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PRESS-SECRETARY OF ARMENIA'S FM SEES NO CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN CIS AND OSCE OBSERVERS' ASSESSMENTS OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN ARMENIA MARCH 12. Press-secretary of Armenia's Foreign Ministry Dzyunik Aghajanyan sees no serious contradictions between the assessments of the CIS and OSCE observers concerning the past presidential election in Armenia. She refuted the wide-spread reports that both presidential candidates are backed up by the US and Russia. She said that since 1996 Washington has been intensely following all the developments in Armenia. No preferences are given to any of the candidates. That's why Aghajanyan advises not to politicize the assessments of the election as they regard exclusively the process in which both candidates were involved and on which both of them had influence. The certain contradictions in the CIS and OSCE resolutions are explained by difference in approaches. The approach of the CIS mission is based on the experience of new democracy countries, while that of the OSCE observers on the standards of the Treaty of Kopenhagen, stipulating that an election be considered not corresponding with the European standards if one single violation is registered during its course. Comparing the recent election with the previous ones, Aghajanyan said that some deficiencies have already been eliminated. In 1996 and 1998 Armenia was not a CE member and consequently appraisals were softer. Now that Armenia has joined the CE and has certain commitments to that organization slightest defects are considered as violations. "Any elections influence the international rating of a state and not only the government but all the political forces and the public are responsible for it."
In this context, Aghajanyan gave a positive assessment of the fact
that the opposition appealed to the Constitutional Court for
disputing the results of the election, which means that internal
political issues in Armenia are settled in a legal way. "The OSCE
resolution is not a verdict but only an appraisal of the quality of
the electoral process." Besides, the observers expressed readiness to
help in eliminating the violations they fixed during the ballot. The
upcoming parliamentary election are a good occasion for that.-
MAR 14 ARMENIA'S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO CONSIDER APPEAL OF
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ARTASHES GEGHAMYAN
M,ARCH 12. Mar 14 Armenia's Constitutional Court is to consider an appeal of presidential candidate, leader of the National Unity party Artashes Geghamyan. To remind, Geghamyan, who polled 17.7% of votes during the first round of the presidential election, appeals against the results of the first round. He says the ballot was rigged and does not reflect the actual will of the people. Chairman of the CC Gagik Haroutyunyan has invited to the hearing experts of the CE Venice Commission. The same day, another presidential candidate, leader of the People's Party of Armenia Stepan Demirtchyan is going to dispute the results of the presidential run-off election.
Both appeals have no precedents in the history of independent
Armenia.
PICKET NEAR CEC BUILDING LIFTED
The picketers dismantled their tents and went home after the opposition's regular rally near Matenadaran.
To remind, the picketers demanded that CEC should reconsider the
results of the presidential run-off election. Meanwhile, the
opposition is going to appeal against the poll at the Constitutional
Court.
UKRAINE SUPPORTS EARLY AND FAIR SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT
MARCH 12. Armenia's current problems will force this country to change its position on the Karabakh conflict, Ukraine's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Boris Alexeyenko told an Em-Pi-Ey correspondent. He said that the conflict has left Armenia beyond quite promising projects. It is known that early before the conflict Armenia used Azerbaijan's infrastructures. Now Armenia's involvement in the regional projects is possible only if it "withdraws its troops from the occupied territories."
As for Ukraine, it has not changed its position on the problem.
"Armenia must unconditionally return Azerbaijan's territories.
Ukraine supports early and fair settlement of the conflict."-
IRANIAN PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES PRES.KOCHARYAN ON REELECTION
MARCH 12. President of Iran Mohammad Khatami has congratulated his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan on reelection to second term.
Khatami expresses conviction that during the second term too the
friendly relations between Iran and Armenia will actively develop in
the interests of the Iranian and Armenian peoples and for the sake of
peace and stability in the region.-
R.KOCHARYAN: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN ARMENIA COMPLETED AND IT IS
NECESSARY NOW TO ACTIVELY SET TO IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM PRESENTED
TO PUBLIC CONSIDERATION
MARCH 12. The presidential election in Armenia are completed and now it is necessary to set to implementation of the program presented to the public consideration, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said at a press-conference today.
