Though after the elections Robert Kocharyan announced he would going to be the president of not only those who elected him but also of the ones who didn’t, by his inauguration today he proved he is the president of only a few hundreds of people or rather those who accepted his invitation and took part in inauguration. The Armenian people couldn’t participate in vowing ceremony of Kocharyan even from a few-kilometre distance. All the roads to...

At today’s hearing, Stepan Demirchyan’s attorney Ashot Sargssyan answered the questions the Central Election Commission representative Tigran Mukuchyan put to him. Answering the question whether the OSCE observation mission opinion can be taken as “a proven fact”, Sargssyan said he took the OSCE observers’ statement as a proven fact, because “the mission included a large number of observers and was unbiased”. “And is the CIS observers...

The PACE held a five-day session last week. Lord Russell-Johnston delivering a report on the presidential elections in Armenia made quite mitigated judgement about the election process. Instead, Azerbaijan’s representative Ilkham Aliev made a flaming speech on democratic values. “Aliev shouldn’t speak about democracy, as Armenia any case is a step ahead of Azerbaijan in this area as well as in other spheres”, says the head of the Armenian...

As it is known, Robert Kocharyan was sworn in publicly yesterday. His rival in presidential election Artashes Geghamyan is meanwhile receiving treatment in one of Russia’s resorts. “I’m now sitting with my Moscow and Yerevan friends. There is not a single Kocharyan’s puppet next to me and I feel increasingly better minute by minute”, he told our correspondent by phone. Geghamyan refused to comment on the fact that Kocharyan had claimed...

“It’s much better not to meet CE obligations than to pass the laws over the given bills” , Avetik Ishkhanyan, Chairman of Helsinki Association of Armenia concluded, summarising the 3-day seminar on “Process for Carrying out Armenia’s Commitments towards Council of Europe”. Joining CE, Armenia has pledged itself to passing a new Criminal Code, Laws on “Parties”, “Ombudsman”, “Alternative Military Service”, “Mass Media”...

Stepan Demirchyan’s suit hearing continued today. Complainant’s attorney Victor Dallakyan spoke before the court saying the election has been held amid innumerable violations of the law. Central Election Commission, polling stations commissions and the police have been overwhelmingly involved in well-organised by the authorities illegalities, he said. Dallakyan paid special attention to mass media...

Hearing on Stepan Demirchyan’s suit against Central Election Commission is resumed today at Constitutional Court after a day-long break. People party activists staged a picket before the courthouse to express their support to the party leader Stepan Demirchyan. Shortly after the hearing has begun, Demirchyan supporters stopped picketing the courthouse. The Demirchyan’s complaint consisting of 19 volumes (1,700 pages) challenges vote results...

Authorities resort to hooliganism. To block the Opposition rally today law-enforcement bodies had seized the necessary technical equipment for holding the rally – microphones and loud speakers. The owners of the equipment, 3 peoples, were taken to IA Department. When the meeting organisers tried to obtain equipment in other ways, it turned out electricity supply of the whole block was disconnected....

The deputy candidates nominated by the majority procedure can’t enjoy the gratis airtime on Public TV as the Electoral Code says nothing for such a case , Nune Hovhannissyan, the head of Legal Department of CEC, announced. The guest of the “Elections - 2003” seminar arranged for Mass Media by Journalists’ Union, said CEC Chairman Artak Sahradyan can’t regulate the inequality because of Electoral Code.In other words, those proposed by...

Preparations for parliamentary elections generated considerable discord within Armenian Communist Party. The think is that the party two members – Khoren Sargssyan and Norik Petrossyan – were placed at not so decent position in the party’s list of candidates they think they deserve. The story had dramatic development, when one of “Communist” newspaper numbers that contained unfavourable for the party leadership article was taken from printing...

Constitutional Court started Thursday to consider Stepan Demirchyan’s suit against Central Election Commission. Presidential candidate Stepan Demirchyan demands to declare presidential elections invalid. Victor Dallakyan, the head of the parliamentary commission on state and legal affairs, and lawyer Ashot Sargssyan are Demirchyan’s attorneys. From very beginning of the hearing, the Chair of...

One of the key issues interested journalists at today’s parliamentary briefings were related to challenging presidential elections’ legitimacy in Constitutional Court. Member of “Voice of People” parliamentary group Shavarsh Kocharyan said he had no expectations for Constitutional Court. Despite the Court members’ assurances that there was no pressure made on them, the MP is convinced that...

