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Three Armenians elected to Lebanese parliament

May 7, 2018 by administrator

Three Armenians elected to Lebanese parliament

Three out of the four Armenian candidates running in the recently held parliamentary election in Lebanon have won seats in the country’s top legislative body.

All the four were nominees of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D). according to Azdag, a Beirut-based Aremnian publication. Hakob Bagratuni, Alexander Matosyan and Hakob Terzian garnered enough votes to be represented in parliament. Serj Chukhatarian failed to cross the required threshold.After the initial vote count late on Sunday, Bagratuni said the party was content with the result.

The publication reports that the election was all in all held in a peaceful atmosphere with the exception of only several districts breaches of security rules were reported. Several political forces earlier proposed prolonging the voting for two more hours but the plan wasn’t reportedly possible to realize.According to the Beirut-based Armenian publication, the election was tainted by fraud and vote-buying.

A total of 976 candidates had filed bids for the 128-seat parliament.

Serzh Sargsyan elected Armenia’s PM, while opposition leader announces the start of velvet revolution

April 17, 2018 by administrator

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s former president Serzh Sargsyan has been elected a Prime Minister with 77 votes for and 17 against.

Armenian lawmakers elected the prime minister for the first time in Armenia’s history after the Constitution was amended and Armenia changed its form of government and handed more powers to the prime minister.

Serzh Sargsyan was nominated by the Republican Party of Armenia and ARF Dashnakustyun.

California: Vartan Gharpetian elected Glendale mayor

May 4, 2017 by administrator

Vartan Gharpetian elected Glendale mayor

Vartan Gharpetian will serve his third year on the Glendale City Council as the city’s mayor thanks to a unanimous vote by council members Monday, Asbarez reports quoting Glendale News Press.

Gharpetian was elected to the Glendale City Council in April of 2015 and has been involved with the City of Glendale directly as the past Commissioner on the Design Review Board, Commissioner on the Parks, Recreation, & Community Services Commission, Commissioner on the Historic Preservation Commission, and Chair of the Glendale Housing Authority. Other positions held include Civic Advisory Boardmember of the Glendale Adventist Medical Foundation, Boardmember of the Glendale Police Foundation, Member of the Glendale Historical Society, Member of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, Board Vice President of the D&M Educational Foundation, and Member of the Glendale Association of Realtors. Mayor Gharpetian and his wife Dr. Armina Gharpetian have been married for 21 years. They have 3 children, all of whom attend Glendale public schools.

City Council incumbents Ara Najarian and Zareh Sinanyan took their oath of office for another four years of service alongside first-time Councilman Vrej Agajanian. Unopposed candidates Ardy Kassakhian and Rafi Manoukian will continue their roles as city clerk and city treasurer, respectively

President Elect Trump put an end to 30 Years of Clinton and Bush Dynasty

November 9, 2016 by administrator

Donald J. Trump, who ran an improbable campaign against the establishment, prevailed against Hillary Clinton and was elected the 45th president of the United States by winning several crucial battleground states, including Florida, North Carolina and Ohio.
The results upended months of polling that had given the advantage to Mrs. Clinton, and reaction to a Trump presidency swiftly rippled across the globe, with financial markets abroad falling.
Republicans maintained control of the Senate, fending off numerous Democratic challengers who polls showed were leading going into Election Day. Incumbents were pulled along by Mr. Trump’s unanticipated strength in several key battleground states.
No matter whom you supported, The New York Times invites you to take advantage of our original reporting, analysis and commentary with unlimited access to all of our digital platforms through Wednesday.

Tbilisi: Three Armenians elected to Georgian parliament

October 10, 2016 by administrator

Three Armenians, Henzel Mkoyan, Samvel Manukyan and Ruslan Poghosyan were elected to the Georgian parliament, the website of the Armenian community in Georgia said.

All the three nominees represented the ruling Georgian Dream party, which decisively won parliamentary elections, firming its grip on power in the country, near-complete results showed on Sunday, October 9.

With 99.41 percent of the votes in, data from the Central Election Commission gave the Georgian Dream 48.61 percent of the vote and the opposition United National Movement (UNM) 27.04 percent, Reuters reports.

Georgia hopes to join the European Union and NATO one day even though that is something that Russia, its former colonial master, strongly opposes.

With political stability still fragile — the first peaceful transfer of power since the 1991 Soviet collapse only took place four years ago – the authorities were keen the election be widely seen as free and fair to avoid a return to the days when politicians tried to seize power by force.

Georgia is criss-crossed by strategically important oil and gas pipelines and a fifth of its territory remains under the control of pro-Russian separatists following a short war with Russia in 2008.

Georgian Dream, which is pro-Western but also favors closer ties with Russia, declared victory shortly after polls closed on Saturday.

“I congratulate you with a big victory Georgia!” Prime Minister Georgy Kvirikashvili told jubilant supporters gathered outside the party’s headquarters in Tbilisi, the capital.

“According to all preliminary results, Georgian Dream is leading with a big advantage,” he said, as dozens of party members waved blue party flags and balloons.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said on Sunday the election had been competitive and that fundamental freedoms had been generally respected.

