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05/12/2006
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1) Communities Unite in Support of ANCA Telethon
2) Orinats Yerkir Leader Confirms Resignation; Avoids Blaming Kocharian
3) Honorary Presidents of 31st Navasartian Games Donate $50,000 to Homenetmen
4) Armenian And Hellenic Caucus Leaders Join Together In Opposing Missile Sale
To Turkey
1) Communities Unite in Support of ANCA Telethon
(Washington, DC)–Armenian Communities and organizations across the United
States are uniting in overwhelming support of the May 21st Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) Telethon. In the last several weeks, individual
communities have mobilized to build support for the Telethon including early
community-level local fundraising initiatives. With less than a week before
the
Telethon air date, there is a groundswell of widespread interest across the
entire spectrum of community organizations coming together with a united
purpose of supporting the Armenian Cause, “Hai Tad.” With this in mind,
representatives of various communities and organizations are planning on
appearing live during the Telethon to show their moral and financial support.
The Telethon will be on May 21 from 3-9 PM Pacific Time (6 PM-Midnight Eastern
Time) and will be broadcast nationally on i Network (formerly known as the PAX
network which can be viewed on local cable systems); Horizon TV, which is
carried on cable and the DISH satellite network; and will be web cast on
<; Viewers can go to the Telethon page of
the
ANCA website (<;) where they will find a
station
locator by entering their zip code to obtain local channel details.
“Representatives from communities throughout the United States will be
traveling to Los Angeles to participate in the Telethon live,” said Raffi
Hamparian, member of the ANCA National Board and Telethon Organizing
Committee. “The Telethon has touched a common emotion and desire in people to
support the Armenian Cause in all the different parts of our communities,
regardless of organizational affiliations or politics. It is worthwhile to
note
this very positive development because ‘Hai Tad’ is a calling that should be
awakened in every Armenian. As the Telethon will demonstrate, we all have an
important and critical role to play.”
Representatives from ANCs, community organizations, churches and performing
artists from across the nation are scheduled to appear during the Telethon in
addition to an unprecedented number of public officials including mayors and
representatives from city and state governments; dozens of members of Congress
and the Congressional Armenian Caucus; and leaders from the Republic of
Armenia. Representatives of ANCA chapters around the nation will show the
tangible results of their grassroots advocacy and activism during the
broadcast
with in-depth documentaries about the many activities on Armenian issues in
every community.
“We are eager to share the progress we are making in Pennsylvania on key
issues of importance to the Armenian community and that’s why I’ll be making
the trip to Los Angeles for the Telethon,” said Dr. Ara Chalian, Co-Chair of
the ANC of Pennsylvania. “The surge in interest and activism demonstrates
we’re
on the right track and when we put the additional financial resources behind
our volunteer work of our grassroots network we will see even greater
results.
That’s what makes this Telethon so critical to our united future.”
To make a donation in advance of the May 21st ANCA Telethon or find out
channel information, call 1-866-402-2622 (ANCA) or go to
<; and click on the Telethon logo to make a
donation online.
2) Orinats Yerkir Leader Confirms Resignation; Avoids Blaming Kocharian
(Combined sources)–Armenians parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian was
careful
to avoid any attacks on President Robert Kocharian on Friday as he officially
announced his Orinats Yerkir Party’s departure from the governing coalition
and
its transformation into an `opposition force.’
Baghdasarian dismissed reports that the dramatic collapse of his parliament
faction was engineered by Kocharian. He insisted that he decided to resign and
pull Orinats Yerkir out of the coalition because of major policy differences
with the country’s leadership.
`It is morally right for me to tender my resignation and for our political
team to leave the coalition,’ he told a news conference. `All Orinats Yerkir
members holding [government] posts must also resign. This is the decision
unanimously taken by our political council.’
The party’s exit was followed with defections of about a dozen Orinats Yerkir
lawmakers which caused the party’s faction, the second largest in the National
Assembly, to shrink by half. According to some senior members of the Armenian
coalition, their departure was initiated by Kocharian with the aim of forcing
Orinats Yerkir out of his government.
