ARF News Update (October 1999)

Last updated: November 1, 1999
Disclaimer

31 October 1999

Crowds Attend Funeral Of Slain Armenian Leaders

YEREVAN (Combined sources) -- One hundred thousand people took to the streets in Yerevan on Sunday for the funeral of Prime Minister Vazgen Sargissian, Parliament Speaker Karen Demirchian and six other deputies and ministers killed on Wednesday in an unprecedented attack on parliament.

The huge crowd stood silently as bodies of the slain leaders in open coffins were carried out of the national opera house to the accompaniment of mournful music. Police sealed off the central part of the Armenian capital to cope with the influx of people.

The funeral began after numerous foreign dignitaries - among them Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, and a delegation from Turkey - paid their last respects to the dead and expressed condolences to their families. Senior clerics from the Armenian Apostolic Church then held a funeral service. In the ensued speech, President Robert Kocharian said Sarkisian left a "decisive imprint on the formation of the country's power." Sarkisian, 40, was post-Soviet Armenia's first defense minister and one of the founders of its armed forces.

Kocharian also paid tribute to speaker Karen Demirchian, describing him as a "wise political leader."

"Let us draw lessons from this tragedy, close the ranks and stand by the Republic of Armenia," he appealed to the nation.

The 65-year-old Demirchian who ruled Soviet Armenia from 1974 to 1988 was buried in the Yerevan Pantheon, the national cemetery for the most distinguished public figures. Sarkisian's body was laid to rest in the Yerablur military cemetery on the southern outskirts of the city.

The Armenian parliament which lost its entire leadership in the carnage is due to elect a new speaker and his two deputies next week, after which Kocharian will appoint a new prime minister. The Armenian president has said he will consult with the majority Miasnutyun (Unity) faction before making the appointment. Miasnutyun was co-headed by Sarkisian and Demirchian.

There has been nothing to suggest that the killers, led by 34-year old journalist and political activist Nayri Hunanian, had any specific political aims.

Nor was there any sign that it was intended to torpedo talks to forge a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan to end a long conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenians universally denounced the attack, but some suggested that extreme economic hardships and political tension in recent years had created an explosive situation.

Many people have lost faith in what they see as a corrupt system in which a tiny minority has acquired vast wealth while most of the population has been cast into poverty.

October 30, 1999

Slain PM's Allies Deny Rift Between Kocharian, Army

YEREVAN (Combined sources) -- The political party and allies of the slain Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian on Saturday denied reports about serious differences between the Armenian military and President Robert Kocharian over who should head the government and hold key positions there. But at the same time, leaders of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) brought further dissonance in the country's leadership by joining the defense ministry's calls for to sack the ministers of interior and national security and the prosecutor-general for their failure to prevent the bloodbath in parliament.

A statement issued by the HHK-controlled Miasnutyun faction in parliament said the three officials "should have tendered resignation" by now. Taron Sahakian, a parliament deputy from Miasnutyun, said after the faction's meeting that "we agreed that the defense ministry acted adequately" when it demanded the sacking immediately after the tragedy. "It is obvious for everybody what a contribution Vazgen Sarkisian made to the defense ministry and our state, and the outrage of [army] commanders is natural," Tigran Torosian, the HHK's deputy chairman, told RFE/RL. "I think that even if there are differing views on some issues, we will all manage to find a final solution [to the crisis] which will get the country out of this crisis," he said.

Miasnutyun's statement also noted that Kocharian's negotiations with the gunmen prevented the situation from worsening.

Kocharian said on Friday that the new prime minister must enjoy the support of the parliament majority represented by the HHK and its partner in Miasnutyun, the People's Party of Armenia. He said the premier will be appointed after consultations with Miasnutyun and after the election of a new leadership of the National Assembly.

Reports in the Armenian press said Kocharian and senior army commanders favor different candidates for premiership. They said that the military are also opposed to the election of Andranik Markarian, chairman of the HHK and Miasnutyun faction in parliament, as the new speaker of the Assembly. But Torosian denied those reports. "The commanders are conscious of the fact that the army is not supposed to solve political problems," he said. Torosian summed up the view of many lawmakers when he said that Wednesday's armed attack on parliament was a "specially organized political action" ordered by unknown forces.

At a joint news conference with Russian Prime Minister Putin the Armenian President denied any interference from the defense ministry.

Meanwhile, a senior law-enforcement officer told RFE/RL on Saturday that the driver of a minibus who allegedly drove the five gunmen to the parliament building has been arrested. Police have found a "map of the National Assembly" in his apartment, the officer said.

According to Justice Minister David Harutiunian, the five men charged with terrorism already have defense counsels. The Armenian criminal code provides for death penalty for "terrorist activities." But Harutiunian suggested that a possible death sentence handed against them by court will hardly be carried out in view of Armenia's obligations to the Council of Europe. No person has been executed in Armenia since 1990.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Moscow stands by Armenian President Robert Kocharian in his efforts to return the situation in Armenia to normalcy after the shocking assassination of the country's prime minister and leading members of parliament on Wednesday. Following a meeting with Kocharian today, he told reporters in the Armenian capital that the "political leadership of Russia supports the president of Armenia."

US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott on a visit to Yerevan yesterday voiced Washington's support for those efforts.

Armenia Pays Last Respects To Slain Leaders

YEREVAN (Combined sources) -- On the second day of national mourning, Armenians are paying last respectsto their prime minister, parliament speakers and six other officials gunned down in parliament on Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of people are flocking to the opera building in Yerevan to walk silently past bodies of the dead put on display in open coffins. A huge queue is building up outside the building where somber music is played on loudspeakers.

The funeral of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian, speaker Karen Demirchian and the others will take place tomorrow.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — "Aravot" writes that after what happened in Armenia on Wednesday the resignation of senior security officials would be "logical" and "natural." "But in this case, a strongly-worded statement demanding the resignation was issued by the defense ministry, which is not a political structure. The people are still in shock. Otherwise, they would have immediately understood that the defense ministry's statement is but a demonstration of the army's non-subordination to the head of state. From such statements to a military dictatorship there is only one step."

"Haykakan Zhamanak" says Kocharian has already offered Smbat Ayvazian, the minister for state revenues, to become prime minister. But the latter is rumored to have made his acceptance of the offer conditional on the resignation of the ministers of interior and national security and the prosecutor-general. The military want to see in that post Vahan Shirkhanian, the minister for industrial infrastructures and a former defense minister. But Kocharian is categorically against the latter's candidacy. Another figure groomed as a prime ministerial candidate is Yerevan mayor Albert Bazeyan. Nobody seems to be opposed to Bazeyan, including the military.

"Haykakan Zhamanak" also says Vazgen Sarkisian's Republican Party is "in an odd situation" as its leaders make "contradictory statements." The party's chairman Andranik Markarian and his deputy Tigran Torosian differ in their assessment of the defense ministry's stance, with the former criticizing and the latter approving it. The military's statement shows that they do not want to "engage in conflict" with Kocharian. But the president takes their support for granted. Furthermore, it is possible that Kocharian will sack Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutiunian in the coming days for ordering troop movements and setting up roadblocks around Yerevan without the president's authorization. But the army command is convinced that by taking those measures it has staved off a coup attempt in the immediate aftermath of the assassinations. One senior official in the defense ministry who asked not to be identified told the paper: "We want our concerns to be addressed by the president of the republic, but regardless of anything we will not abandon the demands made in our statement."

"Yerkir" quotes General Samvel Babayan, commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh army, as ruling out any interference of his troops in developments going on in Armenia. "The Defense Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will not interfere in events in Armenia. There can not even be a talk about that," he says.

Analyzing geopolitical implications of the tragedy in the Armenian parliament, "Haykakan Zhamanak" concludes that both Russia and the United States are worried about a weakening of their positions in Armenia and want to do something about it. "It appears that both the United States and Russia will not take risks and will try jointly to stabilize the situation in Armenia in the days to come."

What next, Armenia? What next, Diaspora?

Editorial
The Armenian Weekly
October 30, 1999

By the time this editorial is printed and this issue sent out the shock of it might start subsiding just a little. This past Wednesday gunmen entered the parliament building in Yerevan and assassinated Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian, Parliamentary Speaker Karen Demirchian, and three other government officials. Some others were wounded and for two days approximately 50 parliamentarians were held hostage until President Kocharian himself negotiated the surrender of the gunmen and the release of the hostages. A tragedy almost incomprehensible.

So what are we to make of this-not just Armenians in Armenia, not just Armenians in the diaspora, but concerned people the world over? Before trying to grapple with that question it is important to grapple with another. Just one week earlier, former ANCA leader Mourad Topalian was charged with terrorist conspiracies in the US. Another development difficult to understand.

Over the years, Armenia has endured a massive earthquake, pogroms against Armenians in Azerbaijan and a struggle for the autonomy of Karabagh-all while somehow maintaining what has been, up to this point, the most stable domestic environment of any ex-Soviet republic. Even with high unemployment and some problems with corruption, Armenia has had two generally fair and democratic elections with high voter turnout. It has enjoyed good relations with most of its neighbors, locally and globally.

Meanwhile, in the diaspora, organizations like the ANCA have worked diligently throughout the years to lobby the Armenian cause in their adoptive countries. Throughout the diaspora, Armenians have gained overwhelming respect and recognition for their contributions to society and to Armenian and non-Armenian culture.

And now, in one week, the Armenian government hangs in the balance, while in the diaspora the Armenian lobby clamors to stand by all its hard work and solid reputation.

The one question on everyone's lips is why? Why are these traumatic events happening now, at such a crucial juncture when the Armenian lobby has been gaining such momentum in the diaspora, and Armenia itself has been pushing forward with progressive and democratic policies?

Although we can offer no answers in either instance, we can try to understand our own reactions, instincts, and emotions. There is not much that can be done yet to fully comprehend what has occurred, but there is much that can be done in our actions from this point forward, as a people, and as a nation.

First, we must try to absorb the senselessness and brutality of the killings in the parliament. The one positive-albeit morbid-aspect of seeing the shooting on video is that it is visceral and cold in its depiction. It is horrifyingly real. And it should serve as an icon of what should never happen in that building again. Where was the security? Since when can you just stroll into the most important building in Armenia with a flimsy press pass, while carrying large weapons under a heavy coat?

Second, we must remember the individuals that died while serving their country. These were people from all walks of life, from different backgrounds, that had come together in the name of democracy and the strengthening of Armenia. They have now given the ultimate sacrifice for us all-their lives. Their memories must continue in our collective psyche so that we can find the strength to replace them with like-minded, intelligent, and well-intentioned leaders.