He said the program requires hard word and it is time to implement
it. Nevertheless, President Kocharyan thinks that the post-election
process is connected with some inertia that still influences the
public life and the political forces of the country. "One should
consider it normal that there are people in Armenia who liked the
election process, and it allows them to constantly and actively be
present in the political area," Robert Kocharyan said. He added that
this fact often leads to inertia of the public.
R.KOCHARYAN: PRESIDENTIAL ELECION IN ARMENIA CREATED TENSE SITUATION
IN PUBLIC
He said the best way to overcome the tense situation is change over
of every citizen to their everyday work . Confrontation of political
forces and persons has been transferred to the whole electorate's
confrontation, which is inadmissible, in his opinion. "It is both
unclear and dangerous, as it affects the state stability and damages
every citizen of the country," Robert Kocharyan said. Besides, he
said, maintenance of this tension will affect the investment sphere
as well, and as a result, the "pockets" of every citizen will suffer
damage. However, the president is sure that the country has enough
levers to stabilize the situation. It is necessary to create
30-40,000 jobs only in 2003, in conformity with the pre-election
promises of Armenian President. "It is important that no one prevents
the implementation of this program," President Kocharyan said.-
R.KOCHARYAN: RESULTS OF PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF ELECTION IN ARMENIA CAN
BE CONSIDERED SATISFACTORY
MARCH 12. The results of the presiential runoff election in Armenia can be considered satisfactory, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said at a press-conference today. At the same time, he said it concerns the results of the election, and not their quantitative nature.
He said in case of a better organized work, it would be able to
achieve a higher result. Nevertheless, Robert Kocharyan said the
results achieved met many forecasts made both before the first round
of the election and before the runoff election. The presidential
runoff election was necessitated by two reasons. First, the
confidence in the victory of Robert Kocharyan's electorate was so
high yet in the first round, that many electors just did not
participated in the voting. Second, research showed that coordination
of work between all the political forces supporting the incumbent
president was unsatisfactory. Many of them more cared for the
forthcoming Parliamentary elections, and not for the victory in the
first round.
R.KOCHARYAN: BEHAVIOR OF OPPOSITION AFTER RESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN
ARMENIA FORECASTED
MARCH 12. The behavior of the opposition after the presidential election in Armenia was forecasted, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said at a press-conference today.
He said in the course of the presidential campaign both in the first
round and during the runoff election one could expect further
developments. And it is not accidentally that immediately after the
runoff election, the opposition candidate for Presidency, who
received half as many votes as Robert Kocharyan, declared himself a
legitime President of Armenia. Moreover, Robert Kocharyan said, "a
powerful propagandizing machine on production of grievances" started
working. "The only goal of this work is creation of an atmosphere of
dissatisfaction with the results of the election in the public,"
President Kocharyan said, adding that the results of the presidential
election do not arise concern of any one , as the difference between
the votes received by the two candidates for Presidency is too high.
In this situation the opposition's position is more than clear: to
keep electorate in constant tension and gain the maximum advantage
from the forthcoming Parliamentary elections. "This position can be
understood from the tactical viewpoint, but one should not endanger
the image of his own country for personal purposes," Robert Kocharyan
said.
OPPOSITION LODGES COMPLAINTS OF 123 POLLING STATIONS
MARCH 12. As a result of the presidential election in Armenia, the opposition has lodged complaints of the work of 123 of 1,865 polling stations, Armenia's President Robert Kocharian told a press conference.
According to him, ballot-boxes in 45 polling stations have been
re-opened at the opposition's instance. The re-counting of votes
showed that no serious changes in the election returns have taken
place. The other polling stations were not re-opened for the only
reason that the proxies for the opposition presidential candidates
refused to take part in this procedure. "The persons who are
constantly speaking of violations were themselves constantly and
actively thinking of creating falsifications," Robert Kocharian said,
adding that all the problems can be resolved within law. In
particular, the opposition can apply to courts to resolve the
problems, but not present them in a political aspect. "I will only
welcome the opposition's applying to the Constitutional Court,"
Kocharian said.
ARMENIA'S PARLIAMENT HAS TO DO TREMENDOUS WORK: ROBERT KOCHARIAN
MARCH 12. Armenia's Parliament has to carry out tremendous work on introducing amendments to the country's Constitution, Armenia's President Robert Kocharian told a press conference.
