years of joining the treaty. States Parties that have
declared completion of mine clearance since 1999 include Bulgaria
(October 1999), Moldova (August 2000), Costa Rica (December 2002),
Czech Republic (April 2003), Djibouti (January 2004), and, most
recently, Honduras (June 2004).
However, in 2003 and 2004, no mine clearance or mine risk education
activities were recorded in 13 States Parties. â~@~Without sufficient
and sustained resources, we fear that many States Parties will not meet
their treaty obligation to remove emplaced mines within ten years,â~@~]
said Mr. Stan Brabant of Handicap International and Landmine Monitor
Research Coordinator for mine risk education. â~@~This is a critical
time, and our goal of a mine-free world is within reach,â~@~]
he added.
Landmine Monitor has identified about US$2.07 billion in donor
mine action contributions from 1992-2003. Of that 12-year total,
65 percent ($1.35 billion) was provided in the past five years
(1999-2003), since the entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty. For
2003, Landmine Monitor has identified $339 million in mine action
funding by more than 24 donors. This is an increase of $25 million, or
8 percent, from 2002, and an increase of $102 million, or 43 percent,
from 2001. Major increases were registered in 2003 for the European
Commission and the United States, as well as Canada and Sweden.
In 2003, Afghanistan ($75 million) and Iraq ($55 million) received
38 percent of global mine action funding. Meanwhile, an unusually
large number of mine- affected countries experienced a decline in
donor contributions to mine action in 2003. Mine action funding fell
most severely in 2003 for Vietnam and Cambodia, but decreases were
also experienced in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eritrea, Somaliland,
Laos, and Ethiopia. In 2003, several of the major donors provided
significantly less mine action funding, including Japan, Austria,
Italy, Australia, France, and the Netherlands.
The number of reported new mine casualties declined in the majority of
mine- affected countries in 2003, and dropped significantly in some
heavily mined countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Cambodia, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka. Landmine Monitor identified 8,065 new
casualties caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in 2003,
compared to 8,333 in 2002.However, many casualties go unreported and
Landmine Monitor estimates there are now between 15,000 and 20,000
new casualties annually around the world¡Xfar fewer than the 26,000
per year estimated in the 1990s.
â~@~The declining landmine casualty rate is heartening, but there
are still an appalling number of people, especially children, killed
and maimed by landmines every year in virtually every region of the
world,â~@~] said Ms. Sheree Bailey of Handicap International, Landmine
Monitorâ~@~Ys Victim Assistance Research Coordinator. â~@~The stark
reality is that there is an ever-growing number of mine survivors
in the world and in the vast majority of mine-affected countries,
neither the national governments nor international donors are doing
nearly enough to provide for their needs,â~@~] she added.
According to Landmine Monitor, in 2003, new landmine and UXO casualties
were recorded in 65 countries. A total of 86 percent of reported new
casualties were identified as civilians and 23 percent were children.
The major progress in the past five years in preventing antipersonnel
mines from being laid and in clearing existing minefields has not
been matched in the area of victim assistance. Landmine Monitor
reports that while global mine action funding has increased greatly
since 1999, identifiable resources for mine victim assistance have
actually declined (US$29.8 million in 1999 compared to US$28.2 million
in 2003). Resources for victim assistance as a percentage of total
mine action funding have decreased significantly and steadily from
14.9 percent in 1999 to 8.3 percent in 2003.
â~@~In many mine-affected countries the assistance available to
rehabilitate and reintegrate landmine survivors back into society
remains desperately inadequate,â~@~] said Ms. Bailey. â~@~If
governments are serious in their commitment to assist survivors,
funding for healthcare and the disability sector must be significantly
increased and sustained over the long-term,â~@~] she added.Landmine
Monitor identified only 35 countries receiving resources from other
States for mine victim assistance programs in 2003, with the majority
of resources being provided for physical rehabilitation programs.
Landmine Monitor estimates that there are somewhere between 300,000
and 400,000 mine survivors in at least 121 countries today. From 1999
to September 2004, Landmine Monitor recorded more than 42,500 new
landmine and UXO casualties from incidents in at least 75 countries.
