Author: Tambiyan Samvel

EDUCATIONAL REFORMS ARE OF COSMETIC NATURE

Panorama.am
17:40 24/12/2007

Eight public organizations have come up with an initiation to form
an association, Susanna Grigoryan, chairperson of "Armenian League
of Culture," told reporters today.

In her words, the main aim is to unite several organizations working
separately. The association also aims to tackle educational problems
and create an exemplary model of democracy with improvements in
cooperation between the state and the society. "The society can hardly
make its voice heard separately.

Because of that we want to unite and create an equal and counter
effect force with the state," Grigoryan mentioned.

"The educational reforms in our country are of cosmetic
nature. Everyone speaks about the educational reforms but the drawbacks
in the field are many and they are evident during the exam period,"
she said.

She believes the cosmetic reforms are a wrong way to correct the
mistakes in the system.

TER-PETROSIAN SAYS CONFIDENT ABOUT ELECTION CHANCES
By Astghik Bedevian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 24 2007

Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian portrayed Armenia’s upcoming
presidential election as a showdown between himself and Prime Minister
Serzh Sarkisian as he received fresh pledges of allegiance from about
two dozen opposition parties over the weekend.

Addressing hundreds of their activists who gathered for a one-day
conference in Yerevan, Ter-Petrosian said he will be Sarkisian’s
main challenger because none of the other opposition candidates has
managed to muster multi-partisan support for their presidential bids.

He claimed that some of them are secretly collaborating with the
Armenian authorities to prevent him from returning to power.

"No other candidate has consolidated so many influential forces,
something which allows one to speak about, if not the emergence of
a single opposition candidate, but at least the formation of a clear
pole opposed to the regime," he said.

Ter-Petrosian dismissed as fraudulent opinion polls which show him
trailing not only Sarkisian but also other candidates. He argued that
he has been the main target of attacks by pro-government politicians
and media in recent weeks. "Isn’t it obvious that if the published
ratings were authentic, there would be no need for such edginess
[on the part of the government] and Serzh Sarkisian would stand
in the elections to the accompaniment of folk music and a brass
band?" he said.

Ter-Petrosian’s presidential bid has so far been endorsed by 17 mostly
small parties strongly opposed to Armenia’s present leadership. Among
those parties are the former ruling Armenian Pan-National Movement
(HHSh), the radical opposition Hanrapetutyun party and the People’s
Party of Stepan Demirchian, the main opposition candidate in the last
presidential election. In his speech, Ter-Petrosian referred to them
as his core support base.

The former president also denounced as "bogus candidates" other
opposition heavyweights who have refused to rally around him. In an
apparent reference to Artashes Geghamian and possibly Vazgen Manukian,
he said they joined the presidential race on government orders with
the aim of discrediting him and thereby facilitating a "reproduction"
of the ruling regime.

Both Geghamian and Manukian say they refused to throw their weight
behind Ter-Petrosian because they believe his track record in
government was no better than that of the current authorities in
Yerevan. They also insist that they remain in opposition to the
administration of President Robert Kocharian. Observers note, however,
that both prominent oppositionists have toned down their criticism
of the government of late.

In his speech, Ter-Petrosian sounded confident about his chances of
defeating Sarkisian, saying that he will visit all regions of Armenia
and meet "as many people as possible" during his election campaign.

He also told loyalists that he will draw on his experience as a leader
of the 1988 movement for Nagorno-Karabakh’s unification with Armenia
which brought down the republic’s last Communist government in 1990.

"Our authorities are no more invincible than the government of
the Soviet Union. If we managed to defeat [Soviet leader Mikhail]
Gorbachev, then what prevents us from defeating Robert Kocharian and
Serzh Sarkisian?" he said to rapturous applause.

Hanrapetutyun’s outspoken leader, Aram Sarkisian, appeared to answer
this question in his own speech at the gathering. "For the ruling
[Sarkisian-Kocharian] pair, retaining power is a matter of life or
death," Sarkisian said. "That is why they are gearing up for a fight,
not an election. A fight against Levon Ter-Petrosian."

