Author: Felekian Ara

THERE IS PROGRESS BUT EXTRA AMENDMENTS ESSENTIAL

A1+
16-07-2005

According to the agreement achieved by the working group of the
Venice Commission and the RA authorities in Strasbourg June 23-24,
the Armenian party had to submit the reviewed draft constitutional
amendments to the Venice Commission till July 7. Constitutional right
specialist Vardan Poghosyan assures that considerable changed have
been inserted into the three disputable issues.

According to him, the main fault of the operating Constitution – the
distortion of the principle of power division – has been preserved
in the draft adopted by the NA as a basis. “After the agreement with
the Venice Commission the principal problems referring to the power
division were solved on the whole. The role of the government was
distinctly determined”, he says. According to the amendments submitted
to the Venice Commission, the government works out and applies
the domestic policy; the foreign policy is being applied jointly
with the President. “Thus the government has obtained organizational
independence. The government convenes its sittings under the presidency
of the Prime Minister. The decisions of the government are taken by
its members and there is no need to ratify them”

Taking into account the logic of the presidential system, according to
which the newly elected President of the republic should have certain
influence upon the foreign policy, national security and defense,
the project records that the President is empowered to convene
the government sittings on the above mentioned issues, however
the decisions are made by the government and signed by the Prime
Minister. One of the most important changes is that the government
will not bear double responsibility before the President and the
Premier. “The Prime Minister is to account to the NA only and the
President will by no means be able to dismiss the Premier. He will
only have the right to make an appropriate proposal to the National
Assembly while the latter is to pass decisions with the majority of
votes”, Vardan Poghosyan noted.

As for the government formation, according to the agreement, the
President of the republic taking into account the division of the
mandates and holding consultations with the NA factions appoints the
Prime Minister, who enlisted the support of the NA majority. “In
any civilized country, especially if the Constitutional Court is
empowered to settle disputes referring to authority of the officials,
this clause will be interpreted in the following way: the President
cannot appoint the Prime Minister, who does not enjoy the support
of the NA majority. However, taking into considerations the fact
that the political system in our republic has not been formed yet I
think the mechanism of the present principle should be clarified”,
Vardan Poghosyan says.

In his opinion there are several variants. Lithuanian example can
be the first. The NA approved a nominee for the Prime Minister with
the majority of the votes. If the parliament approves the Premier
but twice votes down the program of the government, the parliament is
dissolved. Second, there functions the mechanism of the non-confidence
vote. If we adopt this mechanism we will solve two important tasks –
stability of the government and limitation of President’s power to
interfere into the process of government formation”, Vardan Poghosyan
notes.

The issue of the elective post of Mayor has been also solved. “It
was finally set that Yerevan is a community. According to the draft,
law can provide for indirect elections of the Mayor. If we choose
the democratic part we will realize that there can’t be any rivalry
between the President and the Mayor, since they possess different
mandates and functions”, he says. In this case the Constitution will
not be an obstacle for the direct election of the Mayor.

However despite considerable progress Vardan Poghosyan considers that
the draft still needs to be amended. “The structure of the government
as well as the President’s authority should be precisely determined. At
that the authority of the President should be reduced”, he resumed.

Victoria Abrahamyan

FONAR Upright MRI Sales Rise to 117 as of June 30

Scanner Exhibits Broad Appeal Among Medical
Specialists

Business Wire
Wednesday July 13, 2005

MELVILLE, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 13, 2005–FONAR
Corporation (NASDAQ-FONR), The MRI Specialist(TM),
announced today that sales of its Upright(TM) MRI (the
“Stand-Up(TM)) rose to 117 and installations climbed
to 91 as of June 30, 2005. The Company’s sales backlog
currently stands at 26.

Sales in the fourth fiscal quarter were spread
throughout the U.S. and Europe. Two of the domestic
sales were repeat orders to existing users as was a
repeat sale to FONAR’s current Stand-Up(TM) user in
Switzerland which brings the total number of repeat
sales to customers who have owned and experienced the
benefits of the Stand-Up(TM) to 21. The mix of owners
currently using the Stand-Up(TM) MRI includes
neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, radiologists, pain
management specialists and neurologists which
demonstrates the broad applicability of FONAR’s new
upright imaging technology.

Installations in the fourth quarter were
geographically spread out. Six Upright(TM) MRIs were
installed in the U.S. and two in Puerto Rico. A FONAR
Upright(TM) MRI was installed in Switzerland making it
the third in Europe.

“FONAR continued its forward progress in FY 2005,
recording 45 new installations,” said Raymond
Damadian, president and founder of FONAR. “As a
result, during the first nine months of Fiscal 2005 we
have been profitable.”

