Author: Kafian Jirair

Politicians take heed of Tarkanian settlement

Las Vegas Review-Journal (Las Vegas, NV)
August 04, 2009

By BENJAMIN SPILLMAN and FRANCIS MCCABE, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Members of Nevada’s political class are reconsidering the potential
cost of careless, negative campaign rhetoric after a state senator
agreed to pay a vanquished foe $150,000 to settle a legal battle over
claims a jury found crossed the line from free speech to defamation
and libel.

On Monday, the attorney for former candidate Danny Tarkanian said
Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, agreed to pay his client the
settlement as the result of a jury verdict late Friday in the civil
case.

Tarkanian attorney Gus Flangas said he didn’t ask the jury to impose
new limits on free speech but sought justice for harm that the false
claims did to his client.

"The bottom line on this would be that if you are going to make
allegations of a serious nature, you need to be truthful," Flangas
said Monday. "Spin can become a false statement. That might be the
message that comes out of this. Don’t cross that line."

Flangas described the terms of the settlement; the court document was
not yet available.

The agreement was reached before the phase of the trial to determine
punitive damages was to start Monday morning. Late Friday, a jury
found Schneider guilty and awarded $50,000 in damages.

Flangas said the punitive phase could have seen Tarkanian awarded as
much as $300,000. Each side has agreed to pay its own legal costs.

In a statement, Schneider said, "I was very disappointed with the
jury’s verdict in the Tarkanian case against me. I believe this
decision will have devastating ramifications on future campaigns and a
chilling effect on free speech in general.

"I am fairly confident we would have reversed the decision at the
Supreme Court. However, this matter has been a five-year ordeal and it
was time to put it to rest."

During a brief phone interview, Schneider said the $150,000, which
includes the $50,000 jury award, would be paid through a personal
insurance policy.

The case dates to the 2004 election cycle when Tarkanian, running as a
Republican in a heavily Democratic district in Las Vegas, was the
subject of harsh claims in fliers and on television that suggested an
association with subjects of a telemarketing scam that victimized
elderly people.

Tarkanian, the resident agent for several telemarketing companies that
were indicted on fraud charges, said he did legal work on behalf of
the firms but knew nothing of the fraud. Schneider also said Tarkanian
assisted prosecutors to save himself.

Schneider won the election, only to lose the subsequent civil lawsuit
stemming from the negative claims.

Tarkanian, the son of legendary former UNLV basketball coach Jerry
Tarkanian and Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian, said he
plans to again run for public office.

"I am a viable candidate now that this has come through," he said.

"From all indications, we’ve broken new ground here," said retired
state Archivist Guy Rocha, who polled several historian colleagues and
said none recalled a dispute between candidates over campaign rhetoric
going as far, legally speaking, as the Tarkanian case against
Schneider.

"I was a little bit surprised that the jury fell for it," said David
Damore, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las
Vegas. "Generally there is a really, really high bar for that kind of
stuff in an election."

Damore said the nastiest campaign rhetoric typically comes from
"shadowy groups" that aren’t officially associated with candidates,
making it tough to hold anyone accountable for outlandish statements.

The Tarkanian case could make official campaign workers even more
skittish about associating with outside groups.

As local political movers got wind of the decision on Monday, they
said it could influence future campaign decisions.

"I think this, in the long run, will teach people to just make sure
their research is correct," said Grant Hewitt, campaign manager for
former state Sen. Joe Heck, a Republican now running for governor.

"I do a lot of research before I encourage any campaign I’m a part of
to go forward on anything," Hewitt said.

As recently as his most recent campaign last fall, which he lost to
now-Sen. Shirley Breeden, D-Henderson, Heck was the target of mailers
stating he was indifferent to women with cancer and blamed cancer
victims for their disease.

The mailers were from the Democratic Party, not Breeden.

Former state Sen. Bob Beers said he wishes the verdict would have come
sooner because it might have helped him last fall.

Beers was the subject of mailers last fall that falsely claimed he was
"Under Ethics Commission Review!!!"

Beers sued his opponent, Allison Copening, and the Nevada Democratic
Party.

Beers said that the court dropped Copening from the lawsuit but that
it was still pending against the party.

"Had this decision been rendered prior to the last campaign season, I
would probably still be a senator," Beers said. "Just like
Mr. Tarkanian, I am seeking to have the record set straight."

Beers wasn’t the only one with whom the Tarkanian case struck a chord.