Landmine Monitor Report 2004: Toward a Mine-Free World is the sixth
annual report by the ICBL. It contains information on landmine
use, production, trade, stockpiling, demining, casualties and
victim assistance in every country of the world. This year¡¦s
1,300-page report is a special edition covering the past five years,
in anticipation of the first five-year Review Conference for the Mine
Ban Treaty. On Monday, 29 November, the ICBL will present the report
to diplomats attending the review conference in Kenya, known as the
Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World.
The Landmine Monitor initiative is coordinated by a â~@~Core
Groupâ~@~] of five ICBL organizations. Human Rights Watch is the
lead organization and others include Handicap International, Kenya
Coalition Against Landmines, Mines Action Canada, and Norwegian
People¡¦s Aid. A total of 110 Landmine Monitor researchers in 93
countries systematically collected and analyzed information from a wide
variety of sources for this comprehensive report. This unique civil
society initiative constitutes the first time that non-governmental
organizations have come together in a sustained, coordinated and
systematic way to monitor and report on the implementation of an
international disarmament or humanitarian law treaty.
The full Landmine Monitor report and related documents are available
online in various languages at
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact:
BELGIUM: Ms. Annelies Vanoppen, Handicap International, +32 (2)
286-50-38, Email. annelies.vanoppen-replacewatsign-handicap.be
MOZAMBIQUE: Ms. Inger Sandberg, Norwegian People’s Aid, +47 97 97 75 91
CAMBODIA: Ms. Sheree Bailey, Landmine Monitor Victim Assistance
Research Coordinator, +855 12 693 823
NAIROBI: Ms. Sue Wixley, ICBL, Tel. + 254 (0735) 337-396, Email.
media-replacewatsign-icbl.org
–Boundary_(ID_nUtEVoECO9Dq8VBFHITn3g)–

Azeri foreign minister addresses UN over Karabakh settlement
ANS Radio, Baku
24 Nov 04
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov addressed the 59th
session of the UN General Assembly in New York a few hours ago. He
spoke about the obstacles to the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict created by official Yerevan and specifically about the
Armenian leadership settling Armenian families on the occupied
Azerbaijani territories. It must be remembered that a special
resolution on the situation on the occupied Azerbaijani lands is
expected to be adopted at the 59th session of the UN General Assembly
on 26 November.
Dilsad Aliyarli, a correspondent of the Voice of America TV station,
will give us the latest details from the USA.
[Correspondent by phone] Mammadyarov said that the draft resolution
submitted to the UN was balanced and constructive. He ruled out that
this was an attempt to instruct the UN General Assembly to resolve
the conflict. The point is about the problem itself which delays
the peace process and might lead to humanitarian disaster if the
situation continues to be the case. The minister said that Armenia
should immediately take effective and unconditional measures to stop
the settlement process in Azerbaijan’s occupied lands and the Armenian
government should guarantee clearly and resolutely that it will not
repeat this kind of illegal policy and activity. The Azerbaijani
foreign minister said that he had been using all diplomatic means
to prevent the dangerous development of events in the occupied
lands. At the end of his speech, Mammadyarov stressed that the talks
were continuing and that he regularly contacted the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs.

Azeri minister urges UN to have final say on Karabakh
ANS TV, Baku
24 Nov 04
[Presenter] Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov gave an
interview to ANS after his speech at the UN General Assembly. He said
that the UN General Assembly should now have a final say.
[Correspondent over video of the UN session] The minister thinks
that the first step has already been taken. We now have to wait for
another resolution which the UN is going to adopt on the situation
on the occupied Azerbaijani territories. This will take some time.
[Mammadyarov by phone] The UN has a special procedure of adopting
resolutions. This is a process. It will take some time. Therefore,
we think that first we should continue the talks and then we will
express our opinion after reviewing their results.
[Correspondent] Mammadyarov also commented on the statement made by
his Armenian counterpart Vardan Oskanyan on the UN discussions.