Third, we must unite. It is time Armenia. It is time Armenians. Our nation, our will, is being tested at home and abroad. We are a small, eclectic tribe, with a culture and history as beautiful and poetic as it is tragic and full of one hardship after another. The time has come, as we approach a new century, when we need to genuinely and emphatically declare our independence from petty infighting, baseless suspicions, pointless bickering, and general miscommunication. Enough.

Is this what it took? Is this what it always takes-some larger than life event to shake us out of complacency and partisanship, to make us realize how tiny and vulnerable we are? We have a country now to be responsible towards. A country of our own, in our own lifetime.... Are we already taking it, and each other, for granted?

During the centuries of oppression and slaughter that our ancestors lived and died through it is doubtful that at any time a Hamid, or Kemal, or Stalin once stopped to wonder what kind of Armenian they were annihilating, or which party they belonged to, or which Catholicos they voted for. They just knew one thing: this is an Armenian and must be an Armenian no more. Period.

And those forces are still out there, although in subtler, even "friendlier" guises. And they all still want the same thing: the disruption of the Armenian nation, and the breaking of the Armenian will.

We believe that in the face of recent events there is only one thing that can be done. Let us all take a moment of silence to think about where we are as a nation and as a people. Let us think about why we all care so much, why we all still look to Armenia with hope and compassion. And then let us open our eyes anew and show the world yet again that no matter what the obstacle, no matter what the trauma, Armenia and its children will continue to breathe and exist and prosper.

Let us show the world that there is nothing they can do about it: Armenia is here to stay, in peace, in freedom, in truth.

The Armenian Weekly
is published by the Hairenik Association
for the ARF Central Committee, Eastern USA

October 29, 1999

Armenia In Search Of Normalcy After Parliament Assassinations

(RFE/RL Armenia Report - Emil Danielyan, Armen Zakarian, Hrach Melkumian) - The Armenian authorities and leading political parties on Friday continued to look for a way out from a deep power crisis caused by Wednesday's assassination of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and other senior officials. President Robert Kocharian took over the duties of prime minister pending the appointment of a new head of the cabinet, which officials said will come after the parliament elects a new leadership. The Armenian leader also met with deputies of parliament to discuss measures to avoid a worsening of the situation.

"As a result of the last parliamentary elections a very stable political situation had emerged and we all thought that we were going to work in a peaceful atmosphere for at least four years. But today we are forced to overcome a new crisis," Kocharian was quoted by his press service as telling cabinet members. "I am confident that we will be able to return things to a state normalcy very rapidly," he told foreign ambassadors later in the day.

One of the opposition deputies who part in the president's meeting with lawmakers told reporters that it focused on "how to work together in ensuring political stability." Another deputy representing the Communist Party said his colleagues and Kocharian agreed to "close ranks in order to stabilize the situation."

The Armenian parliament was left without leadership on Wednesday when its speaker Karen Demirchian and his two deputies were killed by gunmen who invaded the assembly. Three other legislators and a government minister were also among the dead. Dozens of deputies and ministers were held hostage in the chamber until the gunmen surrendered themselves to the authorities.

Deputies from various factions said agreement was reached on promptly electing a new leadership of the National Assembly, but that will happen no sooner than the funeral of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and Demirchian due on Sunday. They said a new prime minister will be appointed after the legislature elects a speaker and two deputy speakers.

A spokesman for Kocharian confirmed this in an interview with RFE/RL. Vahe Gabrielian said "the president will appoint a new prime minister after consulting with the Miasnutyun bloc" which controls the majority of seats in parliament. Kocharian said at the cabinet's session that the government "must have a serious support base in the National Assembly in order to operate effectively," according to the presidential press office.

Under the Armenian constitution, the prime minister is appointed by the president but can be unseated by the parliament majority.

Friday was also the beginning of a three-day official mourning for the eight victims of the unprecedented tragedy. National flags were flying at half-mast on all officials buildings and television channels canceled all entertainment programs.

Officials in Kocharian's administration said he has so far not dismissed any of the security officials as was demanded by the Armenian defense ministry yesterday. The ministry said in a statement that the country's prosecutor-general, interior and national security ministers are responsible for the failure to prevent gunmen from entering the parliament building and shooting indiscriminately. Interior Minister Suren Abrahamian tendered his resignation on Thursday. Speaking to RFE/RL, he cited "moral grounds" as the reason for the move.

The leader of the Dashnaktsutyun faction in parliament, Vahan Hovannisian, warned today against "unilateral steps by the power ministries" saying that they should obey the chief executive unconditionally . The defense ministry's statement voiced support for steps taken by Kocharian.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — Armenian newspapers are full of statements by numerous political parties and organizations unanimously condemning Wednesday's collective assassination in the parliament. Some of them demand the resignation of the heads of law-enforcement agencies.

Like many others "Hayots Ashkhar" urges the nation to "unite around Robert Kocharian." What happened on Wednesday were "shots [aimed] at the state."

October 28, 1999

Armenian Parties, Government Vow Unity After Parliament Carnage

(RFE/RL Armenia Report - Emil Danielyan, Armen Dulian, Ruzanna Khachatrian, Anna Saghabalian, Anna Israelian) — Armenia's leading political groups and the government pledged Thursday to keep the shocked country from sliding into chaos following the brutal assassination of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian, parliament speaker Karen Demirchian and other senior officials.

President Robert Kocharian and leaders of the parties represented in parliament agreed to work together in ensuring political stability in the wake of Wednesday's carnage in the parliament building. Officials said Kocharian has declared an official three-day mourning effective from Friday and formed a government commission charged with organizing the funeral of officials killed by the gunmen.

In an unusually emotional and strongly-worded statement, the Armenian defense ministry denounced the tragedy as a "conspiracy directed against Armenian statehood and the future of the Armenian people," and demanded resignation of top security officials. "At this fateful moment the national army cannot remain indifferent," the defense ministry said. "The situation is fraught with unpredictable consequences. The internal and external security of the state is in jeopardy."

However, a leading figure in the ruling Miasnutyun faction denied any rift between the military and civilian authorities saying that "this is not a demand but proposal to the president." "This demand has a certain logic because people [at the defense ministry] were very attached to Vazgen Sarkisian," said Vazgen Manukian, chairman of the opposition National Democratic Union (AZhM). But Manukian who met with Kocharian along with other prominent politicians, said the attack on the parliament will not destabilize the situation in Armenia. "The country has a president, and the National Assembly will elect a chairman very soon," he said.

Kocharian's press service said the leading political figures "stressed their readiness to cooperate with the president of the republic and deal with the situation in the country with joint efforts."

Also throwing his weight behind calls for national unity was former Levon Ter-Petrossian. He urged the nation to "rally around the [current] president of the republic and face the challenge to our statehood with complete dignity and solidarity." "I do not doubt that the authorities are doing everything to ensure law and order and maintain public calm in the country," Ter-Petrossian said in a rare written statement. He warned against "hasty speculations and redundant assertions" regarding the causes and implications of the brutal assassinations. Ter-Petrossian resigned in February 1998 under pressure from then prime minister Kocharian and defense minister Sarkisian.

Manukian and other party leaders said the parliament set up a temporary "coordinating council" that will manage the National Assembly's affairs until the election of a new leadership. This will take place after the funeral of the dead scheduled for Sunday, the politicians said.

Speaker Demirchian's two deputies, Yuri Bakhshian and Ruben Miroyan, were also killed in the shooting spree. Other victims included the minister for operational issues, Leonard Petrosian, and three parliament deputies from Miasnutyun - Armenak Armenakian, Henrik Abrahamian and Mikael Kotanian. The latter died of a heart attack. Several other lawmakers were hospitalized Doctors said two of them were in critical condition.

Five gunmen who assassinated them yesterday and took hostage dozens of parliament deputies and ministers surrendered to the law-enforcement agencies Thursday morning after releasing all of their captives. They were taken into custody in the ministry of national security. Their surrender followed a night of negotiations with President Robert Kocharian and other senior officials. A spokesman for the prosecutor-general's office told RFE/RL that the five men will be charged with committing a "terrorist act." The gang was led by Nayri Hunanian, a former journalist who was expelled from the Dashnaktsutyun party in 1992.

Theories about causes of the bloody attack and the gunmen's motives will abound until the truth is established. The AZhM's Manukian dismissed speculation that it had to do with the ongoing efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said the assassins most probably acted on their own. Dashnak leader Vahan Hovannisian suggested that the gunmen were "sick people." Government officials also denied any link with Karabakh.

In a statement broadcast by state television an hour before their surrender, the armed group claimed that Prime Minister Sarkisian was the main target of the attack. Judging by witness accounts, this was true. But Hunanian's claim that the other casualties were accidental runs counter to the television footage broadcast worldwide. One of the gunmen clearly targeted Demirchian and his two deputies sitting on the stage.

Hunanian's statement said successive Armenian governments have plunged the country into poverty in the last several years and had to be held accountable. In an earlier phone interview with two private Armenian TV channels, Hunanian singled out Sarkisian as the main culprit. He said he and his men are ready to face an open trial, along with senior government officials who "robbed the country."

Regardless of whether the gunmen were deranged or executed somebody's orders, many Armenians will be asking how they were allowed to shoot indiscriminately at virtually the entire ruling cabinet and dozens of lawmakers from just a few meters. Sarkisian and Demirchian had personal bodyguards who would normally await them in the adjacent parliament lobby. It remains unclear where they were when the shooting began.

Some reports say the first victim of the attack, parliament deputy Armenakian, was gunned down in the lobby while he tried to stopped the gunmen entering the chamber. Justice Minister David Harutiunian refused to comment on whether criminal proceedings will be launched against the bodyguards and officers from the parliament's security service. It appears that Hunanian's group had no problems entering the building with Kalashnikov rifles.

The fatal shots fired in the Armenian parliament have decapitated the country's governing Miasnutyun (Unity) bloc and are bound to have serious repercussions. Miasnutyun, formed by Sarkisian and Demirchian earlier this year, swept to a landslide victory in parliamentary elections last May, largely due to the latter's huge popularity. Demirchian was Armenian Communist Party First Secretary from 1974 -1988 - a period of relative prosperity for most Armenians. Sarkisian, who rose to prominence during the successful war against Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, was one of the most powerful individuals in Armenia. His appointment as prime minister in June meant a major shift of political power in Armenia, with Kocharian ceding much of his levers and influence. The death of the two charismatic men will likely lead to a vacuum in the Armenian leadership. It remains to be seen whether the bloc will be able to come up with an adequate replacement or will simply fall apart.

