The foreign ministers of Armenia and Cyprus have exchanged messages in connection with the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
In his address to Ioannis Kasoulides, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan highlights the country’s special role for Armenia, appreciating the centuries-old friendship between the two peoples and the close interstate relations anchored on a deep respect and warmth, reports the Foreign Ministry’s press service.
For his part, Mr Kasoulides promises his country’s best efforts to further deepen the bilateral relations, opening up new prospects of cooperation in the best interest of the two nations.
Russia, St. Petersburg metro hit by deadly blast
At least 10 people have been killed and some 50 injured in an explosion on a train in the subway system of the Russian city of St. Petersburg. All stations were closed after the blast.
An explosion in a train carriage on the St. Petersburg subway system on Monday killed at least 10 people and injured some 50 others, Russian authorities said.
The blast was reported to have taken place in a train traveling between the stations of Sennaya Ploshchad and the Institute of Technology. A spokesman for Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism committee (NAK), Andrei Przhezdomsky, said in televised remarks that the blast occurred at 2:40 pm local time (1140 UTC).
St Petersburg metro blast: Timeline
Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying the explosion was caused by a shrapnel-filled bomb. The blast tore a hole in the side of a carriage.
The NAK later said it had found and deactivated another homemade bomb found at a different St. Petersburg station.
Terrorism ‘being considered’
Following the explosion, there were scenes of confusion, with traffic blocked on the busy thoroughfare of Moskovsky Prospect, while emergency vehicles and a helicopter rushed to assist the victims.
All stations on the subway system were closed following the blast. The Moscow metro also said it was stepping up security in case of an attack there, while the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee said security would be tightened at all criticial transport facilities.
President Vladimir Putin, who was visiting the city for talks with his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the blast, and said all possible causes, including terrorism, were being considered.
“Law enforcement agencies and intelligence services are doingtheir best to establish the cause and give a full picture of what happened,” Putin said at the start of his talks with Lukashenko.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel expressed his condolences following the blast, saying he had learned of the news “with deep sorrow.” He said Germany’s thoughts were “with our friends in Russia, the victims and their families in this dark hour.”
Several enemies
Russia has seen several attacks by separatist Islamist Chechen militants in past years, and the extremist group “Islamic State” (IS) has also threatened to carry out attacks in the country in retaliation for the Russian military operations in Syria. Russia is giving military assistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in fighting rebel groups including IS.
There has, however, been no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.
Double suicide bombings in the Moscow subway in March 2010 killed 40 people and wounded more than 100 others. Those attacks, carried out by two female suicide bombers, were claimed by Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov.
In November 2009, 26 people were killed and some 100 injured in a bombing on the high-speed Moscow-to-St. Petersburg train, with Umarov’s group saying he also ordered that attack.
tj/rc (Reuters, dpa, AP, AFP)
Serbia’s conservative Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic declares victory in presidential election
Projections indicate Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic won a decisive win against a crowded field of opponents. Serbia’s presidency is largely ceremonial, but critics worry Vucic may use the role to consolidate his power.
Serbia Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic looked set to sweep a first round presidential election on Sunday, coming in with 56 percent of votes, according to a result projection by the Ipsos polling group.
“Voters showed which way they want Serbia to go,” Vucic said at his Progressive Party’s headquarters.
“Serbia will remain on the European and reformist path, but also friends with Russia and China.”
Declaring his victory, Vucic said he will remain prime minister another two months, until he takes over as the head of state. In his speech, Vucic went on to voice “particular gratitude” to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who both met with him over the last month.
If the projection holds above 50 percent, the 47-year-old conservative will have avoided an April 16 run-off. Official results are not expected until Monday.
Ipsos projected former ombudsman Sasa Jankovic to get 15 percent of the vote. Twenty-five year old student Luka Maksimovic, more commonly known as Ljubisa Preletacevic or Beli, came in in third with 9.3 percent, a surprise for a candidate who based his campaign on mocking Serbian politicians.
Accusations of authoritarian tendencies
The office of president is largely ceremonial, but analysts expect Vucic to maintain a hold on power by appointing a loyal ally from his party to succeed him as prime minister.
Critics have accused Vucic of authoritarian tendencies during the campaign, saying he has taken control over Serbia’s media. They complain of inaccurate reports that demonize the prime minister’s opponents while giving them no space to respond to the accusations.
Vucic’s supporters, on the other hand, say he has a good track record of keeping the country under control in a troubled region. He has promised economic and social reforms while maintaining a balancing act of trying to join the EU and maintaining a good relationship with traditional ally Russia.