[Passage omitted: reported details of Armenia’s position]
[Mammadyarov] This issue was not comprehensively discussed when I met
the Armenian foreign minister in Berlin. Azerbaijan thinks that we
need to continue the talks within the framework of the Prague meetings
[on the Karabakh settlement]. We intend to continue the Prague talks
as soon as possible.
[Correspondent] Elmar Mammadyarov said that only Armenia and
Azerbaijan participated in the talks in line with the OSCE Minsk
Group’s regulations. The Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of
Nagornyy Karabakh enjoy the status of parties interested in this
process. If we negotiate with the so-called regime, then Armenia will
be regarded not as the opposite side, but as a side interested in the
settlement process. In these circumstances, Armenia must walk out of
the talks, end quote.
Mammadyarov said that he will clarify this position of the Baku
government at his meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs today.
Ayaz Mirzayev, ANS.

Tajik, Russian top brass pledge closer military ties
Khovar news agency, Dushanbe
24 Nov 04
A meeting was held between Defence Minister Col-Gen Sherali
Khayrulloyev and a Russian military delegation at the Tajik Defence
Ministry on 23 November. The delegation led by the commander-in-chief
of the Russian air force, Army General Vladimir Mikhaylov, is visiting
Tajikistan.
The meeting discussed Russian-Tajik military and military-technical
cooperation both between the two countries and within the framework of
the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization includes Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan] and other
regional organizations.
The discussions focused particularly on cooperation within the
framework of the CIS joint air defence system, the involvement of
Russian military aircraft in the joint command and staff exercise
Rubezh-2005, to take place in Tajikistan in April 2005, and other
issues of mutual interest.
During the businesslike and constructive conversation, the sides
confirmed their willingness for fruitful cooperation in the interests
of strengthening regional cooperation in the spirit of strategic
partnership, the head of the Tajik Defence Ministry press centre,
Zarobiddin Sirojov, told the Khovar national news agency.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB QUALIFIED MONDAY EXPLOSION OF NIKOL PASHINYAN’S CAR AS
ACT AGAINST PRESS FREEDOM
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23. ARMINFO. National Press Club qualifies the Monday
explosion of the car of Aykakan Zhamanak chief editor Nikol Pashinyan as a
terrorist act against press freedom in Armenia.
NPC says that if earlier such acts were aimed against journalists’ cameras
now applied is an explosive. The lives of journalists are in danger. NPC demands
that the government punish the organizers of the crime. “It’s time to come to
one’s senses and to restore legality in Armenia otherwise the wheel of
violation may turn in some unpredictable direction.”
To remind, Pashinyan’s car exploded Monday evening and his staff are
suspecting Armenian businessman Gagik Tsarukyan who has recently been a target of
their pens.

Opposition chides Armenian leadership for foreign policy failures
Arminfo
23 Nov 04
Yerevan, 23 November: The current Armenian leadership has brought
the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict to deadlock and
has endangered the possibility of a pro-Armenian solution to this
problem, representatives of the Armenian opposition said at the
Armenian National Assembly today.
The vice-president of the National Unity Party, Aleksan Karapetyan,
said that the draft resolution of the rapporteur of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] on Nagornyy Karabakh, David
Atkinson, which runs counter to the interests of the Armenian side,
is a result of the “good-for-nothing” foreign policy of the country’s
incumbent authorities.
Aleksan Karapetyan, a member of the Armenian delegation at the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly, said that having familiarized himself with the
agenda of the Rose-Roth seminar to be held in Baku on 25-27 November,
it became clear that Armenia is not ready to take part in this
seminar. He said that as a consequence of the short-sighted foreign
policy of the country’s incumbent authorities, Nagornyy Karabakh has
turned out of a member of the negotiating process into its object.
For his part, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party and former
presidential adviser for foreign issues, Aram Sarkisyan, also accused
the country’s leadership of allowing Azerbaijan to include the issue of
“the occupied territories” in the agenda of the UN General Assembly.
He said that the best thing the Armenian side can count on during
the discussion of this issue at the UN General Assembly is the
establishment of a monitoring group to study “the situation on the
occupied territories”.