Meanwhile, the newly elected head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Garegin Nersisian, joined on Thursday a wave of condemnations of the terrorist attack which had no precedents in the country's history. Nersisian, who will be sworn in as Catholicos Garegin II, expressed his "immeasurable indignation" at the parliament shooting, which he said was committed by "God-rejecting forces."

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — The already known chronology of the parliament shooting and subsequent events is on the front-page of Armenian newspapers, most of them having more questions than answers. The most frequently asked question is how could a group of well armed men get into the parliament chamber full of ministers and parliament deputies.

"Hayots Ashkhar" and other papers ask where the bodyguards were when the tragedy unfolded.

It was the most suitable day and spot to commit the horrendous crime, writes "Haykakan Zhamanak." The bulk of the ministers were in the parliament for the question-and-answer session, and public attention was focused on the elections of Catholicos and diplomatic developments around Nagorno-Karabakh. Security forces are responsible for allowing Nayri Hunanian and his associates to do what he wanted. "In a monstrous coincidence, the prime minister's security guard was weaker than usual yesterday." Even his most faithful bodyguard, the famous Movses Geghangulian, was not around to help his boss in the most fateful moment of his life.

Hunanian, an expelled former member of Dashnaktsutyun, wanted at one point to speak with one of the party's leaders, Hrant Markarian. But according to "Haykakan Zhamanak," the Dashnak faction in parliament did not allow Markarian to go fearing that his life could also be in danger.

"Novoe Vremya" says that as a student of Yerevan State University a decade ago, Hunanian was known for his radical views and the "fanaticism of a revolutionary romanticist." He never hid his hatred of the regime in Yerevan. During the last six months, Hunanian is said to have openly spoken about "the need to bring the government down by force and destroy its leaders."

"Yerkir" says Hunanian's motive "may range from personal revenge to a coup attempt." What is certain is that roots of the tragedy lie in recent years' socioeconomic situation and political polarization in Armenia. The most urgent task of the society is to prevent the initial shock caused by the killings from transforming into political instability. The rule of law is the best remedy.

Armenia gunmen give up, free hostages

YEREVAN, Oct 28 (Reuters, by Lawrence Sheets) - Gunmen who invaded Armenia's parliament and killed the prime minister and other top officials freed hostages held overnight in the building and surrendered to police on Thursday.

"All the hostages are free," presidential spokeswoman Hasmik Petrosyan told reporters, announcing the end of a drama which cost the lives of two of Armenia's three top public figures. "The gunmen were arrested and taken to the Security Ministry."

A bus flanked by armoured vehicles took away the gunmen and some of the former hostages, while other captives calmly left the building on foot.

All were left guessing what was behind the attack and what might be some of the consequences for the small former Soviet republic bordering Turkey.

"There were no political motives behind the attack, they were just schizophrenics who came to parliament and did their barbaric deed," parliamentarian Galust Saakyan, his jacket stained with blood, told reporters.

The deal to release the hostages and surrender was clinched after overnight talks with President Robert Kocharyan.

The gunmen, armed with Kalashnikov rifles, burst into parliament on Wednesday, killing Prime Minister Vazgen Sarksyan, parliamentary Speaker Karen Demirchyan and his two deputies, Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan. Operative Issues Minister Leonard Petrosyan, two members of parliament and the former editor of a newspaper were also killed.

The gunmen, led by Nayri Hunanian, a former member of the nationalist Dashnak party, initially said they were carrying out a coup against Armenia's leadership, which they accused of misleading the country. They demanded air time on national television to explain their actions.

But Dashnak was quick to deny any link with the attackers and said Hunanian had ceased to be associated with it in 1991.

"It's very important not to allow emotions to rule us and to rally behind the president," Dashnak leader Vahan Hovanessyan told reporters.

The release of the hostages was preceded by twin statements by Kocharyan and the gunmen, read by announcers on national television.

"I guarantee a fair trial to the gunmen if they lay down arms and free their hostages. Law enforcement bodies handling the crisis will not allow reprisals. I guarantee that there will be no violent treatment," Kocharyan's statement said.

The gunmen's statement said: "All we need are guarantees that there will be no violence."

INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION

The assault during a parliament session drew international condemnation. The U.N. General Assembly observed a minute of silence and U.S. President Bill Clinton called the attack a "real blow" to the region.

In New York, U.N. General Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab of Namibia interrupted the meeting to tell delegates the Armenian mission had informed him of the shootings.

Clinton said he was "shocked and saddened" by the attack, which he called "a senseless act against individuals actively engaged in building democracy in their country."

He later told reporters it was "a real blow to that country and to that region." Iran condemned the attack as criminal and hoped the hostage-takers would be brought to justice.

Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said he was afraid the incident could increase instability in the Caucasus.

GUNMEN SAY KARABAKH ISSUE NOT TO BLAME

Hunanian, speaking to Reuters, said his actions were not directly linked with talks to resolve the dispute with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"This is not an issue of Karabakh, although Karabakh is a part of it (in the context of) the general situation in our country," he said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have held recent talks on ending the dispute over Karabakh, where ethnic Armenian separatists fought a war with Azerbaijan before a ceasefire in 1994. Some analysts say the talks have made progress and may shortly bear fruit.

ARF Bureau Issues Statement

The Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation issued a statement regarding the deadly shoot-out at Armenia's National Assembly Wednesday, during which Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan and National Assembly Speaker Karen Demirchian were gunned down alongside other officials. Below is the translated text of that announcement:

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau vehemently condemns the terrorist act committed within Armenia's National Assembly, during which Armenia's prime minister, speaker of the National Assembly and others were killed.

The impetus behind this crime will surely be revealed in the near future by the authorities following their investigation. However, independent of what the investigations will reveal, we affirm that this crime aimed at endangering Armenia's domestic stability, the strengthening of democratic processes and the state's specific policies of domestic and economic reform, as well as Armenia's international stature.

At this juncture, we reaffirm our solidarity with the leadership and the people of Armenia, in order that the heavy losses suffered by the people as a result of this crime does not provide an opportunity to undermine the positive developments, and will allow Armenia's leadership to continue the realization of national aspirations, as well as policies aimed at straightening Armenia's international stature and domestic reforms.

ARF BUREAU
October 28, 1999

The ARF Bureau also sent a letter of condolences to President Robert Kocharian, the translated text of which in presented below:

Honorable Mr. President:

In the name of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau and the entire ARF establishment, we unequivocally condemn the crimes which took place at the Armenian National Assembly, as a result of which Armenia's National Assembly Speaker, Armenia's Prime Minister, other ministers and members of parliament were murdered. We express our deepest condolences to you, the Armenian people and the nation.

We believe that this criminal act, which threatened Armenia's stability and democratic processes will not succeed. We, once again, reaffirm the ARF's mission t stand in solidarity with all efforts by the Armenian authorities which aspire to the stabilization of Armenia and the strengthening of democracy.

Sincerely,
ARF BUREAU

ARF Appeals to the Armenian People

The ARF-D Executive Council of Amenia issued the following appeal:

Dear compatriots,

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiune vehemently condemns the terrorist operation of October 27. Expressing our deep condolences to the families of the national and state figures who had gained the trust and respect of the people, we stress that the incident was a violation against the state authority of Armenia and is dangerous to the international reputation of our state.

At this responsible moment, it is imperative to sustain the atmosphere of solidarity in the republic and to gather around the legitimate authority, in order to tackle the situation without upheavals and in accordance with the constitution. Believing in the collective will and intelligence of the Armenian people, we are convinced that by expressing a strong civic stance, it will surmount this temptation.

ARF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF ARMENIA
October 28, 1999

PRESS OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

PRESS RELEASE
10/28/99

President Robert Kocharyan met with the groups and parties represented in the Armenian Parliament.

***

Joint Statement of the Political Powers Represented in the Armenian Parliament

Deeply shocked by the tragedy that took place on October 27 in the Armenian Parliament's Sessions Chamber, we consider maintaining stability as the top priority for the country. The legislative body continues to function and, together with the President of the Republic and the Government, to ensure constitutional law and order, as well as the normal functioning of the state.

The Armenian Parliament shares the grief of the friends and families of the victims. At this tragic moment it is of utmost necessity to remain calm and reasonable.

'Unity' Alliance
'Stability' Parliamentary Group
Communist Party of Armenia
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
'Right and Accord'
National Democratic Union
'Land of Law'

***

Members of the Armenian Parliament not in the Sessions Chamber continue their work, meet with the President of the Republic and members of the Armenian Government.

An "Azg" corespondent who was on the scene among other journalists writes that they all expected the bodyguards and other security officials to at least mount some resistance to the terrorists, but they "never even tried to protect leaders of the state." The "absence of national security" in Armenia about which many have speculated before became a "terrible reality" yesterday.

"Aravot" says the gunmen definitely aimed to kill the most senior government officials present in parliament but had no clear idea of what to do with others.

"Hayots Ashkhar" and other papers also ask where the bodyguards were when the tragedy unfolded.

October 27, 1999

ARF-DASHNAKTSUTIUNE PRESS OFFICE STATEMENT

Contact: Gegham Manoukian
Tel.: (3742) 52-15-02
E-mail: nar@arminco.com

YEREVAN (ARF-D Press Office), October 27, 1999 - Following news reports that Nayri Hounanian, one of the terrorists who stormed the Armenian Parliament today, has been an ARF-D member, "The Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiune Executive Council of Armenia officially declares that Nayri Hounanian was expelled from the ARF-D ranks in 1992 for his misconduct and since then has had no relations with the party."

Three ARF-D members, members of Parliament Rouben Hakopian and Agvan Vartanian, as well as Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Issues, Roland Sharoyan, are currently among the hostages being held by the terrorists in the sessions' hall of the Parliament building.

During the 1998 presidential elections, the ARF supported Robert Kocharian's candidacy. Following Kocharian's election as President, ARF members were appointed to government posts. In Mountainous Karabagh, the ARF was the political party in power during the initial years of the establishment of the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh (RMK). The Minister of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports of RMK, Armen Sarkssian, is an ARF member. In the Diaspora, the ARF is the major political force with organizations and affiliates in every Armenian community.

Armenian Gunmen Negotiate After Killing Premier

By Hasmik Mkrtchyan

YEREVAN (Reuters) - Gunmen who killed Armenia's Prime Minister Vazgen Sarksyan and other leading members of parliament in a hail of bullets were holed up in the building Thursday, negotiating with officials over dozens of hostages.

President Robert Kocharyan joined with political leaders in issuing a statement stressing the need for stability and saying parliament continued to function despite Wednesday's assault in which at least six people died.

The assault during a National Assembly session drew international condemnation, with the U.N. General Assembly observing a minute of silence and President Clinton calling the attack a "real blow" to the region.

