By Tsvetelia Tsolova

SOFIA (Reuters) -Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will have difficulty holding onto power, after a surge of votes in an election on Sunday for anti-establishment and anti-corruption parties that want him out.

Exit polls forecast his centre-right GERB party to remain the largest party in parliament, but with only around 25% of the vote, compared with the 33.5% it won four years ago.

Behind it, the opposition Socialists and a new anti-establishment party founded by a singer vied with each other for second place, and two other protest parties that reject Borissov were also forecast to enter the parliament.

After a decade of dominating Bulgarian politics, Borissov has few natural coalition partners.

Weeks of talks, or even another election, cannot be ruled out, meaning Bulgaria, the European Union’s poorest member, may have difficulty tapping the EU’s 750 billion euro ($884 billion) coronavirus Recovery Fund.

A former fireman and bodyguard, Borissov, 61, sought to showcase his successes in modernising Bulgaria’s creaking infrastructure in a low-key campaign after his popularity was eroded last year by massive rallies against corruption and the power of oligarchs.

“We are seeing the outlines of one new Bulgaria, where Borissov can continue to win elections with his huge administrative and financial resources, but cannot hold on to power,” said Hristo Ivanov, a leader of the anti-graft Democratic Bulgaria party.

Complicating Borissov’s coalition-building options is the emergence of the anti-establishment There is Such a People party of popular TV host and singer Slavi Trifonov. A Gallup International exit poll put it second, ahead of the Socialists, while a poll by Alpha Research had them in reverse order.

Trifonov, 54, whose concerts peppered with patriotic songs have attracted thousands, has ruled out governing with either GERB or the Socialists.

Democratic Bulgaria, one of biggest forces in the massive protests last summer, won some 10-11%, the polls showed. Another protest party, Stand Up! Mafia Out! will also enter the next parliament.

CORRUPTION

Borissov’s government has presided over a 36% increase in the average monthly salary to 1,468 levs ($882), has kept public debt low, and secured entry to the “waiting room” for joining the euro currency.

But its failure to tackle endemic corruption and reform the judiciary brought thousands of protesters onto the streets for months during 2020.

The protesters accused Borissov of cosying up to local oligarchs and funnelling EU aid to businesses close to GERB, allegations he denies.

Bulgaria ranks as the EU’s most corrupt member state according to Transparency International. A recent U.S. State Department report on human rights highlights serious problems with judicial independence and media freedom in the country.

President Rumen Radev, a critic of Borissov and an ally of the Socialists, says Bulgaria needs new faces and ideas.

“These election will be the first step to the return to normality, to laws and rules,” he said after voting on Sunday.

The ethnic Turkish MRF party won 10-11%, polls showed, while the nationalist VMRO party is at 4.0-4.4%. The threshold to win seats is 4%. Both have been GERB’s governing coalition allies following the last election.

($1 = 1.6628 leva)

Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; Writing by Justyna Pawlak;Editing by Gareth Jones, Timothy Heritage, Alison Williams, Peter Graff

A child was killed in Donbass amid the escalation of the conflict these days.

According to Korrespondent.net, Ukrainian fighters were fired upon from large-caliber machine guns, grenade launchers, and small arms. A military man was blown up by an explosive device.

As of 7:00 am on Sunday, there were no ceasefire violations.

The Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe (PACE) and OSCE (PA OSCE) should demand an explanation from the Ukrainian leadership in connection with the death of a child in Donbass and assess what happened, State Duma Speaker Viacheslav Volodin said on Saturday in his Telegram channel, proposing to discuss the exclusion of Ukraine from the CE.

Germany and France, in turn, called on the conflicting parties in the Donbass for an immediate ceasefire, and also expressed concern over reports of increased shelling.

Arrests of top officials and royal family members are rare in Jordan.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH,

Former Jordanian Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein has been placed under house arrest amid reports that the kingdom’s security forces have foiled a coup against King Abdullah II.At least 20 Jordanians have been arrested in connection with the alleged coup. According to The Washington Post, Hamzah was placed under restriction at his Amman palace amid an alleged plot to unseat King Abdullah II.“The move followed the discovery of what palace officials described as a complex and far-reaching plot that included at least one other Jordanian royal, as well as tribal leaders and members of the country’s security establishment,” the report said.The official Jordanian media initially reported that Hamzah has been placed under house arrest.Later, however, a Jordanian official was quoted as saying that “His Royal Highness, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein was not under house arrest or detention, contrary to reports in the media.”

