Author: Karakhanian Suren

WE ARE ANTI-EUROPEAN BY OUR MENTALITY

A1plus
| 15:25:33 | 18-05-2005 | Politics |

“Armenia has cheated the COE”, this was the opinion of the Vardan
Poghosyan, representative of the Democratic Reforms Monitoring
Group. According to him, in the coalition draft constitution which
has been observed by the Monitoring Group and will be adopted in the
NA by first hearing, nothing is mentioned about the independence of
the Human Rights Defender Institute.

“The Government is still dependent on the RA President, and NA has
no role here. Excluding the NA dissolution Institute the country can
face a crash”, concludes Constitution expert Vardan Pogosyan. Another
shortcoming of the coalition draft is that there is no reference to
the election of the Yerevan mayor. And according to the calculation
of Vardan Pogosyan this draft must be improved within 5 months.

“The Venice Committee mentions a most important point – not a single
constitutional amendment is guaranteed without political agreement”,
informed Vardan Pogosyan.

WHO IS ADVISER TO SAAKASHVILI?

A1plus

| 17:14:53 | 17-05-2005 | Politics |

“Georgia has no problems with Armenia and those who say the opposite
are purposing certain political objectives”, Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili stated during a press conference in Warsaw today. In
his words, no problems with the Armenian community are available
either. “No one can separate Armenia from Georgia. Kocharyan is an
adherent to stability in Georgia like I support stability in Armenia”,
the Georgian President noted.

To note, Kocharyan and Saakashvili met today to discuss the situation
at the border, energy cooperation as well as the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict. “Robert Kocharyan is an experienced political figure and I
consult with him on some issues. We are collaborating well and there
are no problems except the incident with the ski”, Saakashvili noted
hinting at the recent visit of Robert Kocharyan to Georgia, when he
had hurt his foot.

Mikhail Saakashvili also stated that Georgia is a country, which
carried out a revolution and proved that democracy can be established
via revolution.

Azeri speaker, Italian minister discuss Karabakh

ANS TV, Baku
16 May 05

[Presenter] Azerbaijan gives priority to the Nagornyy Karabakh
settlement in its foreign policy and focuses on this subject also at
meetings with [foreign] guests.

[Correspondent over video of Azerbaijani Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov
receiving Italian official] Azerbaijani Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov and
the Italian minister without portfolio for regional affairs, Enrico
La Loggia, held a meeting today to discuss the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. The speaker told the Italian guest that 20 per cent of
Azerbaijani territories were occupied by Armenia and over 1m Azeris
were displaced.

The speaker complained about inactivity of the OSCE Minsk Group which
has undertaken to mediate the Nagornyy Karabakh resolution. Alasgarov
also said that the talks which have been held on resolving the conflict
were fruitless. This is what he said.

[Alasgarov speaking to La Loggia] We think that this is the case
because Armenia is continuing its aggressive policy. No pressure or
sanctions are being put on Armenia.

[Correspondent] The speaker said that Baku supported a peaceful
solution to the conflict within the framework of international legal
norms and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. The only way is to
liberate Azerbaijan’s occupied territories and repatriate refugees
to their lands. The Italian minister without portfolio for regional
affairs, Enrico La Loggia, said that Italy’s position on the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict has not changed.

[La Loggia, speaking in Italian with Azeri voice-over] Italy is one of
the countries which initially recognized Azerbaijan’s independence. We
are ready to support Azerbaijan in all spheres. We support a fair
solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

[Correspondent] La Loggia is convinced that the Karabakh conflict
will be resolved peacefully in line with international legal norms.

Afat Telmanqizi, Azar Qarayev, ANS.

A1plus

| 13:56:52 | 13-05-2005 | Official |

WARSAW SUMMIT TO DETERMINE THE FUTURE POLITICAL ROLE OF THE COUNCIL OF
EUROPE

Strasbourg, 12.05.2005 – For the first time in history, the Heads of State
and Government of 46 European democracies – member states of the Council of
Europe – will meet in the Royal Castle of Warsaw on 16 and 17 May for the
Summit of European Unity, to reaffirm the core values on which Europe is
built, define the political mandate of the Council of Europe and chart its
action for the coming years. The principal tasks of the Council of Europe
will be determined during three major debates:

`European unity, European values’ At the first plenary session on Monday
morning (16 May), the Council of Europe member states will renew their
commitment to the Council’s common values and principles – above all,
democracy, human rights and the rule of law – throughout the continent. In
this context, priority will be given to the ensuring of the continued
effectiveness of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Council’s
unique human rights protection mechanism. `Challenges for European society’

The second plenary session on Monday afternoon will concentrate on concerted
action in response to new threats to the security of European citizens, such
as terrorism, corruption and organised crime as well as trafficking in human
beings. On this occasion, three new Council of Europe conventions – on the
prevention and financing of terrorism and on trafficking in human beings –
will be opened for signature. The session will also address questions
related to the building of a more humane and inclusive Europe – such as
social cohesion, protection of children, political participation, the
promoting of cultural diversity and the fostering of intercultural dialogue.

