The heads of the OSCE Yerevan Office delegations on democratic institutions and human rights and the OSCE PA, which are now in Yerevan, have met not only Armenian officials, but also chairs of a number of organisations, whose opinion concerning human rights protection in Armenia interests Europeans. The head of Armenia’s Helsinki Association Avetik Ishkhanyan spoke on a concrete problem at today’s...

“Nobody demanded my resignation”, Ramkavar-Azatakan party’s former chair Ruben Mirzakhanyan said today at National Press Club. In his words, nothing else than reality is the reason of his resignation. Deaspite his statement that he doesn’t avoid concrete answers, journalists have given not a single concrete answer to their questions within an hour. Mirzakhanyan insisted that his resignation was due neither to any discord within the party...

Under the results of the elections on May 25, Vladimir Badalyan won in N 16 election district. Candidate Shavarsh Kocharyan appealed against the results before the Constitutional Court, which declared invalid the elections in the election district and announced for new ones on July 20. According to the preliminary results Vladimir Badalyan gained 5408 votes, Shavarsh Kocharyan - 1866, Alexander...

Ramkavar-Azatakan party leader Ruben Mirzachanyan on Friday offered his resignation. The party convened extraordinary session on Saturday to elect a new chair and decide its further steps. Three co-chairs instead of one - Harutyun Arakelyan, Mekhak Gevorkyan and Hrachya Karapetyan - expected to be chosen.

At the previous court session on October 27 terrorist action case none of the legal proceedings participants protested lawyer Ashot Sargssyan’s proposal for cross-examination of three witnesses, former police officers. However, today judge Uzunyan declined that proposal, finding it irrelevant to the case. The lawyer of Demirchyan’s heir repeated his plea saying only cross-examination provided...

“He who is born a full is never cured”, said National Democratic Party’s leader Shavarhs Kocharyan while speaking about the authorities behaviour. The thing is that Shavarsh Kocharyan was elected as MP through “Justice” bloc’s list at constituency 16, however, Central Election Commission has found voting at that constituency invalid. The commission decided that another voting would be held here. 5 candidates aspire to a parliamentary seat....

Talk about Armenian-Turkish relations is being resumed again. This time Armenian Democratic Party is badly concerned about them. Democrats are trying to prove that a dramatic development of Armenian-Turkish relations may pose a serious threat to Armenia. The party leader Aram Sargssyan says if the relations develop, the certain kind of diplomatic relationship will be imposed from the outside. He...

In Northern Azerbaijan started a large-scale movement. The movement activists claim as many as 35 million Azeri live in Iran. They also say 65% of Teheran population are Azeri. Armenian Democrat Party’s leader Aram Sargssayn is sure the movement pursues the goal of transferring Iran into federative republic to establish ties through so called transparent border. Besides, Georgia can open railway...

Constitutional Court on Tuesday discussed Human Rights Convention Protocol 6 on death penalty abolition, which was signed on January 25, 200, in Strasbourg. Under the Protocol, none can undergo capital punishment, without exception. At the same time, the document stipulate that death penalty can be included in the law during war or under inevitable threat of war in the cases specified by the law...

From July 5 to 9 Parliament Vice-Speaker Vahan Hovhannissyan and “National Unity” Chair Artashes Geghamyan took part in the annual sitting of OSCE PA in Rotterdam, Holland. Mr Hovhannissyan faced serious difficulties at that sitting. Just at the first sitting Italian Spokesman on the elections in Armenia Giovanni Kesler left no stone standing when introducing the democratic character of Armenia....

Armenian Republican Party says that there is considerable economic progress in the country. “Neither presidential nor parliamentary elections affected the economy and undermined hardly achieved advance”, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan said at 8th session of the party. In his opinion, the party’s another achievement is that the ARP’s political position has managed to survive after...

Today Armenian Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan held his fist press conference as a Parliament Chairman. During it he underlined importance of creating healthy atmosphere in the Parliament, and role of it both in home policy and abroad. Organisation part of Baghdasaryan’s activity will be channelled to making Parliament work transparent, and the conditions up to the European standards. Answering...

“There is necessity for reforms in all the spheres”, Social Welfare Minister Aghvan Vartanyan concluded after a month-long period of office. He says his job is a complicated and a delicate one as he “deals with the most suffered, pensioners, invalids, careless children”. The new Minister invited the journalists to meeting for voicing standpoints and making proposals. “The society can’t develop if there is no social solidarity”...

Armenian government has decided to raise state officials’ and civil employees’ salaries 50 from December 1, 2003. From 2004 teachers’ salaries are expected to climb annually until reach 60 thousand in 2007.

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“Process bearing no relation to elections was planned, prepared and implemented”, National Democratic Bloc Chair, MP Arshak Sadoyan said at today’s press conference. ”Justice” Bloc representatives to CC Artak Zeynalyan, Felix Khachatryan and Arshak Sadoyan once more drew attention of journalists to what high court didn’t notice or hear. First Zeynalyan announced that they didn’t pin hopes on Constitutional Court. “CC performed...

In Georgia president Schevarnadze and the heads of foreign observation missions have reached an agreement that observers will partake in the process of result calculation after the elections are over. Could that mechanism be used in Armenia and be efficient?, a journalist asked Arshak Sadoyan. “The present regime gave a hostile reception to our suggestion over printing the voting papers abroad...

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SECOND REPORT ON ARMENIA Executive summary Armenia has taken some positive steps over recent years which are relevant to combating racism and intolerance. These include the ratification of international legal instruments of importance in this area, as well as measures to address the situation of refugees, inter alia through the adoption of a refugee law and a law facilitating acquisition of...

The CE Information Office is already functioning in Yerevan. The CE-related information is now available for Armenian citizens. Ceremony of the office opening was held today. The Information Office Director Susan Marukhyan said the office aim is to keep community in touch with the CE activity. European Convention’s Human Rights Guide containing information about rights and restrictions specified...

Serious studies are carried out in Armenia now. Ago’s Group from Council of Europe wants to find how Armenia meets the commitments on its way to joining CE. At all the meetings the group head referred to 3 main issues, as he assured - capital punishment must be abolished in Armenia, the Electoral Code must be amended after the elections assessed negatively, and Constitution must be changed, too....

“We will pass these reforms and will attend to the new ones”, Hayrikyan told at the press conference today. He had initiated the Constitutional reforms. “I asked Kocharyan: “Do you want to gain my votes and to become a legitimate president?” “Yes, I want. What do you want instead?” he said . ”I wished to become neither a minister, nor a district head. I asked for Constitutional reforms alone. He agreed. But a year passed, and...

It turns out that the Armenian Government doesn’t need new officials. The present leaders prefer to henceforth deal with the known persons. As a result of such a wish, under Robert Kocharyan’s decree, former Yerevan Mayor Robert Nazaryan, Ervand Zakharyan, head of Governmental State Tax Service and Felix Tsolakyan, head of Control Service for the president’s staff, were transposed . Beside...

For recent years Armenian authorities have repeatedly said they were sparing no efforts to obtain CE membership for Armenia. Being deeply disappointed with PACE’s negative assessment of elections held in the republic, Armenian officials soon changed their tune saying now they focused their efforts on obtaining EU membership. “The republic authorities will embark on creating base for entering in the EU”, the head of parliamentary majority...