The MP stated that [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan must report
“foreign policy failures” to the people and parliament. Aram Sarkisyan
said that the opposition will organize a round table at the house of
journalists on 26 November on the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh
conflict. During the discussions, the opposition will present a plan
of measures to get out of the current critical situation. At the
same time, he expressed the hope that under the current authorities,
it will be difficult to get the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh
conflict out of the deadlock.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, ITALIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSS COOPERATION
Arminfo
23 Nov 04
Yerevan, 23 November: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today
received Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Margherita Boniver and the
delegation accompanying her in the visit.
The Armenian president expressed satisfaction with the current level
of Armenian-Italian relations, the presidential press service has
told Arminfo news agency.
The sides discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to bilateral
and international ties, including cooperation of the countries in
international organizations.
The source reports that the sides exchanged views on reforms under
way in the UN bodies, particularly on the expansion of the UN Security
Council.
In turn, Margherita Boniver noted Italy’s interest in the South
Caucasus countries. The Italian deputy minister considered as important
Kocharyan’s upcoming official visit to Italy in January 2005. She said
that this visit would boost cooperation between the two countries. At
the meeting, the sides also discussed the current situation in the
resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

Armenian foreign minister downbeat on Europe’s Karabakh report
Arminfo
23 Nov 04
Yerevan, 23 November: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said
in Yerevan today that he regarded the draft project drawn up by the
rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
[PACE] on Nagornyy Karabakh, David Atkinson, as an “ordinary report”.
The Armenian foreign minister said that in the view of the Armenian
side, the draft report contains wording that does not exactly reflect
the essence of the conflict.
“However, it is necessary to understand that it is a normal political
process when Armenian and Azerbaijani representatives are trying to
make the report meet their interests in full”, Oskanyan said. At the
same time, he noted that the Armenian delegation at PACE managed to
get certain provisions of David Atkinson’s document amended.
“The struggle is continuing at this and other fronts”, Armenian
foreign minister said.
Oskanyan noted that the discussion of the issue at PACE does not at all
mean that the settlement of the conflict is gradually being transferred
to the Council of Europe. He recalled that the Karabakh conflict was
also recently discussed by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Oskanyan
said that “we take all resolutions and reports calmly as they do not
attempt to predetermine political status for Nagornyy Karabakh that
would be unacceptable to us”.

ROW OVER ELECTORAL REFORM SPLITTING ARMENIAN COALITION
Emil Danielyan
Eurasianet
11/23/04
An increasingly bitter dispute over election rules for future
parliamentary elections could cause a split within Armenia’s governing
coalition.
The Republican Party (HHK) of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian is at
loggerheads with its two subordinate coalition partners, the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and the Orinats Yerkir (Country of
Law) party. The dispute centers on the composition of parliament,
or, more specifically, how MPs are elected.
According to the existing law, 75 of the 131 members of the National Assembly
are elected under the proportional system, with voters choosing a list of
candidates fielded by a party or bloc. The remaining 56 seats are distributed in
single-mandate constituencies under the first-past-the-post, or “majoritarian”
system prevalent in the United States and Britain.
The vast majority of the Armenian lawmakers elected under the majoritarian
system are wealthy government-connected individuals. In the overwhelming number
of instances, these individuals wield immense economic influence within their
respective constituencies, and are widely believed to have secured victory at
the polls through bribery and manipulation. Many of them are affiliated with,
or backed by the HHK — a key reason why Markarianâ~@~Ys party has the largest
parliament faction and controls most local governments. The HHK is certainly
Kocharianâ~@~Ys most influential supporter.
The junior coalition members would prefer to do away with first-past-the-post
constituencies, and base future elections entirely on the proportional
system. At the very least, they want to reduce the number of majoritarian seats
in
the legislature. The ARF, also known as Dashnaktsutiun, has warned that it
could quit the coalition if the HHK continues to oppose a move to increase the
number of parliamentary seats determined under the proportional system.
“Dashnaktsutiun reserves the right to reconsider its participation in the
coalition government in the event of a breach of the goals spelled out in the
[June 2003] memorandum on its [the coalitionâ~@~Ys] creation,” warned Armen
Rustamian, one of its leaders. He said expansion of the proportional system was
one of
the key terms of the coalitionâ~@~Ys power-sharing accord.
