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| March 2 |
Speaking to journalists
in Stepanakert, President Arkady Gukasyan states that he does not
rule out the possibility of resuming negotiations within the framework
of the mediation effort of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE). However, Gukasyan stresses that Karabagh can never
accept any proposal that would return it to Azerbaijan's control.
The president states that the international community must understand
the existing realities and assist all sides in reaching compromises,
but also must deny Baku's steadfast claim that Nagorno Karabagh is
an integral part of Azerbaijan. |
| March 2-3 |
During meetings with various
U.S. Members of Congress and State Department officials, Nagorno Karabagh
Foreign Minister Naira Melkoumian reiterates Stepanakert's commitment
and support of the peace process underway by the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and states her government's
desire for a negotiated solution to the conflict. However, Melkoumian
stresses the importance of mutual concessions and her government's
willingness to compromise in the context of their people's right to
self-determination. She adds that the issues of refugee resettlement,
security, legal status and territorial principles are all legitimate
topics for negotiation, and none of these issues should be predetermined
by international mediators as a precondition for formal peace talks.
Melkoumian spoke publicly at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
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| March 3 |
Speaking at
a press conference in Yerevan, acting Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian
states that the next Armenian president will have to reconsider the
impact of oil on the country's foreign policy. According to Oskanian,
oil is the key factor for stability in the Caucasus and he predicts
that Armenia's policy on the transport of oil in the region is bound
to change with a new presidency.
Commenting on the previous day's meetings with officials of the U.S.
State Department, Nagorno Karabagh Foreign Minister Naira Melkoumian
states that she is "satisfied" with talks held with the
U.S. officials. The foreign minister adds that she feels that a lasting
solution to the Karabagh conflict could be achieved relatively quickly
once the Azerbaijani leadership becomes capable of making concessions
instead of simply demanding them. A U.S. State Department official
adds that the financial benefits of a peace agreement are more important
than any concessions. |
| March 4 |
The Greek telecommunications
firm OTE announces that it has completed its acquisition of 90 percent
of Armentel, the Armenian state telecommunications company. OTE spent
$142.5 million to purchase the majority of Armental's shares, while
the remaining ten percent of the company will be retained by the Armenian
government. OTE officials also reveal plans to sell minority shares
in its stake to the Cypriot Leventis Group and the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Armenian government also
awarded Armentel with a unique exclusive fifteen-year license to offer
a variety of fixed and mobile telecommunications services throughout
the country. Over the next ten years, OTE officials plans to invest
$300 million to fully modernize the country's aging telecommunications
infrastructure.
A new political coalition is formed to support the candidacy of acting
President Robert Kocharian. The new political grouping, called the
Justice and Unity Alliance, consists of five parties and is led by
the recently legalized Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and
the Yerkrapah parliamentary bloc. The Alliance issues a statement
affirming its support for Kocharian's efforts to "consolidate
the Armenian nation," resolve the Karabagh conflict, and establish
democracy and social justice in Armenia.
Kocharian unveils his campaign platform with promises to strengthen
industry, create more jobs and increase foreign investment, and to
crack down on the "black market" and tax evasion. Kocharian
also discusses his intentions to increase wages, reform the social
security and pension systems, and introduce free health care for the
most vulnerable members of society. Later in the day, the parliament
approves the Kocharian appointee for Central Bank Chairman, Tigran
Sargsian, to replace Bagrat Asatrian, who resigned in early February.
Armenian presidential candidate Robert Kocharian unveils his campaign
platform and states that he will seek the consolidation of all Armenians
to achieve a peaceful resolution to the Karabagh conflict based on
international law. Kocharian adds that such a solution must allow
for the self-determination of the people of Nagorno Karabagh within
secure borders and with "permanent geographic ties to Armenia."