"It absolutely does put people who campaign like that on alert," said
Bryon Geddes, campaign manager for former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike
Montandon, another Republican candidate for governor.

Geddes said the case will not affect Montandon’s campaign because "we
don’t plan strategy built on negativity" toward opponents.

David Cohen, campaign manager for Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid,
a Democratic candidate for governor, said the case is a good reminder
that sloppy research or thoughtless claims can come back to bite a
candidate.

"Part of why we spend time preparing so carefully is because we think
that it is important to be factually correct," Cohen said.

"There are always campaigns that really push the boundaries of
truth. They should be held accountable in every way, but most
importantly by voters."

Political consultant Pete Ernaut of R&R Partners couldn’t recall a
campaign rhetoric dispute that went as far as the one between
Tarkanian and Schneider.

"I’ve certainly heard of a number of cases where it has been
threatened, but I’ve never seen one come to judgment and to penalty,"
said Ernaut, who has worked with former Gov. Kenny Guinn and current
Sen. John Ensign.

Like the other political professionals, Ernaut said the situation was
a reminder of the importance to back words with facts and to cite
original sources of claims.

"Political speech in campaigns should, and often does, push the edge
of the envelope by its nature," Ernaut said. "I’m not sure this case
changes any standard because the standard has always been truth."

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at [email protected] or
702-477-3861.

7.html

IN ARMENIA, "HERITAGE" PARTY CALLS ON PRESIDENT TO RELEASE SARGIS ATSPANYAN

10817
Aug 03 2009, 23:10

Stepan Safaryan, an MP from the parliamentary faction "Heritage"
has sent an open letter to President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan asking
him to release the veteran of the Karabakh War Sargis Atspanyan. He
argues that the prisoner’s father is dying.

"Apart from the political and legal joke played on this worthy person,
I’ve learnt also about the heavy position both of himself and his
family: the spouses lack boldness to explain their small children
living in France and Sargis’ father dying of cancer, where their
father and son is now," runs Mr Safaryan’s letter.

"Sargis Atspanyan should say goodbye to his father, execute his
last son’s duty. With your assistance, this is realizable," wrote
the deputy.

Let us remind you that earlier human rights defenders had stated that
Atspanyan was not released out of vengeance. As they said, according
to the Law "On Amnesty", participants of the Karabakh War are covered
by this act. However, until now, the Ministry of Justice has failed
to sanction Atspanyan’s release, as there is no certificate about
his participation in the War in his case file.

On June 30, Vardan Arutyunyan, a member of the committee in defence
of political prisoners, stated that the amnesty of five Armenian
political prisoners, Atspanyan inclusive, is deliberately protracted.

Mr Safaryan has also addressed President with a request to give Mr
Atspanyan a certificate that he had participated in the Karabakh War
and had contributed a lot to formation of the army, as reported by
the PanARMENIAN.Net.

PRIVATE INVESTORS TO INVEST 12 MLN EUR IN CREATION OF AN ONCOLOGY CLINIC IN ARMENIA FOR TREATMENT BY MEANS OF RADIOISOTOPES

ArmInfo
2009-08-03 10:11:00

ArmInfo. Private investors will invest 12 mln EUR in creation of an
oncology clinic in Armenia for treatment by means of radioisotopes,
Chairman of the Armenian National Competitiveness Fund Bekor Papazyan
told journalists, Saturday. According to him, the clinic may start
functioning in 2009. Among the investors there is a group of Frenchmen
of Armenian origin.

To recall, the Armenian government concluded an agreement with the
Belgian government on receiving a loan supposedly worth 17 mln EUR on
preferential terms. It is envisaged to spend the funds on cyclotron of
the Belgian company IBA, which will be set up at the Yerevan Physics
Institute after Alikhanyan. The radioisotopes produced by the device
will be purchased and used by the clinic. The project is estimated
at 30 mln EUR.

ARMENIAN ECONOMY BADLY DIVERSIFIED

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
31.07.2009 15:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first signs of crisis management appear in
the economy sectors where the crisis originated, according to Tatul
Manaseryan, adviser to RA National Assembly speaker.

"When se witness revival of industries which were first affected by
the crisis we will understand that the country is recovering from the
crisis. Construction industry was the engine of Armenian economy. It
offered job opportunities and secured infrastructure development,"
Manaseryan told a news conference toady.

"Armenia’s economy is badly diversified. We should develop the sectors
which can ensure its sustainable development," he said.

As to the national mortgage campaign, Manaseryan said it will raise
competition between the construction firms and interested sides.