The State Election Commission said they recorded no serious voting irregularities.
ksb/rc (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
Armenia Election Update: Diaspora observers protocol violations in form of directed and open vote
The members of Justice in Armenia initiative, observing the parliamentary elections in Armenia, have protocolized a number of violations. After the vote, a member of Justice in Armenia initiative, Arsine Khanjian, during a meeting with journalists noted that people seemed to be unaware of the electoral process and were somewhat confused.
“It seems, that the voters, regardless of age, were not aware how to use the ballot papers and envelopes. As a result, we have witnessed an open vote, cases of directed voting, and overcrowding. We also witnessed violations of the secret ballot. There were 4-5 people in the same voting booth in several places,” Khanjian said.
In other electoral districts, Khanjian witnessed biased attitudes of chairmen and the secretaries, who were fulfilling the preferences of some proxies. She also noticed that the observers were despaired and weren’t unable to fully exercise their powers
Another observer of Justice in Armenia initiative, the director Atom Egoyan, spoke about the complicity of the entire electoral process. “It seems that everything has been done to predetermine the vote. For example, if one wanted to prove who s/he gave a vote to, he/she could drop a ballot into the ballot box and bring out the other ballots to show the proof of his/her vote, “Egoyan said.
At the same time, Egoyan noticed one positive trend – a tendency toward democracy and the activity of people. “Democracy is a muscle that needs to exercise. It’s an ongoing process. It is obvious, that there are people who want to become a part of that process. We have to find a way to involve young people in it, “he added.
Armenian Election update: Way Out block: Republican Party loses its political monopoly
The Republican Party has lost its political monopoly. This was reported by a member of Way Out party David Khazhakyan, commenting on the results of exit polls in the parliamentary elections.
According to him, the Republicans will not collect the necessary 50 + 1% to form the majority. “Taking into account the future picture of the parliament, the Republican Party will be deprived of its political monopoly,” said Khazhakyan. In addition, commenting on the statements of the Republican party, that the opposition receives more leverages of influence on the decision-making process in the parliamentary government, Khazhakyan noted that “RPA’s parliamentary system” is no different from what it used to be before.
According to another member of Way Out Block Mane Tandilyan, the bribery during the election was massive. “It raises doubts,” she said. At the same time, Tandilyan regretfully accepts that some people are prone to bribes and are ready to sell their votes. “We need to understand the reason and how can we change this situation,” she said.
Tandilyan agreed that the Republican party is unlikely to get 50 percent. “Two important portions of society did not come to elections. The supporters of the opposition and disillusioned citizens, including young people, “she said. She believes that, if this category of voters had come to cast their votes, there would have been a completely different picture.
Armenian Election Stepan Safaryan: I am confident in chances of Free Democrats’ party
I am sure in chances of Free Democrats’ party, based on the data that we have received from a number of polling stations, although at the moment we do not know the overall picture, said Stepan Safaryan, a candidate from Free Democrats. According to him, their political party, if nothing unusual happens, has all the chances to overcome the 5 percent threshold.
Safaryan said, that he wouldn’t rely on Exit poll’s results, since the organization that carries out the Exit Poll doesn’t instill any confidence.
At the same time, he noted, that in case because of the vote, it turns out that their party doesn’t overcome the barrier, it would be the guilt of voters only. “If our society accepts what is going today, bribing or yielding to a good PR, the public should be prepared for future developments and accept the burden of the path that they had chosen. If it is acceptable for voters, then we do not see any problem.
As reported earlier, the Baltic Surveys / The Gallup Organization Exit poll organization collected data, according to which Free Democrats receive 2% of the vote. The favorite is Republican party, 46% and Tsarukyan Alliance, 25 %. Exit alliance has 10 percent, whereas the ARF, 5 percent.
Armenians vote in ‘milestone’ poll after reforms
Voters in Armenia are electing a new parliament in the first poll since the country granted more power to its lawmakers. The opposition has claimed that the reform was a ploy to keep the current president in power.
Polls opened on Sunday in what is expected to be a tight parliamentary race in Armenia. Citizens in the ex-Soviet republic are set to decide the battle between the ruling party, headed by President Serzh Sargsyan, and the coalition behind businessman and former world champion arm wrestler Gagik Tsarukian.
The opposition has voiced suspicions that the government was preparing electoral fraud. Ahead of the vote, the US Embassy and the EU delegation to Armenia also said they were “concerned by allegations of voter intimidation, attempts to buy votes, and the systemic use of administrative resources to aid certain competing parties.”
President Sargsyan, in turn, told the AFP news agency the authorities “made enormous efforts so that [Sunday’s] milestone vote is flawless.”
Reporter attacked on voting day
Opposition politicians complained of a string of voting irregularities on Sunday.
“We have recorded numerous violations at polling stations – violation of ballots’ secrecy and multiple voting,” opposition leader Hovsep Khurshudyan told the AFP news agency after polls opened on Sunday.
