Author: Topchian Jane

Representative of Law-Governed Country Party states a number of
offenses against law over past few days before presidential election in
Armenia

2008-02-08 16:16:00

ArmInfo. During the Feb 8 debates at the National press club Hovhannes
Margaryan, an Armenian MP from the Law-Governed Country Party, stated a
number of offenses against law over the past few days before the
presidential election in Armenia.

He said that special concern is caused by the signals, according to
which voting lists are being drawn at a number of enterprises. "The
heads of the enterprises make their employees and their families come
to their workplace Feb 19 morning and then go to vote under control. We
have information that one of the enterprises is going to dismiss three
of its employees for disobedience to these illegal actions. As soon as
the orders of dismissal are signed, I’ll publish the name of the
enterprise", Margaryan said. Among other facts causing concern he
mentioned the situation with additional lists of voters, which are to
include citizens wishing to vote by the place of not their
registration, but work. "These lists will emerge two days prior to the
election and it will be practically impossible to check whether the
citizens’ names are repeated on the main lists, too, from which they
should be excluded, particularly in large communities", Margaryan said.

At the same time, the MP emphasized that on February 19 Armenian people
"should get a president without a label", and this is possible only in
case of fair election. Here the Law-Governed Country Party gives an
important role to possible creation of a single campaign headquarters
of oppositional candidates for president to control the election.

Armenian President believes that in case of unification with ANM, Artur
Baghdasarian will lose half of his electorate

February 8, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. `In case of unification with ANM [ex-ruling party
Armenian National Movement] Artur Baghdasarian will lose half of his
electorate’, Armenian President Robert Kocharian stated in Yerevan
today.

Mediamax reports that the President said this, commenting on the
request of the journalists on the possibility of unification of the
oppositional candidates.

`The electorate of Artur Baghdasarian, as opposed to the electorate of
the Ex-President, is not resentful, I do not think that it is
compatible with the resentful supporters of Levon Ter-Petrosian’,
Robert Kocharian stated.

`Remember the slogan of Artur Baghdasarian ` `New Armenia’ and think
how many people it is possible to find in Armenia, who would be able to
relate this slogan with the discredited administration of Levon
Ter-Petrosian’, the President stated.

He expressed opinion that the motive for the possible unification of
Artur Baghdasarian with the Ex-President can be the striving to gain
the position of the Prime Minister in case Ter-Petrosian wins. `A
person, to a greater or lesser extent familiar with the Constitution of
Armenia, knows that in the course of the nearest 4 years the position
of the Prime Minister will be occupied by a member of the Republican
Party’, Robert Kocharian stated.

DANCE HOMAGE TO A MASTER

Canberra Times (Australia)
February 6, 2008 Wednesday
Final Edition

The first-time contemporary dancer and choreographer Aida Amirkhanian
saw the iconic French dancer and choreographer Maurice Bejart’s
company Le Ballet de 20eme Siecle performing in an ancient ruin in
Iran, she knew she had to dance with his company. But, at the same
time, she had been called up for compulsory service with the Iranian
army for two years. She was 16. "At that moment my world tipped and
I knew," she said.

"Bejart looked at me. I was naive.

I asked him, ‘How can I do this?’

Then he invited me to audition. He was like a magnet to me."

Amirkhanian knew that after two years in the military she would be
too old to train as a dancer at Bejart’s Mudra School of Performing
Arts in Brussels. So she wrote to Queen Farah Diba, the then Shah of
Persia’s wife, appealing against her military service. She knew of
Bejart’s close relationship with the Queen because he had dedicated
his ballet, Farah, to her. It worked, and after three months in the
military she left to join Bejart’s Mudra School of Performing Arts.

With only a traditional dance background, she found herself in classes
with dancers who had been learning ballet from the age of five.

Bejart’s training was rigorous.

Students worked from 9am to 9pm. Amirkhanian says, "I didn’t see sun
or daylight for months.

The amount of work was incredible and after a few months I was quite
exhausted and homesick," and she left, returning two weeks later. She
trained with 35 students and was one of only two dancers who joined
Bejart’s Le Ballet de 20eme Siecle at that time. When Bejart died in
November 2007, Amirkhanian, now living in Los Angeles, was devastated.

"When he went I felt left alone and something inside me said, ‘You
must dance,’ and that’s part of his legacy for me and is why I’m here
in Canberra now." Born in Tehran of Armenian origins, Amirkhanian,
now an Australian citizen, accepted an invitation to perform her solo
Persevere with Mirramu Dance Company as part of Tango Lament at the
Street Theatre for the 2008 National Multicultural Festival.

