Tuesday, 

Activists Opposed To Military Service Bill Go On Hunger Strike


 . Karlen Aslanian


Armenia - Students hold a protest against a bill restricting draft
deferments, Yerevan, 7Nov, 2017

Several students from a pressure group protesting against restrictions
on draft deferments went on a hunger strike in Yerevan as Armenian
lawmakers began to debate the controversial bill in its second reading
on Tuesday.

The protests sparked by the legislation considerably restricting draft
deferment opportunities for students, including those wishing to
pursue scientific careers, entered their second week today.

Several hundred students have been boycotting classes since November
7, going around the campus of Yerevan State University, Armenia's
oldest and largest educational establishment, and urging their
fellow-students to join their protest, as well as marching towards
government building to show their disagreement with the bill already
passed in its first reading late last month.

Representatives of the protesting students were received by Armenia's
prime minister, education and defense ministers, but they did not
agree to stop their protests even after being offered to join the work
on drafting relevant decisions after the adoption of the law.

The bill stipulates that in order to get a draft deferment all male
students who want to pursue their studies must sign contracts with the
Ministry of Defense and agree to serve three years in the military
after completing their studies at the location chosen by the
Ministry. Otherwise, the students will be drafted to the army once
they attain the age of 18.

The protesting students as well as several opposition parties and
public figures in Armenia believe this measure will only harm the
development of science in the country as it will imply interruptions
in the education process or will otherwise discourage the few students
who want to pursue scientific careers.

Five members of the group called `For Science Development' locked
themselves inside one of the lecture rooms of the Faculty of
Sociology, Informatics and Applied Mathematics of Yerevan State
University, saying they will stop their hunger strike only after the
bill is withdrawn from parliament.


Armenia - RFE/RL Armenian Service reporter Karlen Aslanian interviews
David Petrosian who together with four other protesters went on a
hunger strike inside a locked lecture room of Yerevan State
University, 14Nov, 2017

Among the hunger-strike participants is also student and activist
David Petrosian. He told RFE/RL's Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) that
they in particularly protest against the parliament's decision to
proceed with the discussions of the bill without paying heed to their
concerns and without making any changes in it before the second
reading.

"Besides, with this hunger strike we try to show to all citizen that
their voice matters# Public apathy that has spread among us is very
sad. And this way we contribute to the overcoming of this apathy," the
activist said.

Petrosian, who already served in the army, said that three other
students in the five-member group also completed their military
service. "Four of us have served in the army. And by this we want to
prove that this is a movement for fairness and justice," he said.

Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian has also repeatedly stated that the
new bill is aimed at restoring justice among those male students who
get draft deferments and exemptions from military service and those
who don't. He has insisted that its aim is not to man the
military. The minister and other government officials believe that the
law will not harm science in any way, but will only eliminate
corruption by closing a key loophole to avoiding compulsory military
service.

Activist Petrosian, meanwhile, urged other students engaged in the
protests to continue to focus on boycotting classes. He answered
RFE/RL's questions from behind a closed door, saying that the group
had decided to keep the door to the lecture room shut even to other
students, including those who may wish to join the hunger strike.

Meanwhile, about three dozen students of the Yerevan State
Conservatory also joined the protest held on the Yerevan State
University campus.



Market Traders In Yerevan Protest Against `Tax Terror'


 . Astghik Bedevian


Armenia -- Traders protest in front of the Parliament, Yerevan,
14Nov2017

Several dozen market traders again rallied outside the Armenian
parliament on Tuesday to protest against what many of them described
as `terror' tactics used by the State Revenue Committee (SRC).

The traders mainly selling clothing at open-air or indoor markets in
Yerevan have paid fixed monthly taxes until now. Citing Armenia's new
Tax Code, the SRC informed them recently that they will now be taxed
under a different mechanism that will measure their business
turnovers. For that purpose, the government agency has introduced
standard accounting rules and other extra paperwork for them.

At the rally the demonstrators claimed that the SRC is taking harsh
administrative actions against them, including frequent inspections,
fines and other forms of `tax pressure'.

One woman selling clothes imported from Turkey complained that tax
inspectors pay visits to her pavilion three days in a row at the end
of every week, accusing her of understating her turnover.

"But my sales are low now. People leave the country, only the rich and
the poor remain here. We are among the poor today. They want us to
leave our country, but we will not go. We will stay and fight," the
woman said.

Another protesting trader said that they came to the National Assembly
to urge the political parties to ensure that tax agencies deal with
businesses fairly.

Deputy speaker of parliament Mikayel Melkumian, who represents the
opposition Tsarukian alliance, came out to the traders and told them
that he had raised their issue in front of all four factions in the
legislature and that all were now aware of the problem. "We again
stressed that the State Revenue Committee continues its tax terror,"
the opposition parliamentarian said. "Our job as members of parliament
and my job as a deputy speaker is not shutting down businesses that
have been established over years of painstaking efforts# Instead of
opening new jobs, the government wants the few existing ones to be
closed as it uses terror."

This is the second protest held by market traders within just two
weeks. On October 31, they also gathered outside the National Assembly
building demanding changes in the Tax Code and reduction of paperwork.

The SRC chief, Vartan Harutiunian, then dismissed these complaints,
accusing the protesters of trying to evade taxes. Harutiunian claimed
that traders had rejected SRC offers to provide them with free
accounting services. "Everyone must pay taxes in a manner defined by
the law," he told reporters.