Kocharian served as president of Nagorno Karabagh from 1994 to 1997
until being appointed as Armenia's prime minister. |
| March 5 |
Former Foreign Minister
Raffi Hovannisian is appointed the Chief of Information and Publications
Department. Hovannisian, who served as former foreign minister from
1991 to 1992, resigned amid several policy disputes with former President
Levon Ter Petrosian. The information department oversees the state
media, including television and radio. |
| March 6 |
A report released by the
international observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE) monitoring the cease-fire along the areas between
Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabagh and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,
expresses concern over the growing number of incidents and sporadic
attacks in the region. The OSCE group calls on all parties to respect
the informal cease-fire arrangement in effect since May 1994. The
OSCE observers themselves came under attack in several incidents last
month, including an attack by Azerbaijani forces on their convoy which
targeted their Nagorno Karabagh guides.
Bishop Barkev Martirosian, head of the Nagorno Karabagh Diocese, announces
plans for the construction of a new cathedral in Stepanakert. City
officials have already set-aside land in the center of Stepanakert
for the project, which is projected to be completed by 2001 in time
for the 1700th anniversary of Christianity being adopted as the official
religion of Armenia. |
| March 9 |
Armenian security forces
arrest four people and charge them with assaulting two aides to presidential
candidate Vazgen Manukian. The aides were attacked during an election
rally in the town of Ararat the previous day. OSCE election monitoring
officials, who are in Yerevan organizing the OSCE observer mission,
call on Armenian authorities to "vigorously pursue the investigation"
into the incident. |
| March 12 |
Nagorno Karabagh parliamentary
chairman Oleg Yessayan holds a press conference to mark his 100th
day in office. Yessayan states that the current session of parliament
is working to actually decrease the power and authority of the legislature
and to improve the quality of legislation. The parliamentary chairman
adds that the body is planning on introducing a series of structural
reforms and will focus on fostering the economic integration of Karabagh
with Armenia proper. |
| March 16 |
Special elections are
held for a new president due to the resignation of President Ter Petrosian.
A fairly large turnout of the country's 2.2 million eligible voters
is predicted. The election comprises twelve candidates and is being
monitored by international observers from the OSCE, the Council of
Europe, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Alleging
widespread electoral fraud, seven candidates, including Karen Demirchian,
Vazgen Manukian and Sergei Badalian, issue a joint statement an hour
before the end of the voting stating that the election can not be
considered free and fair regardless of its results. |
| March 18 |
Following recent meetings
with the visiting Nagorno Karabagh foreign minister during her visit
to Washington, several influential U.S. Members of Congress question
the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
during an official House hearing over delays in providing Nagorno
Karabagh with the $12.5 million in aid allocated by the U.S. Congress.
The AID head announces during the congressional hearing that his agency
will fund a child immunization program and is considering projects
aimed at restoring housing in Karabagh. The U.S. legislators express
concern over the delay in the assistance and cite the foreign minister's
report that the population of Nagorno Karabagh is the only group in
the entire region to have been denied U.S. humanitarian assistance.
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| March 19 |
The Central Electoral
Commission releases its "provisional" results from the first
round of the presidential race. The report shows acting President
Kocharian having received 38.82 percent of the vote, followed by former
Soviet-era communist leader Karen Demirchian with 30.62 percent, National
Democratic Union (NDU) leader Vazgen Manukian with 12.22 percent,
and Armenian Communist party head Sergei Badalian with 11.02 percent.
The remaining votes are split among the other eight candidates. Overall
voter turnout is estimated at 65 percent. According to the country's
electoral laws, a runoff election must be held since no candidate
received more than fifty percent of the vote. The run-off election
is scheduled for March 30. |
| March 19-20 |
The Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) issues a report stating that the
elections were "deeply flawed," but, that despite irregularities,
the outcome of the vote was not affected. The report states that voting
was normal at 85 percent of the polls they monitored, but they observed
electoral violations at the other 15 percent of the polling stations.