Persevere was created in homage to Bejart. It’s inspired by a
poem about passion for life by Sufi poet Rumi and performed to a
soundscape of Jivan Gasparyan, master of the ancient Armenian duduk,
who on this occasion sings, and Yo-Yo Ma’s interpretation of Bach’s
cello suites. Amirkhanian’s family fled the revolution in Iran in
1981. She worked in Canberra from 1983 to 1993. Dance aficionados
will remember her quirky, passionate dancing in her solo show Mephisto
Waltz and her performances with Don Asker’s Human Veins Dance Theatre,
Stephanie Burridge’s Canberra Dance Ensemble and also the Women on
a Shoe String Theatre. Her collaborations with Elizabeth Cameron
Dalman and Paige Gordon in the 1990s resulted in Credo and In Search
of Sophia, the latter being performed in Lake George at a time when
there was water. She taught at the Betsy Sawers Dance School, now
Canberra Youth Ballet, Canberra Youth Theatre and Jigsaw Theatre.

In 1993 Amirkhanian left for Los Angeles and she was nominated for
2004 Horton Dance Awards for outstanding solo performer.

Working on a dance with the Armenian composer Delalian, who created
Topophono, and the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia was a joy.

Last year in Armenia she performed Carmen as a solo in the ruins of
a church. She says Armenia is an extraordinary country, the land,
the history, the opportunities.

She says, "it’s falling apart politically" but when she’s there she
feels she can create epics.

Speaking French, Armenian, Persian and English and understanding some
Spanish, she says that Sanskrit is her new passion and after 11 years
she’s not fluent yet.

The practice, study and teaching of Iyengar yoga is her "solid pillar".

"Dance does not happen outside of me. It becomes a burden for me to
carry. If I don’t put it outside of me it will eat me alive.

Dance bugs me and becomes bigger than what I can hold on to and then
I have to create."

The Canberra Times dance critic Larry Ruffell once wrote, "Aida is
an authoritative and irresistible performer who takes you in her arms
and carries you away with her." Don’t miss her Persevere performance.

Persevere in Tango Lament, The Street Theatre, February 8 at 8pm,
February 9 at 2pm and 8pm.

SENATOR JACKIE SPEIER TO BE A SPECIAL GUEST AT ANC OF SAN FRANCISCO / BAY AREA "HYE TAD EVENING"

armradio.am
07.02.2008 10:51

Bay Area Armenian National Committee (ANC SF) welcomes Congressional
candidate Jackie Speier and ANCA Washington Headquarters’ Executive
Director Aram Hamparian as its Special Guests at this year’s "Hye
Tad Evening" which will take place on Saturday, March 8, 2008 at the
Armenian Community Center in San Francisco.

The annual "Hye Tad Evening" is an opportunity for the ANC to
update the community on the status of political issues of concern
to Armenian-Americans, to introduce public figures who have made a
lasting impact on those issues, and to provide a progress report on
the projects being pursued in the community.

Former California State Senator Jackie Speier recently announced
her candidacy for California’s 12th US congressional district, which
encompasses San Mateo County and part of San Francisco. The district
has been represented by Congressman Tom Lantos since 1980. Lantos will
not seek re-election in November. Speier has served as San Mateo County
Supervisor for six years and as a State Assemblymember. Throughout her
career, the Bay Area ANC has fostered a strong working relationship
with Sen. Speier, who has been a strong advocate for issues of concern
to Armenian-Americans.

BRITISH COUNCIL REMOVES MAP INDICATING NAGORNO GARABAGH AS PART OF ARMENIA FROM ITS OFFICIAL WEBSITE – PHOTO – UPDATED

Today, Azerbaijan
Feb 7 2008

The incident connected with the map on the official website of the
British Council, has been settled operatively. In this connection,
Azerbaijan does not have any grounds to send a note of protest to
Great Britain"

The due statement was made by spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign
Ministry Khazar Ibragim, Day.Az reports.

He noted that Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry always inform other country
about the inadmissibility of such incidents if they occur anywhere,
apologizes are presented to Azerbaijan and the incident is considered
exhausted after an operative reaction.

———– 14:30

The map on the website of the British Council, which fixed Nagorno
Garabagh as part of Armenia, has just been removed, Day.Az reports.

Currently, the page of the map is not available.

———– 11:34

"The map, placed on the website of the British Council, will be changed
in two hours and all shortcomings will be removed", British Council’s
Marketing Director in Azerbaijan Elman Safiyev told Day.Az.

He said it became possible after the issue was discussed with the
due officials.

Spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Khazar Ibragim confirmed
the information.