`European architecture’

The third and final plenary session on Tuesday morning (17 May) will focus
on ensuring cooperation and complementarity of the Council of Europe and
other European partner organisations.

The Warsaw Summit will start on Monday, 16 May, at 10.00 am, with the
`family photo’ of the 46 Heads of State and Government, followed by the
opening speech of the Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski (10.15 am).

The list of participants will be published on Friday 13 May.

A press conference will take place on Monday 16 May at 6.15 pm.

The final press conference is scheduled for Tuesday, 17 May, at 12.50 pm.

Parliamentary candidates in Karabakh get free airtime on Public TV

Artsakh Public TV, Stepanakert
13 May 05

[Presenter over video of meeting] The NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh Republic]
Central Electoral Commission held a meeting on 13 May dedicated to the
19 June parliamentary elections.

The commission checked the lists of candidates for deputies of the
National Assembly. The commission registered the party lists of six
parties and a bloc of two parties. The commission also registered the
list of candidates under the first-past-the-post system while it
refused to register two candidates.

The commission also made a decision to provide the candidates with
free and paid time on Artsakh Public TV and radio. The broadcast time
for candidates should not exceed 60 minutes of free time and 90
minutes of paid time. Candidates running under the of
first-past-the-post system will only have paid time, which should not
exceed 10 minutes.

The Central Electoral Commission also adopted decisions on conducting
elections to local government bodies in some villages of the NKR on 19
June.

Representatives of political parties participated in the meeting.

AZG Armenian Daily #087, 14/05/2005

Culture

ARMINE AHARONIAN’S CONCERT IN KARLOVI VARI

Armine Aharonian, young musician, who was awarded the first prize in
international competition in Dubai, performed a brilliant concert together
with the symphonic Orchestra of Karlovi Vari. After the competition it was
decided to let her perform a concert with the Czech Symphonic Orchestra. The
young musician displayed all the talent during the concert. Armine Aharonian
is a student at Yerevan Conservatoire after Komitas. She participated in
many international competitions and performed in many concerts abroad
together with other young musicians within the framework of “New Names.”
program.

New York Times, NY
May 12 2005

Critic’s Notebook
>From Punk to Rap, the Varied Guises of the Hard-Rock Sound

By KELEFA SANNEH
Published: May 12, 2005

Contract disputes usually aren’t much fun to eavesdrop on, but an
exception must be made for Linkin Park, the deceptively mild-mannered
rap-rock band that’s feuding with its record company, the Warner
Music Group.

Enlarge This Image

Judith Schlieper for The New York Times
The protest-metal band System of a Down performed this week at Irving
Plaza in New York.

Excerpts of Songs by System of a Down and Limp Bizkit

Forum: Popular Music
Last week the Firm, Linkin Park’s management company, issued an
entertaining press release. Among other things, the statement said
that Warner Music Group’s stock offering might weaken the company’s
ability to “market and promote Linkin Park.” This was a neat
reversal, since the usual complaint about major labels is the exact
opposite: they spend too much money marketing and promoting bands
like Linkin Park.

Even more startling was the group’s casual claim that they were
Warner Music Group’s “biggest act,” a claim that echoes one made by
the Warner Music chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr., who has described the
group as “the biggest rock band in the world.” Really? Linkin Park?
Those rather anonymous-looking guys who recently did time as Jay-Z’s
backup band? How did that happen?

The answer is that Linkin Park triumphed mainly by not messing up.
Less flamboyant and less mediagenic than their rap-rock
contemporaries, the members surpassed the competition by working hard
and keeping relatively low profiles. The band’s second and most
recent full-length album, “Meteora,” has sold more than 10 million
copies, even though Chester Bennington (the lead singer) and Mike
Shinoda (the lead rapper) are hardly household names.

By contrast, look what happened to Limp Bizkit, once one of
rap-rock’s best-selling acts. After a string of hits, the lead barker
Fred Durst became better known as a celebrity punch line than as a
rap-rock frontman. More people probably remember his rumored fling
with Britney Spears or that disastrous Chicago concert (the band was
reportedly run off the stage; some fans later sued over the shortened
set) than remember the group’s 2003 album, “Results May Vary.”