One of the gunmen said the attack was for the nation and he hoped talks with Kocharyan's officials would end Thursday morning. He was sorry for the deaths, apart from the premier's.

The gunmen burst into parliament and mowed down Sarksyan, 40, and parliamentary speaker Karen Demirchyan.

The president's office also confirmed the deaths of two deputy speakers, Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, and Operative Issues Minister Leonard Petrosyan.

The former editor of a newspaper also died, it said.

Armenian state television quoted Health Minister Haik Nikoghosyan as saying Finance Minister Levon Barkhudaryan and one deputy were also probably dead, but this was not confirmed.

AT LEAST FIVE DEPUTIES SAID WOUNDED

Nikoghosyan was quoted as saying five deputies were wounded and taken to hospital. A local television station, A1Plus, said eight were dead and 30 wounded.

"The authorities control the situation and as president I assure you that everything is being done to normalize the situation and to free the hostages," Kocharyan was quoted by his press service as saying in an address to the nation.

The press service said the gunmen had seized 50 hostages, although Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted an official at Armenia's National Security Ministry as saying it was 15. A1Plus had estimated the captives at 150 to 200.

In footage of the attack, Armenian television showed two men running into the chamber and people ducking, including a man addressing the parliamentary session from behind a lectern.

One gunman fired several times at the speaker before turning and shooting steadily at the first row of seats. Another fired across the chamber, spraying the hall indiscriminately.

One deputy said one of the gunmen had emptied a whole magazine into Sarksyan, a former defense minister who was appointed prime minister in June after his Unity alliance won a May 30 election. The bloc was led by Sarksyan and Demirchyan.

ARMENIAN MISSION BREAKS NEWS

In New York, U.N. General Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab of Namibia interrupted the meeting to tell delegates the Armenian mission had informed him of the shootings.

"It is my sad duty to pay tribute to the memory of the late Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia... and other dignitaries who met with tragic death today," he said.

President Clinton said in a written statement he was "shocked and saddened" by the attack, which he said was "a senseless act against individuals actively engaged in building democracy in their country."

He later told reporters on the White House lawn it was "a real blow to that country and to that region and I'm very sorry about it."

Iran condemned the attack as criminal and hoped the hostage-takers would be brought to justice.

Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said he was afraid the "extremely sad and worrying event" could increase instability in the Caucasus region.

One of the gunmen, speaking on A1Plus, said the attack was for the good of the nation.

"We do not have any demands. We simply want the people to live well," said Nayri Hunanian, a former journalist. "This is the only way to avert the destruction of our nation."

READY FOR PUNISHMENT

"If the nation decides that I acted wrongly I will submit myself to punishment," he added.

"After this, anyone who becomes a prime minister or leader will be forced to serve the people as he will have before him a living example," he said.

Hunanian was said to be a member of the nationalist Dashnak party but Interfax news agency quoted a Dashnak official as saying Hunanian was a member of the party briefly in 1990.

"I am sorry (for the deaths) apart from Sarksyan," he said.

One deputy said five or six gunmen burst into the chamber shouting that they were carrying out a coup d'etat.

But officials dismissed the idea of a coup.

"This is just a handful of terrorists or individual people who don't have any affiliations with any political party or organizations, at least they don't claim any," presidential press secretary Vahe Gabrielian said.

"This is definitely not a coup d'etat."

Armenian PM Gunned down in Parliament Attack

YEREVAN, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed Armenia's Prime Minister Vazgen Sarksyan and three leading members of parliament on Wednesday, mowing them down in a hail of bullets after bursting into the chamber.

The attackers then took other deputies hostage as police laid siege to the building and President Robert Kocharyan sped to the scene to negotiate with the gunmen.

"As of 1050 p.m. (1750 GMT) the dead bodies of parliamentary speaker Karen Demirchyan, Prime Minister Vazgen Sarksyan, deputy parliamentary speaker Yuri Bakhshyan and Operative Issues Minister Leonard Petrosyan had been taken away from parliament," the president's spokeswoman, Hasmik Petrosyan, told reporters.

There was no immediate official word on other fatalities.

Armenian state television earlier quoted the health minister as saying Finance Minister Levon Barkhudaryan and one deputy were also "most probably dead."

The minister was also quoted as saying that five deputies were wounded and taken to hospital. Local television station A1Plus said eight people in total had died and 30 were wounded.

One deputy said five or six gunmen burst into the chamber, shouting that they were carrying out a coup d'etat. This was dismissed by a presidential press spokesman, who said they were simply "terrorists."

Azerbaijan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov suggested the attack could have been launched by unspecified forces alarmed by recent progress in talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"I can't exclude that this was initiated by external forces that want to destabilise the country during the Nagorno-Karabakh talks," he told Reuters in the Azeri capital Baku.

In Washington, U.S. President Bill Clinton said in a statement: "I am shocked and saddened by today's armed attacks in the Armenian parliament.

"I condemn this senseless act against individuals actively engaged in building democracy in their country."

MEN SEEN RUNNING INTO PARLIAMENT

In footage of the attack, Armenian television showed two men running into the chamber and people ducking, including a man addressing the parliament from behind a lectern.

One gunman fired several times at the speaker before turning and shooting steadily at the first row of seats. Another fired across the chamber, spraying the hall indiscriminately.

The deputy said that one of the gunmen had emptied a whole magazine into the prime minister.

"The people I saw entering the building shouted that a coup d'etat was being carried out...I myself saw how they shot at the prime minister after he had finished speaking to deputies and was coming down from the tribune," the deputy said.

A journalist, Konstantin Petrosyan, who was in the chamber, said there were four gunmen involved.

Sarksyan, 40, a former defence minister, was appointed prime minister of the former Soviet state of 3.8 million people in June after his Unity alliance won a May 30 election.

The alliance was headed jointly by Sarksyan and Demirchyan, the country's Soviet-era leader, and ran on a platform of easing the hardship of post-Soviet reforms.

PRESIDENT NEGOTIATES ON HOSTAGE RELEASE

Kocharyan rushed to the parliament to deal with the most serious security crisis since he was sworn in, in April 1998.

There were conflicting reports on how many hostages the gunmen were holding. A statement from the president's office put it at 30 while Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted an official at Armenia's National Security Ministry as saying it was 15.

A1Plus television had estimated the captives at 150 to 200.

As police surrounded the building, hordes of curious people milled in the adjacent street while lorries carrying extra security service personnel roared up the road.

The journalist Petrosyan who was in the parliament said he recognised one gunman as Nayri Hunanian, a former journalist and member of the nationalist Dashnak party.

However, Interfax news agency quoted a Dashnak official as saying Hunanian was a member of the party only briefly in 1990.

The journalist quoted one gunman as saying: "We have come to avenge those who have drunk the blood of the nation" before demanding a film crew be sent to the building. He also said the gunmen had proclaimed they were carrying out a coup.

Armenian officials played down this idea.

"This is just a handful of terrorists or individual people who don't have any affiliations with any political party or organisations, at least they don't claim any," presidential press secretary Vahe Gabrielian said.

"This is definitely not a coup d'etat."

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — In an interview with "Yerkir," a senior member of Dashnaktsutyun, Armen Rustamian, presents details of this week's meeting between Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and representatives of the nationalist party, interview. Giving Karabakh the status of "more than autonomy but less than independence" is unacceptable to the Dashnaks, he says. In that regard, Oskanian allayed the party's fears when he assured that under the "common state" plan, "Nagorno-Karabakh is not fixed as part of Azerbaijan." In return, the Armenians would refrain from raising the issue of Karabakh's independence at this stage, according to Rustamian. Nagorno-Karabakh will have the following attributes of an independent state: "the army, currency, constitution and so on." Even so, the Dashnaks have reservations about which occupied territories should be returned to Azerbaijan.

Another nationalist politician, Igor Muradian, plays down in "Hayots Ashkhar" significance of the latest resignations of top foreign policy officials in the Azerbaijani government. Major foreign policy decisions have always been made by Aliev and his "narrow family circle," and the officials in question had a "decorative role" in government. Muradian says "Aliev sacked [Foreign Minister] Zulfugarov to shut the opposition's mouth and show his political will to the outside world. He goes on to link the more active US role in the peace process to the presidential elections of 2000. The Democrats are intent on increasing Washington's foreign policy achievements to back up Al Gore's bid for the presidency. Regarding the upcoming OSCE summit in Istanbul, Muradian does not anticipate the repetition of a setback suffered by Armenia in Lisbon three years ago. "Kocharian and Aliev will be heading for Istanbul as people ready for mutual compromises and will not choose to clash head-on."

October 25, 1999

ARF Parliamentary Bloc Meets with Oskanian

YEREVAN (Armenpress)—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation bloc in the National Assembly invited Armenia's Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian to a meeting Monday, to discuss recent developments in the peace process, as well as the future activities following last month's Diaspora-Armenia conference.

Parliamentary bloc chairman Davit Lokian told Armenpress that the differences between the official position of the party and the government's strategy in addressing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were not many, and following discussions with the foreign minister it became evident that the main differences were in the approach and not the principle.

Lokian said that based on Oskanian's explanations, the current approaches to the peace process are imperative in formatting a future peace agreement.

Lokian also told Armenpress that the ARF has always viewed Karabakh's independence as a means for an eventual re-unification with Armenia, explaining that the current foreign policy is a stepping stone to the party's approach which could eventually bring the matter to fruition.

"The government's position, as it was explained, is in line with our party position," expressed Lokian.

Oskanian also briefed the ARF bloc on the follow-up activities related to the Diaspora-Armenia conference, saying that the process for executing proposals made at last month's conference has already begun.

Nine ARF Members Elected To Councils Of Elders

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)—The Yerevan organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation had nominated one candidate for prefect and 52 candidates for members of councils of elders.

Representative of the ARF's Yerevan regional organization Arsen Safarian said that according to preliminary data, 9 ARF representatives have been elected to the councils of elders; 5 in Avan; 3 in Arabkir and 1 in Ajapniak.

Safarian also said that the ARF organizations of the Malatya-Sebastia and Shengavit districts appealed the election outcomes in these districts as they deem doubtful the unprecedented voter turnout at some polling stations. In particular, there was a more than 80 percent turnout reported at some polling stations in Malatya-Sebastia.

ARF did not officially support any of the independent candidates for prefects in Yerevan, although in some communities the regional organizations of the ARF did cooperate with independent candidates.

October 24, 1999

Armenia Elects Local Government Amid Low Turnout, No Violence

(RFE/RL Armenia Report - Emil Danielyan, Anna Saghabalian, Anush Dashtents, Armen Zakarian in Vanadzor) — Armenians went to polls on Sunday to choose bodies of local self-government, in elections characterized by an unusual lack of public interest and a rather smooth course.