———– 10:30

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan is currently dealing
directly with this issue so that to correct this rude mistake in
the shortest period of time", spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Khazar Ibragim told Day.Az.

————- 10:25

"I have been informed about it this morning. British Council’s position
is the same as that of the British government, according to which
Nagorno Garabagh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. We will contact
the office in Armenia to remove the map", British Council Director
on Marketing in Azerbaijan Elman Safiyev told Day.Az, commenting on
the situation.

He said the map has been put on the website by the office in Armenia.

A source from British Embassy to Azerbaijan asked to clarify the
issue in the British Council and after they were informed that the
British Council has already made an official comment, asked to call
again after 11:00 a.m., referring to an urgent meeting.

———— 10:22

First and foremost, we would like to inform readers about British
Council.

This is a department of the British government, presenting
Britishculture outside Great Britain. The Centers of the British
Council are functioning in 110 countries and territories.

In fact, British Council is a part of the Department of Foreign
Affairs of Great Britain. At the same time British Council is said
to be independent from the Department, though maintaining close
cooperation with it.

And now let’s get to the main point.

Day.Az has received a letter from our reader, who drew our attention
to the map of Armenia, placed on the OFFICIAL website of the British
Council.

We would like to present the map of the South Caucasus, worked out
by highly-educated professionals from the British Council.

Click on the map for a larger image:

As is seen from the map the occupied lands of Azerbaijan are
indicated as a territory of Armenia, in particular, the regions of
Nagorno Garabagh, as well as part of Geranboy region, which Armenian
separatists call "The Shaumyan region of the so-called "Nagorno
Garabagh Republic" and annex to the state which does not exist.

It should also be noted that at the map the name of Nakhchivan
is written by Armenian model and at the same time the Armenian
"cartographers" did not indicate that this territory belongs to
Azerbaijan.

Notably, Armenian daydreamers with "good" knowledge of political
geography "forgot" to indicate three Azerbaijani enclaves- Kyarki
west to Sadarak and two other enclaves of the Gazakh region. At the
same time, amnesia disappears when considering in the case of similar
Armenian enclave Artsvashen in the center of Gedabey region. It is
still here! In other words, everything is done by Armenian model.

In several hours Day.Az reporters will appeal for official comments
to the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, British Embassy to Azerbaijan,
and British Council’s Baku office.

Stay with us to be up on!

see map at URL:

ARMY CAN HAVE ONE ORIENTATION
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir, Armenia
Feb 7 2008

The presidential candidate Serge Sargsyan states he does not need
to use the army for his election campaign because he has worked with
the army for 15 years and he known the opinion of those people.

Certainly, the question occurs who needed the army to turn the
celebration of the army day on January 28 into election campaign with
"Go Armenia". Has Serge Sargsyan tried to find out why the celebration
of the army day had such an obviously political ending?

Our army is an apolitical and non-partisan structure, isn’t it? If
the show dedicated to the army ends with political advertisement
by someone’s will, doesn’t it worry the prime minster who does
not need that advertisement and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief who
together with him applauds to the campaign at the hall? In fact,
it appears that someone instrumentalizes the armed force for some
political purpose, and does it with the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
and the Prime Minister watching. Who will claim responsibility for
that show during which with the entire society watching the army
which is considered as a common national value was turned into an
instrument for electioneering within a couple of minutes? Who will
claim responsibility for shattering the society’s confidence in an
unbiased army? It is not enough to say that there is no pre-election
need for the army. It is necessary to reveal the person to the society
who dared to turn the army into a pre-election team. Otherwise, the
society will hardly believe Prime Minister and presidential candidate
Serge Sargsyan’s word that he does not need the army.

And not only this word but also the statement that he has no doubt
about the orientation of the army because he has worked for 15 years
with those people and knows them. An example is enough to disbelieve
his words. For instance, Serge Sargsyan has worked with the ex-deputy
minister of defense Arthur Aghabekyan for many years but before the
parliamentary election of 2007 Arthur Aghabekyan resigned and joined
the election campaign of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, and now is beside
the presidential candidate Vahan Hovanisyan and states that only
the ARF Dashnaktsutyun’s candidate is able to resolve the problems
that Armenia is facing. Two conclusions can be drawn from comparing
Serge Sargsyan’s statement and Arthur Aghabekyan’s example. Either in
reality Arthur Aghabekyan supports Serge Sargsyan and together with
the ARF Dashnaktsutyun’s team has joined this disguised campaign,
or Serge Sargsyan cannot have any confidence in the orientation
of the army because if despite the years of working together Arthur
Aghabekyan nevertheless does not endorse Serge Sargsyan, the same might
be about the rest of the command, high-ranking military officials,
commissioned officers. Is there a guarantee that Arthur Aghabekyan’s
examples are not many? Not everyone should necessarily resign from the
army because not everyone has the chance to be member of parliament.

