asbarez.com news room 07-21-2000

[Guest]

1. Lobbyist For Azerbaijan Hired by Speaker Hastert

 

* Nancy Dorn to serve as House Republican Leadership's top foreign policy adviser

 

FALLS CHURCH, Va.--Armenian-American concerns over the House Republican leaderships stonewalling of the Armenian Genocide

resolution (H.Res.398) escalated dramatically this week with the revelation in the Washington Post that House Speaker Dennis Hastert

(R-Ill.) has named as his senior foreign policy adviser a Washington lobbyist who until this week represented the Government of

Azerbaijan.

 

A coalition of leading Armenian American organizations seeking passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res.398) has been

blocked by the refusal of Hastert and the House Republican leadership to schedule the measure for a vote.

 

The July 15 edition of the Washington Post reported that the lobbyist, former Reagan and Bush administration official Nancy P. Dorn, has

also represented the Government of Pakistan and a controversial Hong Kong company closely tied to Beijing. Washington Post staff

writers John Mintz and Juliet Eilperin revealed in their story, "Questions Raised On Hastert Adviser," that "until this week [she] was a

lobbyist for foreign and oil interests, and is in the kitchen cabinet of Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas)."

 

"The hiring of a high-priced Azerbaijani Government lobbyist as its senior foreign policy adviser is only the House Republican leadership's

most recent affront to the Armenian American community," said Raffi Asatoorian, AADLC's Community Outreach Coordinator. "From

the Livingston-inspired hysteria against Section 907 to the their stonewalling of the Armenian Genocide resolution, the House Republican

leadership has shown itself--time and time again--to be consistently indifferent and often directly opposed the values and priorities of

Armenian Americans."

 

According to the article, Dorn was "at her desk in the speaker's office yesterday even as congressional staff members critical of the

Pakistani regime and of US policy in China privately raised questions about her selection." The Post also noted that "Congressional

staffers said yesterday that Dorn's background is not widely known on Capitol Hill but predicted concern would mount among lawmakers

as they learn more details." For information on Dorn, visit: www.hqda.army.mil/asacw/dornbio.htm

 

Dorn's work for the Government of Azerbaijan is documented by the US Department of Justice. Along with former Congressman Charlie

Wilson, also an ardent advocate of Azerbaijan, Dorn is listed as having worked on the Azerbaijan account for the firm of Hooper, Owen,

Gould & Winburn, which is a registered foreign agent for the Embassy of Azerbaijan. According to the firm's filings with the Justice

Department, they "researched and analyzed issues related to Azerbaijan. The registrant also worked with the staff of the House

Appropriations Committee to soften anti-Azeri language in the Foreign Operations' Appropriations bill."

 

The Washington Post article quoted Armenian Assembly of America executive director Ross Vartian's response to Dorn's appointment:

"We'd be concerned about the lingering effect of her doing work for governments like Azerbaijan. . . How does she intend to distance

herself from those regimes?"

 

In sharp contrast to the Republican Congressional leadership's growing opposition to Armenian issues, the Democratic leadership has

continued to broaden its outreach to Armenia and the Armenian American community. Last month, at the request of Adam Schiff, the

Democratic Congressional candidate for California 27th District, Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt (Mo.)and Democratic Whip David

Bonior (Mich.) were joined by the rest of the House Democratic Leadership in meeting with Armenian President Robert Kocharian

during his visit to Washington. Also taking part in the hour-long meeting were Congressmen Martin Frost (Texas), Bob Menendez (NJ),

Patrick Kennedy (RI), Frank Pallone (NJ), and Joe Hoeffel (Pa.).

 

The House Republican leadership, according to sources on Capitol Hill, refused repeated requests to schedule a meeting with the visiting

Armenian President. International Relations Committee Chairman Ben Gilman did take part in a group meeting with President Kocharian

organized by the Armenian Caucus, but did not explain why he has decided against scheduling a Committee vote on the Armenian

Genocide resolution (H.Res.398).

 

 

 

 

 

2. Samvel Babayan Goes on Hunger Strike

 

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)--The former commander of the Nagorno-Artsax Republic Defense Army Samvel Babayan began a

hunger strike Thursday. Babayan's reason for the hunger strike was the refusal of the Prosecutor's Office to allow the preliminary

investigation and trial of the March 22 case to be held in Yerevan. Babayan is charged with plotting the assassination of Artsax

President Arkady Ghukassian.