“Our superior technology and ability to meet the
special needs of physicians and surgeons continues to
generate demand for the Upright(TM) MRI” In addition,
the pipeline of opportunities continues to build. We
believe that our unique product and increased
marketing efforts will continue to serve us well as we
enter FY 2006. Like one of our customers stated, We
believe that the FONAR Upright(TM) MRI will become the
‘Gold Standard’ of MRI technology and will eventually
replace, at a minimum, all other open MRIs.”

About FONAR

FONAR was incorporated in 1978, making it the first,
oldest and most experienced MRI manufacturer in the
industry. FONAR introduced the world’s first
commercial MRI in 1980, and went public in 1981. Since
its inception, we have installed nearly 300 MRI
scanners worldwide. FONAR’s stellar product line
includes the Upright(TM) MRI (also known as the
Stand-Up(TM) MRI), the only whole-body MRI that
performs Position(TM) imaging (pMRI(TM)) and scans
patients in numerous weight-bearing positions, i.e.
standing, sitting, in flexion and extension, as well
as the conventional lie-down position. The FONAR
Upright(TM) MRI often sees the patient’s problem that
other scanners cannot because they are lie-down only.
With over 100,000 patients scanned, the
patient-friendly Upright(TM) MRI has a near zero
claustrophobic rejection rate by patients. As a FONAR
customer states, “If the patient is claustrophobic in
this scanner, they’ll be claustrophobic in my parking
lot.” Approximately 85% of patients are scanned
sitting while they watch a 42″ flat screen TV. Our
latest MRI scanner is the FONAR 360(TM), a room-size
recumbent scanner that optimizes openness while
facilitating physician access to the patient. FONAR is
headquartered on Long Island, New York, and has
approximately 500 employees.

MRI Specialist, Stand-Up, Upright, Position, PMRI and
The Proof is in the Picture are trademarks of FONAR.

Be sure to visit FONAR’s Web site for Company product
and investor information:

This release may include forward-looking statements
from the company that may or may not materialize.
Additional information on factors that could
potentially affect the company’s financial results may
be found in the company filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

FONAR Corporation
Daniel Culver or David B. Terry, 631-694-2929
Fax: 631-390-9540

or
Investor Relations:
The Anne McBride Company
Kathy Price, 212-983-1702, x212

Azeri community leader, OSCE discuss “corridor” with Armenia

ANS TV, Baku
11 Jul 05

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen have paid another visit to Baku. They
first met the head of Nagornyy Karabakh’s Azerbaijani community,
Nizami Bahmanov, and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
later. Bahmanov said the meeting was constructive.

[Bahmanov, speaking to microphone, outside the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry] We had an 80-minute-long meeting. We discussed the main
issue – that is the Agdam-Xankandi [Stepanakert]-Susa-Lacin-Gorus-
Sahbuz road. Some questions arose there .They asked us about a
corridor. They wanted us to explain what the corridor meant.

We talked about guarding of the road by OSCE peacekeepers and them
controlling the road. We said that the road would most probably be
controlled for some time by the peacekeepers according to a certain
schedule. We discussed the return of people to Lacin and Susa. They
did not ignore our talks. They said that the Armenian troops should
first withdraw from Azerbaijan’s occupied districts in a
stage-by-stage manner and then people could return to their lands
according to the same principle.

ARMENIA’S TAKE EXCLUSIVELY HUMANITARIAN PART IN IRAQ’S POST-WAR RECOVERY

YEREVAN, JULY 11. ARMINFO. Armenia is following no military goals by
sending its peacekeepers to Iraq, the chief of Armenia’s general staff
Mikayel Haroutyunyan while seeing off the second group of Armenian
peacekeepers to Iraq.

He says that Iraq’s post-war recovery is not the only peacekeeping
mission by Armenia. The country is also keeping peace in Kosovo. The
second group will first be trained in Kuwait and then be sent to Iraq
to substitute for the first group as part of the Polish division.

Haroutyunyan says that the Polish command is very satisfied with the
activities of the Armenian peacekeepers. He says that he has met with
his Polish counterpart in Brussels and the latter highly appreciated
the work of he Armenian peacekeepers.

Haroutyunyan says that Armenia is ready to send one more group if the
parliament makes relevant decision.

To remind, the first group went to Iraq Jan 18 2005. THe second one
will return to Armenia Dec 20 2005. Presently the Armenian
peacekeeping group consist of 30 drivers, 3 doctors, 10 field
engineers and 3 officers.

Tastes differ, but…

By Vahe Davtian

Yerkir/arm
8 July 05

Modern youth and reading – this opposition has been so much spoken
about and has become so abstract that those who turn to it again seem
to have no other topics for discussion. Young people don’t read books;
they prefer the internet. Let’s not make such rigid statements. Nod
doubt, there are young people who do read books. The question is what
books do they read? I think this is a more interesting question.