Contact: Haykuhi Khachatryan

Fuller Center for Housing Armenia
Yerevan 0033, Baghramyan str. 3rd lane, house 10a
Tel: (+374 10) 271 499

This time world champion Suzy Kentikyan punches to fight homelessness in
Armenia

On July 30 Lilit Asatryan leading Armenian Young Women Association and the
world boxing WBA ? WIBF champion Suzy Kentikyan, joined Fuller Center for
Housing Armenia to build with Martirosyan family in Haytagh village, Armavir
region.

This was not the first time when Armenian Young Women Association led by
Lilit Asatryan was joining those in housing need by their volunteer
contribution to help the families and to encourage others to volunteer. On
their initiative Suzy Kentikyan used the strength of her muscles to fight
the homelessness away from her homeland.

"I am very glad that I can be useful somehow to those in housing need as
well…I wish they finish their home as soon as possible and move in" said
Suzy.

Suzy Kentikyan, her sister and her grandfather arrived to Armenia from
Northern Hollywood as well as AYWA group consisted of 15 volunteers helped
Martirosyan family to lay concrete waterproof layer around the house.

"We will remain strong as long as fragile women like Lilit volunteer with us
from year to year and thus make their contribution to the brighter future of
our families. We do become stronger, when celebrated sportsmen and
sportswomen are standing next to us and build with the needy in Armenia. We
are grateful, as the power of our compatriots is extremely valuable for our
mission to give children an opportunity to live in safe homes and to have
safe future," said Armen Avetisyan, the Executive Director of Fuller Center
for Housing Armenia" I am sure together we will win in this battle against
poverty housing in Armenia".

Martirosyan family got a chance to build a house many years ago, when they
received their plot of land for building. But it is impossible to start
construction and to finish a house with the earning of a locksmith. They
could only erect the walls and had no means to finish the house and make
their dream of own house come true. "When we learnt that our family was
selected as partner family of Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, we were so
happy, realizing that now we have an opportunity to complete our home. And
now when such people join us and work with us we are proud and grateful"
said Sargis Martirosyan.

The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is working to eliminate poverty
housing by providing long term, interest free loans and by assisting with
volunteers helping low-income families to build simple, comfortable,
affordable houses and renovate their houses. For more information, please
visit

This year the organization aims to support 100 needy families.

ANC REGRETS THAT NKR TRUSTS RA PRESIDENT SERGE SARGSYAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.07.2009 16:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Since the issue of NKR future is linked to
self-determination, ANC attaches great importance to the position of
Artsakh, but unfortunately, NKR still trust the President of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan, " David Shahnazaryan , member of Coordinating Council
of Armenian National Congress told a press conference in Yerevan today.

SARKSYAN: NO TURKEY VISIT IF BORDER REMAINS CLOSED

Today’s Zaman
July 30 2009
Turkey

Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan said he will not attend the
Turkey-Armenia 2010 World Cup qualifying match in Turkey if the border
between Armenia and Turkey remains closed.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul went to the Armenian capital city
of Yerevan in September to watch the Armenia-Turkey 2010 World Cup
qualifying match, accepting Sarksyan’s invitation with the hope of
ending the century-old hostility between Armenia and Turkey. Sarksyan
was invited to watch the Turkish leg of the Turkey-Armenia 2010 World
Cup qualifying match during Gul’s visit to Yerevan.

"We expect to witness constructive steps soon, by which our colleagues
will try to provide a suitable environment for the return visit of the
Armenian president," Sarksyan told a news conference after meeting
his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic. Turkey and Armenia announced
in late April that they agreed on a roadmap to normalize relations
between them. The roadmap, not announced to the public, is believed
to include the gradual opening of the border and the establishment
of diplomatic ties.

However, since the roadmap was announced, there have been very few
steps taken to implement it due to Azerbaijan’s strong opposition to
negotiations to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia. "I
will accept the invitation only in the event that the agreements
reached are fulfilled, if we see real steps. I will go to Turkey if
we already have the border open, or we are on the threshold of the
blockade being lifted," he said.

Turkey was unable to take further steps to improve relations with
Armenia due to Azerbaijan’s opposition to the normalization of ties
between Turkey and Armenia. To address concerns raised by Azerbaijan
over a possible Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a visit to Azerbaijan on May 13. In a speech
delivered before the Azerbaijani parliament at the time Erdogan
assured deputies that the border will remain closed if there is no
significant breakthrough vis-a-vis the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh —
a self-declared but internationally unrecognized republic — which
was a battleground between Azerbaijani and Armenian military forces
in early the 1990s.