 

In response to the statement by the Prosecutor's Office that Babayan's lawyer deliberately drags on the process of studying the materials

of the case, the human rights commission of the Constitutional Right Union sent three counsels Wednesday to help Babayan's lawyer

Judex Shakarian. Although the law in Artsax stipulates lawyers' right to participate in the preliminary investigation, all three were

denied participation.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Artsax Leader Back In Office After Four-Month Recovery.

 

STEPANEKERT (RFE/RL)--Arkady Ghoukassian, president of the Nagorno-Artsax Republic, on Thursday went to work to his

official residence in Stepanakert for the first time since last March's armed attack in which he was wounded in the legs. The publicized

return to the usual working conditions appeared to be an official announcement of the end of his four-month recovery from those wounds.

 

Ghoukassian's press office announced that the Artsax leader "has spent his working day in his official residence" meeting with key

members of the local government. Official photographs sent from Stepanakert showed him walking on crutches.

 

A US diplomat who met Ghoukassian in the Artsax capital earlier this month found him "in excellent spirits."

 

Ghoukassian held a meeting with Speaker of the Nagorno-Artsax National Assembly Oleg Yesayan and Vice-Speaker Mushegh

Oghajanian and congratulated them on being elected to their high posts. The sides also discussed issues related to the new Parliament's

future activities and its problems.

 

Later that day, President Ghoukassian held working meetings with Secretary of the Nagorno-Artsax President Security Council Silva

Hovhannissian, Minister of the Interior Bako Sahakian, Minister of Finance Spartak Tadevossian and Minister of Agriculture Armo

Tsatrian. The sides discussed the political, economic and social situations in the country.

 

Ghoukassian also held a meeting with Prime Minister Anushavan Danielian who left for Yerevan on a official visit.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Time Magazine Lists Kerkorian in Top 12 List of Donors

 

GLENDALE--In its July 24 cover story, Time Magazine named philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian as the 10th largest donor in the country.

 

The magazine acknowledged the more than $250 million Kerkorian has gave to the Lincy Foundation, "which supports Armenian and

other humanitarian causes," the magazine said.

 

The list also includes Microsoft co-founder Bill and Melinda Gates (#1), George Soros of the Soros foundation (#2), CNN founder Ted

Turner (#3) Charter Communications owner Paul Allen (#5) and Utah billionaire Jon Huntsman (#6).

 

The Noyan Tapan news agency reported that 108 of the 112 submitted projects have been approved with the sponsorship of the

"Enterprise Development Program" implemented by the World Band and Lincy" foundation.

 

According to the Center for Management of Foreign financial Programs of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which manages credit

programs sponsored by the two aforementioned donors, the total worth of the program is $24.4 million. However, only $5.6 million have

up to now been allocated.

 

The center announced that 72 percent of the credits worth $10.6 million allocated by the World Bank were channeled to the industrial

sector, 14 percent to agriculture, 2.5 percent to construction, 11.5 percent to services. Through seven commercial banks the Lincy

foundation has allocated $8.2 million to 18 enterprises. Of those allocations, 62 percent was channeled to the industrial sector, 18 percent

to agriculture and 20 percent to services.

 

The programs are submitted to commercial banks which select the applications filed by businesses. The quality of the projects has

considerably improved. This accounts for the low percentage of rejections.

 

Deputy Minister of Economy of Finance Meruzhan Mikaelian said that applications are considered within two weeks. The World Bank

and Lincy offices take longer to consider applications.

 

 

 

 

 

5. US Special Negotiator Carey Cavanaugh to Speak About Artsax Negotiations

 

GLENDALE--Carey Cavanaugh, the US Representative to the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe)

sponsored Nagorno Artsax peace negotiations, will be traveling to Southern California in late July to meet with community leaders and

participate in a public forum, reported the Armenian National Committee of American Western Region (ANCA-WR).

 

On August 30, 1999, the US State Department announced the appointment of Cavanaugh as the new special negotiator for the Nagorno

Artsax conflict. The special negotiator serves as the official US representative to the "Minsk Group" of the OSCE talks, a special

working group co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States and specially designated to mediate the Artsax conflict.

