I don’t know if I believe this story, but since it alleges that someone tried to kill the MP making accusation about homosexuals in parliament, I’m posting it. My gut feeling tells me that this could be Hagop Hagopyan (the guy making the accusations) trying to show that he is on to something and now someone is trying to kill him before he can present his evidence, meaning that it could very well have been staged, since I would think if gunmen were trying to kill you, you would not go chasing after them.

UNKNOWN GUNMEN ATTACK ARMENIAN MP'S HOUSE

Arminfo
2 Oct 04

YEREVAN

Armenian MP Akop Akopyan's house came under an armed attack last
night.

The MP told journalists today that the incident happened from 0100 to 0200 (0800-0900 gmt) on the night of 1-2 October. A gang of unidentified armed men burst into the house and opened fire. In reply, the MP used his personal weapon and fired at the attackers, after which they escaped.

The MP attempted to follow the attackers, but failed to find them.

After the incident, Akopyan went to the Zvartnots hotel where he learned that the attackers had arrived at the hotel before attacking his house. Threatening the hotel personnel with weapons, they inquired about the deputy's home address.

To recap, a public argument recently happened between Akop Akopyan and the deputy chairman of the faction of the Orinats Yerkir Party (Law-Governed Country Party), Mger Shakhgeldyan.

(Arminfo also said in a separate report that the police have started criminal proceedings)

Parliamentarians and homosexuality in our culture don’t mix?

Though I’m sure this will become a very sensitive subject, I just could not resist touching on it, only because it is so ridiculous and I suspect more a vindictive act, as the recent more believable ArmInfo story I’ve posted below implies.

The one thing that I hope will come out of this is a comment that was made by Karen Babayan, Chief Physician of Dermatology and Venereal Disease of the Republic of Armenia, who basically said that people who spend their whole day with prostitutes and/or gambling, are no better and if you ask me, are much, much, much worse since gamblers and people who cheat on their families have very bad judgment. I know for sure that the majority of parliamentarians engage in such practices, as do many of our ministers, Presidents and Prime Ministers. The proof of this is our present day condition.

One thing that I will say is that the stories that have come out about this subject on the part of journalist is quite irresponsible, since not only did they not get the whole story before printing this sensational story, but in a recent story from ArmInfo, the other side of the story which seems to make more sense has now come out and really tells me that this story should not have been taken seriously in the first place (and the reason I didn't repost it on my site).

One thing that is sad is the initial reaction we got from some high ranking officials who suggested some very uncivilized, dehumanizing and illogical solutions to this “problem”. These are the same people who have been trusted to adopt laws and run our country. Their judgment should be brought into question.

The only thing I do agree with is that for gamblers and those that cheat on their families by spending their days with prostitutes, we should do like Deputy Emma Khudabashyan said and “After publicizing the names these deputies [and government officials they] must be seated backwards on donkeys, their faces blackened with soot and they must be taken for a ride in their electoral districts so that those who elected them, could spit in their face,” she said. “This is what our grandfathers used to do with those who were repudiated by society.” Not that I really think this is the solution (because I don’t), but it was so ridiculous that I just could not resist reposting Emma’s stupid backwards way of thinking suggestion. As sad as her suggestion may be, my friends and I got a good laugh over it.

HOMOSEXUAL SCANDAL IN ARMENIA's POLITICAL ELITE


YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30. ARMINFO. A homosexual scandal has broken out in Armenia's political elite. Parliamentarians came to calling one another gays, and homosexualism became a subject of serious discussions and comments in the ruling elite.

Today's briefing at the RA National Assembly focused on the subject and on the possibility of gays being members of the ruling elite. The member of the "People's Deputy" Hakob Hakobyan publicly called Vice-Chairman of the "Law-Governed Country" party, Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for Defense, National Security and internal Affairs Mher Shahgelsyan a homosexual, stating that he can present proofs in court. In his turn, Shahgeldyan denied the claim. "Hakob Hakobyan's claim is a filthy lie. He just could not discredit me in another, as I have a stainless reputation. Nobody would believe him if he accused me of financial embezzlements, bribery, changing party affiliation, so he decided to discredit me in this way," Shahgeldyan said. "After this claim Hakobyan has to have a man-to-man talk," Shahgelsyan said. He pointed out that he does not consider it advisable to apply to court now.