A local reporter posted a video on Sunday allegedly showing pro-government activists attacking him and a female coworker. Armenian news site arminfo, citing a radio station where the journalist works, said the incident occurred after the reporter noticed voters entering a party headquarters and leaving with money in their hands.
The police said it was looking into the incident.
Other reports focused on technical glitches with the system that identifies voters by their fingerprints.
Looking at Russia
The 62-year-old Sargsyan was elected president in 2008 and is set to step down after his second term ends in 2018. However, he has hinted that he intends to stay politically active in the impoverished nation of 2.9 million.
In 2015, Armenian citizens voted for a constitutional reform to turn the state into a parliamentary republic. Government critics believe that the reform was aiming to allow Sargsyan to keep his leading role after his term ends, this time as prime minister rather than president.
The Sunday poll is the first parliamentary vote since the referendum.
Sargsyan’s main challenger, Tsarukian, is considered to be one of richest people in Armenia. During the campaign, the oligarch vowed to cut tariffs on natural gas and electricity and boost public-sector salaries and pensions.
Both major parties support close ties with Russia, the key ally in the frozen Nagorno-Karabakh against Azerbaijan.
dj/sms (dpa, AFP, Interfax)
April 2 election ‘technical breakthrough’ in Armenian politics – Republican deputy leader
By Ani Arami
The monitoring technology employed in the current parliamentary election is a revolutionary breakthrough in terms of ensuring smooth processes, says Armen Ashotyan, a deputy leader of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).
Speaking to Tert.am, the politician addressed the reports on technical errors, which he said are absolutely logical given the high overload.
“We are among the [few] countries to have introduced an ultra-modern electoral system, which is the best with not only its legal guarantees but also technical solutions. So no wonder at all that some of the thousands of technical devices, [surveillance] cameras and identification devices may not function,” he noted.
Ashotyan, a former minister of education and science, said they observed technical problems only 30 of the over 2,000 electoral precincts (1.5%) but added that most have been now overcome.
In his words, the election is fully line with the democratic requirement to ensure citizens’ right to express their free will.
Ashotyan said he knows that a team of over 50,000 observers, journalists and civil society representatives are involved in the organizational activities to react to possible frauds or distinguish false election rigging claims from true ones.
Armenian police received 41 reports of electoral violation as of 3pm
The police received 41 reports of alleged election violation in the seven hours of voting on Sunday, April 2.
Out of the total 41 cases, five are under preliminary investigation, while the remaining are in material preparation or data verification stages.
Polling stations opened across Armenia in parliamentary elections at 8:00am, set to last 12 hours.
Nine political forces, including 4 blocs and 5 parties are running for seats at the National Assembly – Republican, Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun, Armenian Renaissance, Free Democrats and Communist parties, as well as Tsarukyan, YELQ, ANC-PPA and Ohanyan-Raffi-Oskanian blocs.
Iraqi parliament bans hoisting of Kurdish flags in Kirkuk
The Iraqi parliament has voted to ban the hoisting of Kurdish flags over government buildings in the northern city of Kirkuk.
The lawmakers on Saturday passed a bill to prohibit the hoisting of the flag of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in Kirkuk days after the the Kirkuk Provincial Council decided to raise the regional flag next to the Iraqi national flag in front of some buildings.
The controversial move was swiftly met with ire in Baghdad as Kirkuk is not part of the semi-autonomous region.
Turkey, Iraq’s northern neighbor which has its own issues with Kurds and is in the midst of a crackdown on Kurdish militants, also condemned the flag hoisting.
A day after the council gave the go-ahead, Ankara that the decision would not help Iraq’s future stability, especially at a time when Baghdad was seeking unity in the fight against Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
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“We don’t approve of the voting held by the regional administration,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with the state-run TRT Haber television news network in Ankara on Wednesday.
On March 28, Arabs and Turkmens residing in Kirkuk protested against the move, describing it as unconstitutional.
Kurds and other officials rejected the claim, saying the Iraqi constitution had not explicitly banned the flag hoisting. They also argued that the move was normal and that Kurdistan flags had already been hoisted in Turkish cities of Istanbul and Ankara. They also justified the move as a response to demands by the majority of Kurds living in the city.
The Saturday bill also banned the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from seeking any direct benefit from the sale of oil in Kirkuk, noting that the income from Kirkuk’s oil belonged to all Iraqis and that it should be equally distributed among the KRG and other Iraqi provinces.
Kurdish officials have been at odds with Baghdad over the share of oil income from Kirkuk as part of the crude produced in the area passes through the pipelines operated by the Kurds.
Kurdish members of the Iraqi parliament left the session in protest to the ratification of the bill.