At stake were local administrations and legislative councils in more than 900 villages, towns and cities and several districts in the capital Yerevan.

No major incidents were reported from across the country by the time voting drew to a close late in the afternoon. However, inaccuracies in voter lists which nearly derailed the May parliamentary elections were again numerous, albeit to a lesser extent.

According to the Central Election Commission, less than 30 percent of the registered electorate cast their ballots midway through the voting, which was in line with analysts' predictions about a record low voter turn-out. The elections were held on the first-past-the-post basis and there is no minimum turn-out requirement. They were postponed in 69 mostly rural communities where ethnic Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan are in majority. The Constitutional Court ruled last week that those refugees who are not Armenian citizens can vote in local elections but no sooner than appropriate amendments are made in the current electoral legislation.

Senior government officials have described the elections as an important test of Armenia's long-running bid to join the Council of Europe, which has a 12-strong monitoring team on the ground. President Robert Kocharian had pledged strong action against attempts to cause trouble. Police presence in and around polling stations was visibly enhanced.

International observers have criticized the Armenian authorities in the past for their handling of elections.

The previous local elections held three years ago were boycotted by the main opposition parties. They have shown little interest in Sunday's polls, having fielded a handful of candidates each. The opposition attributes its passivity to the voter apathy and lack of powers vested in local government by the Armenian constitution.

The governing Miasnutyun alliance of PrimeMinister Vazgen Sarkisian and parliament speaker Karen Demirchian was expected to prevail in the majority of constituencies. It mainly competed with scores of independent candidates. The bloc swept to a landslide victory in the May parliamentary elections owing to the populist charisma of Demirchian, Armenia's Soviet-era leader. Most of the complaints voiced by candidates and their proxies referred to inaccuracies in the voter lists, with hundreds of voters again turned away from the polling stations. As in the May elections, many of them had to lodge appeals to courts to have their names reinstated. Queues built up in the district court in central Yerevan despite the fact that there were seven judges on hand. One of them told RFE/RL that there was less confusion than during the last legislative polls, with the influx of plaintiffs considerably weaker.

Still, one of the candidates contesting the post of chief administrator in the capital's Kentron (Center) district, Ara Hayrapetian said the inaccuracies could damage his chances. But an official in the district administration in charge of the voter registers insisted that there were "very few omissions" in them.

Kentron is one of the most tightly contested communities, with its current head, Ararat Zurabian of the former ruling Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh), struggling to keep his job.

A close race was also expected in the southern Erebuni district of Yerevan where two candidates from the Republican Party of Armenia - one of Miasnutyun's two constituent organizations - ran neck and neck. Proxies of the two men, Ararat Khrimian and Mher Sedrakian, told RFE/RL that voting went without major problems except the voter lists. The Erebuni court handed over 80 verdicts to that effect by the early afternoon.

The picture was similar in Vanadzor where four candidates had equal chances to win the post of mayor of the country's third biggest city. One of them is supported by the governor of the northern Lori province of which Vanadzor is the capital. Another one enjoys the weighty backing of Victor Dallakian, a senior member of the Miasnutyun faction in parliament. A third candidate secured the endorsement of several other major parties, including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and National Democratic Union. The three men have mounted a serious challenge to the incumbent mayor Andranik Harutiunian. Apart from mutual accusations of vote buying and voter list errors, polling in Vanadzor also went without major incidents. Preliminary official results of the vote are expected late on Monday.

October 23, 1999

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — "Hayots Ashkhar" argues that Sunday's local elections would have attracted less media interest had it not been for the shooting incident during the by-election in Yerevan's Ajapnyak district last July. The main feature of the upcoming vote is that political struggle preceding it has turned into a personal struggle involving various quasi-clans. And this is dangerous for the country. The paper is surprised at assurances made by the Yerevan police chief that there are no grounds to expect armed clashes or other violent incidents on Sunday. "Such clashes are not planned in advance, they occur when candidates can not control the situation." There are several potentially "explosive" constituencies. One of them is the Erebuni district in the south of Yerevan.

A delegation of the Armenian Communist Party led by first secretary Sergei Badalian is heading for Georgia's Armenian-populated Javakhetia region to urge locals to vote for the Georgian Communists in the October 31 parliamentary elections. "Hayots Ashkhar" voices concern in that regard, deploring Badalian's "interference" in the internal affairs of another country. This may have dangerous consequences for Javakhetia Armenians.

"I don't think that there will be sweeping changes in our relations with Russia" after the Russian parliamentary elections, the head of the parliament committee on defense and security, Vahan Hovannisian, tells "Hayots Ashkhar." Hovannisian was in a delegation of the Armenian parliament that visited Moscow this week. He argues that all major political groups contesting the Russian elections favor close ties with Armenia. Therefore, bilateral relations do not depend on the outcome of the elections. Hovannisian is more worried about the fact that the Russian political elite is "engaged in a mutual destruction."

October 22, 1999

ARF Representatives Meet with Kocharian

YEREVAN (Yerkir)—Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with a delegation of Armenian Revolutionary Federation leaders Thursday to discuss domestic and socio-economic issues.

The ARF delegation was comprised of Bureau member Viken Hovsepian and ARF Executive Council of Armenia members Armen Rustamian and Hrant Markarian.

During a discussion on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Kocharian presented Armenia's official position on the peace process. The ARF delegation, reiterated the party's platform on the Karabakh issue.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the ARF delegation briefed the president on the party's stance on the upcoming election of a Catholicos of All Armenians, as articulated earlier in the week in the Armenian press and other forums.

Voter Apathy Runs High Ahead Of Armenian Local Polls

(RFE/RL Armenia Report - Emil Danielyan) — Armenia will choose new bodies of local government on Sunday, in elections that are expected to produce a record-low voter turnout. What Armenian officials have described as a "last test" for membership in the Council of Europe will amount to a contest among of a limited circle of mostly well-to-do individuals with government connections.

Political groups other than the ruling Miasnutyun (Unity) alliance openly admit their inability to reverse a widespread apathy and voter cynicism about elections and politics in general.

Candidates from Miasnutyun, co-headed by Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and parliament speaker Karen Demirchian, are vying for control over virtually all of more than 900 villages, towns, cities and administrative districts in the capital Yerevan. Facing them are several dozen opposition candidates and many more other individuals largely loyal to the authorities. After winning parliamentary elections last May, the bloc looks set to strengthen its grip on power, capitalizing on an unprecedented lack interest in Sunday's polls shown by other parties.

"This is going to be our last test on the way of joining the Council of Europe," President Robert Kocharian told his top security officials last weekend. "Those disrupting law and order will not be forgiven and will be punished with all the strictness of the law," he said.

Prime Minister Sarkisian made the same point on Thursday when he threatened to punish those attempting rig the ballot. "The government will not use its power levers in favor of any candidate," the powerful premier said in a televised address to the nation. He said Armenia's accession to the human rights organization - Yerevan's major foreign policy goal - depends on how a Council of Europe monitoring mission will assess the local elections.

Western monitors have harshly criticized past elections in Armenia for reported fraud and irregularities. Their assessment of the May parliamentary elections was more favorable not least because the outcome of the polls largely reflected the public opinion. The popularity of Demirchian, Armenia's longtime Soviet-era leader but a newcomer in its post-Communist ruling elite, led to an easy victory of the authorities. The Council of Europe concluded that the vote was an "important step" toward meeting its standards.

Sarkisian's assurances about freedom and fairness of Sunday's elections are treated with skepticism by many opponents mindful of his involvement in election-related crackdowns on opposition in the past. Many of his loyalists have a record of electoral trouble-making.

So far, however, things have gone rather smoothly, barring a row over who is eligible to be registered as candidate. And opposition parties say they are worried more about the dominant public sentiment than irregularities.

"The people have lost interest in the local elections," David Vartanian, a senior member of the National Democratic Union (AZhM) said recently, summing up their arguments. The AZhM has fielded only two candidates for the posts of town mayor and endorsed several others seeking to become village chiefs. Another major party, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), is represented with seven candidates only. The situation is similar with other opposition parties represented in parliament.

One of their main complaints is that much of the electorate is either unwilling to vote or will do so in return for immediate material benefits. Buying of votes, which was common in the May elections, is their most frequent form. Campaigning also requires money for other expenditures which most parties do not have unlike Miasnutyun. Hence, the abundance of apolitical businessmen running for public offices.

Besides, local government bodies are not attractive for opposition parties because of the lack of powers vested in them by the constitution. The government system is highly centralized in Armenia. The country is divided into 11 provinces, including Yerevan, that are run by officials appointed by the central government. A provincial governor can dismiss an elected mayor or village chief.

Local administrations have too scarce funds to affect the state of affairs in their communities. But they do offer opportunities for personal self-enrichment. Sarkisian accused on Thursday many serving administrators of "plundering" public funds.

The toughest competition is expected in cities and Yerevan districts. All eyes are on the capital's biggest central district where the former ruling party, Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh), is struggling to retain the last vestige of its once pervasive power.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — "Yerkir" describes the row over the elections of Catholicos as an "unprecedented, alarming situation." It results from the fact that "the idea of elections is being discredited in our country for years." The state is forced to interfere in the row to save the prestige of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

"The state has the right to and should play a role in the elections of such important figure as Catholicos," according to Martun Matevosian, a parliament deputy from Dashnaktsutyun. But that should only mean "expressing opinion" and not "making orders," he explains.

Another Dashnak leader, Armen Rustamian, tells "Hayots Ashkhar" that Azerbaijan's continuing opposition to the OSCE Minsk Group's Karabakh plan suggests that the document "is not explicit in terms of leaving Karabakh inside Azerbaijan." Armenia and Karabakh made a right decision by accepting the plan as a basis for further negotiations. "In the diplomatic sense, this was a justified policy," with Azerbaijani finding itself in an "unfavorable position." Also, Rustamian disagrees with those Armenian politicians who argue that the "freezing" of the Karabakh conflict for a fairly long period of time would play into the Armenians' hands.

October 21, 1999

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — Refereing to the scheduled election of a new All-Armenian Catholicos, head of the Armenian Church, "Hayots Ashkhar" quotes heads of several dioceses as saying that "[Ottoman] sultans and [Russian] tsars used to appoint Catholicoses" in the past and calling for a softening of criticism against the Armenian authorities for their alleged interference in the process. Bishop Yeznik Petrosian of the Southern Russia diocese criticizes Istanbul's Patriarch Mesrop Mutafian for his harsh remarks directed against the Armenian government. There is no danger of a split in the Apostolic Church, he says.

