Author: Tumanian Talar

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 11 2004

PUTIN TAKES UPON HIMSELF FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOVERNMENT’S
ACTIVITY, ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, March 11, 2004. (RIA Novosti correspondent Gamlet
Matevosyan) – Russia’s incumbent President and the presidential
candidate at the coming elections on March 14, Vladimir Putin has
taken upon himself the full political responsibility for the
government’s activity. This opinion was expressed to RIA Novosti on
Thursday by Amayak Ovannisyan, chairman of the Armenian Association
of Political Scientists, member of the republican National Assembly
(parliament) when he commented on the formation of a new Russian
government.

“At the same time, being a charismatic leader, Putin underscored his
adherence to the principle of a collective leadership of the country,
believing it necessary to show to the constituency before the
elections with what team he was going to work after his election to
the second presidential term,” Mr. Ovannisyan said.

According to him, looking at the composition of the new Russian
government, one notices that it has been formed not on a party basis,
but on the principle of professionalism.

“All members of the Cabinet, beginning with its chairman Mikhail
Fradkov, who has a big experience in governance, and Vice Premier
Alexander Zhukov, and ending with all the ministers, all of them are
highly skilled professionals in their fields,” noted Mr. Ovannisyan.

In his opinion, time will confirm the correctness of Putin’s point of
view to form the government on the principle of professionalism, not
on the party-coalition basis, which typical of the present situation
in Armenia.

The Armenian government, said the parliamentarian, is a coalition
government and has been formed from among the representatives of
three parties, Republican, Orinatz Yerkir and Dashnaktsutyun.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 12, 2004 Friday 8:53 AM Eastern Time

Russian citizens in CIS states preparing to vote in March 14 polls

Chairman of Russia’s Central Electoral Commission Alexander
Veshnyakov said the number of polling stations had increased in
Georgia and Moldova, and that a precinct electoral commission and
eight polling stations were set up in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Deputy Defence Minister Igor Puzanov said more than 80,000 people
will be able to vote at 48 polling stations the ministry had set up
in CIS republics.

According to the FSB Border Guard Service, 11 polling places were set
up in Tajikistan and Armenia, and three polling stations at
borderguard groups in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, which may
receive up to 7,000 voters.

Twenty-one polling stations will be opened in Ukraine where some
62,000 Russians live or work.

In Belarus where 60,000 Russian citizens live, seven polling stations
will function.

Ten polling stations will be available for 80,000 RF citizens living
in Moldova.

In Tajikistan, 20,000 Russians, including border guards and
servicemen from the 201st division, will be able to take part in the
March 14 voting. Advance voting was arranged for remote border
outposts in Tajikistan from March 9.

Kazakhstan has 10 polling stations for 30,000 RF citizens.

In Kyrgyzstan, voting in the March 14 polls is organized in all large
settlements densely populated by Russians. There are some 15,000 RF
citizens in the republic. The servicemen at the Kant air base will
vote on Saturday.

There are two polling stations for RF citizens in Azerbaijan, with a
1,500-strong Russian electorate. They were set up under the Russian
Embassy in Baku and the Daryal Information and Analytical Center
(formerly the Gabalinskaya radar facility).

In Armenia, up to 8,000 RF citizens are expected to take part in the
March 14 election. The republic has ten polling stations, including
the military township of Kanaker where a Russian army unit is
deployed, and in Gyumri, where the headquarters of the 120th military
base is located.

Fifteen polling stations were set up in Georgia, an official at the
Russian Embassy in Tbilisi told Itar-Tass.

By now, part of Russian peacekeepers in Kodori Gorge, Gali district,
Abkhazia, and in Tskhinvali, South Ossetiam have already voted.

Turkmenistan has five voting stations for 63,00 RF citizens. Head of
the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Ashgabad Andrei
Brovarets expressed the hope that the electorate would be more active
compared with the December parliamentary election, at which just
3,000 Russians voted.

Uzbekistan has one polling station, set up at the Russian Embassy in
Tashkent, for more than 17,000 RF citizens. Everything is ready for
the polls, Russian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Farit Mukhametshin told
Itar-Tass. Advance voting took place in four Uzbek cities on March 6
and March 7.