When Paolo Coelho visited Armenia in 2004 he was treated as a writer
who dictates the literary style and trends of development of
literature in the whole world. His visit was accompanied with a big
fuss and much noise.

When one of the journalists asked him what had impressed him most in
Yerevan, Coelho answered, `I liked your night clubs’. A light and
charming answer – just like his novels. Coelho is famous and widely
popular. Large scale advertising did have the expected results while
such concepts as `peculiarities of language’, `precise depiction of
personages’ or â=80=9Cresonance of the work with modern times’ were
left aside.

Just imagine that the significance and value of a literary work is
determined by the number of languages into which the work has been
translated (67) and the number of copies sold. This is the
intervention of business into the world of art. The inability of the
public to distinguish literary industry from art is a catastrophe.

Everything started in 2003 when Coelho’s novel Eleven Minutes was
announced to be the discovery of the year. Meanwhile, the novel was
just a regular sweet tale for adults that contained erotic
details. `There lived a prostitute whose name was Maria’.

When you read the first sentence of the novel you cannot but put the
book asideâ=80¦ Nevertheless, many girls cry when reading the
novel. Guys start seeking the meaning of life. Then was the famous
Alchemist that was translated into Eastern and Western Armenian.

`You can find happiness only in your homeland’ – this is what you can
read behind the lines of this novel. But how is the author expressing
this idea? Coelho’s style of writing about the simplest things with
such a lofty air can only cause one’s smile. The same can be said
about Coelho’snovel Veronica Decides to Die. Love will save the
world. This is the idea of the novel.

The shop assistants in one of Yerevan’s most popular bookstores, the
Bookinist, assure that Coelho’s books are very popular among the young
people. The librarians at some of the universities confirm this. What
is the secret? The answer is obvious – there is no secret. The only
peculiarity of such books is their popularity.

Coelho’s books are a good example of this – his works cannot stir any
questions among the readers. They are too simple and sentimental,
pathetic and fancy. This attracts modern readers, especially young
people that are on their way of self-realization and tend to accept
without questioning whatever is presented to them.

This is spiritual terrorism. And it occurs not only in Armenia. Today
Coelho is the most widely read author in the world. Having read his
books is an indicator of one’s intellect. Two years ago I asked my
friends who Coelho was – they smiled ambiguously. But this is not
important. The thing is that too much fuss around anything can only
have negative consequences.

And this is true for literature – even before reading the book the
readers know that they will like it. And even if they don’t, they say
that they like it only because the book is popular throughout the
world. Well, let us assume that people read such kind of `literature’
because they want to keep up with fashion in this way.

This explanation might be acceptable. But let us not forget that
besides Coelho and writers like him (such as Richard Bach) there are
Gabriel Garcia Marques and Julio Cortasar (if they like Latin American
literature so much), Patrick Kundera and Umberto Eco, postmodern
Russian writers. Tastes differ but still the fact is that Coelho’s
books cannot interest people who have seriously read at least one work
of classical literature. Such books cannot live long. They are doomed
to be covered with dust on the bookshelves.

A1plus

| 15:35:04 | 09-07-2005 | Politics |

YEREVAN RESIDENTS WANT TO ELECT MAYOR THEMSELVES

Will the Mayor of Yerevan be elected? Though the Venice Commission experts
have many times expressed discontent with the fact that the draft
constitutional amendments does not provide the possibility for the Yerevan
residents to elect their Mayor.

`The Mayor of Yerevan is appointed and dismissed by the President of the
republic. In cases provided by the laws the Mayor can be dismissed by the
community council’, the draft says. The coalition members promised to change
this clause and fix that the capital is a community and settle the order of
the election of the community head in an appropriate law.

What do the Yerevan residents think about it ?

`The Mayor of Yerevan should elected by the residents of Yerevan’, 52% of
the respondents said almost without thinking. 25% consider that the right to
appoint and dismiss the Mayor should be given to the community council. 10%
think that it is the President, who should elect the Mayor. 13% think found
difficulty in answering.

AZG Armenian Daily #123, 06/07/2005

Culture

‘THE AUTUMN’S SUN’ IN VAYOTS DZOR

Recently, a new achievement was registered in the cultural life of Vayots
Dzor. By the financial assistance of Samvel Sargsian, head of the local
administration, as well as thanks to the efforts of Sona Sargsian,
responsible for cultural affairs, the old traditions of the Yeghegnadzor
People’s Theatre were restored.

The 70th anniversary of Hrant Matevosian was celebrated at the regional
cultural center. The organizers of the arrangement represented the play “The
Autumn’s Sun” to the judgment of art lovers. The play was staged by Nairi
Hovhanissian. Flora Margarian, actress, played the role of Aghoun, the
character, who was locked in the small world or a village reality and lived
only in her dreams.