DIRECTOR OF ARMENIAN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY: IN 2008 FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIAN ECONOMY WILL REACH 700 MILLION DOLLAR MARK

Noyan Tapan
Dec 21, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Satisfactory indices on investment
inflow to Armenia will be registered by 2007’results. It is forecast
that it will reach the 700 million dollar mark, the director general
of the Armenian Development Agency (ADA) Tigran Davtian stated at
the December 21 press conference.

He reminded that in January-September 2007, foreign investments in the
real sector of the Armenian economy (without those received through the
state governance and banking systems) made 469 mln 947.1 thousand USD,
growing by 58% on the same period of last year. Out of this amount,
direct investments made 311 mln 605.7 thousand USD, growing 2.1fold
on January-September 2006.

In t. Davtian’s words, "as was promised" by the Russian president
V. Putin, Russia has become the leader by investments made in Armenia.

He added that according to investors, Armenia’s investment emvironment
is favorable, while the small size of the Armenian market is the first
obstacle to attraction of a greater amount of investments. "There has
been some progress in terms of a growth of purchasing capacity, GDP
and per capita incomes," he said. T. Davtian forecast that in 2008,
per capita GDP will make 3.3-3.5 thousand USD against 1.4 thousand
USD in 2005. This index is typical of countries with a medium level
of economic development. It is also forecast that in 2008 Armenia’s
GDP will surpass the 10 billion dollar mark.

"REFORMS" TO PLEASE NATO
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir
Dec 21 2007
Armenia

When the military reforms of Armenia are considered, an important,
a core question occurs on which the quality of the reform and
effectiveness depends. The question is the motivation of the reform,
whether it is carried out because the NATO Individual Partnership Plan
requires that or we need the reform. At first sight, the motivation
does not seem as important as the reform itself. This is a mistake,
however. If we carry out a reform because our relations with NATO
require it, the best result of it will be the same as that of our
partnership with civilian international organizations. For instance,
our membership to the Council of Europe. It brought about legislative
reforms, assumed and officially enacted by legislative obligations.

However, we who live in Armenia know that these obligations are
formal provisions written on paper, which have nothing to do with real
life, in terms of both the government and the society. We carried out
reforms through legislative acts because we were obliged to but there
seems to be no hastiness to bring them into being. Life and relations
are the same or changed as much as it would change on its own. This
is the difference between obliged and voluntary reforms, if we may
describe them so. Certainly, with regard to membership to European
and other international political and economic organizations, as well
as partnership with NATO Armenia can say it joined them voluntarily,
realizing the stipulations, and without political will Armenia would
not have agreed to that partnership.

However, a person who is aware of the modern geopolitical reality
realizes that considering the economic, political, cultural and
geographic peculiarities Armenia could not avoid partnership with
NATO, and if not membership at least membership with international
organizations.

After all, our country has acquired considerable skills in fulfilling
international obligations and has almost solved the most complicated
problem – the elections. The parliamentary election of 2007 showed
that even in this connection the Armenian government has invented
mechanisms which can guarantee an impression and reason for a positive
evaluation for the outside. Meanwhile, we realize that deep inside
the state of things did not change. Moreover, it departs even farther
from the line of legality. All this allows thinking that the same
pretension may be with regard to the military reform, especially that
it is impossible to imagine a real reform in a separate sphere of
public administration if the reforms in the other spheres are mere
declarations. In other words, we may soon have an excellent military
legislation, an ultramodern structure of the army, modern mechanisms
of management. However, the most important question is what will be
underneath it, how the way of thinking of the command of the army will
change which is far from the elementary cultured level, while in other
countries the image of an army man, especially a high-ranking one,
is associated with intellect and good manners. How will the relation
between the officer and the soldier change, which is now that of a
master and a servant and in some military units it can be described as
slavery? How will the army avoid being a political tool when soldiers
are made to vote for the government? How will corruption be tackled
when most soldiers get a leave after they pay, or on credit? Or
what is going to be done about the sons of the officials, from the
president to heads of department to have them serve in the army like
the sons of ordinary citizens? These phenomena persist in the army,
and overlooking them is not patriotism but the contrary. And the main
result of the military reform should be the qualitative change of the
relations underlying this situation. It is possible only in case the
reform is necessitated by our inner compulsion, our way of thinking,
rather than the necessity to please NATO.