The scandal broke out yesterday, Hakobyan demanded that Parliament Speaker, Chairman of the "Law-Governed Country" party Artur Baghdasaryan present an annual report on the Parliament's expenses. According to him, even Vice-Speakers Tigran Torosyan (Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia) and Vahan Hovhannesyan (ARF Board member) agreed with him. Hakobyan demanded that the Speaker report on the spending of the additional 65,000 USD provided to the Parliament by the RA Government. The Speaker did not satisfied Hakobyan's demand, which aroused the latter's indignation. He began swearing at the Speaker and the Head of the Parliament staff, claiming that "persons that came to Parliament in T-shirts are now driving armored Jeeps'." Hakobyan stated that he is even ready to transgress law for the people's benefit. Then he made a shocking claim that Vice-Chairman of the "Law-Governed Country" party Mher Shahgelsyan is a "gay." It is noteworthy that the reason for active talks about homosexualism in Armenia's political elite is a statement made by Chairman of the "Armenian-Aryan Order" party Armen Avetiosyan that some of the Armenian minister and parliamentarians are gays, and he intends to publish their names soon.

The other morning I woke up at 4:30AM to take part in watching the debate between George W. and John Kerry, since the debate topic was foreign policy and since I figure my world will be effected by this, I should see what the candidate are planning to implement.

I have to tell you that when all was said and done, I was scared. I was and am scared for the whole world since the American president is not just a leader who will lead America, but in John Kerry’s words, “I believe America is safest and strongest when we are leading the world…”

Here was another scary statement made by John Kerry:

“I have a better plan for homeland security. I have a better plan to be able to fight the war on terror by strengthening our military, strengthening our intelligence, by going after the financing more authoritatively, by doing what we need to do to rebuild the alliances, by reaching out to the Muslim world, which the president has almost not done, and beginning to isolate the radical Islamic Muslims, not have them isolate the United States of America.”

Strengthen the US military, bla, bla, bla? And who says that the only threat is from the Muslim world? Doesn’t America also suppress non-Muslims, who could also strike back at America with acts of “terror”? Ever think about not screwing nations so they wont get pissed off at you and retaliate?

And then Bush with his, “We've upheld the doctrine that said if you harbor a terrorist, you're equally as guilty as the terrorist.”

So would it be fair to say that America harbors terrorist who unjustly attack civilian populations, which include women and children? I think so. I think that’s the work of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization, just to name a few, of which I believe are harbored in Washington DC.

I’m not going to make this long and touch on each point that scared me, since practically the whole thing scared me and will just say that be it Bush or Kerry, the developing nations of the world are going to loose and sooner or later, America is going to see many tall buildings fall.

If I were an “American”, I would vote for Bush, only because he is ready to screw the rest of the world, suck the natural resources dry, so his parasite population can continue to live in excess. Bush will also continue to comfort his people who suspect that something is just not right, with stories of how we are doing the right thing by saying, “We have a duty to defeat this enemy. We have a duty to protect our children and grandchildren.” That will be comforting to Americans while they continue to live a relatively material wealthy life. I also don't care too much for Kerry's smile. There seems to be something fake about it.

I think what I'm trying to say to you was best said in Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer book, “WAR AGAINST THE POOR -- LOW-INTENSITY CONFLICT AND CHRISTIAN FAITH” (ORBIS BOOKS Martknoll, New York 10545, ISBN 0-88344-589-1)

“As the leading ‘have’ power, we may expect to have to fight to protect our national valuables against envious ‘have nots.’” General Maxwell D. Taylor, U.S. Army

BTW, if anyone is interested in reading “WAR AGAINST THE POOR”, e-mail me and I’ll send you the text from this great book that is a real eye opener to what America is really all about and why its wealth far exceeds its natural resources.

Outside Eye: This Week, An Insider Looks Out


By Julia Hakobyan
ArmeniaNow Reporter


This week I joined hundreds of Armenians in the long line of dreams, waiting outside the US Embassy in Yerevan for a visa to America. The process is a test of endurance.