Verzhine Movsisian, the widow, and Hrachya Matevosian, brother of the
writer, were also invited to the arrangement. They expressed their gratitude
to the Yeghegnadzor people and emphasized the importance of the fact that
the literature of Hrant Matevosian was still highly estimated in the
regions. They added that the writer didn’t like the city much; his heart
belonged to the village life, to the people who worked in the fields and in
the highlands.

By Elya Sargsian

WORD OF GREETING OF NKR PRESIDENT

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
05 July 05

Most Reverend Father, dear members of parliament, dear guests, I want to
congratulate the newly-elected members of the NKR National Assembly on
getting the confidence of the voters and wish them success in their
responsible mission. The June 19 election imparted the public and
political life of the country with new quality and meaning. For the
first time our citizens were given a chance to vote both for candidates
and political parties, which shifts the political relationships to a new
level in our country. The authorities of the country did their best to
hold a free, fair and transparent election, which was affirmed by the
international, Armenian and local observers. I consider any attempt to
vilify the election as groundless and impertinent. It is impossible to
overlook what is conspicuous. A truly free, fair and transparent
election was held in our country. I am grateful to our people for their
participation in the election. Such a turnout is a vote of confidence to
democratic reforms, asserting that every citizen can have a direct
participation in the formation of the authorities of the country. People
have made their choice and are now expecting for their hopes to fulfill.
The expectations of the other branches of power are also great; the
country needs a clear organization of the activities of all the branches
of power, political forces and the public potential, and only together
can we solve the problems of our people. The active standpoint of the
parliament on all the spheres of life in the country will spur the
activity of the government as well. We still have much to do; we have to
carry on with state building, social and economic development, improve
defence, sustain the achievements in creating a civil society, as well
as to focus on the preservation of spiritual and cultural values and to
establish new parliamentary relations. I believe that the new parliament
can be consistent in the solution of this and other issues. A week ago
you were rivals and opponents in the election campaign. Now you are
colleagues. The activity of the National Assembly supposes active
discussions and heated disputes. Nevertheless, in the political
traditions of mutual respect, ability to listen to and accept others’
opinions should be dominant in the parliament. The members of parliament
may have diverse political standpoints and viewpoints but they should be
united by the responsibility for the people and the country. As the
president of the country I am willing to cooperate with the political
forces represented in the parliament and anticipate the same on your
behalf. Good luck in your activities for the sake of our independent
statehood. Thank you.

AA.
05-07-2005

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
July 5 2005

OSCE PA rapporteur refrains from calling Armenia aggressor

Baku, July 4, AssA-Irada
Three powerful countries should exist in the region and they should
be reckoned with, otherwise, chaos will emerge, said the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly rapporteur on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
over Upper Garabagh Goran Lennmarker. `We cannot allow formation of
mini-states in South Caucasus’, he said.
Presenting his report on the Garabagh conflict at the OSCE PA session
in Washington, Lennmarker said both Azerbaijan and Armenia realize
that the dispute is impeding their development. He also said
Azerbaijan should assure Armenians that there is not threat to their
security, calling on Azeri politicians and parliament members to
refrain from `hostile statements’.
`Armenia’s primary concern is its national security. Azerbaijan
should take this into account.’
Lennmarker decisively stated that Azeri territories `cannot stay
occupied’. He also suggested that demilitarization activities be
carried out in Azerbaijan’s land after it is freed from Armenian
occupation. The rapporteur also said that `the report will not be
favored by Armenians’.
Lennmarker refrained from regarding Armenia as aggressor, saying that
such terms `pose risks’.
Azerbaijani representatives at OSCE PA earlier voiced discontent over
the fact that the mentioned report did not indicate Armenia as
aggressor.*

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
July 1, 2005
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]

RE: Assembly Executive Director thanks Rep. Costa for Supporting
Armenian Genocide Resolution, Joining Armenian Caucus

Washington, DC – Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny
and Congressional Relations Director Rob Mosher met with
Representative Jim Costa (D-CA) on June 30 to thank him for signing on
as an original cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
(H. Res. 316), which was introduced by Representatives George
Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and for joining the Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues. A long-time supporter of Armenian-American issues as
a member of the California State Assembly, the first-term Congressman
also urged President Bush to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide
in his April 24th commemorative statement. Additionally, he supported
a letter to Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Appropriations Chairman
Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), asking that
Congress maintain significant assistance to Armenia and Karabakh in
Fiscal Year 2006.

CAPTION: L to R: Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny,
Representative Jim Costa (D-CA), and Congressional Relations Director
Rob Mosher during their June 30 meeting on Capitol Hill.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.

NR#2005-076