GIRL DIES HOURS AFTER INSURANCE COMPANY APPROVES TRANSPLANT

City News Service, CA
December 20, 2007 Thursday 10:29 PM PST

A 17-year-old leukemia patient from Northridge died today at Mattel
Children’s Hospital at UCLA, hours after her insurance company bowed
to a nationwide protest and reversed its earlier denial of a liver
transplant.

The parents of Nataline Sarkisyan removed her from life support
"because her condition was hopeless," family friend Steve Artinian
told Fox11.

"Now we have to start the healing process to try to figure out what
happened and why it happened," Artinian said.

Nataline had been in a vegetative state for three weeks, her mother
Hilda Sarkisyan told the Daily News.

CIGNA initially declined to pay for the transplant for Nataline
because her plan did not cover "experimental, investigational and
unproven services,’ her doctors said.

The denial prompted a nationwide series of protests, including a
rally outside CIGNA’s Glendale offices attended by a crowd estimated
by organizers at 150. Hundreds of telephone callers also clogged
lines at CIGNA offices around the nation today on Nataline’s behalf,
organizers said.

About 15 minutes into the rally, it was announced that CIGNA would
make an exception to its rules and approve the transplant.

"This is an incredible turnaround generated by a massive outpouring
around the country that proves that an engaged public can make a
difference and achieve results," Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director
of the California Nurses Association and National Nurses Organizing
Committee, one of the rally’s organizers, said before Nataline’s death.

"CIGNA had to back down in the face of a mobilized network of
patient advocates and health care activists who would not take no
for an answer."

The Armenian National Committee and Eve Gittleson, a blogger on the
Web site Daily Kos, also help organize the protests.

Nataline was diagnosed with leukemia at age 14. After two years of
treatment the cancer went into remission but came back this summer,
Sarkisyan told the Daily News.

When doctors said Nataline could use a bone-marrow transplant,
the Sarkisyans discovered that her only sibling, Bedig, 21, was a
match, and he donated his bone marrow the day before Thanksgiving,
the newspaper reported.

However, Nataline developed a complication from the bone-marrow
transplant and, because her liver was failing, doctors recommended a
transplant, according to an appeal letter sent to CIGNA earlier this
month, the Daily News reported.

The Sarkisyans filed an appeal with the California Department of
Insurance, which sent a letter this week saying it needed more
information.

KIRO MANOYAN: "REASON FOR ABSENCE OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS IS REPULSIVE ATTITUDE OF TURKEY"

Noyan Tapan
Dec 20 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. "The reason for the absence
of Armenian-Turkish relations is the repulsive attitude of
Turkey. However, it is important for us to refer to the problems
existing between the two states through parliamentary hearings and try
to re-establish or make our tasks more exact," declared Kiro Manoyan,
the Head of the ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office,
in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on December 19,
making a speech at the hearings organized on the "Armenian-Turkish
relations: Problems and perspectives" subject.

He attached importance to the issue on the blockade of Armenia by
Turkey, at the same time mentioning that it is obvious that it cannot
last forever and that they should get ready for it beforehand. The
speaker attached not less importance to the problem concerning the
Armenian-Turkish border. According to him, Armenia, by becoming
a member of different international organizations, has factually
recognized the border inherited from the soviet period, whereas the
legal border was internationally recognized as early as by the Sevr
treaty signed in 1920. He suggested prohibiting the signature of any
document by Armenia, by which it will waive that specified borderline
between Armenia and Turkey. The speaker also considered it necessary
for the lagislative and executive authorities of Armenia to get down
to the implementation of the preparatory work necessary for the legal
stimulation of that problem in international instances.