Having previously taken papers, we all were invited between at 9 -9.30 a.m. and were told to wait. Two by two, applicants disappear inside for about 20 minutes at a time. I was 15th in the line and grew weary calculating when my turn would come.

I decided instead to indulge in eavesdropping. . .

Two people in front of me and three behind were angrily discussing the increased price for visiting a consular service. Last year it was $50 and now it is $100. Even if you don’t get the visa, you pay the fee.

“For what we are paying, for being rejected?,” asked one woman.

“Because here in Armenia it is anarchy,” answered one man. “And the Americans decided: ‘Why do we have to pay $20 at the airport for leaving their country. If so let them pay too for entering our country’.”

“They just collect money from people and give visas to a few,” said the other man. “How do you think the Americans are building their new embassy here? Each week they collect $20,000 from people like us and it goes to the construction works and to the wages of embassy employees. They get at least $1,000, and it all comes from our pockets.”

You can learn a lot about your countrymen, listening to them trying to leave. By their words, they neither like where they are nor where they are going . . .

They went on, accusing President Robert Kocharyan of corruption, anarchy, poor economy in the country and in allowing Americans to take so much money.

“I would never leave Armenia if I feel protected here, if I have job. If my president can not provide me with a job, I will go to serve another country,” one man said.

It is a sunny September in Yerevan. The sidewalk, the walls, the pavement and the heated words are enough for a headache.

I crossed the roped off line to stand in the shadow of a tree between the stone barriers built by the embassy after 9/11. People watched, perhaps enviously, but none left the line to join me. However in about five minutes an embassy guard approached to put me back in line.

“I can’t. It’s too sunny there,” I told him.

“Please go back,” he repeated, politely, but firmly. “You can’t wait here”

“Did I do something illegal,” I asked, jokingly. “I want to wait here and I see no problem.”

“You hinder the way of passersby,” the guard said. “See everyone stands, even old people. Please sister- jan go back, otherwise I will be in trouble.”

Of course I was not obstructing pedestrians, but his last argument persuaded me.

I returned to the line to find global issues on the talk agenda.

One man predicted an imminent energy crisis in the US.

“Soon Americans will not fuel their cars because it will be too expensive for them,” the man said. “And they will be deprived of electricity and gas.”

“If it is so, then why are you going there?” a woman asked.

“I go to see my grandsons, whom I’ve never seen,” the man replied. He then told that his two sons are not US citizens and could not send him an invitation.

In an hour of listening I realized that I was probably the only one in the line who had an official invitation from a US entity (for a Duke University media fellowship) – the only one in that hot line who had reasonable hope.

And I guess that for most people the visa was a one way ticket. For a group of people I saw, mostly middle-age and old the visa stamp was the most desirable thing they could wish for.

But what impressed me most was the people’s sympathy towards each others, their uniting around the common aim. The frankness of Armenians reach its apex in the visa line. Or so it was that day I was watching people’s true stories about their life in Armenia and purposes in US. People were so easily sharing their secrets of their true intentions in US as if we were at a private party.

A woman of about 40 with emaciated face was telling people around that she is going to get a job in the US but she would tell the embassy interviewer that she goes to the US to visit her god mother. The woman had no paper, no invitation and no idea how she would get a job in the US. The only thing she knew was that she has to leave Armenia to get a job in America, because no one of her five family members has a job here.

“If I get a visa we will sell a car to cover the ticket cost,” the woman said. “And I will not be back for at least five years.”

I tried to persuade her that it is not so easy to get a job and warned her that she could become a victim of cheaters. But she replied that her friend left last year and now is a housemaid at one of the hotels in Utah. She too wanted to be a housemaid. I asked her if she is ready for this job, why she does not try to find a similar job here.

“I can’t do this job here. My relatives will know about it and I will feel uncomfortable. If I go to the US I will tell them that I work as a babysitter.”

In 20 minutes the woman told me the story of her life, about her husband, of her uneasy relations with her mother-in-law.

I was trying to follow her logic, logic of a tired and unprotected Armenian woman, who told me her secret only because I was a stranger. I asked her if she is not concerned that one of the people in line is an employee of the US embassy who learned about her true purposes. As soon as I said that, others in the line joined our discussion, saying that no matter why you go to US, if they (interviewers) decide to give you a visa they do not care why you are going to their country.

