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The National Assembly approved Pashinyan’s government program

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YEREVAN, JUNE 7, At the special session convened on June 7, the MPs approved the government program. As reports “Armenpress”, 62 voted for the government program and 39 deputies voted for it.

Before the extraordinary session, six MPs from the Republican Party of Armenia (Felix Tsolakyan, Arthur Gevorgyan, Artak Sargsyan, Shirak Torosyan, Arman Sahakyan, Samvel Alexanyan) announced their withdrawal from the National Assembly faction after the 2017 parliamentary elections. : Thus, in the National Assembly with 105 seats, the Republican Party lost the majority. Nevertheless, the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) has stated that it will not hinder the voting of the government program.

After more than a month’s rallies, Nikol Pashinyan was elected prime minister on May 8. On May 12, the new government was formed, which approved its program on June 1 and presented it to the National Assembly. This program is referred to as transitional by the expert circles and establishes the prioritization of snap parliamentary elections within one year.

ԵՐԵՎԱՆ, 7 ՀՈՒՆԻՍԻ, ԱՐՄԵՆՊՐԵՍ: ՀՀ Ազգային ժողովում հունիսի 7-ին հրավիրված արտահերթ նիստում պատգամավորները հավանության արժանացրին կառավարության ծրագիրը: Ինչպես հաղորդում է «Արմենպրես»-ը, կառավարության ծրագրին կողմ քվեարկեց 62, դեմ՝ 39 պատգամավոր:

Նախքան արտահերթ նիստը՝ 2017 թվականի խորհրդարանական ընտրություններից հետո Ազգային ժողովում մեծամասնություն (58 պատգամավորական մանդատ) ունեցող Հայաստանի հանրապետական կուսակցության վեց պատգամավոր (Ֆելիքս Ցոլակյանը, Արթուր Գևորգյանը, Արտակ Սարգսյանը, Շիրակ Թորոսյանը, Արման Սահակյանը, Սամվել Ալեքսանյանը) հայտարարել էին ՀՀԿ ԱԺ խմբակցությունից դուրս գալու մասին: Այդպիսով, 105 պատգամավորական տեղ ունեցող Ազգային ժողովում ՀՀԿ-ն կորցրել է մեծամասնությունը: Այդուհանդերձ, ՀՀԿ-ն հայտարարել է, որ չի խոչընդոտելու կառավարության ծրագրի քվեարկությանը:

Ավելի քան մեկ ամիս շարունակվող ցույցերից հետո՝ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանը ՀՀ վարչապետ է ընտրվել մայիսի 8-ին: Մայիսի 12-ին ամբողջովին ձևավորվել էր նոր կառավարությունը, որը հունիսի 1-ին հաստատել էր իր ծրագիրն ու ներկայացրել ԱԺ: Այս ծրագիրը փորձագիտական շրջանակների կողմից անվանվում է անցումային և որպես առաջնահերթություն սահմանում է մեկ տարվա ընթացքում արտահերթ խորհրդարանական ընտրությունների անցկացումը:  

90% of voters said ‘Yes’ to independence from Spain – Catalan government

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The overwhelming majority of Catalans who participated in the banned referendum have voted in favor of independence from Spain, the Catalan government has announced.

Over two million Catalans, or 90.9 percent of those who voted said ‘Yes’ in Sunday’s referendum, regional authorities said. Only 7,87 percent, or 176,565 voters said ‘No’ when asked if they want to attain independence from Madrid.

What kind of a democracy steals ballot boxes?” asked Vice President Oriol Junqueras, standing next to government representatives, Raul Romeva and Jordi Turull.

“We will be consistent with the democratic mandate that citizens have given us today,” he added. “Catalonia has won its right to be a new Republic, if this is what the Parliament decides.”