SERJ TANKIAN TO REPRESENT BOOK OF POEMS

Noyan Tapan
July 29, 2009

WASHINGTON, JULY 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Soloist of the
System of a Down rock band, famous singer of the Armenian origin Serj
Tankian works on the book entitled I wandered lonely as a loon. Metal
Hammer states this. "I am working now to finish my book of poems
entitled Cool Gardens. The new collection of poems has no name yet
but it is probably to be illustrated by Roger Kupelian who is the
director of the Honking Antelope clip," Tankian mentioned.

BEN FOSTER, LUBNA AZABAL JOIN BRADEN KING’S ARMENIA-SET HERE
By Wendy Mitchell

Screendaily.com
http://www.screendaily.c om/production/europe/ben-foster-lubna-azabal-join- braden-kings-armenia-set-here/5003959.article
July 27 2009

Ben Foster and Lubna Azabal have joined the cast of Braden King’s
road-trip romance Here.

The film started principal photography July 22 in Armenia.

Here was written by King and DanI Valent, and producers are Lars
Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy for Parts and Labor (Old Joy, Treeless
Mountain).

Foster has appeared in 3:10 To Yuma, Alpha Dog and forthcoming The
Messenger; Azabal has been in Paradise Now and Body Of Lies.

The "landscape-obsessed road trip movie," set entirely in Armenia,
is about an American satellite-mapping engineer and an expat Armenian
photographer who have an intense relationship during their travels
together.

Here has already been backed by the Cannes Film Festival Atelier,
Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award, Rockefeller/Renew
Meida/Tribeca Film Institute Fellowship; the project also has been
to Sundance’s screenwriting and directing labs.

The project is the first English-language, US feature to shoot
entirely in Armenia. Crew members come from Serbia, Peru, the UK,
US and Armenia.

"We are thrilled to be embarking on this groundbreaking journey
throughout Armenia with an extraordinary cast and an international
crew from the US, Europe, Armenia and beyond," says in-demand US-based
independent producer Knudsen. "It is our hope that this totally unique,
award-winning project will help to re-define and expand the borders
of contemporary independent film."

Foster is repped by Brian Swardstrom at WME Entertainment and Ken
Jacobson Management. Lubna is represented by UBBA.

Bull World Health Organ. 2009 July; 87(7): 489-490.
doi: 10.2471/BLT.09.010709.
PMCID: PMC2704043

Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2009. All rights reserved.

Armenians struggle for health care and medicines

Private financing constitutes about half of total health expenditures in
Armenia and most of that comes directly out of the consumer’s pocket. In
the current economic downturn, fewer and fewer people can afford it.
Monika Mkhitaryan and Onnik Krikorian report.

In the Communist era, Armenia enjoyed one of the best health-care
systems of all the Soviet republics, delivering comprehensive care on a
centralized basis. Since then the system has fragmented along partially
free-market lines and is today failing the majority of the people it is
supposed to serve. Skewed towards expensive hospital interventions that
swallow up more than 50% of the national health budget, the Armenian
health system falters at the local community level and is often totally
absent from rural areas.

The Armenian government is trying to redress the problem, notably by
introducing primary health care reforms with an emphasis on preventive
care and the management of chronic diseases. But as Dr Ara Babloyan,
Armenia’s minister of health between 1991 and 1997, puts it, `Despite
efforts in the area of primary health care, the health system requires
new improvements’, he said, adding that the scope and definition of
primary health care should be revised and enlarged.

One of the most pressing concerns is the cost of treatment and medicine
for working Armenians who don’t benefit from the minimal social
programmes that are in place.

To address this, the ministry of health has implemented several
programmes since independence in 1991 including a Basic Benefits Package
(BBP) established in 1999. The package provides specific health-care
services, including medicines, at no charge to vulnerable segments of
the population, including children, the elderly and disabled,
impoverished people and injured military personnel. Since 2006, primary
health care services have been free of charge under the BBP.

But, of course, being eligible is not the same as being covered. And
concern about the BBP being stretched a little thin is expressed in the
highest places: `Each year the number of people included on the
`vulnerable’ list is increased by the Armenian authorities and as a
consequence, the money attributed to each individual decreases,’
explains Babloyan. In concrete terms this means that people like Naira
Thovmasian, a 34-year-old woman living in Yerevan, who since 1999 has
needed dialysis to compensate for her failing kidneys, cannot always get
the medicines they need. `By law, the hospital has to provide the
medicines for me, but what happens if they don’t have them?’ Thovmasian
asks.