According to him, the need for a referendum on constitutional reforms
has been forgotten in the country. Kocharian stressed the importance
of the Parliament's resuming active work. "We have no time left, as a
package of constitutional reforms, which has been on the Parliament's
agenda for a long time, needs to be adopted in the earliest possible
date. It is also important that the package of constitutional reforms
be submitted to a nation-wide referendum, which is supposed to be
held during the same period as the parliamentary elections," the
President said. "Much work is ahead, which will be accompanied with
special meetings of the Parliament," Kocharian said.
2003 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BETTER ORGANIZED THAN 1998 ELECTION:
ROBERT KOCHARIAN
MARCH 12. The 2003 presidential election in Armenia has been better organized than the 1998 presidential election, Armenia's President Robert Kocharian told a press conference. According to him, the international observers opinion is a testimony to a well-organized presidential election. True, the President said, this time the international observers have been stricter than in 1998. The President underlined that he is well aware of the logic of international observers, who believe that after Armenia's admission to the Council of Europe a stricter approach to the results of the presidential election is needed. "The international observers' expectations have been more weighty that we supposed," Kocharian said, stressing the importance of comparing the opinions expressed by international observers. "If we draw a comparison with elections in Western Europe, presidential elections in Armenia do not meet the European standards," the President said. He pointed out that, considering Armenia's 12-year independence, the international observers' assessment might have been less strict. "I am not inclined to think that the presidential election has been perfectly held in Armenia. Violations have bee recorded as well. But this election reflects the political and social situation in the country," the President said, pointing out that he cannot agree with all the opinions expressed by the international observers.
Kocharian reminded the journalists that parliamentary elections in
Armenia are scheduled for May, and everything possible must be done
for them to be well-organized and violations to be reduced to
minimum.
PRESIDENT OF POLAND CONGRATULATES ROBERT KOCHARIAN
MARCH 12. The President of Poland Aleksander Kwasnewsky sent a congratulatory letter to the incumbent President of Armenia Robert Kocharian on the occasion of his re-election.
ARMINFO was informed in the press service of the president, in his
letter Kwasnewsky said: "Dear Mr President, dear friend, on behalf of
the Polish people and personally congratulate You on re-election the
post of Armenia's president. I wish You a success in continuation of
economic and political reforms in Armenia. I'm sure that in the
period of Your being in the presidential post Armenia will strengthen
positive economic development trends, as a result of which the
republic was integrated into the World trade organization. Membership
in the WTO is an important step on the way of Armenia's integration
into European structures. In this process Poland is ready to share
opinion with Armenia. I wish You that the next years became a period
of quiet, fruitful work, as well as peaceful and successful
settlement of the problems with the neighbor countries".
ARMENIA'S PRESIDENT CONTINUES NEGOTIATIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES WITH
SEVERAL POLITICAL PARTIES
MARCH 12. The president of Armenia is continuing negotiations with the representatives of several political parties, which supported him during the presidential election. Robert Kocharian stated during a press conference. According to him, these political forces will hardly form a united bloc on the threshold of the parliamentary election, as many of them are form parties with their history and with their electorate. "I don't think that the unity will bring to formation of a united bloc", the head of Armenia said, adding that during the negotiations they make an attempt to elaborate such a version, which will allow to get less problem from organizing point of view, and from pragmatic point of view - to ensure a good result during the parliamentary election.
Robert Kocharian said that no serious changes will take place in the
governmental staff before the finishing of the parliamentary
elections. As the government must reflect the order of the
parliamentary majority, any present change in the governmental staff
means a temporary nature of being of one or another minister in his
post, which is not admissible, the president of Armenia said.
KOCHARYAN: ARMENIA's POSITION CLEAR AND EXACT IN ISSUE OF KARABAKH
CONFLICT's SETTLEMENT
MARCH 12. Armenia's position in the issue of the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict is clear and exact, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said at a press-conference today. He said official Yerevan will further adhere this position. Robert Kocharyan expressed doubt that the difference of assessment of the presidential election in Armenia given by Moscow and Washington will have a definite impact on the process of peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. "I do not think the presidential election in Azerbaijan to be organized and held better than it was in Armenia," Robert Kocharyan said. he added that one should not think that he was re-elected with difficulties and will further work with difficulties. He pointed out that much was done to create such problems inside the country.