The coalition cabinet has been beset by internal wrangling ever since its
creation following the May 2003 parliamentary elections, which were marked by
widespread accusations of fraud. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive
]. The ARF has regularly expressed its dissatisfaction with the slow pace of
economic improvement, persisting government corruption and what its leaders
characterize as the “power of money” in the impoverished country. The
influential
nationalist party, which has branches in Armeniaâ~@~Ys worldwide Diaspora,
toughened its rhetoric in early November after the HHK torpedoed its efforts at
electoral reform.
The two sides have tried unsuccessfully in recent weeks to bridge their
differences. Tigran Torosian, a deputy parliament speaker and an HHK leader,
said
on November 23 that the Republicans will make a final attempt to strike a
compromise deal later this week. Their failure to reach agreement would set the
stage for Kocharianâ~@~Ys personal intervention in the row, which has already
proven
debilitating for the governing coalition. Keeping all of his major allies
happy will be a difficult task, observers in Yerevan say.
Despite the recent rise in heated rhetoric, HHK leaders have been quick to
shrug off the threat of an ARF departure. “Let nobody think that we become very
concerned and nervous every time they talk about leaving [the coalition],”
Markarian said in a recent newspaper interview.
Of all the other Armenian parties only Orinats Yerkir, which is led by
parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian, did reasonably well in individual races
in
the 2003 parliament elections. Yet it too wants a greater share for the
party-list seats. Proponents of the proportional system say that it would spur
the
development of political parties. Increased political competition, in turn,
would
make it more difficult for one party to get away with voting irregularities.
In a bid to prevail in the dispute, the rival camps have turned to other
political groups for support. The Republicans are strongly backed on the issue
by
the Peopleâ~@~Ys Deputy group of non-partisan lawmakers. Orinats Yerkir and the
ARF, meanwhile, have enlisted the support of the United Labor Party (MAK), a
small pro-Kocharian group also represented in the current legislature.
MAK leader Gurgen Arsenian claimed on November 18 that “new realignments”
could occur both inside the parliament and the government. He said opponents of
the majoritarian system are prepared to take “drastic steps,” which he declined
to specify. “Time will tell whether or not there will be a change in the
coalition format,” Arsenian told reporters. “I donâ~@~Yt rule that out.”
The existing balance of forces in parliament favors the HHK, the most
powerful government faction. Together with the Peopleâ~@~Ys Deputy group, they
hold about
60 parliament seats compared to less than 40 seats controlled by their
pro-presidential opponents. However, the junior coalition members could end up
winning the electoral rules debate if they gain the support of the 23 lawmakers
representing Armeniaâ~@~Ys two main opposition groups, the Artarutiun (Justice)
alliance the National Unity Party (AMK).
Whether the opposition parties are willing to join forces with the junior
coalition members on the electoral rules issue is uncertain at this point.
Artarutiun and the AMK are both known to be strong advocates of proportional
representation, but they have boycotted parliament sessions since February 2004.
The
boycott is linked to the pro-presidential parliament majorityâ~@~Ys refusal to
consider a “referendum of confidence” in Kocharian. [For background see the
Eurasia Insight archive].
The opposition refuses to recognize the legitimacy of Kocharianâ~@~Ys victory in
the 2003 presidential vote. For more than a year after the election, the
opposition pursued a popular protest strategy against Kocharian. That effort,
however, failed to attract a sufficient following that could exert pressure on
the
president to either change political course, or step down. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive].
Since abandoning the protest strategy, opposition leaders have kept a low
profile, waiting for an opportunity to capitalize on the renewed government
infighting. They may now believe such an opportunity is at hand and try to stoke
the intra-governmental tensions by openly backing the electoral reform
championed by the ARF. All of which makes the fast resolution of the coalition
dispute
even more urgent for Kocharian.
Editorâ~@~Ys Note: Emil Danielyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and political
analyst.