Hamzah is the elder son of the late King Hussein and his American-born wife, Queen Noor. He was named Crown Prince of Jordan in 1999, a position he held until his half-brother, King Abdullah II, rescinded it in 2004.Hamzah, an outspoken critic of corruption in Jordan, had called for holding those responsible to account.Sources in Jordan said that a large security force raided Hamzah’s palace in Amman in the afternoon and handed him a house arrest order.A number of Hamzah’s associates, including the director of his office, Yasser Suleiman al-Majali, were arrested by officers belonging to the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate, the sources said. The director of Hamzah’s palace, Adnan Abu Hammad, was also taken into custody, they added.Other sources said that the Jordanian security forces withdrew the security detail of Hamzah.Rasheed al-Majali, a relative of the detained director of Hamzah’s office, said that several heavily-armed security officers took part in the arrest.

“They drew their weapons in the face of women and children and took Yasser [al-Majali] to an undisclosed location,” he said. “Yasser has a heart issue and needs various round-the-clock medication.”Majali is a prominent Jordanian political family based in the town of Al-Karak. Members of the family emigrated to Jordan from the West Bank city of Hebron. Some members of the family previously served in senior positions in Jordan. Two of them, Hazza’ Majali and Abdelsalam al-Majali, are former prime ministers.A statement published by Jordan’s official news agency Petra said that “Jordanian citizens Hassan bin Zaid, Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah and others were arrested for security reasons.”The statement did not make any reference to the alleged plot to overthrow the Jordanian monarch or to Hamzah. “The arrest was made after close security follow-up and was executed for security reasons,” the agency said.Bin Zaid is a member of the royal family in Jordan.

Awadallah, a Jordanian citizen born in Jerusalem, previously served as Director of the Office of King Abdullah II and Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court. Awadallah also served as an unofficial Jordanian envoy to Saudi Arabia and is said to maintain close ties with the royal family in Riyadh.The US State Department said on Saturday that King Abdullah is a “key partner” of the United States and “has our full support.”In an email, State Department spokesman Ned Price said, “We are closely following the reports and in touch with Jordanian officials. King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support.”The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general said in a statement on Saturday that the GCC stands with Jordan and all its measures to maintain its security and stability.Separately, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa also voiced his support for Jordan’s King Abdullah and “his measures to maintain security and stability in brotherly Jordan, and defuse every attempt to influence them,” state news agency (BNA) reported.

By Samson Martirosyan

Work is underway to preserve what remains at Dvin, the capital of early medieval Armenia, 35 kilometers south of Yerevan.

The Armenian government says it plans to make the site one of the country’s main tourist attractions. Some say the plan is ill-advised and risks devaluing the site’s cultural importance.

Hovhannes Sanamyan, Chief Architect of the Dvin Restoration Project, argues that the work is necessary to save what remains at the site, especially the St. Gregory Cathedral, originally built as a pagan temple in the 3rd century A.D. and rebuilt in the 4th century as a Christian church.  

What remains today are the church’s stone foundations uncovered during archaeological excavations in the 20th century.

Work at Dvin began in December 2020, part of a World Bank co-financed US$ 68.7 million Local Economy and Infrastructure Development Project, to promote tourism and heritage hub regeneration in Armenia.

The World Bank issued a $55 million loan to the Armenian government to implement the project now carried out by the Territorial Development Fund of Armenia. More than 120 million drams ($250,000) has already been spent on the Dvin restoration project.https://www.facebook.com/v3.2/plugins/quote.php?app_id=468673766529308&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fx%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2F%3Fversion%3D46%23cb%3Df1b85257ac8a3b2%26domain%3Dhetq.am%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fhetq.am%252Ff232af19d3783aa%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=930&href=https%3A%2F%2Fhetq.am%2Fen%2Farticle%2F129298&locale=en_US&sdk=joey

Work at Dvin is expected to be completed by 2023. Infrastructure at and around Stone Symphony near the Garni Temple, Zorats Karer archaeological site, the Mozrov cave and other sites will also be improved in the framework of the project. 

Burg-999 Ltd., a company in Armenia, has been awarded the Dvin construction contract. 