Armenian President pointed out that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
have not yet made any proposals on the peaceful settlement of the
Karabakh conflict. "We can hold a more detailed conversation after
the Presidential election in Armenia," R. Kocharyan said.
ARMENIA'S PRESIDENT NOT GOING TO RUN FOR THIRD PRESIDENTIAL TERM
MARCH 12. The President of Armenia Robert Kocharian is not going to run for the third presidential term even in the case, when constitutional reforms are carried out in the country. Robert Kocharian stated during a press conference today.
According to him, the burden on the president is very high. There are
people, who are not fully aware of the responsibility of the
president of the country, but if they feel this responsibility, they
will never dream about the presidential chair, Robert Kocharian said.
DIFFERENCE IN ASSESSMENTS OF PRESIDENTIAL ELELCTION SHOULD NOT BE
LINKED WITH DIFFERENT GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS: ROBERT KOCHARIAN
MARCH 12. The difference in assessments of the results of the recent presidential election in Armenia - the assessment made by the CIS observers on the one hand, and by the OSCE and CE observers on the other - should not be linked with different geopolitical interests, Armenia's president Robert Kocharian told a press conference. According to him, the difference of geopolitical interests is, as a rule, reflects on the region. But the Armenian President restrained from discussing this aspect of the issue. "There is something to say, though, and one must not think that we do not understand certain aspects of this problem," Kocharian said, pointing out that he would like to have an observer opinion which Armenia needs. At the same time he stressed that the presidential election in Armenia has not been held for a report, but for the country. Nobody abroad is entitled to confirm the election results, as Armenia is an independent country which must be respected, Kocharian said.
The President expressed confidence that the Armenian-Russian economic
cooperation will be further developed during the next five years. "We
will develop cooperation with Russia both in the energy and in the
industrial sphere," the President said.
TAXATION AND CUSTOMS REFORMS TO BE CARRIED OUT IN ARMENIA IN TWO
STAGES IN 2003: ROBERT KOCHARYAN
MARCH 12. Taxation and customs reforms will be carried out in Armenia in two stages in 2003, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said at a press-conference today. He said reforms provide for introduction of the administrative instruments practiced in the European states and tested by the time. The president said according to experts, to increase the effectiveness of tax collection, it is necessary to increase the wages of taxation and customs employees. However, first of all, it is necessary to form an equal field for free competition between economic entities, President Kocharyan said.
He added that taxation and customs services were maximally withdrawn
from the process of presidential election, and the budget's
fulfillment testifies to this, Robert Kocharyan said.
ROBERT KOCHARYAN: WE HAVE NO POLITICAL CRISIS IN ARMENIA, WE ONLY
HAVE PROCESS RELATED TO ELECTIONS
MARCH 12. "We have no political crisis in Armenia, we only have process related to elections," Armenia's incumbent president Robert Kocharyan stated at a press conference today. According to Kocharyan, if we estimate the financial system implementing monetary policy, it is easy to point out that nothing had been changed in this system. "The political crisis implies quite other events and consequences," Kocharyan said and added that there is a process the aggravation of which is of an artificial nature and to some extent is connected with both the forthcoming parliamentary elections, and the pre-electoral technologies. Speaking of the responsibility of the authorities for the incident in Artashat when Armenian MP Hayk Baboukhanyan had been injured during the pre-electoral meeting, Kocharyan said that a deputy should not attend meetings armed and, moreover, threaten people. President said that the member of the incident, injured Baboukhanyan himself was arrested and the investigation is underway. And it is up to the court to take measures of his guilt, Kocharyan pointed out. Kocharyan said that he is not a judge to know if the people who were condemned after the meetings and processions to different administrative penalties are currently held criminally responsible. Besides, he said that nobody was detained during the pre-electoral campaign. Both the meetings and processions held in Yerevan after the first round of the presidential election were illegal.