–Boundary_(ID_mfgWO/sJCL6o5V4fBWfeQg)–

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11/23/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Meeting with President Arkady Ghoukasian 2) Public Official and Former "Azadamard" Editor Mousegh Mikaelian Passes Away 3) Azeri Officer Admits Killing Armenian With Ax 4) Armenia Criticizes Atkinson Report on Karabagh 1) Meeting with President Arkady Ghoukasian Among the many issues discussed between an Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) delegation and Mountainous Karabagh Republic President Arkady Ghoukasian on Monday, were the upcoming Armenia Fund telethon, national dues for Karabagh's advancement, as well as steps to resettle the population of Karabagh. Joining President Ghoukasian were the Representative of MKR in the United States Vardan Barseghian, and Karabagh Archbishop Barkev Mardirossian. A lengthy political discussion included means to counter Azerbaijan's latest anti-Armenian policy, and the Karabagh peace process. The ARF Western Region delegation was composed of co-chair Avedik Ismirlian and Hovig Saliba, along with Vahe Bozoian, Hrair Der Krikorian, and Anahid Stepanian. 2) Public Official and Former "Azadamard" Editor Mousegh Mikaelian Passes Away YEREVAN (ARF Bureau Press Office)--The distinguished career of Mousegh Mikaelian came to an end on Monday, November 23, when the accomplished official passed away in the capital city of Yerevan. Born in the Talin region of Zovasar in 1948, Mikaelian graduated from the "Sasnashen" school and shortly after gained entry into Yerevan State University's Philology Department. Having served as a staff member of several publications, including "Karoun," "Avantgard," and "Sovetagan Hayastan," Mikaelian moved on to establish the weeklies "Ourpat," and "Azadamard," and the monthlies "Varoujan," "Midk," "Zankag," and "Asbarez." During his prolific career, Mikaelian also authored four books. He joined the Armenian Revolutionary federation in 1989, and served as the editor-in-chief of the party's official publications "Azadamard" (1991-94), and "Yerkir" (1998-99). In 1999, he was elected to Armenia's parliament and served as a member until 2003, when he was appointed as the country's Deputy Minister of Education and Sciences. 3) Azeri Officer Admits Killing Armenian With Ax (Reuters)--An Azeri officer who killed his fellow Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian with an ax at a Budapest military academy pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday, saying he took revenge for Armenian attacks on Azeris, Hungarian news agency MTI reported. "It was not my plan to be so cruel, savage," 27-year-old Ramil Safarov told the court. When asked why he almost severed the head of the victim, he said, "because they did the same to 8,000 people of ours." In February, Safarov entered the Armenian's room, stabbed him several times with a knife, and struck him repeatedly with an axe, almost severing his head. Both were participating in a NATO Partnership for Peace English language course. Safarov was charged with committing premeditated murder with extreme cruelty, and faces possible life imprisonment if found guilty, a Budapest Capital Court press official told Reuters. 4) Armenia Criticizes Atkinson Report on Karabagh YEREVAN (Armenpress)--National Assembly Vice-speaker Tigran Torosian criticized Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteur on Mountainous Karabagh David Atkinson, for failing to consult with the OSCE Minsk Group, tasked to find a resolution to the conflict, and establish ongoing contacts with Armenian and Azeri delegations before presenting his report during PACE's November 17 session in Paris. According to Torosian, who heads Armenia's delegation to PACE, Atkinson's recent report on Mountainous Karabagh had not changed greatly from its September 14 report. He also said that while the draft resolution is improved, it does not contain all proposals put forth by the Armenian delegation. Concerned that Azerbaijan is increasingly being perceived in Europe as the victim of the conflict, he said Armenian authorities must revise their practical approach in order to counter Azerbaijan's aggressive policy in international organizations--especially in light of Turkey's increased backstage efforts to find a resolution. The PACE report does call on both Armenian and Azeri officials to meet in Strasbourg to decide on Karabagh's future status. It also calls on the conflicting sides to withdraw their troops and refrain from military activates. Torosian stressed the necessity for Armenia to intensify efforts in the international arena, and refrain from a policy of mutual accusations and "behind-the-scene" talks in parliament. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.