 

The public forum will take place on the evening of Monday, July 31st. The location of the Los Angeles area event will be announced in

the very near future.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Azeri Opposition Role In CEC Challenged

 

BAKU (Reuters)--Azerbaijan's parliament speaker threatened on Thursday to trim the role of opposition members in the Central Election

Commission (CEC), saying their boycott of the body was disrupting plans for upcoming parliamentary elections.

 

The absence of six opposition members prevents the remaining 11 participants from having the quorum needed to proceed with

preparations, such as registering candidates, for the parliamentary poll on November 5.

 

``We can't put this off any longer and parliament will decide tomorrow what amendments to make to the CEC law so work can

continue,'' Parliament Speaker Murtuz Aleskerov told a meeting of the election commission.

 

Changes could include reducing the number needed for a quorum, replacing opposition members, or allowing the commission to function

with simple majority decisions instead of the current two-thirds, he said.

 

Ali Kerimov of the opposition Popular Front party told Reuters his party could boycott the election altogether if any changes were made

to the election commission law.

 

``These calls to change the CEC law will only serve to strengthen the government's role in the organisation and that could compel us to

boycott the election,'' Kerimov said.

 

Two weeks ago Azeri opposition parties said they would not participate in the creation of the election commission unless a parliamentary

election bill was changed to allocate more seats to party lists. Opposition leaders say voters are more familiar with parties than with

individual candidates.

 

Previous elections in the oil-producing former Soviet republic have been criticised by international observers.

 

 

 

 

 

7. Belarus President Urges Boosting Trade with Armenia

 

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)—A delegation headed by Prime Minister Andranik Markarian arrived in the Belarussian capital of Minsk,

Wednesday.

 

The two day official visit of the Armenian delegation is the highest level meeting between the two sides in history. The delegation included

Minister of Industry and Trade, Karen Chshmaritian, Minister of Agriculture Gevorgian, Chief of Government Staff Manoukian, National

Assembly deputy Badalian, and other officials and representatives of business circles.

 

Markarian and his party were greeted by Belarus Prime Minister Yermoshin, Vice-Premier Latipov and other high-ranking officials. At

the airport, the two premiers held a brief tête-à-tête meeting during which they discussed the goals and objectives of the visit.

 

During the first half of the day at the Presidential Palace, Prime Minister Markarian met with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

Markarian conveyed Armenian President Robert Kocharian's greetings to President Lukashenko, stressing Armenia's readiness to

maintain and deepen relations with Belarus. On behalf of Armenia's president, Markarian invited Lukashenko to visit Armenia this fall.

 

Turning to foreign relations, Lukashenko stressed the need to create an appropriate legal environment to serve as a solid foundation for

cooperation. "Belarus and Armenia need to boost their trade and economic relations," said President Lukashenko.

 

The Belarus President also emphasized his personal relationship with Armenian President Kocharian, whom he consults with on all

aspects of bilateral relations. "We have full mutual understanding on political issues, too," Lukashenko said.

 

However, the potential of cooperation is still not being tapped in full, Lukashenko said. Therefore, there has been only a small volume of

trade turnover between the two countries. Between January-May of this year, it reached only $651,000, a 34 percent fall from last year.

 

Lukashenko expressed hope that Markarian's visit would contribute to a more dynamic and stable development in the two countries'

trade and economic ties.

 

Contributing to this task is a Belarus-Armenian commission on trade and economic cooperation, which held its first session in January.

The next session is scheduled for the fall.

 

The prime ministers of Belarus and Armenia also held negotiations later in the afternoon. The members of the Armenian delegation and

heads of relevant departments of Belarus joined the two premiers after the meeting talk.

 

The negotiations resulted in the signing of about ten intergovernmental agreements, on cooperation in the field of high attestation of

scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel, on exclusion of double taxation of incomes and property and prevention of tax evasion

cases, on economic and scientific-technical cooperation in agribusiness, and on cooperation in the financial and banking sphere.

 

Later in the evening, Prime Minister Markarian and his delegation visited Armenia's Embassy in Belarus. A meeting with representatives

of the local Armenian community was held at the House of Friendship.