The Opposition wing of the Armenian delegation was rather active at the 5-th session in Brussels within CE-Armenia parliamentary collaboration was rather active. Arshak Sadoyan, Khoren Sargssyan and Alexan Karapetyan introduced their points of view from Brussels. From the CE platform many people expressed surprise at the double-dealing attitude to democratic values in Armenia. On one hand they were...

Today Parliament members and groups expressed their standpoints over the draft on Constitutional amendments. MP Shavarsh Kocharyan introduced the point of view of “Peoples’ Voice” group. It wasn’t’ clear for Mr Kocharyan in the present draft how Parliament is given a chance to form Government if without consent of PM and Parliament the president can relieve Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs of their posts. He was also perplexed...

Advanced Youth Party of Armenia will second “Powerful Homeland” Party in the coming parliamentary elections . Today Party Chair Tigran Urikhanyan held a news conference at Journalists’ House to substantiate their choice. “We have working experience with municipal authorities and the leaders are in this list” . Besides “they need support of the elder generation”. 2 of the advanced young people will participate in the parliamentary...

I read with resentment your article “PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION CAMPAIGNING GROWING HOT“ about the new spin on an old quarrel between the Republican Party (Andranik Margarian) and the UNS (Paruir Hayrikian), today. Without enthusiasm, I would like to make few comments so that to put things in proper perspective. According to your material, Paruir Hairikyan claims: “I testify with full responsibility that the Republican Party has...

The October 27 terrorist action trial is being dragged out deliberately, said Aram Sargssyan’s attorney Oleg Yunoshev at today’s press conference. He said he feared that the pause in proceedings caused by judge Uzunyan’s alleged illness could be used for some illegal actions. Yunoshev finds it surprising that those National Security officers, who had personally coordinated activity of Tigran Nazaryan, Public Television’s correspondent,...

Aram Sargssyan’s attorney Oleg Yunoshev said today that despite the results of the forensic examination of videotape with the October 27 terrorist action record are not released so far, he is in touch with the examination conclusion and finds it relevant to make it public. “The videotape hasn’t been edited”, the conclusion says. Oleg Yunoshev didn’t rule out that he would appeal for repeated examination of the tape.

Armenian Constitutional Court is to consider Thursday the presidential candidate Stepan Demirchyan’s 1700-page motion challenging polling results of the second round of presidential elections. Victor Dallakyan, the head of the parliamentary commission on state and legal affairs, and lawyer Ashot Sargssyan are Demirchyan’s attorneys.

On parliamentary election footing, political parties are being increasingly involved in wrangle with each other. This time, discord erupted between Republican Party and Union for National Self-determination. A film shown on a number of the republic channels generated discord between the parties. The film was shown as evidence that the only post-soviet-era achievement, Armenia’s independence, had...

The voting over the second reading for the bill on ”Privatisation of the Big Enterprises” was turned down in Parliament . Before the voting Chairman of “Orinats Yerkir” Party announced Government had brought to Parliament the bill, rejected thrice and wants to pass it by one voting. Arthur Baghdasaryan mentioned all the health care institutions that were to be privatised by that bill. ”That’s the bill where by the suggestion of an...

Aram Karapetyan, the Russian Federation State Security official, spoke on situation over Iraq and the war possible impact on Armenia at today’s briefing. In his opinion, Iraqi Armenians are expected to flee the country. But Karapetyan thinks they will leave Iraq for Arab countries, not for Armenia. Asked why not for Armenia, he answered because of the republic possible isolation. Aram Karapetyan...

Despite the forecasts of Authorities, Matenadaran Square was again crowded. The citizens who couldn’t come to terms with the results of the presidential elections gathered to announce there are resolute and fight up to the end . “Sargssyans’ family bears no relation with Naghdalyan’s murder” , Aram Sargssyan, member of political Council for “Republic” Party. He thinks Kocharyan will be impeached if the people believe . Stepan...

Today the First Instance Court rejected the suit of “Communists’ Union of Armenia” against CEC . The Party had set up a pre-election alliance with Marxists’ Party. CEC had refused to register the Marxists because of incomplete papers. Communists’ Party mechanically was deprived of the chance to participate in the elections. They consider CEC decision as baseless, as they had put in an application for not only participation within an...