According to Kiro Manoyan, the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
and the legal and political responsibility for that crime by Turkey,
as well as the establishment of a dialogue at the intergovernmental
level of the two countries will become preconditions for the creation
of Armenian-Turkish normal relations. "This road is neither short
nor easy," Kiro Manoyan said, at the same time mentioning that the
16-year-old experience of the independence of Armenia showed that
they should not be infatuated with illusions and cannot reach serious
results with regard to the relations with Turkey by temporary steps.

RA LAW ON FIRMS TO PERMIT TO SIMPLIFY PROCEDURES OF FIRMS REGISTRATION

Noyan Tapan
Dec 20 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA bill On Firms was approved
at the RA government’s December 20 sitting, As Nerses Yeritsian, the RA
Minister of Trade and Economic Development, informed journalists after
the sitting, the bill simplifies the procedures of firms registration
and reduces expenditures needed for registration.

According to the current order, for registering their firm owners of
firms apply to local structures and parallel to it to the intellectual
property agency to check and establish firm’s name and only then
register it in the state register. The bill envisages to carry out
registration by the principle of one window, at one institution of
state registration.

N. Yeritsian also said that the law will permit to introduce an
electronic management system, after which firms can be registered
through Internet.

ARMENIA WANTS STRONGER IRAN TIES

Tehran Times
Dec 20 2007
Iran

Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has said that Yerevan has a
resolve to boost deep-rooted ties with Iran as an important country.

In a meeting with the outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Yerevan Alireza
Haqiqian, the premier praised the growing trend of relations in all
fields, calling for the expansion of bilateral economic cooperation.

He added that joint projects including a gas pipeline and electricity
transfer network between Iran and Armenia, as well as construction of
a power station on the Aras River would improve the already-bright
prospects for bilateral cooperation and prepare the ground for
implementing major projects.

The Iranian ambassador said that Iranian and Armenian officials
have had good cooperation at the international level thanks to their
political will.

ICG CALLS ON GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT TO HOL FREE AND FAIR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

armradio.am
20.12.2007 17:31

The International Crisis Group calls on the Georgian Government to hold
free and fair presidential election on 5 January 2008, respectfully
approach media freedom, civil liberties and human rights, the Group’s
latest report on Georgia says.

The International Crisis Group calls on Tbilisi to ensure transparency
and accountability in the implementation of reforms, and pursue open
and democratic governance, in particular by: applying the rule of
law without arbitrariness and ensuring the judiciary is independent
and free from intimidation; engaging in a constructive dialogue with
opposition parties.

In addition, Georgia is recommended to explore areas of potential
cooperation with Russia, including on trade, transport, border control
and fighting terrorism, organised crime and proliferation of weapons
and drugs, engage in genuine dialogue with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

In its report, International Crisis Group calls on to the USA,
European Union, NATO and member countries of both organizations to
support democratic governance, not a particular regime; and increase
support to civil society, the public defender and efforts to strengthen
media freedom.

HOVHANNISIAN: ESTABLISHING CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER WILL BE THE MAIN TASK OF THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT

YERKIR
18.12.2007 17:31

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Vahan Hovhannisian, the deputy speaker of the
Armenian National Assembly and ARF Bureau member, running for
president, has participated in an event marking the anniversary of
the ARF in the United States. He spoke about his platform during
the meeting.

According to a report by the Horizon TV, Hovhannisian explained why
the ARF did not participate in the Armenian presidential elections
since 1991 and why it is participating now. Hovhannisian said that
establishing the constitutional order will be the main task of the
newly elected president.

The president should represent the people’s interests and is
accountable to them. Speaking about Artsakh, he said that the main
goal is to keep what has been achieved. Hovhannisian said that the
ARF is the most prepared party when it comes to holding negotiations
with Turkey.

"The Diaspora is a full-fledged member of the Armenian people and it
is the ARF’s goal to have all the Armenians reside in Armenia. Both
the Diaspora and the homeland should take good care of each other,"
he said.

ARF Bureau member Vigen Hovsepian said that the ARF presented its
candidate to the American Armenian community. "It is our belief,
and I am sure that it will also become the Armenian people’s belief,
Hovhannisian should be seen as the most capable, the most ethical
presidential candidate with real high abilities," he said.