Indeed, things have gotten so dire for Limp Bizkit that the band has
now embraced precisely the situation that Linkin Park says it is
worried about. The new Limp Bizkit mini-album, “The Unquestionable
Truth (Part 1),” released by Geffen, snuck into stores last week with
virtually no marketing or promotion. This wasn’t just a quiet release
but a secret one: the band has made no mention of the CD in recent
interviews, and many fans (yes, some remain) were doubtless surprised
to stroll into record stores on May 3 and find a new Limp Bizkit
release on the racks.

While Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit have been busy with (respectively)
high-profile press releases and low-profile CDs, an unlikely
contender has emerged as the country’s favorite heavy rock band of
the moment. The hyper-quirky Armenian-American protest-metal act,
System of a Down, is in the middle of a whirlwind promotional tour
that has included an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and a
so-called “guerrilla tour” (because the band is playing small venues)
that came to Irving Plaza on Monday night. All of this is intended to
ensure that the band’s new CD, “Mezmerize” (American/Columbia), will
enjoy one of the year’s biggest debuts when it’s released on Tuesday.

It’s hard to imagine better evidence of the topsy-turvy state of loud
rock. While Limp Bizkit bashes out chest-pounding rap-rock on an
underground EP, System of a Down is on “Saturday Night Live” playing
an antiwar song called, “BYOB,” which has singer Serj Tankian
exclaiming, “My God is of Bible blood with pointed ears.”

The strange thing about Limp Bizkit is that Mr. Durst has always been
at pains to portray himself as an underdog, even when his band seemed
like a corporate-rock juggernaut. If he were a better lyricist (or a
more likable celebrity), his self-pity might have been easier to
swallow. As it was, you often had to ignore him in order to enjoy his
band’s surprisingly propulsive riffs.

The new Limp Bizkit mini-album marks the band’s reunion with its
adventurous guitarist, Wes Borland, and the songs are as loud and
raucous as any Bizkit fan could hope for, full of gluey bass lines
and exploding backbeats. Unfortunately, Mr. Durst’s rants are as
unpalatable as ever: his take on evil priests (“The Priest”) falls
particularly flat.

Still, System of a Down fans shouldn’t be too quick to hop aboard the
anti-Durst bandwagon: Mr. Tankian is hardly immune to awkward
polemics. In fact, the two singers sometimes write surprisingly
similar lyrics. One of these bands has a song that includes the
words, “Crying freedom/ Handed to obsoletion/ Still you feed us lies
>From the tablecloth.” One has a song that includes the words,
“Rebellious at heart all along/ Is your leader a voice?/ Somehow
you’ve replaced all your gain with a debt.” Can you guess which is
which?

If nothing else, the diverging tales of System of a Down and Limp
Bizkit show just how quickly hard-rock paradigms can shift: at a time
when the Latino post-punk noisemakers in Mars Volta seem poised to
outsell the rap-rock dinosaurs in Korn, Mr. Tankian’s self-conscious
weirdness seems a lot fresher than Mr. Durst’s red-hatted rage. So if
the members of “the biggest rock band in the world” seem surprisingly
nervous about their maintaining their stature, maybe they have good
reason. All rock bands love pretending to be underdogs, but as Mr.
Durst can attest, it’s not always fun to become one.

Forward, NY
May 11 2005

Genocidal Threats Demand More Than Just Memorializing

By Yehuda Bauer
May 13, 2005

The recent opening of Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of
Europe and of Yad Vashem’s new museum in Jerusalem are important and
welcome developments. But we must go beyond our singular focus on
memorializing the Holocaust. We must help people realize that
genocidal violence is a threat to all people. We must demand of the
political world – in our own interest, and the interest of the wider
community – to finally put actions behind its pledge to “never
forget.”

Any examination of the Holocaust must involve an examination of the
general phenomenon of genocide. The internationally recognized legal
definition delineated by the Genocide Convention of 1948 is
unsatisfactory, but any attempt to change it is all but politically
impossible. This is the definition of genocide with which we must
work, but every effort should be made to expand our understanding of
what it should imply.

Political mass murder, ethnic cleansing designed to annihilate a
group and global genocidal ideologies such as radical Islam very

much fit the concept of genocide, in spirit if not in letter. These
are genocidal threats, and as such they should be added to the
convention’s definition that genocide is the intent to annihilate
ethnic, national, racial and religious groups. The genocide of the
Jewish people – inaccurately known as the Holocaust – is, as far as
we know, the most extreme case of genocide to date.