"They surrounded the governmental buildings, as well as the
Prosecutor's Office and, taking into account the events of 1996 I had
to take appropriate measures in order to ensure public order," the
president said adding that already during the judicial processes a
number of deputies of the Armenian Parliament affronted judges who
had to call them to order which meets all international standards.
JAPAN'S PREMIER CONGRATULATES ROBERT KOCHARIAN ON OCCASION OF
RE-ELECTION
MARCH 12. Prime Minister of Japan Yunichiro Koidzimi congratulated Robert Kocharian on the occasion of his re-election the president of the country.
ARMINFO was informed in the press service of Armenian president, in
the congratulatory letter the Japanese premier mentions that the
mutual relations between Armenia and Japan are being developed
dynamically. A joint memorandum on friendship and cooperation was
signed between the two countries in Dec 2001 within the framework of
Robert Kocharian's visit to Japan. "I hope that bilateral relations
will develop further", the prime minister of Japan has stressed.
ARMENIAN PEOPLE TO SHOULDER CONSEQUENCES OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION:
JOHN ORDWAY
MARCH 12. Armenia people will shoulder the results of presidential election that did not meet the international standards, US Ambassador to Armenia John Ordway told a press conference. According to him, the joint statement of the OSCE and CE on the process of presidential election in Armenia fully reflects the USA's opinion. At the same time, the statement made by the US Department of State reflects the opinion of not only the OSCE and CE, but also of the US observers. The ambassador pointed out that no basis for counting the number of falsifications exists, but the OSCE's reports clearly indicates violations during the election process. No specific number of violations can be cited with the help of the report. "We do not want to draw conclusions on which of the candidates the violations were committed for, as the character and number of violations themselves challenge the fairness of the presidential election," Ordway said. The US diplomat pointed out the need for measures to eliminate the faults in the election process. According to him, the re-counting of votes is one of the major elements reflecting the people's will. the next important step is the exposure of persons that committed violations and their punishment. The Ambassador also pointed out the need for revising Armenia's election legislation and reforming some of its points,which will prevent violations. Also, the Armenian Government needs to take drastic measures to prevent violations during the parliamentary elections scheduled for May and during future election processes. If necessary, the USA will carry on an observer mission jointly with the OSCE during the parliamentary elections in May.
Ambassador Ordway pointed out the need for a better access to mass
media. The press must be accessible to the public. At the same time,
the US Ambassador made a high appraisal of the Armenian mass media's
activities, pointing out that he watches the Armenian press with
interest. He also pointed out that no articles or statements could
influence the USa's opinion on the presidential election in Armenia.
OPPOSITION CANDIDATES DETAINED BY LAW-ENFORCERS INTEND TO ESTABLISH
PUBLIC ORGANIZATION "FEBRUARY 22"
MARCH 12. The opposition campaigners detained by the law-enforcement bodies of Armenia intend to establish a public organization "February 22" demanding the authorities restoration of their infringed rights and compensation of the moral and material damage caused. The initiative group of this organization made this statement at a press-conference today. One of the representatives of the initiative group, Hrayr Melkonyan, said detaining the peaceful citizens of Armenia, the authorities create an atmosphere of terror in the country, infringing human rights and freedoms. He pointed out that mass arrests of the participants of opposition rallies pursued two goals: create an atmosphere of fear in the country, and hereby, make the people keep silence. He said the authorities detained the people able to prevent their attempts of rigging the presidential election. Melkonyan said in the first round of the presidential election before the arrest of opposition campaigners, the incumbent president yielded to his opponent Stepan Demirchyan as to the votes received at several polling stations. While, in the runoff election, when many leading opposition representatives were detained, Robert Kocharyan received by several thousands of votes more than Stepan Demirchyan at the same polling stations, he said. Hrayr Melkonyan pointed out that the mass arrests of peaceful citizens testify to the fact that Robert Kocharyan struggles against his own people and not against the opposition. HEADLINES OF 12 MARCH
FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAK RECEIVES ILHAM ALIYEV, REPORTS
AZTV
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MARCH 12. The two-day picket of the opposition in
front of the building of Central Electoral Commission was lifted
Monday evening.
MARCH 12. The presiential election in Armenia have
created a tense situation in the public, said Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan at a press-conference today.
