Author: Topchian Jane

LORD RUSSELL JOHNSTON IS AGAINST OF ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMITTEE ON FROZEN CONFLICTS IN PACE

Azeri Press Agency
Jan 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Lord Russell Johnston, chairman of Nagorno-Karabakh Subcommittee
of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is against of
establishment of Committee on frozen conflicts in PACE, APA Europe
bureau reports

Mr. Johnton stated that each conflict has got various features and
noted that there will be repetition.

"The Committee on Azerbaijan and Armenia is still functioning. We
should be attentive that there will not be repetition. This is not
political principle. This is practical issue. I think that, It will
be efficient to establish a new committee," he said./APA/

IN THE REFLECTIONS OF THE HERITAGE PARTY

Lragir
Jan 24 2008
Armenia

The decision of the Heritage Party to support one of the presidential
candidates remains in the focus of the media and the most part of the
society. This issue was touched upon on January 24 at the Hayeli Club
where the spokesman for the Heritage Party and Member of Parliament
Zaruhi Postanjyan, Heritage Party, were hosted.

They think none of the candidates, not even the government candidate,
stand a chance to win in one round. If the candidate of the government
wins the election in one round, the Heritage Party will consider
the election as false. The Heritage Party calls the opposition, at
least two candidates, to unite to win the first round or to oppose to
election fraud in the first round. The party has released a message
that if no unification takes place in the first round, the Heritage
Party may delay its decision to support a candidate.

The Heritage Party had appealed to Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Vazgen
Manukyan, Arthur Baghdasaryan and the ARF Dashnaktsutyun for
unification with whom it had negotiated cooperation over the
presidential election. "It is time for fundamental changes, for the
opposition to have a united front in the first round because there
is danger that the parliamentary election may repeat, and the votes
will be wasted. In that case, we may draw conclusions that the wish
of the opposition candidates for a fundamental victory is not great,
and everyone aspires to it on their own which is not realistic. It
is possible that in that case we will wait for the second round,
considering also the moods of the public," Hovsep Khurshudyan says.

He said the ranks of the Heritage Party are not inclined to support
a particular candidate, and this is another circumstance which
complicates the decision of the party. "Since there is no considerable
support for one particular candidate inside the party, the problem of
the party leadership becomes complicated because we want to maintain
unity among the ranks of the party, and certain activities inside the
party are required before making a sudden decision," says the speaker
of the Heritage Party. He also said the opinions of the leadership
and the ranks differ. However, Hovsep Khurshudyan spoke about the
approach of the ranks only, saying that there are supporters of
Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Vazgen Manukyan, Arthur Baghdasaryan and Vahan
Hovanisyan. By the way, Hovsep Khurshudyan says they think the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun has a major opposition potential.

He said there is little possibility that the opposition will come
together in the first round, therefore the Heritage Party may
not make any decision in the second round as well, and may advise
the ranks to vote out of their conscience, which has already been
practiced in the political processes in Armenia. "I think there is
little possibility. However, I am not authorized to rule out such
an option because in any case it is a decision that the board of the
party makes which has been authorized by the conference and enlarged
council of the party to make decisions in accordance with political
expediency. Therefore, I do not want to rule out but I think it is
hardly possible. I think in the second round we will support the
opposition candidate running in the second round," Hovsep Khurshudyan
says.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TO CHALLENGE ELECTION LAW AMENDMENT

ARMENPRESS
Jan 22, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS: A presidential candidate, Arman
Melikian, will ask the country’s Constitutional Court to repeal a
provision of the election law that bans Armenian citizens living
outside the country from taking part in national elections.

Speaking at a news conference today Arman Melikian, who served briefly
as foreign minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, said denying Armenian citizens
living abroad the right to vote was illegal.

The candidate said he knows for sure that many Armenians living
now outside their country would vote for him if the law’s provision
were cancelled.

"I think that a sizeable portions of Armenians outside the country
would vote fro me in the February 19 presidential election and
depriving me of their support is illegal. This is why my interests
of a presidential candidate are violated and the election process is
jeopardized,’ he said.

He said his application to the Constitutional Court was being
elaborated and would be sent in in a week.

According to an amendment made in the election law last year Armenian
national elections shall be held only within the Republic of Armenia.

LEADER OF "ORINATS YERKIR" FOR REUNIFICATION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH WITH ARMENIA OR THE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF ITS INDEPENDENCE

Mediamax
January 21, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Candidate for the position of the Armenian
President, Leader of "Orinats Yerkir" Party (OYP) Artur Baghdasarian
is for the reunification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia or the
international recognition of its independence.

Mediamax reports that, speaking at the presentation of its pre-election
program in Yerevan today, Artur Baghdasarian stated that, as a result
of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the presence of land
border between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the security
of the NKR population should be guaranteed.