Turkish author Elif Shafak opposed to presidential government

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Elif Shafak, a prominent Turkish writer best known for her book on the Armenian Genocide, has voiced her negative stance on a draft constitutional amendment proposing transition to the presidential model.
She extended support to opponents of the constitutional reforms via posts on Twitter. The civic groups which have joined the campaign include intellectuals, artists and youth activists, Cumhuriyet reports.
In 2006, Shafak twice faced court for her novel The Bastard of Istanbul. She was accused of insulting Turkishness (Article 301 of Turkish Criminal Code). The controversy evolved around a central character who proved the fact of the Armenian Genocide committed in the World War I period. The case was later dismissed for lack of evidence.
To avoid persecutions by Turkish nationalists, the writer, 42, now resides in London.

Styopa Safaryan. It is obvious that Gagik Tsarukyan has hopes with the government

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safaryan-on-gagik“Gagik Tsarukyan has put his return in dependence on several parameters. If he does not sharply refute his return, it means that he himself thinks about it” while talking to Aravot.am said Head of Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs, Styopa Safaryan. Note that on October 25 while talking to journalists former president of the Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan said that he had closed the page of politics, but he does not exclude his return to politics.
Styopa Safaryan noted that Gagik Tsarukyan himself connects his return to a certain factors, “It is notable that Gagik Tsarukyan not naturally refers to the statement made on February 12, 2015 because Tsarukyan not only left by his statement but also he left by the statement and decision of the authorities. Therefore, it seems that he himself makes it clear that for his return it is not only the factors related to him because ultimately Serzh Sargsyan called him a disaster and demanded leave the politics. Thus, if the dismissal took place by the decision of both sides, then I think the return also supposes the decision of both sides. It is not a coincidence that Serzh Sargsyan hints on renowned governors”. Touching upon the statement made by gagik Tsarukyan so that the Prime Minister knows what he does, do not worry, Styopa Safaryan said that he did not know why Tsarukyan trusts Karen Karapentyan’s words, however, according to him; this is what shows that Gagik Tsarukyan has a problem with a wing of the authorities “but not with the government and the newly appointed Prime Minister.

Styope Safaryan considers this an obvious fact that Gagik Tsarukyan’s statement are related to the upcoming parliamentary elections “Why he thinks about it, because in any case in 2012 he got the second weight of the political field as a political force. On that basis it is notable that if his factor is removed from the political field for ever, definitely Prosperous Armenia Party will record quite humble results. Gagik Tsarukyan knows well what political support means, and surely he would not love to lose what he got in 2012. And perhaps this is the reason why he does not exclude the possibility of returning to the party before the parliamentary elections of 2017”.

I can not say which prominent wing is that because all those, who are not prominent for Gagik Tsarukyan, are prominent oligarchs for the public. To tell the truth, I do not know who he considers but it is obvious that he separates the government and keeps hopes with it, but also hints about the bad governance by some celebrities. Now who are among those celebrities, whether he hints Serzh Sargsyan, I can not say. But I do not think that those who were speaking wgainst Gagik Tsarukyan are the celebrities”.

Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2016/10/27/182838/

Ruling party: Armenian Government to undergo major changes

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rulling-partyYEREVAN. – Significant changes will take place in the Armenian Government.

The Vice President of the Armenian National Assembly (NA) Eduard Sharmazanov, who is also the Spokesperson for the RPA, told the aforementioned to journalists after the RPA Executive Body meeting on Thursday.

In his words, the candidates for the Government members will be nominated within the period established by law.  However, Sharmazanov refrained from giving specific names. “Considering that the discussions are underway, publicizing names is inappropriate,” he said.

According to the Spokesman, the Armenian PM Karen Karapetyan will have serious powers and freedom to turn into reality the ideas thanks to which he was appointed a prime minister.

Germany: Berlin not distancing itself from Armenia Genocide resolution

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genocide and turkeyA German government spokesman denied claims made in a news report that Berlin was going to tone down a resolution calling the murder of Armenians a genocide. Leaders pointed out, however, that it is not legally binding.