Each and every genocide has targeted a specific group of people. In
order to understand genocide, therefore, one has to deal with the
specific group targeted. Jews were not transported to extermination
camps because they were humans; humans were transported because they
were Jews. The Young Turks did not randomly kill masses of humans;
they killed Armenians. The same is true for the Tutsi in Rwanda, and
for the ethnic Africans being murdered in Darfur by Arab Janjaweed
militias.

Each genocide is different, but it would be a mistake to dismiss the
similarities. Foremost among them is the suffering of the victims.
There is no better or worse genocide, just as there is no better or
worse murder, no better or worse torture. There is no scale to
measure suffering. Jews, Armenians or Poles who were martyred and
murdered all suffered the same. Another characteristic common to all
genocides is that the “civilized” world was unable to prevent them,
or to make a serious effort to stop them. There are, tragically, few
exceptions.

The argument that the Holocaust was the most extreme form of genocide
is based on the fact that a modern nation state committed itself to
the total and universal annihilation of individuals belonging to a
particular group of humans. The Nazi ideology that motivated the
murder was unprecedented in its lack of pragmatism: The Nazis
murdered Jewish slave workers while they produced materials essential
for the German war effort, and killed experts whom they could have
used. Nazi ideology related to the Jews as mythical beings – Satans
or supposed rulers of the world that had to be destroyed – a marked
contrast to other genocides that were motivated by economic or
political considerations. True, Jewish property was confiscated and
used – but that was not the reason for persecuting and murdering the
Jews; it was the result.

The Holocaust was not unique, because that would mean that it could
never happen again, to anyone, Jewish or otherwise. This is simply
not true. The Holocaust was perpetrated by humans, for human reasons,
and anything done by humans can be repeated – not in exactly the same
form, but in similar or parallel ways.

>From 1900 to 1987, according to Rudolph Rummel, an estimated 169
million civilians were murdered by governments and by other political
bodies. Of that number, some 38 million of these victims were
murdered in genocides as defined by the convention. Today, Darfur is
the scene of genocide, and again the international community has, so
far, proved itself unable to stop the killing. To be fair, more is
now being written about genocidal threats, and more people and even
politicians seem to care about genocide than before. Nonetheless, the
killing continues.

Today, genocidal threats are present everywhere. For the Jewish
people, the main genocidal threat does not lie with European
antisemitism, but with the radical Islamist version. It is a serious
error to view the murderous language of radical Islamists as mere
talk: We have learned that when people are ideologically committed to
murderous action, they will act accordingly if given the chance.

Therefore, Jews should be actively involved in all attempts to
prevent genocidal murders of any kind. In most cases, including the
radical Islamic one, it is largely from within the group that
potential perpetrators are recruited. In the effort to combat the
genocidal threat, then, Jews and others must seek out allies in the
nonradical Islamic world, which still makes up the vast majority of
Islam’s 1.3 billion adherents. That means that we must view Muslims
as brothers, as equals, as potential allies and as bearers of one of
the great civilizations of the world – and as those who are the first
to be threatened by the radicals in their midst.

Yehuda Bauer is the scientific adviser to Yad Vashem, a professor of
Holocaust studies at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a member of the
Israel Academy of Science and the author of “Rethinking the
Holocaust” (Yale University Press, 2001).