Presidential press secretary Victor Soghomonian denied this on Friday. `I
don’t want to comment on gossip,’ he said. `A change in the ruling
coalition is
an ordinary phenomenon for any civilized country. So in this case, nothing
very
extraordinary has happened, especially given the fact that there were some
disagreements within the coalition and they understandably deepened during the
pre-election period.’
Baghdasarian said that the defectors had come under unspecified `pressure’ to
leave Orinats Yerkir and caved in because of `an atmosphere of fear that
stifles dissent’ in Armenia. `Everything is clear to everyone. Was there
pressure? Yes, there was. From all sides,’ he said.
At the same time, Baghdasarian insisted that the Armenian leader played no
part in the process. `There was no such thing,’ he said. `We have for months
had disagreements on different issues, including with the president of the
republic.’
Baghdasarian added that those differences have centered on the Kocharian
administration’s socioeconomic and foreign policies as well as `democratic
reforms’ which he believes need to be carried out in Armenia. He refused to go
into details.
The speaker, who was at one point regarded as one of Kocharian’s potential
successors, and his party have repeatedly criticized the government and had an
uneasy relationship with its coalition partners ever since they signed a
power-sharing agreement three years ago. Orinats Yerkir’s exit from power
appears to have been precipitated by Baghdasarian’s recent interview with a
German newspaper in which he called for Armenia’s accession to NATO and
implied
that Kocharian’s reelection in 2003 was fraudulent.
`Of course we are becoming an opposition force. There is no question about
that,’ said Baghdasarian. But he would not specify whether he is ready to
align
himself with Armenia’s mainstream opposition groups that have long challenged
Kocharian.
Leaders of those groups seem to remain mistrustful of Orinats Yerkir. Stepan
Demirchian of the opposition Artarutyun alliance said the bloc will consider
cooperating with Baghdasarian’s party only if it becomes a `real opposition
force.’ Another Artarutyun figure, Vazgen Manukian, referred to Orinats Yerkir
as a `party artificially created and artificially broken up’ by the
authorities.
Another prominent oppositionist, Artashes Geghamian of the National Unity
Party, was even more dismissive of Orinats Yerkir, alleging that it had been
created by the influential Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian.
`We are confident that what happened will not lead to an internal political
crisis,’ said Soghomonian. `The so-called divorce took place in an open and
civilized atmosphere. Both the government and the National Assembly will
continue to work in a normal regime.’
`The resignation was tendered voluntarily,’ said Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) leader
Armen Rustamian. `It was not a punishment. It was a normal political event.’
Orinats Yerkir’s exit leaves the HHK and Dashnaktsutyun in direct control of
only 51 of the 131 parliament seats. But Rustamian was confident that the
restructured coalition will rely on other pro-Kocharian factions to push
government decisions through the National Assembly. He said none of them will
likely get ministerial posts in return for the backing.
Rustamian also did not rule out the possibility of Dashnaktsutyun taking over
some of the senior positions that have been held by Orinats Yerkir until now.
`We have not made such a clear-cut decision,’ he said. `But I don’t rule out
that the discussions will lead to such a reshuffle.’
The Armenian parliament is expected to accept its speaker’s resignation when
it resumes its sessions on May 22. Deputy speaker Tigran Torosian, who is a
leading member of the governing Republican Party, will perform Baghdasarian’s
duties in interim.
3) Honorary Presidents of 31st Navasartian Games Donate $50,000 to Homenetmen
Longtime Homenetemen members and supporters Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Elo
Boyadjian were appointed Wednesday Honorary Presidents of the 31st Navasartian
Games and donated, on this occasion, $50,000 to Homenetmen, said Regional
Executive Chairman Raffi Ispenjian.
During the ceremony at Note Luna restaurant in Glendale, the couple humbly
accepted their appointment as Honorary Presidents and reaffirmed their belief
in the role Homenetmen plays in our community and the mission of the
organization.
`Elo and I will try our best to help out in any way possible and make sure
that this year’s Homenetemen Navasartian Games are a success,’ said Joseph
Boyadjian.