Leader of OYP spoke for the active involvement of NKR in the
negotiation process. He expressed concern in connection with the fact
that the present stage of the talks is closed for wide layers of the
Armenian society.

Black PR applied to favorites of election campaign, MP from RPA
parliamentary faction says

2008-01-18 18:40:00

ArmInfo. Black PR is applied to favorites of presidential campaign, MP
from the parliamentary faction of the Republican Party of Armenia, a
member of RPA Council, Press Secretary of RPA Eduard Sharmazanov said
at a press conference, Friday.

As regards election campaigns in Armenia, he said RPA is against
counter-campaigning. ‘Unlike other political forces, we do not aspire
to malign our rivals or call on the people not to vote against a
candidate. Our goal is to explain electors our aims and tasks’,
Sharmazanov said. If there is no change of the situation, Serzh
Sargsyan will succeed already in the first round of election. ‘It is
important for RPA to conduct legitimate elections meeting international
standards. The authorities aim to settle this task and the
parliamentary elections in May 2007 are an evidence of it’, Sharmazanov
said. As regards S. Sargsyan’s stand on foreign policy of Armenia,
Sharmazanov said the prime minister is neither pro-Russian nor pro-
American, but, first of all, pro-Armenian political figure. ‘However,
it is noteworthy that Armenia’s relations with Russia and EU
member-states are of great importance to Serzh Sargsyan’, he said.

YURI MERZLYAKOV: ALL SIDES AGREE WITH OUR CORE PRINCIPLES

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 17 2008

"All sides agree with our basic principles and we do not to change
the format of negotiations process. After reaching an agreement they
will draft the text of the agreement.

I am confident that no progress will be made unless the NKR is involved
in the process. The agreement is impossible without Nagorno Karabakh,
since it refers to the life of the Karabakhi people."

Merzlyakov said, APA reports Novosti-Armeniya Ask whether Azerbaijan
will be against Karabakh’s participation in the negotiations,
Merzlyakov noted that co-chairs should solve the problems
appropriately. It does not mean that, Karabakh will join the
negotiations in the final stage. The preparation of final agreement
is very difficult and long-time process.

ALEXAN KARAPETYAN: CANDIDATE OF THE NATIONAL UNITY HAS A STABLE ELECTORATE

armradio.am
16.01.2008 17:35

If the opposition candidates for the position of the Armenian President
continue making reciprocal accusations, the situation in the country
will not improve as a result, Deputy Chairman of the National Unity
Party Alexan Karapetyan stated in Yerevan today.

Speaking at a news conference, Alexan Karapetyan stated that on the
threshold of the elections, the political parties should "renounce
personal ambitions."

He noted that presidential contender, Chairman of the National Unity
Party Artashes Geghamyan "has a stable electorate and he would not
get nominated if there were any doubts regarding that."

Artashes Geghamyan has 53 pre-election headquarters, 12 of which
function in Yerevan.

Lragir, Armenia
Jan 14 2008

AGHANBEKYAN ARRIVES IN ARMENIA TO PREPARE A REPORT

Abel Aghanbekyan, a renowned Russia-based Armenian economist, will
prepare a report on the investment policy of Armenia, ARKA reports
referring to the press service of the National Academy of Science of
Armenia. He has come to Armenia to study the situation and to prepare
a report. Abel Aghanbekyan has met with Armenian economists,
political scientists, historians and presented the problems of social
and economic development in Armenia and Russia. He focused on the
innovation policy, underlining the importance of raising the role of
innovative technology in the GDP.

Aghanbekyan also said he is likely to meet with Armenian
manufacturers to discuss the possibility for investments in science
and technology. The Armenian scientists expressed their willingness
to help the academician to prepare the report.

PanARMENIAN.Net

EU: Karabakh resolution possibility to grow after RA
presidential election
14.01.2008 14:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The possibility to resolve the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict will grow after the Armenian
presidential election, EU Envoy for South Caucasus
Peter Semneby said in Yerevan today.

The talks are going on and all possible efforts are
exerted foe resolution of the Karabakh problem, he
said.

Mr Semneby voiced hope that the Armenian presidential
election will once again draw attention to the
Karabakh problem and necessity of its peaceful
resolution.

When speaking of Kosovo’s decision as a precedent for
Karabakh, Mr Semneby said there are more differences
than common points between the conflicts.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Germany, France, Turkey organizing trilateral summit
11.01.2008 17:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Germany, France and Turkey are
planning trilateral talks at level of heads of state,
said Ulrich Wilhelm, member of the German Cabinet. The
date and place of the meeting have not been exacted
yet. The talks will focus on discrepancies on Turkey’s
accession to the European Union, Deutsche Welle
reports.

Presently, the accession talks are underway on 8 items
out of 35. One of the main conditions is lifting
blockade of Cypriot airports and seaports.