Embassy of The United States
Yerevan, Armenia
May 10,2005

President Bush’s May 10 Speech in Tbilisi
Freedom Square
Tbilisi, Georgia
1:27 P.M. (Local)
PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, thank you for that introduction. Citizens of
a free Georgia, Laura and I were in the neighborhood — we thought we’d
swing by and say gamarjoba. (Applause.)
I am proud to stand beside a President who has shown such spirit,
determination, and leadership in the cause of freedom. (Applause.) And Laura
and I are proud to stand with the courageous people of Georgia, in this
place that has earned a proud name — Freedom Square. (Applause.)
When Georgians gathered here 16 years ago, this square had a different name.
Under Lenin’s steely gaze, thousands of Georgians prayed and sang, and
demanded their independence. The Soviet army crushed that day of protest,
but they could not crush the spirit of the Georgian people. (Applause.)
The following year, Georgians returned to this square and pulled down the
statue of Lenin. And on April 9th, 1991, you declared to the world that
Soviet Georgia was no more, and that the independent nation of Georgia was
born. (Applause.) On that historic day, you reclaimed your sovereignty, but
the hopeful start you made was not fulfilled. So 18 months ago, Georgians
returned to this square to complete the task you began in 1989. You gathered
here armed with nothing but roses and the power of your convictions, and you
claimed your liberty. And because you acted, Georgia is today both sovereign
and free, and a beacon of liberty for this region and the world. (Applause.)
The path of freedom you have chosen is not easy, but you will not travel it
alone. Americans respect your courageous choice for liberty. And as you
build a free and democratic Georgia, the American people will stand with
you. (Applause.)
You are building a free future for your children and grandchildren, and you
are helping other nations to do the same. When the Afghan people defied
terrorists to vote in that nation’s first free presidential elections,
Georgian soldiers were there to provide security. (Applause.) And last
year — and last year, when terrorist violence in Iraq was escalating,
Georgia showed her courage. You increased your troop commitment in Iraq
fivefold. The Iraqi people are grateful, and so are your American and
coalition allies. (Applause.)
You are making many important contributions to freedom’s cause, but your
most important contribution is your example. In recent months, the world has
marveled at the hopeful changes taking place from Baghdad to Beirut to
Bishkek. But before there was a Purple Revolution in Iraq, or an Orange
Revolution in Ukraine, or a Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, there was the Rose
Revolution in Georgia. (Applause.) Your courage is inspiring democratic
reformers and sending a message that echos across the world: Freedom will be
the future of every nation and every people on Earth. (Applause.)
Building a free society is the work of generations. It took nearly 15 years
of struggle before liberty and justice fully took root in this country. Many
of the students and workers who gathered here on this square 18 months ago
were too young to remember the protests of 1989, but they took up freedom’s
cause and finished the work that their parents had begun. (Applause.)
Now, across the Caucasus, in Central Asia and the broader Middle East, we
see the same desire for liberty burning in the hearts of young people. They
are demanding their freedom — and they will have it. (Applause.)
As free nations, the United States and Georgia have great responsibilities,
and together, we will do our duty. Free societies are peaceful societies.
And by extending liberty to millions who have not known it, we will advance
the cause of freedom, and we will advance the cause of peace. (Applause.)
In this global struggle for liberty, our duties begin at home. While
peaceful revolutions can bring down repressive regimes, the real changes and
the real challenge is to build up free institutions in their place. This is
difficult work, and you are undertaking it with dignity and determination.
(Applause.) You have taken tough steps to reform your economy and to crack
down on corruption. You are building a democratic society where the rights
of minorities are respected, where a free press flourishes, a vigorous
opposition is welcome, and unity is achieved through peace. In this new
Georgia, the rule of law will prevail, and freedom will be the birthright of
every citizen. (Applause.)
This was a dream of your late Prime Minister Zhvania who once said, “It is
not by mere chance that we have adopted two very important ideas as our
watch words: freedom and responsibility.” Today, we pay tribute to this
Georgian patriot who became a great leader of the global democratic
revolution. In building a free and responsible society, you honor his memory
and you carry on his legacy. (Applause.)
As you build free institutions at home, the ties that bind our nations will
grow deeper, as well. We respect Georgia’s desire to join the institutions
of Europe. We encourage your closer cooperation with NATO. Georgia’s leaders
know that the peaceful resolution of conflict is essential to your
integration into the transatlantic community. At the same time, the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia must be respected — the
territorial [sic] and sovereignty of Georgia must be respected by all
nations. (Applause.)
We are living in historic times when freedom is advancing, from the Black
Sea to the Caspian, and to the Persian Gulf and beyond. As you watch free
people gathering in squares like this across the world, waving their
nations’ flags and demanding their God-given rights, you can take pride in
this fact: They have been inspired by your example and they take hope in
your success. (Applause.)
As you build freedom in this country, you must know that the seeds of
liberty you are planting in Georgian soil are flowering across the globe.
(Applause.) I have come here to thank you for your courage. The American
people value your friendship, and admire your determination. On behalf of
all Americans, thank you, God bless you. Sakartvelos gaumarjos. (Applause.)

COURT NOT APPENDIX TO EXECUTIVE POWER

A1plus
| 13:32:13 | 07-05-2005 | Politics |

The Armenian courts should not be formed as it is dome now, chairman
Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan considers.

“It is not very hard to find the mechanisms to divide the power and
make the courts independent”, de says. Should the courts be elected? It
is not a necessary condition for an independent juridical power. There
are many states where the courts are independent though they were not
elected. Avetik Ishkhanyan is not against if the judges were elected
by the President under the condition that he should not possess
super-authority of the executive power. According to Ishkhanyan there
exist other mechanisms providing for the independence of the courts,
for example their welfare.

The Constitution should first of all provide for the independence of
a judge and fix the authority courts are empowered with. The rest can
be settled with a law. The most important thing is that the Justice
Council should not be guided by the executive power but should be a
self-regulating body.