The OSCE delegation also states that "unauthorized persons,"
including armed policemen, were present at five percent of the 800
polling stations the OSCE mission had monitored during the first round
of the presidential election. The presence of police at polling stations
is strictly prohibited by electoral regulations. A representative
of candidate Karen Demirchian adds that their monitors have found
serious voting irregularities during a random check of ballots in
several precincts in Yerevan. The head of the Council of Europe election
observer delegation reports that although there were some violations
and irregularities in the voting procedures, the election was "acceptable
overall." |
| March 20 |
An earthquake, registering
4 points on the Richter scale, is detected 10 km south of Mardakert.
There are no reports of injuries or property damage |
| March 21 |
National Self-Determination
Union leader Pariur Hairikian announces his support for the candidacy
of acting President Robert Kocharian in the coming runoff election.
Hairikian, who garnered 5.4 percent of the vote in the first round,
has reportedly been offered a senior position in a possible Kocharian
government in return for his support. Kocharian's chief of staff Aleksan
Harutiunian adds that the promised post will most likely be to coordinate
state and legal reform. |
| March 23 |
Former Soviet-era communist
party leader Karen Demirchian alleges that he would have been elected
president with over 53 percent of the vote in the first-round election
if the elections had been free and fair. Demirchian accuses some allies
of Kocharian of exerting "enormous pressure" on his supporters.
He also alleges that the arrest of four of his campaign staff two
days earlier by interior ministry forces is an attempt to discredit
him. Interior ministry officials counter that the arrest was prompted
by the four men possessing illegal firearms and forged police identity
cards. Press reports of the incident reveal that one of the arrested
Demirchian aides has been identified as Mnatsakan Minassian, the former
bodyguard of Vano Siradeghian, former Yerevan mayor and leader of
the Armenian National Movement (ANM). |
| March 24 |
The head of the Union
of Constitutional Rights party, Hrant Khachatrian, announces his support
for Robert Kocharian for the March 30th run-off election. Khachatrian,
a candidate in the first round, joins former first-round candidates
Pariur Hairikian of the Union for Self-Determination and Aram Sarkisian
of the Democratic Party of Armenia in calling on their supporters
to elect Kocharian. Another former first-round candidate, National
Democratic Union leader Vazgen Manukian, announces he is withholding
his support, citing that he has "no convincing grounds"
that either Kocharian or Demirchian is capable of expediting democratization
in the country.
Members of the Nagorno Karabagh Union of Writers and Journalists and
the faculty of the Nagorno Karabagh State University issue a joint
statement criticizing unnamed Armenian presidential candidates for
attempting to "capitalize on the Karabagh conflict" during
their political campaigns. |
| March 25 |
In an address to students
at Yerevan State University, Defense Minister Vazgen Sarkisian states
that although the costs of maintaining a professional army is prohibitive,
Armenia's military is currently stronger than Azerbaijan's and he
expects the military advantage to stay with Armenia for the next two
to three years. The defense minister also refutes rumors over changes
to the terms of military conscription, promising that the two-year
term of mandatory military service will remain unchanged.
Acting President Robert Kocharian states that he favors significant
revision of the 1995 Armenian constitution to curtail the "excessively
broad" powers of the president and to balance the president's
relations with the office of the prime minister, the ministries, the
parliament and the judiciary. Kocharian adds that the president's
authority to disband the parliament must be revoked because it tends
to create domestic political conflict. |
| March 26 |
In response to mounting
allegations by some failed presidential candidates, Kocharian announces
that he has documentary evidence showing that supporters of some of
these rival candidates have engaged in procedural violations during
the March 16th vote. Kocharian adds that he was forced to dismiss
the prosecutor of Yerevan's Mashtots district for failure to pursue
criminal investigations into cases of electoral fraud and violations.
A meeting of senior parliamentary leaders convenes in Stepanakert
to review a report by Arkady Soghomonian, the head of the parliamentary
commission on education, science and social issues. The meeting also
reviews efforts to improve the legislative work of the parliament
and to complete the parliament's legislative agenda for the coming
months. |
| March 30 |
The second round of the
presidential race is held. Initial voting results show Kocharian leading
with 60 percent of the vote to Demirchian's 40 percent. However, these
are only preliminary figures and officials results are not expected
until April 1. |
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