 

 

 

 

 

8. Prosecution in the Siradeghian Trial Begins Its Case

 

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)—Prosecutors in the "Others minus Vano Siradeghian" case tried by the criminal trial court in Yerevan's

Malatia-Sebastia district began their opening argument Thursday. The counsel for the prosecution specified the guilt of each of the eleven

defendants in the case, point by point.

 

According to the opening argument, Head of the Internal Troops Department of the Interior Ministry Vahan Haroutiunian together with

his deputy Artsrun Markarian, with instructions from then Interior minister Vano Siradeghian, plotted and organized the assassination of

Moscow-based businessman Serge Jilavian. The assassination was not carried out due to outside circumstances.

 

Haroutiunian with the help of others, organized the kidnapping of Artur Hovhannissian and Karen Rafaelian, in January of 1994. Later,

after the attempt on the life of Jilavian was foiled, in an attempt to conceal the circumstances of the crime, Haroutiunian plotted the murder

of the kidnapped Hovhannissian and Rafaelian. Also, by Siradeghian's order, he organized the arson of a snack bar in the Hrazdan

canyon, causing damage to state and public interests.

 

Police task group official Norair Tadevossian participated in the plotting of Jilavian's murder. Tadevossian brought a pistol to Moscow

with him along with a silencer and cartridges to commit the crime. After the plan was foiled in January 1994, Tadevossian assisted in the

premeditated murder of the victims.

 

Sahak Balian, based on instructions from his commander Vahan Haroutiunian, on January 24, 1994, killed the kidnapped Hovhannissian

and Rafaelian using an illegally purchased assault rifle with a silencer.

 

The prosecution considers it to be confirmed that defendant Mkrtich Arakelian, accompanied Balian from the Internal Troops

Department to a summer-cottage in Vardashen. The prosecution claims the two chose the cottage for committing the murders of

Hovhannissian and Rafaelian. The prosecution also claims that Arakelian waited for the murder of the victims to be perpetrated, and then,

in order to hide all evidence of the crime, helped conceal the corpses. While Balian committed the murder, defendants Artur Shahbazian,

Artur Khachatrian and Movses Nersissian blocked the road near the cottage leading to the scene of the crime. The prosecution also

accuses defendants Hayk Aghajanian, Yeranos Melkonian, Gagik Petrossian, Murad Dashtoyan in the kidnapping of Hovhannissian and

Rafaelian, claiming the two abused their powers and used violence.

 

The trial was postponed until July 25, when the counsel for prosecution will continue their opening argument.

 

 

 

 

 

9. Omudsmen Institution Hearing Held in Yerevan

 

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)—An open hearing dedicated to the formation of the institution of ombudsmen in Armenia was held in

Yerevan, Thursday. The hearing was organized by the Strategy Humanitarian Center of Political Science in St. Petersburg, Institute of

Philosophy and Law, Armenian National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan Press Club, and the Sakharov Human Rights Fund. Attending

the hearing were members of the Presidential Human Rights Commission, members of Parliament, and representatives from Artsax.

 

The expert for the Council under the Human Rights Commissioner in the Russian Federation, vice-president of the Congress of National

Unions, Antuan Arakelian informed those present about the state of the ombudsmen institution in Russia which has been operating in that

country for over a year. He pointed out that this institution operates in over one hundred countries, and its activities are the most

successful in post-Communist countries.

 

The hearing participants expressed their opinions of Armenia's readiness for the formation of the ombudsmen institution and of the extent

of the institution's authority in the country.

 

Armenian Ambassador to Scandinavian countries Vladimir Karmirshalian said that no one can say in advance how well this institution will

work in Armenia. "The public is to a certain extent ready for that, and I think that step by step we will get this institution to work. As

regards to the authorities' readiness, it is another task: if they are not ready, they should be prepared," he said.

 

Chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission Paruir Hairikian commented on a remark made by a Russian expert who called

the point in the bill under which the candidate for the ombudsmen is nominated by the president "nonsense." According to Hairikian, it is

the result of faults in the Constitution which does not stipulate such an institution, also the powers of the National Assembly are limited.

Thus the right of nominating a candidate is given to the president.

 

This opinion was shared by Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Science, Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs

Shavarsh Kocharian. He said that only relevant amendments to the Constitution will allow the ombudsmen to have corresponding rights.