KIRO MANOYAN: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTIONS HAVE GOOD CHANCES TO PASS IN THE US CONGRESS

ArmRadio.am
25.06.2007 15:40

The number of co-sponsors of the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
H.Res.106, has reached 209. Signatures of 218 supporters are necessary
for putting the bill on vote. The terms of the voting are determined
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Head of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs
Office Kiro Manoyan noted at today’s press conference that we must
try to bring the question to a vote: if the question is not brought
to a vote before the vacation of the Congress, it will be considered
in September. In Kiro Manoyan’s opinion, there is a certain trend to
consider the question after the parliamentary elections in Turkey to
avoid internal tensions.

Let us remind that Introduced on January 30th by Rep. Adam Schiff and
spearheaded by Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA), Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Rep. Thaddeus
McCotter (R-MI), the Armenian Genocide resolution calls upon the
President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States
reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning
issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide
documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian
Genocide. According to Kiro Manoyan, he US Congress has already
adopted several resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide. This
resolution will only reconfirm the approach of the Congressmen to
call on the President to characterize the events of 1915 as genocide.

The number of co-sponsors of the similar resolution in the Senate
is currently 31. Signatures of 51 supporters are needed to bring the
bill to a vote. According to Kiro Manoyan, the resolution has great
chances to pass in the Senate.

Kiro Manoyan said the reolution on recognition of teh Armenian
Genocide adopted by the Chilean Senate on June 5 was important
from the perspective that Turkey and Chile have agreements on close
military cooperation, and the resolution passed where its adoption
was not expected. Such decisions, according to Mr. Manoyan are not
legal. These are simply political documents, which call on Turkey to
recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Let us remind that with the above-mentioned resolution the Senate
of Chile was calling on the Government of the country to support the
Armenian people and condemn the genocide perpetrated against it. The
author of the decision is Ricardo Nunies Munios, representative of
the Socialist Party.