The German news magazine “Der Spiegel” had reported on Friday that Berlin planned a gesture to appease Turkish government anger over the Bundestag’s Armenia resolution. That report, however, was denied by German government spokesman Steffen Seibert.

He said there could be no talk of Germany distancing itself from the parliamentary resolution.

The report in “Der Spiegel” said Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government hoped to resolve a dispute that has seen German parliamentarians barred from visiting Bundeswehr troops stationed at the Incirlik airbase in eastern Turkey.

Germany’s lower house unanimously backed a resolution in early June that explicitly declared the ethnic slaughter of Armenians by the Ottoman regime during World War I to have been a genocide.

In response, Ankara blocked German parliamentarians from visiting German troops stations at Incirlik, where the Bundeswehr is engaged in operations against “Islamic State” (IS). Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the vote, recalled his ambassador to Berlin for consultations and threatened further action.

The head of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union in parliament said the chancellor would not distance herself from the resolution. Volker Kauder told a committee meeting on Friday that she had called him personally to make it known that she was in favor of the resolution.

Diplomatic hot potato

Germany’s Foreign Ministry has sought to resolve the dispute in recent weeks, with officials reportedly being told that Ankara wanted the German government to distance itself from the legislature’s vote. According to “Der Spiegel,” a spokesman would reiterate that the resolution had no legal effect on the actions of the German government.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier pointed out on Friday that the Bundestag resolution was non-binding.

“The German Bundestag naturally has every right and the freedom to express itself on political issues,” Steinmeier said. “But the Bundestag itself said that there is not a legally binding basis for every resolution.”

Even when it passed the Bundestag, it was clear to lawmakers that the resolution was non-binding.

Both Steinmeier and Merkel are reported to privately support the parliament’s position.

Seibert said on Friday, however, that there could not be any talk of Germany distancing itself from the Armenia resolution.

Call for redeployment

Steinmeier is a member of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), which has said Germany should redeploy its troops to another support base in the Middle East, should German parliamentarians continue to be barred from visiting personnel.

Although Germany is not directly engaged in combat operations against IS, it has deployed a number of surveillance aircraft to assist the US-led coalition. The German parliament is scheduled to decide on a mandate to extend the mission in December.

The topic of the murder of some 1.5 million Armenians and other Christians by the Ottomans during 1915-16 is a particularly sensitive one in Turkey, which claims the figures are inflated and that the killings do not constitute genocide.

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/berlin-not-distancing-itself-from-armenia-resolution/a-19521960

Terrorist State of Turkey began Cyber attack on Armenian government websites

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57052296c461883d1c8b45e1A cyber-attack by a Turkish hacker group has interrupted operations of a number of Armenian government websites, including defense, energy and agriculture ministries, as well as other state agencies, causing prolonged inoperability.

Hacker group ‘Aslan Neferler Tim’ (closely translated as Lion Privates Team) claimed responsibility for the attack on its social media accounts.

The websites were targeted amid the short-term renewal of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has for two decades overshadowed relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The hacker group claimed that its cyber-attacks will increase, the Daily Sabah reported.

The same group had earlier claimed responsibility for staging cyber-attacks against websites of the Armenian Central Bank and the main webpage of renowned hacker movement Anonymous.

Websites of Belgian government agencies and the personal page of the right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders have also allegedly been targets of the same Turkish hacker group.

Artsakh Government Appeals for Assistance “Please Help”

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4aa00f11-60fd-4e06-a6b0-8c6f23ef916eSTEPANAKERT—The government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic issued an appeal to all Armenians who have contacted the authorities to offer assistance as Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh intensified.