In that line I learned that all the US consular employees are psychic, and no matter what papers you have, they look at you and make a decision. Face-control, in other words. I also heard that the most severe consular agent is a bald American of middle age who rejects everybody.

“There are three windows in the consular room, try to approach the windows with two young Americans, they give visas,” said one old woman, whose sister was rejected last month by the bald American.

People in line were generously giving advice on how to behave to get a visa. The one I liked most was from a woman who was going on her second trip to visit her daughter.

“Whatever you are asked, you have to tell ‘no’,” the woman said. “Do you have relatives in US? Say ‘No’. Do you intend to stay in the US? ‘No’. I did so last time and got a visa.”

Finally my turn came. I got the bald guy.

He went through my papers for five minutes without saying a word. Then he started asking questions. Turns out that all my answers, in fact, were “No”.

“Do you need a translator,” he asked in Russian. “No,” I replied. “Do you intend to study or work in the US?” “No.” “Did someone else fill out your application?” “No.”

I was the last to leave the US embassy that day. The guards asked me the results, then sincerely congratulated me.

There were some people outside who were rejected but stayed near the building as if it could help them. One woman was crying, men were smoking. They all looked very depressed.

I was looking for the woman who indented to go to the US for work, but I did not see her. I hope that she is aware of human trafficking. And I want to hope that whatever she does she will not be involved in a bigger trouble.

I looked at them all – at people whose life turned in a way they could never expect. At people whose children, though safe in the US, can not see their parents. At people who know the US life only from movies and want to go there to be in the country where dreams come true. For some.

This is an interesting idea, though if the law is adopted and the President is the one who appoints the ombudsman, then this will just turn into another tactic to calm the discontent population who are sick and tired of corruption. I think the ombudsman should be elected by the people.

PROTECTOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN KARABAKH

Azat Artsakh - Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
01 Oct 04

The chairman of the parliament committee of foreign relations and information Vahram Atanessian undertook the bill `On the protector of human rights' which was included in the schedule of the ninth session of the NKR National Assembly. The bill may be discussed in October. If the law is adopted, for the first time in our country an ombudsman will be appointed whose only responsibility will be to protect people's rights. The notion of ombudsman first appeared in Sweden. In the second half of the 20th century most countries of the world already had the institution of the protector of human rights. Usually the ombudsman is appointed by the parliament although in some countries the president also takes part in this, but originally this is a parliamentary form of protection of human rights. The ombudsman's decisions, as a rule, do not have force of law, however, being included in the report of the ombudsman with a negative shade is a blow to the carrier of any official. It is notable that the protector of human rights views the actions not only from the point of view of correspondence to the law but also to justice and appropriateness. As a rule the person who is known in public as frank, respectable, able to work independently is appointed as ombudsman. Who will be ombudsman in Karabakh after the adoption of the law is not discussed yet. Perhaps it will be discussed along with the law.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN.
01-10-2004

This is very bad. Last year while talking to some doctor friends of mine who work at the hospital, I was told that there was word of the hospital being privatized and the names of the people doing the privatization was the head doctor of the hospital, the RA military prosecutor and our very own President of NKR.

The doctors were very upset about such a thing happening, one saying that it will probably not happen, since there has been millions of dollars of aid given to the hospital since independence, mentioning Japan as giving alone over a million dollars of equipment.

This is very wrong and will certainly cause hardship for economically challenged persons who are entitled to free medical care from the state.

Our self-inflected WHITE GENOCIDE continues.


RFE/RL Armenia Report - 09/30/2004

Major Armenian Hospital Privatized For $267,000

By Emil Danielyan

The Armenian government approved a cut-price sale of the country's biggest state-run hospital on Thursday, resuming the controversial privatization of healthcare institutions suspended a year ago after protests from a member of the ruling coalition.

A government statement said ministers decided to allow the staff of the Armenia Republican Medical Center to privatize their sprawling hospital for 135 million drams ($267,000) without a tender. It have no reasons for the move, saying only that the new owners have pledged to invest 100 million drams in the Yerevan-based complex.