Joseph Boyadjian has been a member of Homenetemen since his youth in Lebanon,
where he played soccer for the organization. He is currently a member of the
Pasadena `Azadamard’ chapter of Homenetemen. Both Joseph and Elo Boyadjian
have
consistently been active in the Armenian community and are highly respected
within the community for their many contributions.
4) Armenian And Hellenic Caucus Leaders Join Together In Opposing Missile Sale
To Turkey
–Reps. Bilirakis, Pallone, Radanovich, and Maloney Warn that SLAM-ER Missile
Transfer Will Undermine Cyprus Peace Process and Threaten Armenia
(WASHINGTON, DC)–The Co-Chairpersons of the Hellenic Caucus, Reps. Michael
Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), were joined Thursday by Armenian
Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Armenian Genocide Resolution lead
sponsor George Radanovich (R-CA) in calling on Congressional leaders to
reexamine a controversial $162 million US missile sale to Turkey.
In letters addressed to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Armed
Services and International Relations Committees, the four legislators voiced
their “deep concern and opposition to the application currently before your
Committee for the foreign military sale to Turkey of 50 AGM 84K Joint Standoff
Land Attack Missiles – Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) and associated equipment
and
services.”
Noting that Turkey has enforced an illegal blockade against Armenia for the
last twelve years, provides support to Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabagh,
and
refuses to normalize relations with Armenia, they stressed that, “there are no
safeguards in place to ensure that the transfer of these advanced new weapons
to Turkey will not be used to threaten Armenia.” Commenting on the
presence of
more than 40,000 Turkish military troops in the Turkish-occupied area of
Cyprus, the legislators argued that the sale would “exacerbate the already
existing military imbalance over Cyprus,” and “worsen the uneasy, insecure and
disadvantaged position of the Republic of Cyprus in terms of its defense and
weapons proliferation.” They closed the letter by requesting a “thorough
reexamination of all factors pertaining to the sale” of the missiles to
Turkey.
“We join with our friends at the American Hellenic Institute in thanking
Representatives Bilirakis, Pallone, Maloney, and Radanovich in calling for a
careful review of this ill-advised and destabilizing arms sale to an already
over-armed Turkish military,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the
ANCA. “Neither US interests nor American values are served by providing
advanced offensive weapons to a government that used US arms to invade Cyprus
in 1974, transferred weapons to Azerbaijan during the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict, regularly invades Greek airspace over the Aegean Sea, and has used
American military equipment in committing human rights abuses against its own
citizens.”
The full text of the Congressional letter is provided below.
Dear Mr. Chairman:
We are writing to express our deep concern and opposition to the application
currently before your Committee for the foreign military sale to Turkey of 50
AGM 84K Joint Standoff Land Attack Missiles – Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) and
associated equipment and services.
Considering the presence of more than 40,000 Turkish military troops in the
Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus, this particular sale – if materialized – will
exacerbate the already existing military imbalance over Cyprus. It will worsen
the uneasy, insecure and disadvantaged position of the Republic of Cyprus in
terms of its defense and weapons proliferation.
We also believe that US approval of this sale will negatively influence the
ongoing efforts of the Administration to encourage a negotiated settlement of
the Cyprus question. Support for the sale could be perceived as adversely
affecting our third-party role in helping to bring the interested parties
together.
Turkey has also has enforced an illegal blockade against Armenia for the last
twelve years, continues to provide support to Azerbaijan against Nagorno
Karabagh, and refuses to normalize relations with Armenia. There are no
safeguards in place to ensure that the transfer of these advanced new weapons
to Turkey will not be used to threaten Armenia.
This potential sale sends the wrong political message at the wrong time to
Turkey and the neighboring countries. In a time of delicate diplomatic balance
by the United States in that region of the world, the sale of this particular
weapon to Turkey runs the real danger of being seen by the other countries of
concern as a politically insensitive move.
We therefore request a thorough reexamination of all factors pertaining to
the
sale of the cruise missiles to Turkey.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Michael Bilirakis
Co-Chair, Hellenic Caucus
Frank Pallone
Co-Chair, Armenian Caucus
Carolyn Maloney
Co-Chair, Hellenic Caucus
George Radanovich
Member, Armenian Caucus
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