The Government, headed by Prime Minister Arayik Harutunyan, has formed a task force to address these requests, as well as to ensure that the Defense Army’s needs are met. The task force includes:

Vice- Prime Minister of Nagorno Karabakh Republic – Artur Aghabekyan

Minister-chief of the NKR Government Staff – Levon Grigoryan

NKR Minister of Economy – Andranik Khachatryan

NKR Minister of Urban Planning – Karen Shahramanyan

NKR Minister of Labour and Social Affairs – Samvel Avanesyan

Director of the NKR State Service of Emergency Situations – Artur Harutyunyan

Director of the NKR Village and Agriculture Support Fund – Ashot Bakhshiyan

Director of Artsakh Investment Fund – Artak Mirzoyan

Ashot Bakhshiyan, who is the director of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Village and Agriculture Fund, has been placed in charge of food supplies. Director of the Artsakh Investment Fund, Artak Mirzoyan is responsible for procurement of materials.

The government staff has been tasked to address issues related to civilian evacuations from border regions and resolving other social problems.

The public is urged to make monetary contributes to the following establishments:

With US Dollars

Recipient – The Ministry of Finance of Nagorno Karabakh Republic

Аcquiring bank- “Artsakhbank” CJSC

Address- Kievyan St.3, Yerevan, Armenia

SWIFT` ARTSAM22

The account number- 22300110153200

With Armenian Drams

Аcquiring bank- “Artsakhbank” CJSC

Address, Kievyan St.3, Yerevan, Armenia

SWIFT` ARTSAM22

The account number-22300612211100

Microsoft to warn users of possible government hacking

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ms.thumbMicrosoft Corp said on Wednesday it will begin warning users of its consumer services including Outlook.com email when the company suspects that a government has been trying to hack into their accounts, Reuters reports.
The policy change comes nine days after Reuters asked the company why it had decided not tell victims of a hacking campaign, discovered in 2011, that had targeted international leaders of China’s Tibetan and Uighur minorities in particular.
According to two former employees of Microsoft, the company’s own experts had concluded several years ago that Chinese authorities had been behind the campaign but the company did not pass on that information to users of its Hotmail service, which is now called Outlook.com.
In its statement, Microsoft said neither it nor the U.S. government could pinpoint the sources of the hacking attacks and that they didn’t come from a single country.
The policy shift at the world’s largest software company follows similar moves since October by Internet giants Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and most recently Yahoo Inc.
Google Inc pioneered the practice in 2012 and said it now alerts tens of thousands of users every few months.
For two years, Microsoft has offered alerts about potential security breaches without specifying the likely suspect.
In a statement to Reuters, Microsoft said: “As the threat landscape has evolved our approach has too, and we’ll now go beyond notification and guidance to specify if we reasonably believe the attacker is ‘state-sponsored’.”
In a blog post published late Wednesday, Microsoft said: “We’re taking this additional step of specifically letting you know if we have evidence that the attacker may be ‘state-sponsored’ because it is likely that the attack could be more sophisticated or more sustained than attacks from cybercriminals and others. (here)
The Hotmail attacks targeted diplomats, media workers, human rights lawyers, and others in sensitive positions inside China, according to the former employees.
Microsoft had told the targets to reset their passwords but did not tell them that they had been hacked. Five victims interviewed by Reuters said they had not taken the password reset as an indication of hacking.
Online free-speech activists and security experts have long called for more direct warnings, saying that they prompt behavioral changes from email users.

Armenia wins high prize in Open Government Partnership awards

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f5632077b71c3a_5632077b71c71.thumbArmenia has won a top prize at the Open Government Partnership’s annual award event being held in Mexico City.
Participating in the ceremony for the first time ever, the country was named a leader in the Asia-Pacific region, reports the Government’s press service.

The Armenian delegation attending the event was led by Gurgen Dumanyan, deputy chief of staff of the Government.

This year’s event, which opened on Thursday, addresses the mechanisms of improving public services through open governance principles. It attracted participation bids from 35 of the 66 members of the initiative.  President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto attended the award ceremony to hand over the prizes to the winning countries’ representatives.

Armenia’s initiative submitted for the awards proposed mechanisms for creating a municipal administration database and boosting investment in community administrations in an effort to improve the quality of services for the population in regions.