Public toilets, an information center, a souvenir shop and possibly a museum will be built at Dvin in the second stage of the project.

The World Bank will not provide technical assistance to Armenia and will merely monitor the finances. 

Hovhannes Sanamyan told Hetq that the Dvin site has been sorely neglected and that a total restoration of the site is impossible. He says the focus at Dvin will be to shore up what remains and to partially restore what is possible.

He shrugged off concerns that the project will do more harm than good.https://www.facebook.com/v3.2/plugins/quote.php?app_id=468673766529308&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fx%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2F%3Fversion%3D46%23cb%3Df1b85257ac8a3b2%26domain%3Dhetq.am%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fhetq.am%252Ff232af19d3783aa%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=930&href=https%3A%2F%2Fhetq.am%2Fen%2Farticle%2F129298&locale=en_US&sdk=joey

“If we leave the site the way it is, uncared for, it will surely vanish in a few decades. The work underway will preserve the site for the future. Sadly, everyone today believes they are experts,” Sanamyan told Hetq, adding that a Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports council of specialists is overseeing the project.

Sanamyan said this council and internationally renowned experts in the field had approved the Dvin project.

He said that materials originally used at Dvin are now being employed at the site so that nothing appears out of place. Sanamyan ensures they use traditional lime mortar, not cement, and internationally approved methods of restoration.

The architect noted that, in the same fashion, the citadel of Erebuni has also been partially restored and strengthened.

Sanamyan said that Dvin, just like the 7th century Zvartnots Cathedral, cannot be fully restored due to a lack of data regarding the original appearance of the St. Gregory the Catholicos Cathedral. 

“Restoration ends where the assumptions begin”,-said Sanamyan.

Screenshots from Armenian government press service video

Source: https://hetq.am/en/article/129298

The Kremlin has played down a military build-up on its border with Ukraine and has warned of “additional measures” if NATO sends troops to buttress its ally.

Russia on Friday warned NATO against sending troops to eastern Ukraine after Kyiv accused Moscow of building up a military presence on its border.

The Interfax news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that any deployment of NATO troops would “undoubtedly lead to further tensions” and that the Russian side would then “have to take additional measures to ensure their security,” without giving specifics.

Peskov played down Russian troop movements near the joint border, saying that “Russia is not threatening anyone.”

War games near border

His comments came as the Russian military announced Friday it would hold military exercises close to the border, involving more than 15,000 troops, as well as electronic warfare and air defense units.

Peskov was responding to a warning to Moscow from Washington against “intimidating” Ukraine after US forces in Europe raised their alert status following the “recent escalations of Russian aggression.”    

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart and pledged to stand by Kyiv in the event of further Russian hostility.

Austin’s remarks were backed up by US President Joe Biden in a phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday. 

“President Biden affirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea,” a White House statement said following the call.

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba agreed Friday that “de-escalation is now crucial in order not to put at risk the ceasefire,” according to a German Foreign Ministry statement on Twitter following their conversation.

Many Bulgarians express optimism that anti-corruption candidates will win seats in Sunday’s parliamentary elections. They also know that the country’s political situation will take a long time to change.

There is not much going on Vitosha Boulevard, Sofia’s main commercial drag. There isn’t even much sign in the nation’s capital that parliamentary elections, the first since 2017, are scheduled for Sunday. However, a few members and supporters of the opposition Rise Up! Thugs Out! coalition have gathered, and they are livestreaming on Facebook. This movement emerged from months of protest against the government that began in summer 2020. Members seek to prevent Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the leader of the center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), from winning a fourth term. 

Bulgaria is now in another pandemic shutdown, which was imposed shortly after the government had allowed restaurants to open and promised to ease restrictions despite a rising number of cases of COVID-19 and the protests of health experts. In mid-March, Assen Baltov, the director of Pirogov emergency hospital, the biggest in the country, said that the hospital was “working at its limit” and was almost at capacity. 

Although the government has failed to manage the pandemic successfully, the prime minister and his party are leading in the polls. “The opposition was not able to establish itself,” a middle-aged man in central Sofia said. “I prefer what I already know — even if it’s not the best.”