Senior officials at the Armenian Ministry of Health contacted by RFE/RL were not immediately aware of the decision. They said the ministry, which had direct control over the hospital until now, had no role in the deal because it was on the list of state assets subject to privatization.

Another ministry source predicted that the hospital will end up under the personal ownership of its current executive director, saying that he will almost certainly force his approximately 700 employees to surrender their shares. The privatization of 37 other health institutions in recent years largely followed the same pattern. Virtually all of them are now owned by their previous government-appointed bosses.

Under Armenian law, workers of state-run enterprises can buy them out at a quarter of their face value set by the government. It is not clear whether the legal clause was applied to this case. Officials at the government's privatization agency, the Committee on State Property Management, could not be reached for comment.

The sale of the Republican Medical Center leaves only one big hospital, also located in Yerevan, under state ownership. Most of Armenia's Soviet-era hospitals and policlinics have been privatized since the late 1990s. The cash-strapped government has argued that it lacks the resources to maintain them.

The process was frozen in August 2003 after strong objections voiced by parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian whose Orinats Yerkir Party has three ministers in the cabinet. `The haphazard privatization of medical institutions may paralyze the country's health care sector and lead to social problems,' he said at the time.

Baghdasarian argued that Armenia still lacks a mandatory national system of medical insurance. Its creation is seriously hampered by widespread poverty and unemployment.

Access to healthcare in Armenia has declined dramatically since most medical services became paid more than a decade ago. They remain beyond the means of a considerable part of the population.

The privatization appears to have failed to alleviate another grave problem facing the sector: rampant corruption. Even in private hospitals many patients still have to give kickbacks to doctors and other medical personnel.

This is proof that a collective voice of the people can get results. Let’s see how this issue is concluded.

RFE/RL Armenia Report - 09/30/2004

College Staff End Strike As Government Meets Their Demand

By Gayane Danielian

The staff of Armenia's national ballet school have ended a three-week strike after forcing the government to promise to sack their new director appointed by the controversial Culture Minister Hovik Hoveyan.

The outcome of the row is certain to deal a further blow to the credibility of Hoveyan who has been dogged by scandals since being appointed minister by the Orinats Yerkir Party of parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian last April.

At issue was his decision earlier this month to appoint a high-ranking academic, Karen Gevorgian, as the director of Yerevan's State College of Dance Arts. It infuriated the college faculty that argues that Gevorgian, who held a senior post at the State Pedagogical Institute, is an expert on folk dance, not ballet. Similar objections have been voiced by several prominent Armenian artists.

Hoveyan was literally driven out of the college building on September 10 as he attempted to introduce the new boss to the teaching personnel. They went on strike two days later. It ended on Tuesday, the day after representatives of the protesters were received by Prime Minister Andranik Markarian.

`The prime minister was very concerned about this dispute,' the deputy director of the school, Hasmik Markosian, told RFE/RL. `He told us that we are not using the right methods, but added that taking into consideration the future of dance art, Mr. Gevorgian will not be our director.'

Markosian said the decision will be formalized this week after Hoveyan's return from China where he is accompanying President Robert Kocharian on an official visit. `For us the prime minister's words are a solution to the problem,' she said.

Gevorgian confirmed the information, saying that he too met with Markarian this week. `I told the prime minister that I am ready to quit for the sake of the students and the resumption of the teaching process,' he told RFE/RL.

Gevorgian also denounced the outcry over his appointment as a `false noise' provoked by a small group of people driven by their personal interests.

It is not yet clear who will be named in his place. The college staff have until now demanded that their previous boss, who resigned in uncertain circumstances in August, be reinstated in his post.

Hoveyan's staffing policy came into question even before this row. The flamboyant minister sparked an uproar by naming members of his Orinats Yerkir Party to run several state-run cultural institutions shortly after his appointment. One of those decisions was subsequently overturned by a Yerevan court.

Who is Jirayr Sefilyan? It sounds to me that it’s not a new power that he wants to form, but a new Opposition to come to power, since one of the Opposition figures thinking about their own pockets is one of the people that he says will possibly be involved in this new power.

We don’t need a new power, but a new way of thinking and this not just in our “leaders”, but also with the greater population.

