 |
| |
News, 14 Aug, 2009.
|
PM calls for increased use of seatbelts, updating of highway infrastructure. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian ordered police to start enforcing the use of passenger seatbelts in Armenia in earnest on Thursday as his government approved a five-year plan to make roads safer for motorists and pedestrians. Officials said the program includes the construction of tunnels and pedestrian crossings in the most dangerous sections of national highways. According to the Transport and Communications Minister, Gurgen Sargsian, the World Bank will provide $10 million for its implementation. A separate statement issued by the GOAM’s press office said the planned measures will result in a 10 percent decrease in traffic accidents by 2014. The Armenian police reported last year more than 2,200 accidents that left 407 people dead and 3,125 others injured. The PM found the statistics "alarming" as he spoke at a weekly session of his cabinet, further stating, "Our human casualty indicators exceed those of other countries by several times. The main cause of that is because we don’t adhere to safety rules." Sargsian singled out the widespread non-use of seatbelts by Armenian car drivers and passengers. "You are obliged to require your drivers to fasten their seatbelts," he told top government officials. "It would be good if the police started using seatbelts themselves. Police officers must use seatbelts so that they can have a [moral] right to demand the same from other motorists." HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK comments on this decision, opining that this is "just another PR move taken by the government to attract grants from various international organizations." /Also covered by HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN, ARAVOT, RFE/RL
ARF official believes Co-Chairs will be replaced soon in order to put pressure on Armenia, Azerbaijan. Head of the Hay Dat Central Office on political issues of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Giro Manoyan, was interviewed by ARMINFO news agency. According to Manoyan, rumors of the replacement of two of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (U.S. and Russia) are being spread in order to exert pressure on Armenia and Azerbaijan. "The point is that human interrelations are an important factor in the N-K negotiations and in any case, the process will slow if two of the three are replaced. In this context, the somewhat early news on the replacement of the Co-Chairs is aimed at putting pressure on the conflicting parties in order for them to know that they should accept the renewed version of the Madrid Principles by September, when the two Co-Chairs are to be replaced - that is, until that point at which the process slows down.” According to Manoyan, he "has the impression that no party in the negotiations truly likes the Madrid principles…At the same time, neither of the two sides wishes to express its displeasure first and hopes the other side will do so."
Daily explores new DAS Tina Kaidanow’s roots. IRAVUNK writes that Tina Kaidanow, who is slated to replace Matthew Bryza as Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, has Russian roots. IRAVUNK also asks Armenian politicians to discuss Matthew Bryza's replacement. Prosperous Armenia MP Aram Safarian notes that Kaidanow's biography says that she is a very experienced crisis manager. According to Safarian, she has worked in countries where the United States has had issues, but through her efforts, solutions have been found. The daily says that Dashnaktsutitun representatives "refused to comment on the issue as they all claimed that they were sick."
Minsk Group Co-Chair Impartial. OSCE MG Co-Chair Matthew Bryza refused to comment on the suggestion made by Constitutional Right Union Leader Hayk Babukhanian to declare the Co-Chair "persona non grata" in Armenia. "I prefer not to touch upon the announcements of some politicians. I only wish to underline that everybody participating in the Minsk Group negotiations know how impartial I have been in the process," the Co-Chair told the Azerbaijani "Trend"/ IRAVUNK
Azeri hackers launch cyber attacks on Armenia, Armenian corporations. Azerbaijani hackers organized a wave of attacks on Armenian state portals as well as on more than 100 web sites located on the ".am" domain beginning last Friday. Director of the Smart System Corporation, Stepan Aslanian, told reporters that the hackers particularly targeted Armenian sites located on the “.am” domain, but not the ".com" and ".ru" domains. / HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN
Armenian Armed Forces prepare for international peacekeeping missions. According to RFE/RL, hundreds of Armenian troops began one-week military exercises on Wednesday which officials say are aimed at testing and improving the troops’ ability to participate in international peacekeeping operations. The 900 participants are members of a Special Peacekeeping Brigade of the Armenian Armed Forces and also Army Commandos backed by helicopter gunships. They are simulating military intervention in clashes between hostile civilian populations in an imaginary conflict zone. These exercises, which are being conducted at the Marshal Baghramian Military Training Ground 40 kilometers west of Yerevan, also involve the set up of a security buffer zone and checkpoints. Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian was present at the opening of the drills, the first of their kind ever held in Armenia, along with top army generals and foreign monitors, including monitors from NATO member states.
ANC Youth Wing holds rallies for jailed editor. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK notes that the youth wing of the Armenian National Congress held a series of rallies demanding the release of newspaper editor Nicol Pashinian.
Newspaper wonders who is living in apartments meant for servicemen. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK carries a front page article with a picture of a building which was built to house servicemen who do not have their own apartments. However, the daily alleges that no apartments from this building have been given to any servicemen. According to the paper, the apartments were given to the secretary of Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, her relatives, and other ineligible individuals.
Police officers sentenced for corruption. Three police officers in Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri were sentenced to seven years in prison on Thursday after being convicted of bribery. The police officers deny the charges.
Government approves new legislation modifying the tax code. The Government of Armenia yesterday approved a bill making changes to the country’s tax code. Finance Minister Tigran Davtian said that the new regulations will foster increased trade in Armenia. The government also approved a package of bills modifying the Criminal Code, licensing regulations, weapons regulations, and state dues. / HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN |
|
|
|
