Author: Nalchajian Markos

ORINATS YERKIR STEPPED INTO A LARGER FIELD

Lragir.am
20 May 06

All the explanations of the secession of Orinats Yerkir from the coalition
have been clearly stated, and there is no need to look for an extraordinary or
treacherous element, stated Garnik Isagulyan, adviser to president, May 20. `
In fact, the political parties of the coalition disagreed on some issues,
and when Orinats Yerkir understood that their disagreement transgressed the
agreement they had signed, I think it was quite regular that they rejectedthe
common way of the coalition, and it is normal, because all the offices had
been appointed on a common arrangement, it is natural there would occur the
actions that followed,’ said Garnik Isagulyan. He also rejects the
suggestions
that it was an attempt to punish Orinats Yerkir and its leader for a
disagreement with the leadership.
`Many tend to look for the reason of everything at the residence of the
president. I have stated that the head of state, though most people ascribe the
processes of establishment and dissolution of political parties to him, isnot
such a president. There could not have been pressure on behalf of the
administration of the president. I do not think that at some time Arthur
Baghdasaryan hesitated to express his opinion, and I do not know under what
circumstances steps would be taken against him,’ says Garnik Isagulyan. According to
him, it is quite different when a political figure speaks about questions which
are outside his competence, expresses an opinion, whereas such questions are
not within his competence. In addition, Garnik Isagulyan emphasizes that his
words refer not only to Arthur Baghdasaryan but also other figures.
According to him, the problem is that Orinats Yerkir considered the
coalition a narrow circle and chose to go to a wider field. According to Isagulyan,
it is a regular thing. The adviser to the president mentions that the Orinats
Yerkir Party announced about becoming constructive opposition, and further
activities will show. As for the possibility that the entrance of Orinats
Yerkir may change the quality of the opposition, Garnik Isagulyan finds it
difficult to tell, or he is reluctant to tell, he simply begs God for the entrance
of Orinats Yerkir to change the quality of the opposition.

Panorama.am

14:26 20/05/06

GOD GRANT THAT ORINATS YERKIR GIVES QUALITY TO OUR OPPOSITION

`We will not have either politically hot spring or hot autumn this
year,’ Garnik Isagulyan, president’s adviser on national security
issues, told a news conference today. In his words, there are neither
social nor economic preconditions for serious events. There is no
public demand, either. Besides, holidays start after which the
political forces will become more active in fall getting ready for the
parliamentary elections. `But I don’t think that this activism will
enable some political forces to raise their rating more than they have
now,’ he said. Isagulyan predicts peaceful elections in spring.

In the words of the president’s adviser, Orinats Yerkir’s departure
from the ruling coalition is a normal fact. Orinats Yerkir has become
aware that their disagreements on some issues have stepped out of
contract agreement, so the party decided to enlarge its scope of
activity which may not cause any serious or extraordinary
consequences.

The adviser refuted that OY was punished for not obeying the
president’s apparatus. There has been no such instruction from the
president’s house, he said. `If any of OY members say that pressures
were imposed upon them, I will apologize,’ the adviser noted.

Answering to the question whether OY affiliation to the opposition
will give a new qualitative effect to this political force, Isagulyan
answered in short, `God grant.’ /Panorama.am/

DEBRE DROPS THE MOTION, ARMENIANS’ NEW TARGET IS NOVEMBER
By Ali Ihsan Aydin, Paris

Zaman, Turkey
May 19 2006

The most important role played in the dropping of the motion to
penalize those who deny the so-called Armenian genocide in France
yesterday was undertaken by Parliamentary Speaker Jean Louis Debre,
a close friend of President Jacques Chirac.

Though not customary, Debre took the decision of directing the session
where the draft was discussed.

It is very rare for parliamentary speakers in France to chair the
sessions where motions brought by the opposition are discussed.

Debre gave the deputies discussing the first item of the session the
unlimited right to speak, which diminished the time remaining.

He twice allotted a break to ease the tensions that rose because
of this.

In the statement he made after the session, Debre said, “We can
write the history of neither France nor its relationships among other
nations,” and repeated once again that he is against the bill.

Meanwhile, there was no consensus among the parties for the passing
of the motion, as was the case in 2001.

The majority of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) opposed
the motion, and opposing voices also rose from the Socialist Party
(PS) that put forth the bill.

The PS must also use its next “right to determine the agenda” for
the motion to reach the parliamentary agenda again, which would be
possible only in November.

Officials from PS and Armenian associations cite the draft will come
to the general assembly again in the fall.

That the draft bill is still on the agenda should not be considered
a victory. Even the Armenian associations, the architects of the
project, did not expect the bill to pass in the first attempt. We
watched the session together with Alexis Govciyan, Chairman of the
Coordination Council of the Armenian Organizations of France, who
foresaw the delay of the bill until November.

The law suggesting “France openly recognizes 1915 Armenian Genocide”
was enacted over four years, even with compromise by the parties.

Today’s bill that was prepared and presented by Socialist deputy
Didier Migaud in 1998 was not on the senate’s agenda for a long time,
though it was passed unanimously.

Upon these developments, a group of senators presented the bill as
a new proposal to the senate and requested an urgent negotiation.

Thus, the bill passed by the senate was easily approved.

Armenians we interviewed are confident that the passage of the new
bill will be more difficult.