Mutafian, for his part, is quoted by "Yerkir" as saying that he will not seek the post of Catholicos in next week's election. "I do not wish to become Catholicos of All Armenians. I am the Patriarch of Constantinople Armenians and must remain in my post." Mutafian does not refrain from chiding the rival Archbishop Garegin Nersisian, saying that the latter's Ararat diocese is in a privileged position in terms of having the biggest share of church funds.

"Hayots Ashkhar" notes increasing promises by the Georgian government to address serious socioeconomic problems facing its Armenian-populated Javakhetia region. Gigla Baramidze, Tbilisi's representative in the Samtskhe-Javakhetia area looks forward to the upcoming opening of a border crossing in the Akhalkalaki section of the Georgian-Turkish frontier. Baramidze is quoted as saying that "brotherly Armenia is also interested in that."

The brother of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian, Armen, denies rumors about his wealth and pervasive influence in the premier's native Ararat province. "They say that half of the province is mine. Believe me that I don't even own a house." He tells "Yerkir" that he wanted to built one but the prime minister stopped him doing so on the grounds that the house would be a thorn in the eyes of local people. Vazgen Sarkisian "places us within strict boundaries. We don't have a right to take a step or do business without his permission."

October 20, 1999

Calls for Catholicos Election Postponement Mount

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan, RFE/RL)—In the wake of a rather disenchanting and tense atmosphere created on the eve of the Catholicosal elections, scheduled for next week, several political activists and intellectuals have urged that calls for postponing the elections be addressed calmly and maturely.

Armenian Revolutionary Federation Executive Council of Armenia member Gegham Manoukian stated that a schism is evident within the clerical elite regarding the elections.

He called that rift unhealthy and reiterated the party's call to postpone the National Ecclesiastical Assembly and the subsequent election of a new Catholicos of All Armenians.

Manoukian stressed that although His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia announced last month that he would not seek the position of the Catholicos of All Armenians, nonetheless, such a statement would have merit only if it is made during the National Ecclesiastical Assembly.

On Tuesday, Manoukian's colleague Hrant Markarian expressed the party's position on the upcoming elections and said that Aram I would be the best candidate if the two Sees are to unite in the near future.

Manoukian added that Aram I has been the only cleric who did not partake in arguments over the election of a Catholicos and has stayed away from discussions which have created the rift within the religious elite.

Other political parties such as the Democratic Party of Armenia and the National Democratic Union have also joined in the call for the postponement of the elections.

NDU leader Vazgen Manukian said Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian should continue to temporarily head the church jointly with a council of leading bishops "for a couple of years." "The council would shape new rules and internal life of the church with the aim of creating a healthier atmosphere," Manukian told RFE/RL.

"It is unfortunate that the elections of Catholicos are beginning to resemble elections already familiar to us," Manukian said referring to post-Soviet Armenia's history of troubled polls.

Manukian indicated that he sees no cleric at the moment who could match charisma of the late Catholicos Vazgen I, who died in 1995 after four decades at the helm of the Apostolic Church.

Meanwhile, noted poetess and intellectual leader Silva Kaputikian also added her concerns to the mix, saying that the current disharmony and schismatic climate will hinder the Armenian church and the best way to elect a Catholicos that is truly of All Armenians, is to postpone the pending elections.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — As "Hayots Ashkhar" writes, international pressure is mounting on the parties in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to make serious progress before the OSCE summit in Istanbul. The United States, the most active of the mediators, wants the peace process to be moved back to the Minsk Group after the summit. "In this situation, both Armenia and Azerbaijan feel the need for a serious political and diplomatic support from those regional states that are close and friendly to them. Armenia [needs support] from Russia, Azerbaijan from Turkey."

"The longer the negotiations last, the better for Armenia and Karabakh. We will benefit from that," David Vartanian, a prominent member of the National Democratic Union (AZhM), tells "Hayots Ashkhar." Vartanian also says Armenia's economic development should not be linked with a Karabakh settlement. "Azerbaijan's lifting of the blockade and opening of the border will not give us any advantage. What is it that we should export via Azerbaijan and that is not exported now?" Communist lawmaker Gagik Tadevosian makes the same point, saying that the freezing of the settlement is not bad for the Armenian side. It would enable to complete Karabakh's economic integration with Armenia and "little by little cooperate with Azerbaijan on certain issues."

Ashot Tavadian, head of the parliament's Oversight Chamber, "hinted that his life is under threat" following the body's recent criticism of the government, "Yerkir" writes. It also quotes him as complaining that current officials are willing to inspect only their predecessors' activities.

October 19, 1999

Elections Of Catholicos Should Be Postponed, ARF Says

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation announced Tuesday its viewpoint on the coming election of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

The ARF believes that the election should be postponed. The official publication of the ARF Executive Council of Armenia, the Yerkir daily, stated that the atmosphere for the Catholicos elections, scheduled for next week, was far from being favorable.

The ARF believes that the postponement of the election will contribute to the settlement of differences between the two Sees of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

"We think that if there is unity, Catholicos Aram will be the best candidate," ARF Chairman Hrant Markarian said.

While calling for the postponement of the Assembly's work, Markarian endorsed the election of His Holiness Aram I the Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, the number two person in the church hierarchy. Aram I announced earlier this month, however, that he will not seek the top post.

The Self-Determination Union also expressed its desire to see the elections postponed.

"As the only political organization guided by Christian principles and that links the salvation of Armenia to the strengthening of Christian principles in the society, we express our concern over the situation around the elections of the Catholicos of All Armenians," the SDU said in a letter addressed October 19 to Locum Tenens Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian.

Also joining in the postponement call was Armenian Democratic Union chairman Vazgen Manoukian.

AZhM's Manukian Joins Dashnak Calls For Catholicos Vote Delay

(RFE/RL Armenia Report - Anush Dashtents) — Vazgen Manukian, leader of one of Armenia's main opposition parties, on Tuesday threw his weight behind calls by another major political group for postponing next week's election of a new Catholicos of All Armenians.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) has made it clear through the media that squabbles among clerics and government officials may strongly damage the Armenian Apostolic Church. A senior member of Dashnaktsutyun was quoted on Monday as saying that the vote should be held only after there is a pan-Armenian consensus on who should head the church.

Manukian who is the chairman of the center-right National Democratic Union (AZhM) said Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian should continue to temporarily head the church jointly with a council of leading bishops "for a couple of years." "The council would shape new rules and internal life of the church with the aim of creating a healthier atmosphere," Manukian told RFE/RL.

The National Ecclesiastical Assembly comprising 451 delegates from around the world is due to convene on October 26 to elect the new Catholicos. The run-up to the vote has been marred with allegations that the Armenian government is putting pressure on the clergy to ensure the victory of its preferred candidate, Archbishop Garegin Nersisian. One of the rival candidates, Archbishop Pozapalian, alleged last week that the authorities have used threats and blackmail against defiant clerics. President Robert Kocharian again denied any government interference last weekend though.

"It is unfortunate that the elections of Catholicos are beginning to resemble elections already familiar to us," Manukian said referring to post-Soviet Armenia's history of troubled polls.

While calling for the postponement of the Assembly's work, Dashnaktsutyun leader Hrant Markarian endorsed the election of Catholicos Aram I of the Lebanese-based Holy See of Cilicia, the number two person in the church hierarchy. Aram announced earlier this month, however, that he will not seek the top post.

The AZhM's Manukian indicated that he sees no cleric at the moment who could match charisma of the late Catholicos Vazgen I, who died in 1995 after four decades at the helm of the Apostolic Church.

Statement of the
Armenian National Committee of America

Washington, DC, October 19, 1999 - Today, Mr. Mourad Topalian relinquished his responsibilities as Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Mr. Topalian had made the request after informing the Board of Directors of his need to devote his full attention to the recent developments stemming from the charges against him. Mr. Topalian had advised the Board that his pending legal matter would detract from his ability to advance the many pressing political issues of concern to the Armenian American community.

The Board recognizes Mr. Topalian's immense contribution to the growth of Armenian American political advocacy and his dedication to the Armenian Cause. The Board notes, in particular, his key role in national grassroots organizing and in helping to empower Armenian Americans to play a dramatically increased role in America's political and electoral life. The Board looks forward to continuing to benefit from Mr. Topalian's experience on the many challenges facing the Armenian American community.

Executive Director Aram Hamparian has been appointed by the Board to serve as Acting Chairman pending a decision to fill the chairman's position.

The Board reaffirms the ANCA's commitment to the enduring values, shared goals, and unrealized aspirations of the Armenian nation.

The ANCA looks forward to joining with all Armenian Americans - both individually and through the organizations they serve - in building on our community's progress toward official U.S. recognition of the Genocide, justice for the Armenian people, and the victory of the Armenian Cause. We look forward, as well, to ensuring that the United States meets its moral responsibility to support Armenia's progress toward a secure, democratic, and prosperous future, and stands with the people of Nagorno Karabagh as they seek to secure for themselves the same inalienable rights to freedom and self-determination enjoyed by American citizens.

The Board once again stresses that the ANCA will, as always, stand for the rights of the Armenian American community and will oppose any attempt to interfere with the free exercise of these rights.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — "Azg" comments that the prosecution on terrorism charges of a leading figure in the Armenian National Committee of America, Murad Topalian, "will cast a shadow - not without the help of Turkish propaganda machine - on the nature and value of Armenian-Americans' political efforts and lobbying."

"Hayots Ashkhar" reports that as parliamentary elections near, Georgian politicians are increasingly vying for the votes of ethnic Armenians. President Eduard Shevardnadze, who visited the southern Javakhetia region at the weekend, said "he is confident about Armenians' support" for his party. "However, the local electorate has not yet made a final decision [on whom to vote for]. It depends on which of the Georgian parties and blocs will accept demands voiced by the Armenian community. Namely, to give autonomy to Javakhetia and recognize the [1915] genocide of Armenians."

Levon Mkrtchian, head of the government agency on religious affairs, sees no danger of "upheavals" or a "split" in the church after the elections. He tells "Hayots Ashkhar" that the large number of delegates will make it extremely hard for anybody to put pressure on the National Ecclesiastical Assembly. "No force can influence such a multitude," he says.

Meanwhile, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) brings a new twist in the pre-election developments by calling for a postponement of the vote. One of the party's leaders, Hrant Markarian, is quoted by "Yerkir" as saying that the "atmosphere is not appropriate" at the moment. He also throws the Dashnaks' weight behind Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia, hoping that the latter will reverse his decision not to seek the highest post in the Apostolic Church.

"It is difficult to believe that such a statement was not agreed with the Cilician Catholicos beforehand," reacts "Haykakan Zhamanak." "It will be strange if Catholicos Aram also changes his mind." This would disrupt the balance of forces in the church but not necessarily in his favor.