A1 Plus | 16:18:14 | 29-09-2004 | Politics |

NEW POWER IS NECESSARY

Jirayr Sefilyan, Coordinator of social initiative for "Protection of Liberated Territories" has today announced in National Press Club that there is no ideological contradiction between Opposition and Authorities. Moreover, there is no ideological contradiction between the former and present Authorities, he says.

As to Opposition, Jirayr Sefilyan thinks no Opposition figure worries about the interests of the nation. They think either about their own pocket, or serve the foreigners. In that case it is necessary to form a new power, which won't be spoilt, will have national ideas and will put the national interest higher the personal one.

We asked Sefilyan if it was probable that he might have a decisive role in creating that power. He said it was possible, moreover, he could assume the responsibility to form the power.

Jirayr Sefilyan said it was also possible that Karabakhi Army General Samvel Babayan and Aram Sargssyan, brother of Vazgen Sargssyan may involve in the process, too.

Though this is a long story, it is very relevant to my January 6, 2004 log about Vahram Parseghyan, who is the former Deputy Minister of Culture and President of the Republic of Armenian’s All Armenian Youth Foundation and is now Preident Kocharian’s controller.

According to this story, the All Armenian Youth Foundation has received at least $350,000 in grants and is questioning if that money was in fact used for its intended purpose. If you read my log from January 6, 2004, it should tell you that there is a really good chance that this money was most probably misappropriated, as this ArmeniaNow story implies.

Anyway, I’ve BOLDED the parts of this story that talks about Vahram Parseghyan and the All Armenian Youth Foundation so you can easily find it.

Kind of a depressing story, so I would suggest that you pop a few Prozacs before starting to read it.



Money for Nothing: Investigation shows misuse of government money via NGO schemes

By Marianna Grigoryan
ArmeniaNow Reporter

An investigation by an agency looking into possible fraud, says it has found that thousands of government dollars designated for youth projects have in fact gone to government officials who pocket the money or give it to relatives.

Nor Hayastan (New Armenia), itself a Non Governmental Agency, claims that from 2001-2003, about 470 million drams ($940,000) should have gone to support of various civic youth organizations who applied for funding via grants. A close look at spending, however, found that only 1.5 percent ($14,100) ) went to NGOs which were not affiliated with officials.

The investigation also found that in at least two cases, money went to non-existent NGOs.

From 2001 to 2003 the government designated more than 20 million drams ($40,000) to Galik Women’s Union NGO and 18 million ($36,000) to Yeritasard Shinarar (Young Constructor) NGO.

In fact there is no information about these NGOs neither at the Ministry of Justice, where all NGOs must be registered, nor at other information agencies.

According to Eleonora Manandyan, the head of Nor Hayastan, their research found that government money is not spent on social improvement, but instead NGOs are created as a means by which officials deceitfully receive money.

Manandyan says that the initiative for the investigation grew from a perceived apathy among youth during the recent oppositional parties’ protests. If money is being spent to instill civic awareness, then where is the result?

“We decided to find out where the money goes, which the government in the form of a grant through a special decision had to allot to the youth, their issues and organizations that deal with those issues,” says Manandyan.

After two and a half months of trying to get information from the Ministry of Culture and Youth Issues, it took a threat of legal action to finally get answers.

“At the Ministry they were thinking that our eagerness would get weaker after constant delays and we would refuse our intention, but that couldn’t happen,” says Manandyan. “We were thinking that the situation wouldn’t be encouraging, but the results were so terrible that for several days we simply couldn’t believe it.”

After receiving the information and doing the investigation the organizers have formed a special list, a Top 25 where they included those organizations that received the biggest grants from the government and the founders of which are tightly connected with the “authorities”.

“It is terrifying that this terrible state system spreads on the youth,” says Manandyan. “The youth today is being purposely spoilt, used, and tomorrow none of the younger ones can go against or oppose authorities, since they will say wasn’t it you who did this? And they will keep silent as they do now.”

Deputies, ministers, deputy ministers, heads of departments and employees at ministries, representatives of the state and the government, businessmen, members of the central electoral committee and other individuals are on the list of the Top 25, among founders of NGOs and friends and relatives of the founders.