The reactions of historians and division among the parties head the
list of reasons. Their biggest gains stand to be the presidential
and general elections.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : ROUQUET (PS) DENONCE “UNE PARODIE DE DEMOCRATIE”

Agence France Presse
19 mai 2006 vendredi 5:02 PM GMT

Rene Rouquet, depute-maire (PS) d’Alfortville (Val-de-Marne), a denonce
vendredi “la lourde responsabilite du gouvernement” dans la “parodie
de democratie” a laquelle a abouti l’examen avorte de la proposition
de loi PS visant a reprimer la negation du genocide armenien.

“Les obstructions, les manipulations et les pressions de ces jours
derniers pour repousser l’examen du texte ont connu leur apogee
durant” la seance de jeudi a l’Assemblee, qui a ete levee avant la
fin du debat et le vote, ecrit M. Rouquet dans un communique.

M. Rouquet etait l’un des orateurs du groupe socialiste qui devait
s’exprimer a l’occasion du debat.

Le gouvernement “porte une lourde responsabilite dans ce qu’il convient
d’appeler une parodie de democratie, car il est inadmissible que
l’Etat francais ait cede de la sorte aux basses pressions commerciales
de la Turquie”, poursuit le depute, en rappelant l’intervention du
ministre des Affaires etrangères Philippe Douste-Blazy qui avait juge
la proposition “inamicale” a l’egard de la Turquie.

“Cette course de lenteur a laquelle vient de se livrer l’Assemblee
nationale est indigne (…) d’un tel sujet”, ajoute M. Rouquet.

–Boundary_(ID_4BNWiaqimmo2hLVTj0ceEA)–

SOCIALIST PARTY CONDEMNS STATEMENT BY FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER

Yerevan, May 19. ArmInfo. The Socialist Party of France condemns the
statement by Foreign Minister Phillippe Douste-Blazy that the adoption
of the bill providing for criminal punishment for denial of Armenian
Genocide will result in serious political consequences.

Socialist Party Press Secretary Julien Dray says probable diplomatic
difficulties or economic consequence cannot justify the refusal from
the priority of human rights principle observation.

The Socialist Party states that the Government is waging a double
game, recognizing the Armenian Genocide on the one hand and allowing
its denial on the other hand.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT ON KOSOVO WAS KIND OF PROMPT FOR ARMENIAN DIPLOMACY AND KARABAKH

Yerevan, May 18. ArmInfo. President Putin’s statement on the Kosovo
problem was a kind of prompt for the Armenian diplomacy and Karabakh.

If Kosovo is given independence despite Serbia’s position, this
will certainly be a precedent for the resolution of many conflicts,
including the Karabakh conflict, says Russian MP, the director of
the CIS Institute Konstantin Zatulin.

Those concerned will have just few months for using this precedent,
and Armenia should discuss this problem with Russia, who is obviously
interested in applying this solution in Abkhazia and South Ossetia too,
says Zatulin.

ROBERT GETIKIAN’S NEW FILM TO BE SHOWN IN JUNE
By Petros Keshishian

AZG Armenian Daily
19/05/2006

“Van” news group of French Armenians informed that from June 28
Robert Getikian’s last film will be shown at the movie theatres
of France. The film is entitled “A Journey in Armenia.” It depicts
contemporary Armenia, as well as the hard striving of the Armenian
Diaspora representatives to find their national identity. Arian
Ascarid, Gerard Melian, Shoghik Grigorian, Roman Avinian, Simon
Abgarian, Serge Avetikian, Christine Hovakimian and Madlen Getikian
are starring in the film.

The film is quite realistic and its very exciting plot will not leave
the spectators indifferent. The film is shot in one of the villages
of Vayots Dzor with the participation of the village residents.

NEW DISMISSALS IN RA GOVERNMENT

ArmRadio.am
18.05.2006 18:00

According to RA Prime Minsier Andranik Margaryan’s decrees Gagik
Aslanyan was dismissed from the position of RA Deputy Minister of
Territorial Administration, Artak Sahradyan was dismissed from the
position of RA Deputy Minister of Educatin and science, Hrachya
Musaelyan was dismissed from the position of RA Deputy Minister
of Energy.

According to another decision of the Prime Minister, Vahe Vardapetyan
and Hrachik Khachatryan were dismissed from positions of Tavush and
Aragatsotn Marzpets correspondingly.

IJEVAN BORDERS TO EXTEND

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The new administrative borders of Ijevan
to include a 2,600-ha area instead of the current area of 260 ha will
be approved soon by the Armenian government. Mayor of Ijevan Varuzhan
Nersisian stated this at the May 18 press conference. He said that a
new master plan of Ijevan has been developed. In his words, approval
of this document will be conducive to an increase in tax revenues
of Ijevan by creating preconditions for speeding up the process of
alienation of the community lands. It was noted the Ijevan own revenues
programs have been executed since 2000: this year, the own revenues
program amounted to 42 mln drams against 33 mln drams last year.

According to the mayor, only 5 years ago Ijevan’s budget (own revenues
and state subsidies) made 17 mln drams, while in 2006, the budget
makes 162 mln drams (about 360 thousand USD). According to the mayor,
Ijevan currently has a population of 21 thousand.

VARUZHAN KARAPETIAN RUNS HIS BUSINESS IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2006

NOYEMBERIAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Varuzhan Karapetion, who was released
from a French prison after spending there 20 years for killing the
Turkish consul in 1983, is currently running a business in Armenia. NT
correspendent was informed at the Tavush regional administration that
V. Karapetian signed a contract with the regional administration on
leasing 60 ha of land outside the administrative borders of communities
for a 25-year period. These areas are meadows and pastures adjacent
to the car tunnel of the city of Dilijan.

According to informed sources, V. Karapetian also owns a car enterprise
that services the Ijevan-Yerevan microbus route.