October 18, 1999

Danielian Meets with ARF Central Committee

GLENDALE (Asbarez Daily) - Nagorno-Karabakh Republic prime minister, Anoushavan Danielian, Sunday met with the Western US Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, at the party's headquarters.

Although, during his visit to the Southland, Danielian on numerous occasions met with and consulted with members of the ARF CC, the Sunday morning meeting was an opportunity for the two parties to gather and address issues of importance to the Armenian nation.

During the meeting, which last more than an hour, the members of the ARF Central Committee addressed several important issues relation to Karabakh and the Karabakh conflict. Specifically, Karabakh's economic structure, democratization and social concerns, especially as related to refugees were addressed.

Special emphasis was placed on highlighting the importance of the upcoming Thanksgiving Day Telethon 99, which aims to raise funds for the construction of major highway in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

Danielian was accompanied by Armenia's Consul General to Los Angeles Armen Melkonian, Karabakh's representative in Washington Vartan Barseghian and representatives of Armenia Fund Inc. Hratch Simonian and Hrair Balian.

October 16, 1999

"Commando" group took bomb credit

By Mark Gillispie
The [Cleveland] Plain Dealer

When a car bomb exploded outside the Turkish Mission to the United Nations on Oct. 12, 1980, a terrorist group calling itself the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide quickly took credit for the attack.

Federal prosecutors now say a Shaker Heights man, Mourad Topalian, 56, "directed" that bombing and was a member of an "elite group" that bombed several other Turkish government buildings and businesses in the early 1980s.

Topalian, vice president of development at Cuyahoga Community College, was arrested Thursday morning after a three-year investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Bedford Police Department.

He was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on conspiracy, explosives and firearms charges stemming from his alleged role in a campaign of terror designed to draw attention to the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Four passers-by were hurt in the New York bombing. The Justice Commandos also claimed responsibility for a bombing that same day at a Turkish-owned travel agency in Los Angeles. One person was hurt in that attack.

The indictment against Topalian does not name the group he allegedly helped lead. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Gruscinski said at a hearing Thursday that Topalian had strong ties to a political organization in Armenia called the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

Michael M. Gunter, in his book, "Pursuing the Just Cause of Their People - A Study of Contemporary Armenian Terrorism," described the Justice Commandos as a right-wing, nationalist terrorist group created by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation in the mid-1970s to stop defections of young Armenians to the rival Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia.

The Justice Commandos also claimed credit for the bombing of the Turkish consulate in Beverly Hills, Calif., in November 1981. The indictment lists that bombing as one of the allegations in the conspiracy charge against Topalian.

[George Asadorian, chairman of the local Armenian Revolutionary Federation organization, scoffed at the notion that his political party sponsors terrorism here or anywhere else, portraying the organization as a social club that holds raffles, not hostages.
Asadorian said Topalian has been "a good guy" for the Armenian community. "He's lobbied and gotten results over the years." Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 17, 1999]

Topalian's arrest surprised officials at Cuyahoga Community College. The college released a statement yesterday that said CCC would hire an expert to review Topalian's personnel file and the process used to hire him.

He was hired July 1. Topalian had been working since March as a consultant to CCC President Jerry Sue Thornton, performing many of the same duties of his current position. Thornton was out of town and unable to comment, college officials said.

A statement Thursday from the college said Topalian was hired following a rigorous series of interviews and reference and background checks. Topalian, who earns $106,000 a year, has been granted a paid leave of absence while the criminal charges are pending.

Topalian also is chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America. A government source in Washington who declined to be identified said yesterday that Topalian's role with Armenian National Committee of America led to numerous trips to the White House, where he lobbied for Armenian causes.

Topalian declined to comment yesterday.

The indictment alleges that Topalian was part of the "elite group" from June 1976 to September 1996. But foreign policy experts and a high-ranking official at the Turkish Embassy in Washington say Armenian terrorist groups have been dormant since the late 1980s.

The turning point may have been the 1982 assassination of the Turkish consul general in Los Angeles by Hampig Sassounian, a member of the Justice Commandos, said Vincent McHale, chairman of the political science department at Case Western Reserve University.

"That kind of put a damper on things," McHale said. "It was counterproductive, and they've been discredited in the eyes of the Armenian community in the United States and elsewhere."

The fall of the Soviet Union and the creation of an independent Armenia also have contributed to the decline of Armenian terrorism, he said. Political leaders there, struggling with financial woes and other growing pains associated with fledgling statehood, could not afford the bad publicity terrorist acts create.

An official with the Turkish Embassy in Washington said Turkish authorities have asked the U.S. government for information about the case. The embassy official said Armenian terrorists assassinated 73 Turkish nationals living abroad over 15 years. Forty-one of those killed were Turkish diplomats.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — Nationalist politician Igor Muradian tells "Hayots Ashkhar" that President Heydar Aliev is now "in a very bad situation and for the sake of his clan is ready for concessions on Karabakh." There will hardly be a final peace treaty on Karabakh any time soon, Muradian says. But Aliev will instead "come out in favor of freezing the issue for 20 years. That is, to keep the ceasefire but not speak about the Karabakh issue for 20 years." For the Armenian side, "this is not a bad option. In that case, it will be possible to revitalize the Armenian economy and master the territory economically and with more population."

October 15, 1999

Man Charged in Anti-Turkey Bombings

By John Affleck
Associated Press Writer

CLEVELAND-A prominent Armenian-American activist has been charged with helping lead a group that plotted bomb attacks against Turkish targets in the United States over the past two decades.

Mourad Topalian, 56, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America, was arrested Thursday on conspiracy, weapons and explosives charges. He could face 31 years in prison if convicted.

The indictment accuses him of directing a different group, whose members called their efforts "the Cause," which stole weapons and explosives used in a 1980 car bombing outside the Turkish mission to the United Nations in New York City where three people were hurt.

The indictment also mentions two 1981 California bombings - at the Orange County Convention Center in Anaheim and the Turkish consulate in Beverly Hills - in which no one was hurt, but it does not specify whether Topalian was involved.

He pleaded innocent and was freed on $100,000 bond. Topalian returned to U.S. District Court on Friday to surrender his passport, and declined to comment after a brief hearing.

The indictment said the attacks were aimed at drawing attention to Armenian claims that 1.5 million people were slaughtered in 1915 as part of a campaign of genocide aimed at forcing the Armenian population from the eastern Ottoman Empire. Turkey says there was no systematic campaign of slaughter and that many Armenians fled during World War I and the civil unrest that followed.

Topalian allegedly sent people to Massachusetts and Beirut, Lebanon, for weapons and bomb training. The indictment said he demonstrated how to use submachine guns at a camp in Franklin, Mass., in 1976 and 1977. He also allegedly showed others in his group how to use dynamite and blasting caps.

Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Washington-based Armenian National Committee of America, declined to comment Friday on the indictment.

"We're just learning the facts of the case," he said.

The investigation of Topalian began with the 1996 discovery of weapons and explosives in a suburban storage garage that was opened after the rent went unpaid for six months. Police found more than 100 pounds of high explosives in the garage.

Before becoming vice president for development at Cuyahoga Community College this year, Topalian worked as a consultant to the president of Citibank Florida.

He attended a March 1996 White House coffee session with other political and community leaders to discuss issues with President Clinton, the White House confirmed.

October 14, 1999

ARF Caucus to Draft Health Insurance Proposal

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)-During a press conference Thursday, Davit Lokian, the leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Parliamentary Caucus, stated that the group was busy drafting a national health insurance proposal to be presented in the National Assembly.

Lokian also reported that among other drafts, the bloc was also working on a proposal on the creation of a financial board which would oversee audits, as well as revenue collection and disbursement. In his capacity as chairman of the parliamentary subcommittee on energy resources, Lokian briefed that individuals that possess the knowledge about the energy sphere and have worked in that realm from 1992 to 1995, were currently applying to his subcommittee to provide information to help parliament reform Armenia's energy establishment. Lokian also discussed the general modus operandi of the National Assembly, stressing that the current legislature is the only one democratically elected by the people. He added that the problems facing the current parliament may be overcome during elections in four years and added that the media have a crucial role in guiding the public in future elections.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — An "Azg" commentator sees a serious danger to the freedom of speech in Armenia stemming from a remark made by a leading Miasnutyun deputy at the parliament's session on Wednesday. Ruben Gevorgian accused the Armenian media of having contributed to a mass emigration from the country. "Daggers have been targeted lately at the independent media," the paper rings the alarm bell. "Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian did not find a single word to protect the media against such ludicrous accusations."

"Hayots Ashkhar" is also alarmed and hopes that statements like Gevorgian's will not lead to censorship.

October 13, 1999

ARF Executive Council Meets with Sargsyan

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)-Armenia's Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan met Wednesday with a delegation of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Executive Council of Armenia headed by Hrant Markarian and Armen Rustamian.

During the meeting the sides discussed the current situation of the region and Sargsyan briefed the political leaders about his recent trip to Washington.

According to the government press service, the future of Armenia-Diaspora relations were also discussed during the meeting, as were issues related to the Karabakh conflict and Armenia's socio-political reality.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian denies speculation about emerging differences between Armenia and Karabakh on how to resolve the conflict with Azerbaijan. "I don't see and anticipate a discord that could cause tension between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh," "Yerkir" quotes him as saying. But the paper is incredulous, insisting that those "differences are again looming."

October 12, 1999

ARF Bloc Asks Parliament to Ensure Fair Elections

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)-With upcoming local elections to be held October 24, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation block in the Armenian Parliament is asking Parliamentary leaders to take part in forming committees to follow up on election procedure and the eventual results. This request was brought forth by Aghvan Vartanian, a member of the ARF bloc, during the October 12 session of Parliament.

In his speech Vartanian stated, "Taking into account the situation prior to the election, and knowing the importance the upcoming local elections carry, we are asking that the National Assembly as a whole make the upcoming elections a top priority." It is the belief of the ARF bloc that "the people have to be convinced that the President, the National Assembly, the entire government is striving to hold fair, democratic elections for the people, where the people's choice will prevail."

The ARF bloc believes that with the work of the Parliamentary leadership, the public's trust will be regained and a fair, democratic government will prevail.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — Artashes Geghamian, leader of the nationalist Right and Accord bloc in parliament, laments in "Hayots Ashkhar" that "the state ideology is absent in Armenia. This leads to contradictory and extreme statements [made by government officials] in the last two months... The [economic] crisis cannot be overcome by a team that itself plunged the country into crisis." Sarkisian should ditch all his teammates "except one or two individuals who are not tainted with the stamp of plunder."

