The Secretary General of the Council of Europe today voiced regret at the recent declaration on "ethnic incompatibility between Armenians and Azerbaijanis", made by President Kocharian of Armenia. "Recalling dark pages of European history will never be a good electoral strategy", underlined Walter Schwimmer in reference to the upcoming presidential elections in Armenia, scheduled for 19 February....

Armenian Social Security Ministry together with government was so much concerned about the people living in straitened circumstances that made a decision yesterday. Under this decision, season tickets for public transport are to be replaced with 2,000-dram monthly benefit for Great Patriotic War and 2,500 for Karabakhi war veterans. The benefit is also intended for utility payment. So, the veterans...

On January 29, a briefing of NKR Deputy Defense Minister Vitaly Balasanian took place in Stepanakert. The Deputy Minister made the following statement: On January 28, 2003, at 15.10 p.m., a serviceman of the NKR Defense Army was killed by an Azeri sniper at the Aghdam direction of the Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh armed forces’ contact-line. This criminal action was committed about 3 hours after...

In a week, it will become clear whom to support in upcoming presidential elections Raffi Hovhannissyan, the head of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies. Hovhannissyan is a presidential candidate who recently withdrew from the race. “Heritage” new union is created in the republic, the head of the Center announced at the meeting held in Writers House today. The union, he...

Armenian Democratic Party leader and presidential candidate Aram Sargssyan says, in two days, his electoral team is going to make public all the irregularities occurred in pre-election period. As a part of his election campaign, Aram Sargssyan visited Armenia’s different districts, where current president Robert Kocharyan has already developed his re-election campaign. Upon returning from Gavar...

To provide economic growth in the pre-election year, Armenian Government appraised work of Ministry of Finance and Economy, Tax State Service and Customs State Committee as “very well” . In the annual report of Finance and Economy Ministry “Property for Debt” bargain was introduced in a very unique and smart way, “not only debt cancelling of 94 million $ but also foreign investment in Armenian economy” . It is perturbing that our...

“Wise are those who establish friendly relations with the youth, understand them, comprehend their senses, feelings, their manner of thinking. If the elder generation manages to be on friendly terms with the younger one, having new outlook, we will be able to create a just future ” , Parliament Speaker Armen Khachatryan said on the threshold of presidential elections. Yesterday he met the participants...

Peter Eicher, head of OSCE Observers’ Mission, met with candidate for Armenian presidency Aram Harutyunyan today. Harutyunyan said press won’t exert the main influence on the coming presidential elections . The head of “National Agreement” informed Eicher he is the only one of the candidates to have only one pre-election headquarters. Eicher wondered whether he is satisfied with the way...

“Authorities once again perpetrated outrage against population”, Armenian People Party leader and presidential candidate Stepan Demirchyan said upon learning that a group of young persons rushed to Armenia’s village of Tairov in a few jeeps, then threatened and dispersed people gathered for meeting with the candidate. Villagers say one of the persons in jeeps was Shmais brother of the MP who represents the village in National Assembly. “They...

Presidential candidate Aram Sargssyan held today meetings with residents of a number of Armenia’s villages, as a part of his election campaign. Villagers were asking Sargssyan questions that would more relevant to address authorities, but not him. Speaking with residents of Armenian town of Charentzavan, the presidential candidate said his program attaches a special attention to the town problems. Only three of the town’s 12 enterprises...

Representatives of Observers’ Mission of CIS Executive Committee will meet the members of pre-election headquarters of Vazgen Manukyan, candidate for presidency. The supporters of Manukyan are going to introduce the observers their dissatisfaction over pre-election period. National Democratic Union members are displeased with CEC activity and the unequal conditions for candidates - airtime...

The principle “those who don’t pay, won’t be given water” , worked out by Gagik Martirossyan, Chair of State Water Committee at Government, academicians Hovhanness Fahradyan and Mickael Julkhayan labelled as anti-state activity yesterday. Aram Sargssyan, Democratic Party Chair, had invited them to round-table-discussion to become aware of the standpoints of the specialists regarding the village problems. Academicians substantiated their...