With some parties threatening to organize street protests if they do not get into parliament, the government is likely to use the OSCE’s assessment to bolster its assertion that the vote was largely fair despite some problems.

Reuters. Ruling party in Georgia decisively wins parliament vote

Noubar Afeyan elected to MIT Board of Trustees

June 10, 2016 by administrator

214376 Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Central Board Member Noubar Afeyan was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), AGBU said in a press release.

Afeyan, along with the nine other term members elected this year, will serve for five years, effective July 1. Afeyan will add his expertise to the 76 distinguished leaders in education, science, engineering, and industry already serving the MIT Board of Trustees.

Afeyan, who was elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2012, earned his Ph.D. in biochemical engineering from MIT, and has authored numerous scientific publications and patents. He is the founder and CEO of Flagship Ventures, a leading early-stage, life-science venture firm managing funds exceeding $1.4 billion. In his 30-year career, Afeyan has co-founded more than 38 life-science and technology startups, and is currently director or chair of several private and public company boards. Additionally, he co-founded the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia, the UWC Dilijan International School, the Noubar and Anna Afeyan Foundation, and the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. He also served as chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Chemicals and Biotechnology and its Emerging Technologies Council. Since 2000, Afeyan has been a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Established in 1906, the AGBU is the world’s largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, the AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 500,000 Armenians around the world.

Two Armenians Elected to Syria’s Parliament

April 17, 2016 by administrator

Nora Arissian Becomes First Syrian-Armenian Woman Parliamentarian,

DAMASCUS, Syria (A.W.)—Two Armenians, Dr. Nora Arissian and Jirair Reisian, entered Syria’s 250-seat parliament following elections for the Syrian People’s Assembly on April 13. Arissian, who ran as an independent from the Damascus governorate, became the first Syrian-Armenian woman member of the Syrian Parliament, reported Perio News. Aleppo-Armenian community leader Jirair Reisian was elected to the assembly from Aleppo. The election results were made public on April 16.

Arissian has played an active role in the Syrian and Syrian-Armenian reality, and has long been an advocate of the Armenian cause. Arissian has served as translator at the Syrian Presidential Palace. She holds a Ph.D. in modern history from the Institute of Oriental Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia; her focus was the Armenian Genocide as documented in Syrian sources. Arissian served as secretary, chief of staff, and interpreter at Armenia’s Embassy in Syria from 1992-2006. Since 2005, she has worked as a lecturer at Damascus University, and has served as the chair of the Armenian studies department since 2013. She worked as translator and adviser at the Syrian Ministry of Culture from 2010-13. She is the editor of Aztag Arabic, an online publication. In 2007, she became the first Armenian woman member of the Arab Writers’ Union in Damascus.

Arissian has been widely recognized for her achievements, and was awarded the Armenian Presidential “Movses Khorenatsi” Medal in 2012 and the Ministry of Diaspora’s “William Saroyan” Medal in 2011.

Reisian, who has been an active member of the Armenian community in Syria, was the candidate endorsed by the Armenian organizations, reported the Aleppo-based Kantsasar. A longtime educator and advocate for the Armenian cause, Reisian serves as the spokesperson of the Armenian Prelacy in Aleppo. He has been the chairman of the Armenian National Committee of Syria for several years. Reisian also served as the principal of the Armenian Sahagian School in Aleppo.

In an interview with Kantsasar ahead of the elections, Reisian said that in the current situation the Syrian people have two expectations from the new parliament: the healing and revival of the country, and the implementation of reforms that will lead to a bright future for Syria.

Source: armenianweekly

Armenians elected to Iran’s parliament named

February 27, 2016 by administrator

Two of the four Armenian candidates running as for Iran’s parliament have won seats in the legislature.
According to preliminary election results, Karen Khanlarian and Jorge Abrahamian are the elected representatives from the north and south, respectively.
Speaking to Tert.am, Khanlarian said that he received 74% votes in the northern constituency.
Abrahamian remained the only Armenian candidate in the south after all the other contenders withdrew from the campaign.
“The Armenian community had a very active turnout, about 12,000 Iranian Armenians headed to the polls,” Khanlarian told our correspondent.
Initially, nine Armenians joined the electoral campaign, but five later withdrew from the race.
Khanlarian added that the total turnout in the country was high, with 31 million out of the 55 million voting age population participating in the polls.
“It is now a bit difficult for me to describe the general situation, but interesting changes are expected in the Majilis in terms of the [political] forces’ arrangement. No accurate estimates are available at the moment, but I think the election outcomes will become clear this night,” he said.

Terrorist State of Turkey jailed A newly elected pro-Kurdish MP sentenced to 6 years in prison

November 23, 2015 by administrator

Turkish court sentenced Friday to six years and three months in prison for belonging to a “terrorist organization,” a member of the main pro-Kurdish party in the country, elected earlier this month in Parliament, local media reported.
After a lengthy trial, a court in Van (East) held Lezgin Botan, a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), guilty of being part of the Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK), which includes all the rebel movements

Three Armenians Reclaim Seats in Turkish Parliament as AKP Wins Majority

November 2, 2015 by administrator

From left: Selina Ozuzun Dogan from the Republican People’s Party (CHP); Markar Esayan from the ruling AKP party and Garo Paylan from the pro-Kurdish HDP

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)—The three Armenians who were elected in June to Turkey’s parliament, were re-elected Sunday in that country’s special election, which saw the ruling Justice and Development party leaping to victory.