Armenian FM Meets Mediators, Discusses Meeting With Azeri Counterpart


Russia/Armenia/Karabakh/OSCE - Edward Nalbandian (C from R), Armenian
Foreign Minister, meets with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs,
Moscow,14Nov,2017

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian discussed a possible
meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, as he met
on Tuesday with international mediators advancing peace efforts in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

The meeting between Nalbandian and the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov, of
Russia, Stephane Visconti, of France, and Andrew Schofer, of the
United States, took place during the top Armenian diplomat's working
visit to Moscow, Russia, the press office of Armenia's Ministry of
Foreign Affairs reported.

According to the report, the meeting was also attended by Andrzej
Kasprzyk, a personal representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office.

"During the meeting the sides exchanged views on the necessary steps
towards creating conducive conditions for the advancement of the
process of exclusively peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The interlocutors discussed the steps aimed at the
implementation of the agreements reached during the summits in Vienna,
St. Petersburg and Geneva," the Ministry said in a statement.

"The possibility of organizing a meeting between the foreign ministers
of Armenia and Azerbaijan was discussed," it added.

Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian said earlier this
month that Armenia's and Azerbaijan's foreign ministers were planning
to hold fresh talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to try to build
on understandings reportedly reached by the two countries' presidents
in October.

Presidents Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev pledged to intensify the
peace process and bolster the ceasefire regime in the conflict zone
when they met in Geneva on October 16. The American, Russian and
French mediators announced in the Swiss city that they will soon hold
follow-up "working sessions" with Foreign Minister Nalbandian and his
Azerbaijani counterpart Mammadyarov.

Mammadyarov said late last month that he may meet with Nalbandian in
Moscow on November 16. The Azerbaijani minister is scheduled to meet
with the mediators there on that day. Nalbandian will accompany
President Sarkisian on a trip to the Russian capital, which is due to
start on November 15.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to
Armenia and then to Azerbaijan in the near future, Russia's TASS news
agency reported.

"At the beginning of next week my visits to Yerevan and Baku are
planned. They are related to the 25th anniversary of the establishment
of Russian-Armenian and Russian-Azerbaijani diplomatic ties. Issues of
bilateral relations are on the agenda, we have rich relations with
these two countries," Lavrov said.

According to him, international issues will be discussed during the
meetings. "We will try to understand at what stage our efforts on the
Karabakh settlement are after the meeting of the presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan in Geneva," the top Russian diplomat said.

Meanwhile, ahead of Lavrov's regional tour Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev reiterated his country's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement. Speaking at a meeting dedicated to the 25th anniversary of
the foundation of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, Aliyev again stated
that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be settled "within the
framework of the principle of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity."

"There is no other way. We will never allow the establishment of a
second Armenian state in our historical territory," the Azerbaijani
leader claimed. He further claimed that Azerbaijan will restore its
territorial integrity at any cost. According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan
will consistently strengthen its armed forces.

"According to international ratings, our army is one of the most
powerful armies in the world. The army will be given as much means and
equipment as it will be required, without restrictions," Aliyev said.

The Armenian leadership did not immediately react to Aliyev's
statements.



Press Review



"Zhamanak" notes the absence of Prime Minister Karen Karapetian from
two major events held in Yerevan yesterday when the Tashir group of
companies owned by Russia-based billionaire Samvel Karapetian
inaugurated another shopping mall in Yerevan and launched jointly with
partners a project promising an investment of a total of $1 billion in
Armenia's energy sector over the next few years. "The thing is that
Samvel Karapetian is practically considered as a social-political
support base for Karen Karapetian and it is within this logic that the
Armenian Investors Club was established with Samvel Karapetian's clear
leadership. The outlines of the first portion of investments of this
club are now becoming clear and this is being made in President Serzh
Sarkisian's presence, while Karen Karapetian is absent from the
events. Does this mean that there is more certainty in the matter of
power?"

"Zhoghovurd" observers that for the third straight year the government
plans no rise in pensions in its draft budget - this time no such rise
in planned for 2018. The last time pensions were slightly raised was
in 2015 when the government was headed by Hovik Abrahamian. "No rise
in pensions has taken place under Prime Minister Karen Karapetian and
no rise in planned for next year. As a result, in conditions of rising
prices, more than half a million pensioners of the country have become
even poorer, while the government continues to feed the public with
promises of sizable investments," the daily writes.

"Hraparak" writes: "Within a few months our country will finally
complete its transition towards a parliamentary republic as all
institutions envisaged by the new Constitution will be formed. It is
then that it will become clear whether all this has been done for one
purpose - to keep Serzh Sarkisian and his team in power - or it will
really bring in its wake more democratization in the country."

The editor of "Aravot" writes on last week's ruling by the
Constitutional Court on the situation in the municipal council of
Vanadzor where a pro-government minority proceeds with its work and
decision-making despite the boycott of the opposition parties enjoying
a majority. He notes that the sides have diametrically opposite views
on the legal decision: "It is here that an impartial non-political
legal expert should give his assessment to explain to us what the
Constitutional Court's ruling means. Because MP Edmon Marukian thinks
that the ruling means that Vanadzor's municipal council should be
dissolved and new municipal elections should be held and current mayor
Mamikon Aslanian thinks that nothing proceeds from the ruling and that
they will continue to hold power in the city as they have done so
far."

(Tigran Avetisian)


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2017 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org