If there were no doubt about the orientation of the army, the minister
of defense Michael Harutiunyan would hardly hurry to state that he
votes Serge Sargsyan, and thinks most part of the personnel will
vote Serge Sargsyan. If there is no doubt, why do they reassert it
once more, questioning the neutrality of the army? Finally, what does
army orientation and army voting mean? In a political process we deal
with the citizens of Armenia rather than one structure or another,
one union of compatriots or whatever patriots or another. As well as
the army where the citizens of Armenia serve, and they elect, not the
army. These citizens may unanimously vote all for one, or 80 percent
or 70 percent for one. But it is the choice of the citizens, not the
army. Even in case of 100 percent unanimous vote, this is not the
choice of the army but the citizens who serve in the army. The phrase
army orientation is itself a violation of the presumption of apolitical
structure, because the army may have only one orientation, and only
in the geographical sense of the word – across the border of Armenia –
from where the security of the citizens of Armenia might be threatened.

NA SPEAKER RECEIVED THE HEAD OF THE CIS OBSERVATION MISSION

armradio.am
07.02.2008 18:08

On February 7 Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia
Tigran Torosyan received the Head of the CIS Observation Mission
Alexander Torshin. The meeting was attended by Secretary of the CIS
Interparliamentary Assembly Mikhail Krotov and Armenia’s Permanent
Representative at the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly Felix Ghushchyan.

Greeting the guests, Mr. Torosyan expressed hope that the presidential
elections in Armenia will be held in line with democratic standards
like the parliamentary ones, and will receive a good evaluation from
observation missions.

Head of the CIS Observation Mission informed Tigran Torosyan that
the mission is comprised of 38 observers, representing all nine
parliaments if the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, which does not
always happen. Mr.

Torshin said the group of 10 observers has been working in Armenia from
February 1, and noted that all necessary conditions have been secured
for the normal activity of the group. He expressed confidence that
the presidential elections will also meet the democratic standards.

Issues related to the activity of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly
were also discussed.

RF DUMA MEMBERS TO OBSERVE ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.02.2008 16:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian State Duma members will observe the Armenian
presidential elections due on February 19, reported the press office
of United Russia faction.

The delegation lead by Konstantin Zatulin, deputy chairman of the Duma
committee on CIS affairs, will include 8 parliamentarians representig
the United Russia Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Communist Party
and Just Russia Party.

They will arrive in Armenia on February 17, RIA Novosti reports.

ARMENIAN PM PRAISES COOPERATION WITH KfW

ARMENPRESS
Feb 5, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prime minister Serzh
Sarkisian described his government’s cooperation with Germany as
‘very effective’, especially in banking and financial sectors as he
received the deputy president of the German KfW bank Roland Siller.

The government press office quoted Serzh Sarkisian as saying that
KfW’s credits into Armenia’s energy and mortgage sectors have proved
very effective.

Rolland Siller was received by prime minister Sarkisian after the
German banker opened in Yerevan a branch of ProCredit Bank.

Present at the opening ceremony were the chairman of the Central Bank
Tigran Sarkisian; the ambassador of Germany in Armenia, Mrs. Andrea
Wiktorin and other officials.

Rolland Siller said the ProCredit Armenia will focus on northern and
northwestern parts of Armenia which were hit by an earthquake in 1988.

ELMAR MAMEDYAROV: "IF AN AGREEMENT ON BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NAGORNO-GARABAGH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IS ACHIEVED, TIT WILL BE MADE PUBLIC"

Today
ics/42883.html
Feb 5 2008
Azerbaijan

We hope that elections of Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia will
not affect the process of negotiations over Nagorno-Garabagh conflict.

The due statement was made by Dimitrij Rupel, Foreign Minister of
Slovenia, currently chairing the European Union, during a press
conference in Baku.

"We would be happy if the sides come to an agreement. We are against
war. It is clear that elections in both countries will not protract
the negotiation process", he said.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External and
European Neighborhood Policy, announced, in turn, that the European
Union supports the negotiation process.

"The countries should understand that the soonest resolution of the
conflict will promote their rapid development", she noted.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov noted that the agreement
on basic principles will help initiate preparation of a large scale
peaceful agreement.

"If an agreement on basic principles of Nagorno-Garabagh conflict
settlement is achieved, it will be made publc", E.Mamedyarov said.