October 10, 1999

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — Reporting on ex-president Levon Ter-Petrossian's comments during Thursday's jamboree of former government leaders, "Yerkir" says his "cynicism was pouring out of its mold."

Other papers agree that the gist of speeches delivered by Ter-Petrossian's loyalists amounted to the "bankruptcy of Dashnak ideology" and dangers stemming from its acceptance by the state.

In a letter to "Aravot," Eduard Hovannisian, a radical figure in Dashnaktsutyun, acknowledges that differences exist between the party's rank and file and those of its leaders who are to close to the current government. The government "talks about a free market, democracy and other Western values," whereas the true Dashnaks are adherents of "revolutionary, national and socialist" ideas, according to Hovannisian.

October 9, 1999

Pro-Government Candidates To Face Little Opposition In Local Polls

(RFE/RL Armenia Report - Anush Dashtents) — Candidates from the ruling Miasnutyun bloc and its allies contesting the October 24 local elections are heavily outnumbering political opponents who admit their impotence against a widespread voter apathy.

Miasnutyun candidates vying for top posts in almost all of the 936 villages, towns and city districts encompassed by the polls will be challenged by only a few dozen contenders representing other major parties. Speaking to RFE/RL on Thursday, leaders of several parties cited lack of motivation and financial resources to stop supporters of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and parliament speaker Karen Demirchian from expanding their control over government.

"The people (voters) are guided not by platforms or ideologies but by other standards," Shavarsh Kocharian, a senior member of the, opposition National Democratic Union (AZhM), said of his party's lack of interest in the election campaign.

The AZhM has fielded two candidates for the posts of town mayor and endorsed several other individuals seeking to become village chiefs. Aside from lack of campaign funds, leaders of one of the country's main opposition groups attribute their passivity to the perceived mood of political cynicism and despair among most Armenians. Some observers have predicted an extremely low voter turnout.

"The people have lost interest in the local elections," said another AZhM leader, David Vartanian. But with the elections based on the first-past-the-post system and no minimum turnout required, candidates do not need to drum up the backing of many voters in their constituencies in order to get elected. The AZhM's Kocharian hinted at an anticipated massive vote buying when he complained about the dominant apolitical mood. Many Miasnutyun candidates are wealthy and well-connected individuals.

Only seven candidates from another leading party, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (HHD, Dashnaktsutyun), run for the posts of mayor and district head in Yerevan. Armen Rustamian, an HHD lawmaker, said his party has drawn lessons from the May parliamentary elections and is concentrating only on those constituencies where it has strong chances. He also said that Miasnutyun should be allowed to dominate local government so that it bears "full responsibility" for the state of affairs in Armenia.

Parties and blocs other than Miasnutyun fared extremely poorly in single-mandate districts during the May vote.

The Orinats Yerkir party, which like the AZhM and Dashnaktsutyun has a faction in parliament thanks to the proportional system, has put forward three contenders to become chief local administrators.

The former ruling Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh), which grabbed a big chunk of executive posts during the previous November 1996 elections boycotted by the opposition, will strive to maintain control over Yerevan's central district and the northern town of Artik. The party's deputy chairman, Andranik Hovakimian, also pointed to a "difficult financial situation." Besides, he said, the HHSh cannot concentrate on elections while the trial of its chairman Vano Siradeghian continues.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — "Aravot" has no doubts that Presidents Kocharian and Aliev will announce progress after Monday's talks on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The new venue of the talks is already a progress. Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian agrees with this assertion. The latest Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue, he says, still centers on "removing obstacles" to the peace process and has not yet reached the pointing of discussing concrete elements of a future deal on Karabakh. Oskanian says he and his Azerbaijani counterpart Tofiq Zulfugarov have been trying to "agree on issues...unacceptable to Azerbaijan." Results have been so far "encouraging." The two ministers will meet on Tuesday in Luxembourg and as Oskanian says, are likely to agree on resuming peace talks under aegis of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Asked by "Yerkir" and "Azg" if the Minsk Group's co-chairs will cave in to Azerbaijani demands and come up with a new peace plan, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian says: "New and old proposals are relative concepts. I don't think that there will be principally new proposals." He admits that the "United States is the most active of the mediators at the moments" and sees no problems with that.

"Yerkir" finds it "odd that parties to the myriad of ethnic conflicts in the Caucasus are trying to change the established circle of mediators. This would only complicate the situation." One such idea is to engage Armenia in the mediation of the Abkhaz conflict. The Dashnak daily is firmly opposed to the idea.

"Hayots Ashkhar" says the authorities will do everything to scuttle the work of the parliament commission investigating alleged embezzlement of state funds in the energy sector.

October 7, 1999

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — In the run-up to the October 24 local elections, "Hayots Ashkhar" writes that the governing Miasnutyun alliance is intent on extending its grip on power to the whole of Armenia and "there may be formed a [political] system close to authoritarian." Armenia does need a "strong government," but the remedies offered by Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian would have been useful in the early 1990s and not at this point.

The most striking thing about the unfolding election campaign is an almost total absence of politicians and intellectuals among candidates, "Hayots Ashkhar" notes and asks: "Why spend time and huge resources when the already known community chiefs can simply be appointed?" The vote is just an opportunity for the Armenian authorities to "look civilized in the eyes of the international community."

Dashnak newspapers "Yerkir" and "Hayots Ashkhar" castigate Arshak Sadoyan of the opposition National Democratic Union (AZhM) for challenging the election of a Dashnaktsutyun lawmaker as head of an ad hoc parliamentary commission investigating allegations of corruption in the energy sector. Sadoyan has speculated that as a party close to President Robert Kocharian, Dashnaktsutyun could be uninterested in the disclosure of scandalous facts about former government officials associated with Kocharian. "Yerkir" describes this theory as "ludicrous." "Arshak Sadoyan had better make populist speeches instead of engaging in political analyses."

Privatization Minister Pavel Ghaltakhchian comments in "Hayots Ashkhar" on the dwindling interest in the remaining state enterprises put up for sale. Only 40 of them have been sold off this year, he says. One of the reasons is that they are the least attractive ones in Armenia. "There are also other vendors in the market. They are those former buyers who have been unable to get their property working."

October 6, 1999

Ghoulian Named Hero Posthumously

STEPANAKERT (Noyan Tapan, Armenpress)-Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Arkady Ghoukassian issued a decree Wednesday naming fallen Karabakh ARF freedom fighter Ashot Ghoulian (Pegor) an "Artsakh Hero" posthumously. Ghoulian also was bestowed by the Golden Eagle medal.

What would have been Ghoulian's 40th birthday on October 6, became an occasion for a solemn gathering at his grave. Ghoukassian, accompanied by prime minister Anoushavan Danielian, national assembly members and other governmental officials placed a wreath at his grave.

Ghoulian's widow Nelly, members of the #1 Karabakh battalion and hundreds of Karabakh residents also gathered to pay homage to the fallen hero.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Artsakh Central Committee also placed a wreath.

The Karabakh Army marching band performed the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic national anthem and a parade of soldiers was staged at the cemetery.

Following the solemn ceremony, where Ghoukassian presented the honors and the medal to his widow, he walked around and talked with family members, saying that the families of fallen heroes were of utmost importance to the Karabakh government.

A commemoration vigil was held at the Ashot Goulian school, following which a government-sponsored memorial gathering was held at the Youth Auditorium in Stepanakert.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — "Hayots Ashkhar" sees a "serious improvement" in tax collection in the last two months. But it reports that the heavier taxation of cigarettes has yet to bear its fruits. The authorities are still unable stave off smuggling of cigarettes.

According to "Hayots Ashkhar," even though the government has clinched a crucial tranche from the World Bank, the problem of a longer-term deficit-financing is far from having been solved. It will be more and more difficult for Yerevan to get new loans in the future.

October 5, 1999

Parliament Commission Begins Energy Corruption Probe

YEREVAN (RFE/RL Armenia Report - Armen Zakarian) — An ad hoc commission, formed recently by the parliament to probe long-standing allegations about a massive embezzlement of public funds in the energy sector by former government officials, has adopted a plan of actions, its chairman said on Tuesday.

David Lokian of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation told RFE/RL that during their first meeting on Monday, members of the multi- partisan body agreed to conduct a thorough and objective investigation.

Opposition parties and notably the National Democratic Union have alleged that millions of dollars allocated for the purchase of energy resources in 1992-95 were diverted into the pockets of corrupt officials. They claim that this and not the Azeri blockade was the main reason for the severe rationing of electricity at the time. Energy officials say the amount of power generated in Armenia during the shortages and at present is approximately the same, fueling accusations of fraud.

Lokian said his commission will look into official documents that indicate sources of fuel procurement and ways of their transportation to Armenia. In particular, they will study supplies agreements with Russia and Turkmenistan and appropriate customs documents, he said. "I am confident that the president and prime minister of the republic will do everything to help establish what really happened in that period," Lokian said.

However, prominent NDU lawmaker Arshak Sadoyan, who has championed the corruption accusations, cast doubt on Lokian's seriousness of purpose citing the latter's party affiliation. He indicated that ARF's support of President Robert Kocharian could make it reluctant to disclose scandalous facts implicating former officials close to Kocharian.

The commission on Monday asked Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan to ensure that all government members cooperate with the investigation.

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) —

October 2, 1999

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — The Armenian dram has become stronger by 3 percent against the US dollar over the past week and is approaching its June 1997 exchange rate, "Hayots Ashkhar" reports. The paper attributes the dram's strengthening to the Central Bank's tight monetary policy. It forecasts that the Central Bank will soon reverse the trend by easing its policy and buying large amounts of dollars to increase hard currency reserves.

October 1, 1999

(RFE/RL Armenian press review / Vache Sarkisian) — "Hayots Ashkhar" sticks to its theory that a key purpose of President Eduard Shevardnadze's visit to Armenia was to win sympathy of Georgia's ethnic Armenian voters ahead of the October 31 parliamentary elections. "It's hard to say whether or not this was promised to the Georgian president." On the one hand, Armenia is reluctant to "act openly" against the formidable "pro-Russian opposition" challenging Shevardnadze's party. On the other hand, Yerevan does not want to worsen relations with Tbilisi. So President Robert Kocharian's line of "not meddling in intra-Georgian issues" is "understandable." And this stance is not disapproved by Shevardnadze. "Georgia, which sees a danger from the north can at least feel secure from the south."

President Kocharian is extremely vague on Nagorno-Karabakh's future status, according to "Yerkir." "The former president Ter-Petrossian was striking deals against the will of the Karabakh people." He did not succeed and had to quit. The paper wonders if Kocharian "wants to do the same."

Back to Home Page of ARF NEWS