When the hospital can’t provide them, Thovmasian has to pay. And she is
not alone. Elizabeth Danielyan, head of the World Health Organization’s
(WHO) Armenia country office, notes private financing constitutes about
50% of total health expenditures in Armenia, with 84% of that coming
directly out of the consumer’s pocket, according to the national health
accounts monitoring project.

Just one month’s supply of albumin, one of the treatments Thovmasian
takes, costs her the equivalent of US$ 32. Under the BBP, she receives a
disability pension equivalent to US$ 27 per month. In other words this
one drug costs more than her pension. So how does she manage? `Usually I
can’t,’ she says. `That’s why my blood pressure drops constantly. But,
if we can’t afford to eat, what hope is there to pay for medicines and
treatment we need?’

The stark choice Thovmasian faces every month – between food or medicine
– is familiar to many Armenians, and becoming more so in the current
global economic downturn. According to the Central Bank of Armenia the
economy will shrink by 5.8% in 2009, after several years of double-digit
GDP growth driven by construction. According to the World Bank, the
current downturn could push an additional 172 000 people below the
poverty line, currently set at 12 600 dram (equivalent US$ 21) per month
in Armenia, bringing the total number to 906 000 by 2010, that is to say
one-third of Armenia’s three million population.

As part of a rapid United Nations (UN) assessment of the impact of the
global financial crisis, a study of the country was carried out in March
and April this year. It revealed that people who had lost their job or
who were no longer receiving remittances from abroad were already facing
problems accessing health care before the economy took a nose dive. And
now things are set to get worse. `People are beginning to
self-medicate,’ says WHO’s Danielyan. People wait to see if a medical
problem passes or resort to home remedies rather than seek treatment
from a doctor. People like Yevgenia Grigorian, a 51-year-old unemployed
woman living in Yerevan’s Erebuni district, who says: `I have to use
lemon, tea, vinegar, that sort of thing when any of us are ill.’

Today’s crisis also contains the seeds of tomorrow’s catastrophe. Again
according to the UN rapid assessment, because they lack the funds, some
people no longer cultivate the land, which means less and poorer food in
the shops in the coming months and years. Others struggle to feed
themselves now, increasingly buying food with borrowed money.

`Household dietary diversity has decreased with a drop in the
consumption of meat and vegetables other than potatoes,’ says Danielyan,
referring to the results of the UN rapid assessment. In Yerevan,
Thovmasian is buffered somewhat by the harsh realities of rural life,
but even there, she sees the effects of the shrinking economy. `Now it’s
getting worse,’ she says. `Things are more expensive. We can’t pay for
transport and we can’t pay for food.’

And that’s when things are going relatively well. Because for all the
hardships suffered by Thovmasian, her health-care needs are at least
partially covered by the government. For those not qualifying for free
services under the BBP, things get a good deal grimmer. There is a
system of partial subsidy for people with less serious disability and
pensioners without family support; and the ministry of health provides
medicines free of charge for certain cancers, diabetes, tuberculosis,
psychiatric diseases, epilepsy, myocardial infarction, familial
Mediterranean fever and malaria; but beyond that, they are pretty much
on their own. `It’s simple,’ says WHO’s Danielyan. `The working
population, people with low income, sufficient to pay only for food,
cannot acquire essential medicines.’

So what is to be done? Part of the problem is the lack of pricing
regulation for medicines. A new draft law covering price regulation and
reimbursement is under consideration. But would that be enough? When the
International Monetary Fund published a gloomy report on the prospects
for the Armenian economy in May, it recommended government spending to
support the poor and vulnerable groups through the current crisis,
particularly in the light of the shortfall in remittances. In other
words: throw money at the problem until the global economy cranks up
again. Indeed, it seems that the Ministry of Finance is now
reconsidering planned cuts in the health budget.

Danielyan isn’t convinced that this measure is sufficient to solve the
problem. `There needs to be fundamental change in the way risk is
shared, and service delivery model is organized and funded,’ she says.
`There is a need to ensure the correct functioning of social protection
mechanisms that would make it easier for the population as a whole to
afford health care.’ But isn’t this the wrong time to be implementing
major overhauls? Not necessarily, says Danielyan: `We need to take
advantage of the current crisis in an intelligent way and initiate moves
that would be less likely under normal circumstances, in the sense of
applying insurance principles that have been used in western Europe for
decades’ she says.

—
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