Young Liberals Club is performing a number of meetings with presidential candidates. The leader of National Democratic Party Vazgen Manukyan became the first guest of the Club. The atmosphere compounded the meeting between young generation representatives and experienced politician was quite controversial. For example, Reminding of his past-day political activity connected with Armenian Nation-wide...

Head of CIS Executive Committee Yuri Yarov is planning to arrive in Armenia to observe upcoming presidential elections only after February 15 while the Committee already started its activity. So far 56 observers from eight CIS countries are assigned to observe elections. Dmitri Bulakhov, Deputy Chair of the Committee anticipates the number of observers to reach 100 soon. Representatives of CIS member...

Presentation of “Presidential Elections, Armenia, 2003” guide-book was held Thursday in Caucasus Media Institute. The book is released in association with Swiss Bureau for Cooperation and Development in Russian and English languages in the edition of 3,000. The aim of the book is to help Armenian and foreign journalists in highlighting the presidential elections scheduled for February 19, says...

The pre-election headquarters of ”Republic” Party has detected 20-30 % inaccuracy in 1 polling district - names are re-written in the lists, those having sold their flats are registered, those dead are in the lists, too . Young people called up are registered in the lists. People who left for abroad years ago, are in the lists. Vagharshak Harutyunyan, head of Aram Sargssyan’s / Republic Party / headquarters says 200 out of those 500 in...

“Man-hunting was typical for the criminal regime of Armenian Authorities in 2002. Let’s remember the arrests of the participants of the meetings. And the arrests after Tigran Naghdalyan’s murder were the last step” , the representatives of “Socialistic Armenia” Union announced at the conference today. Gayane Markossyan, member of Council for “Socialistic Armenia” informed that solving the problems through violence has become as...

“It took Petros Makeyan 20 days to understand that no one can speak or act freely in Armenia” . Not entrusting to the party statement, “Democratic Homeland” Party Chair Petros Makeyan decided in person to give explanations over his leaving the election struggle. According to him, the motive for that was not only murder of Tigran Naghdalyan but also the terror-like atmosphere in Armenia . Makeyan came to that conclusion within 20 days -...

Today, Union for National Self-determination convened an assembly where voted 69 to 6 to support Artashes Geghamyan’s candidacy in presidential elections. The resolution adopted at the assembly says the Union decided to make all efforts in backing National Unity leader Geghamyan maintaining, however, its principles. How the cooperation between such different persons became possible? Artashes Geghamyan...

Under decision of PM Andranik Manukyan, discussion of reports of 2002 activity of Ministries and State governing bodies at Government will take place from January 20-31. First Ministries of Public Health, Science and Education introduced reports. The report by Public Health Ministry says during 2002 indices didn’t change. There is progress in birth rate. 26184 children were born during first...

Aram Sargssyan /”Republic” Party/, will dispute CEC decision regarding the schedules for enjoying Public TV airtime by candidates for presidency. Candidates have right for 1-hour free of charge airtime and 2-hour long paid one on Public TV . Under the order by CEC, airtime was distributed according to days. From January 21 to February 8 candidates will be given 6 minutes airtime each. The last days of election campaign – February 10-17,...

Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of OSCE set up an Observers’ Mission for Elections in Armenia . Today it officially opened its office in “Armenia” Hotel. All the OSCE-countries are obliged to invite the observers to watch the election process. The Europeans are sure presence of observers improves the election process, increases trust of voters and makes the elections transparent. Mission head Peter Iker /USA/...

Secretary office of “Defence of Liberated Territories” social initiative released a statement today The flat of Jirayr Sefilyan, the Commander of Shushi battalion at war and the co-ordinator of “Defence of Liberated Territories” social initiative was seized back under the instructions of Karabaghi president Arkadi Ghukassyan in Stepanakert. He was given the apartment by Defence Army of Karabagh in 1997. This happened after the mass...

Khosrov Harutyunyan, former vice chair of state commission on 1700 anniversary of Christianity adoption in Armenia, was elected Saturday as a chair of Armenian Christian Democratic party. The party former leader Ida Martirossyan put up his candidacy immediately after submitting her resignation. Shortly after that it became clear that the election for the party chairmanship is uncontested. The candidate...