Worn-out, illegitimate’ GERB

Younger Bulgarians do not necessarily share the man’s resignation. Dimitar Dimitrov is 29 and has a master of arts from the London School of Economics. He likely could have gotten a job abroad, but he chose to return six years ago and now he is running with the laissez-faire three-party alliance Democratic Bulgaria (DB), co-led by Hristo Ivanov, a former justice minister who was forced to resign after his proposed changes to the legal system failed. 

Dimitrov, who represents a well-educated generation of Bulgarians who think globally but want to act locally, said Borisov and his government were “worn-out, illegitimate and harmful for political and public life in Bulgaria.” 

The movement has attracted younger Bulgarians such as Iva Tsenkova and Atanas Terziev, who are both 27 and work in digital management. In 2020, they took part in the demonstrations in Sofia, chanting “Mafia!” with their fellow protesters. 

“I can’t see anybody in politics who actually knows what they’re doing,” Terziev told DW. “Bureaucracy and incompetence are omnipresent.” 

Tsenkova, who studied in Austria and returned to Bulgaria three years ago, told DW that “nepotism and corruption are also omnipresent, and this is very disillusioning for people.” She said this was her reason to vote for an alternative.

Violating EU norms

Bulgaria is tied with Hungary and Romania on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index — making the three countries the worst-ranking EU members. It also ranks 111th out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which describes Bulgaria as “the black sheep of the European Union,” with a small number of companies controlling most media outlets within the country. “Corruption and collusion between media, politicians and oligarchs is widespread, according to Reporters Without Borders.

According to the latest polls, DB could win 6-8% of the vote on Sunday, but this would not guarantee that it could enter a coalition. “I can’t see any possible partner,” Atanas said. “It would be very demotivating for voters if DB entered a coalition with a status quo party.” 

He was referring to the parties that form Bulgaria’s political establishment: The prime minister’s GERB, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which succeeded the Communist Party after 1990, and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which has broad support from the Turkish and Roma minorities. One of the latter’s most prominent MPs, the media magnate and oligarch Delyan Peevski, is described by RSF as “the most notorious embodiment” of the corruption and “aberrant state of affairs” in Bulgaria. Peevski himself is not running in this election. There has been no official explanation why. 

Dimitrov knows that the postelection period will “not be easy” but said DB “should not make any unprincipled compromises.” This is a noble goal, but it will be difficult achieve, with the future parliament likely to be fragmented, with five to eight parties. 

“I still hope that things will change,” Tsenkova said. 

If they don’t, Terziev said, there will be more protests. And, he said, “if nothing changes, emigration.”

This article has been translated from German.

The career of Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan (Komandos) should remind all Armenians that it’s an honor to serve the homeland. This is what former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Movses Hakobyan told reporters during the Requiem Service held for Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan today.

“Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan and I were friends-in-combat and met during the war, that is, after the liberation of Shushi. I accepted him as a leader. The Komandos pursued his military career with glory,” Hakobyan stated.

According to Movses Hakobyan, the unblocking of links in the region is an intricate process, and Armenia’s interest must be taken into consideration. He added that unblocking of links for Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s interests is unacceptable. He also doesn’t agree with the government’s view that the country needs to make corrections in its approach to Turkey and not view the latter as an inimical country.

YEREVAN. – 168 Hour daily of Armenia writes: In recent days, the RF [Russian Federation] has intensified contacts—at various levels—with Armenia and Azerbaijan’s authorities.

Another noteworthy and telling episode, which shows the attitude of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, the Kremlin towards Armenia’s government, is Putin’s telephone conversations with [Armenian PM Nikol] Pashinyan and [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev.

The differences observed in the two [respective] messages posted on the Kremlin’s official website are striking in the case when the Kremlin has officially traditionally sought to maintain parity in contacts between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

First, in the messages of almost all Pashinyan-Putin telephone conversations, the Russian side notes that the telephone conversation was initiated by the Armenian side, thus emphasizing that the caller, the one expecting something from those relations, is Pashinyan. Also, the Kremlin does not give any qualifications and assessments to Armenian-Russian relations, which is a noteworthy fact.

YEREVAN. – Another 12 complete coronavirus genomes were transcribed in Armenia using the third generation sequencing, the Ministry of Health informed Armenian News-NEWS.am about this.

The samples were provided by the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention on March 18.

In contrast to the January research, COVID-19’s British strain (B.1.1.7, VOC-202012/01) was detected in 10 of these 12 samples.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Armenia is currently 194,852, and the number of deaths is 4,456.