Garo Paylan, who ran on the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) ticket, Markar Esayan from the AKP and Selina Ozuzun Dogan from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) won in the Sunday elections.

Turkey’s ruling AKP won the parliamentary election, regaining the majority it lost in June.

With almost all ballots counted, the state-run Anadolu news agency said the AKP had won 49.4% of the vote, with the main opposition CHP on 25.4%.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said voters had “shown that they prefer action and development to controversy”.

The pro-Kurdish HDP crossed the 10% threshold needed to claim seats. The nationalist MHP will also take seats in Ankara.

With almost all of the results counted, the AKP had won substantially more than the 276 seats needed in order to form a government alone. However, it fell 14 seats short of the number needed to call a referendum on changing the constitution and increasing the powers of the president, AKP founder Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Hours after the landslide victory, AKP leader and interim Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu addressed the pro-AK Party groups gathered in front of the party’s headquarters in Ankara on Sunday night. He adopted an inclusive stance concerning the country’s dissenters through his messages promising to establish peace across the country and to form a new civilian Constitution, reported Today’s Zaman.

In his balcony speech, Davutoglu called all political parties to come together and agree on a new Constitution following his party’s regaining of its parliamentary majority. He said; “Let’s work together towards a Turkey where conflict, tension and polarization are non-existent and everyone salutes each other in peace,” Reuters reported.

On the other hand, Davutoğlu spoke vaguely about pressing ahead with the peace process with the country’s Kurds but said Turkey was determined to continue its fight against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). “We won’t step back from our determination to find a solution or to fight terrorism,” the prime minister said.

Paylan told Today’s Zaman that if Davutoglu’s speech in Ankara is put into practice, then the country will feel relief.

“The HDP, as an opposition party, is ready to take its place at the negotiation table for a new Constitution that encompasses all segments of society by fulfilling their demands for a freer and democratic life. We don’t want tears and blood. The steps towards this end should be immediately launched so that social relief and healing is achieved. Turkey is in need of peace, not conflict,” Paylan told Today’s Zaman.

HDP leaders said that unfair election conditions and a deliberate policy of polarization by Erdogan explain the drop in numbers of votes garnered by the party.

The HDP was forced to cancel election rallies following two deadly attacks on pro-Kurdish gatherings since July. Television stations gave party representatives little air-time amid government attacks branding the party as the political wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), considered a terrorist organization by official Ankara.

HDP’s co-chairman Selahattin Demirtas told reporters that “there wasn’t a fair or equal election… We were not able to lead an election campaign. We tried to protect our people against attacks,” reported Today’s Zaman.

Co-chair Figen Yuksekdag said he HDP would analyze in a detail a drop in its support since the last parliamentary election in June, but said the fact the party had crossed the 10 percent threshold needed to enter parliament was nonetheless a success.

She said the HDP has faced the most challenging circumstances during this process and recalled that 258 civilians, including 33 children, lost their lives during the last five months since the June 7 election. “Yet, today’s success was achieved by those who walked against attacks,” she said.

OSCE Says Elections were Marred by Violence

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) charged in a damning report on Monday that Turkey’s election was marred by a media crackdown, violence and other security concerns, Agence France Presse reported.

It said the campaign for Sunday’s vote was characterised by “unfairness” and “fear” after a surge in violence.

“While Turkish citizens could choose between genuine and strong political alternatives in this highly polarized election, the rapidly diminishing choice of media outlets, and restrictions on freedom of expression in general, impacted the process and remain serious concerns,” Ignacio Sanchez Amor, special coordinator and leader of the OSCE observer mission, said in a statement.

Concerns over media freedoms were already running high in the run-up to the poll after riot police last week stormed the Ankara and Istanbul offices of two television stations critical of the Turkish strongman.

“Physical attacks on party members, as well as the significant security concerns, particularly in the southeast, further imposed restrictions on the ability to campaign,” Amor added.

A massive suicide bombing on a peace rally in Ankara last month killed 102 people in the worst attack in the country’s history, with political parties temporarily suspending campaigning.

“Unfortunately, the campaign for these elections was characterized by unfairness and, to a serious degree, fear,” said Andreas Gross, head of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) delegation.

He called on Erdogan to work for an “inclusive political process” to deal with challenges facing Turkey.

The elections were also held against a backdrop of a military campaign against Kurdish rebels in the southeast of Turkey and in northern Iraq after attacks on security forces by the militants.

Observers said the army’s operations in the Kurdish-dominated southeast hampered the ability of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to campaign.

“For an election process to be truly democratic, candidates need to feel that they can campaign and voters need to feel that they can cast their ballots in a safe and secure environment,” said Margareta Cederfelt, head of the OSCE parliamentary assembly delegation.