“Only an insignificant part of the organizations is ‘non-governmental’, the rest of the NGOs mainly belong to employees at ministries, while many of them even have two NGOs through which they make money,” says Manandyan. “All of those traces lead to the President, Assistant to the President and the Prime Minister.”

According to Manandyan the information that they received was unpredictable and the uncontrollable waste of the money was surprising. For instance, according to her, 62 million drams ($124,000) was spent on traveling, for which there is no accounting of the reasons for the trips.

“During the study from the very beginning it became obvious that there was no sign of any strategy or any standards of project financing, as well as results’ evaluation. The financed projects are mainly made up, false and the financial means exaggerated,” says Manandyan. “The Project Purpose section repeats in case of several organizations, for instance ‘to assist the improvement of the moral and mental state of the village youth’ and huge amounts are shown for financing the purpose.

“If the ‘village youth’ had those amounts probably their ‘moral and mental state’ would improve without any interference.”

ArmeniaNow applied to the government’s Department on Credit and Humanitarian Aid Projects to ask by what standards and logics grants are issued to youth organizations.

“We cannot answer that question,” said the head of the department, Simon Ter-Simonyan.

Manandyan says their research proved that there isn’t any logic. The only link was and remains the family/friend ties and the tighter they are the bigger the grant is. For instance according to the information provided by the Ministry of Culture the All-Armenian Youth Center Foundation which is included in the Top 25 through two organizations has received during those years more than 99 million ($198,000) and 76 million drams ($152,000) grants. According to Manandyan, four million drams ($8,000) were to establish the center and the rest of the money to maintain the center.

According to Manandyan maintaining the center in this case is mainly limited to holding one or two conferences or seminars during a year.

Among the executive directors there are V. [Vahram] Barseghyan who until last year was the Deputy Minister of Culture [now President Kocharian's controller], A. Poghosyan, a member of CEC (Central Electoral Committee) and others, while among trustees is the Prime Minister and other high ranking officials.

In order to get clarifications ArmeniaNow applied to the All-Armenian Youth Center Foundation, but during two weeks the management said it was too busy to give answers, and later left Armenia for 10 days.

“We carry out seminars, give an opportunity to the youngsters to use the rich library,” said the president of Youth Legal and Social Assistance Center (YLSAC) Lilit Hakobyan. “We help the socially needy youngsters and we are colleagues of the Council of Europe.”

Hakobyan (the previous president Lilit Asatryan is currently the Deputy Minister of Culture and the wife of MP Vazgen Khachikyan) told ArmeniaNow that she cannot give any report for the 10 million drams ($20,000) given by the government during 2001-2003, since she’s been the president of the NGO beginning this year.

“In response to our questions to the Prime Minister, representative of the government Simonyan lectured us not to count the state money ‘since we’re not counting yours’,” says Manandyan. “In reality, all we had to deal with was terrible and I don’t know whether we’ll be able to change anything or not. In any case we will try despite the great obstacles.”

Manandyan says they have published reports of their investigation based on which the prosecution is obliged to start criminal cases.

“If we see that the prosecution also remains silent, we, ourselves, are planning to apply to the court,” she says.

I like it when the people speak out and stand up to what they feel is wrong. Bravo staff and parents, don't back down until things are set right!!!


STAFF OF YEREVAN CHOREOGRAPHIC COLLEGE PICKET PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25. ARMINFO. Today the creative staff and parents of the students of Yerevan Choreographic College again picket the residence of the Armenian President.

It should be noted that the only ballet school in the country, which is 80-years-old, is on a strike for already 15 days. The reason of the strike of teachers and students is known: dissatisfaction with the order of Minister for Culture and Youth Affairs of Armenia Hovik Hoveyan on release of the current Director Norayr Meghrabyan from his post and his replacement by Karen Gevorgyan. The picketers sent a letter to President Kocharyan asking for restoration of "status quo." During the recent reception of the members of the parents committee and the creative staff of the college, an employee of the Presidential Control Service passed Robert Kocharyan's words to them.

He said that the president is informed of all the problems connected with the college and waits for return of Hovik Hoveyan from Germany to finally solve the issue. However, several days have passed, but no final reply has been given to the picketers.