SEPTEMBER 29, 2018 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXIX, NO. 11, Issue 4555 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Trump Hails ‘New Era’ Pashinyan In Armenia WASHINGTON (RFE/RL) — US President Meets with Donald Trump has praised mass protests that led to regime change in Armenia in May and said his administration stands ready to help the new Community Armenian government implement sweeping reforms promised by it. “Armenia has much to celebrate this year,” Trump wrote to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Members in in a congratulatory message on the 27th anniver- sary of Armenia’s independence on September 21. New York “A peaceful, popular movement ushered in a new era in Armenia, and we look forward to working with you to help you execute the will of NEW YORK (Combined Sources) your people to combat corruption and to estab- — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in New lish representative, accountable governance, rule York for the opening session of the United of law buttressed by an independent judiciary, Nations, met on Sunday, September 23, and political and economic competition,” read with members of the Armenian community. the message publicized by Pashinyan’s office. During the reception, he spoke at length “I look forward to further strengthening the about the country’s political situation partnership that began between our countries Prime Minister Pashinyan speaks with the assembled guests listening. domestically as well as international ties. one hundred years ago,” it said. He addressed the results of the mayoral US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo similarly election in Yerevan, which netted his sup- saluted “remarkable changes” in Armenia. “The porters a landslide victory, and tied it to the Yerevan he will meet with representatives ment can be dissolved only if the prime peaceful popular movement that transformed upcoming parliamentary elections which of major political forces to discuss time minister resigns and lawmakers twice fail to the government has ushered in an exciting new he said he sought. frames for the snap elections. choose his or her replacement. Former chapter of Armenian history,” he said in a writ- Pashinyan said the outcome of the Meeting with members of the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s Republican ten statement. Yerevan polls gave him the mandate to community in New York later on Sunday, Party of Armenia (HHK) holds the largest Trump expressed Washington’s readiness to push for the dissolution of the current Pashinyan said that they must be held “as number of seats in the current legislature. work with the new authorities in Yerevan on Armenian parliament and to schedule snap soon as possible.” But he mentioned no Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived “the many areas of mutual interest” when he general elections. specific date. in New York on a working visit. In the congratulated Pashinyan on becoming prime The premier added that on his return to Under the Armenian constitution, parlia- evening of September 23, the head of the minister in May. Pashinyan said afterwards that government met with representatives of he would like to “strengthen and expand” US- New York, as well as with numerous com- Armenian relations. munity organizations and representatives The two leaders chatted briefly at a NATO of Armenian organizations. summit in Brussels in July. see PASHINYAN, page 20 Kocharyan Sues Pashinyan Bloc Wins Pashinyan for ‘Public Yerevan Mayoral Race Slander’ By Landslide YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan has filed a defama- YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Armenian Prime tion lawsuit against Prime Minister Nikol Edmond Azadian’s New Book Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s bloc scored a Pashinyan. Presented in Yerevan landslide victory in municipal elections in In the legal claim published on DataLex judi- Yerevan on September 23, in the first cial information system, the ex-president YEREVAN — Edmond major test of the new leader’s political demands “protection of his dignity and honor By Gohar Makaryan Y. Azadian’s new strength, according to final preliminary from public slander.” Armenian-language results. The lawsuit was filed on September 17 and has book, With My Time The Central Election Commission (CEC) been assigned to judge Hayarpi Zargaryan. and Contemporaries [Zhamanagi yev zhamanagagit- said on September 24 that Pashinyan’s My Kocharyan’s advocate, Hayk Alumyan details sneru hed] was presented at the Tekeyan Center in Step bloc received 81 percent of the votes, the claim is concerned with the PM’s recent Yerevan on September 19 in the presence of literary crit- far more than enough to have its top can- statement in France when he was addressing rep- ics, teachers and well known figures of Armenian art and Edmond Y. Azadian at his didate, popular actor and producer Hayk resentatives of the local Armenian community. see AZADIAN, page 3 Yerevan book presentation Marutyan, installed as mayor of Yerevan. “What does immunity mean? So what, is it per- see LANDSLIDE, page 2 mitted to organize people’s murder and then say, I am immune?” the premier said in his remarks. ‘Crows of the Desert’ Sheds Light on Little-Known Hero of the Genocide INSIDE WATERTOWN — Documentaries on the By Alin K. Gregorian Armenian Genocide, it seems, are having Mirror-Spectator Staff a moment. Take, for example, “Crows of the Desert: A Hero’s Journey Through Guests with the Armenian Genocide,” written, direct- ed and produced by Emmy Award winner Marta Houske. The film tells the incredible story of one man’s heroism during the Armenian Endives Genocide. It has been shown at numerous film festivals and won several awards, much to the delight of Houske. “Crows” tells the story of Levon Yotnakhparian, Page 14 many members of whose family were killed during the Armenian Genocide. He was one of the lucky ones who escaped, however, he went back to the desert again and again to rescue fellow Armenians. The film will have its Boston-area premier on Sunday, October 7, at 4.30 INDEX p.m. at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, and kick off the Arts and Living . 12 2018 edition of the Arlington International Film Festival. Armenia . 2,3 see CROWS, page 13 Community News. 6 Editorial . 17 Armenian Expeditionary Rescue Group, standing, from left, Yesayi Kereshekian, International . 4,5 Garabed Kavafian, Hovhannes Kavafian, and Levon Yotnakhparian seated and his younger brother, Dikran, is seated on the floor. 2 S ATURDAY, S EPTEMBER 2 9 , 2 0 1 8 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Armenia Criminalizes Electoral Bribery, Fraud YEREVAN (Arka) — The Armenian parliament approved on September 7 in the second and final reading a set of legislative changes that criminalize election bribery. First Deputy Minister of Justice Artur Hovhanisyan said the changes set a tougher criminal punishment for offering people various enticements to vote for a particular candidate or party in return for cash or goods. He said the crime of electoral bribery has been moved from the Code of Administrative Offenses to the Criminal Code. He said the changes provide not only for punish- ment in the form of a fine, but also for imprison- ment. In particular, giving an election bribe leads to a fine of 2.5-3 million drams or to 2-3- month arrest Hayk Marutyan on the campaign trail or imprisonment. According to him, the changes ban any charitable activity during the pre-election campaign. He also noted that receiving or demanding a bribe is also criminalized. Pashinyan Bloc Wins Yerevan Echmiadzin Police Discover Cannabis Farms Mayoral Race by Landslide YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Police officers in Echmiadzin discovered two cannabis farms in the nearby village of Hovtamej amid anti-narcotic opera- LANDSLIDE, from page 1 Pashinyan actively participated in based on his anticorruption and eco- tions. The farms were located in the backyards of two Businessman Gagik Tsarukian’s the local election campaign, portraying nomic reform stance, twice called for a homes, owned by local men. Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) the vote in Yerevan, where nearly half high turnout during voting. Police said that the owners are brothers, 70 and 65 came in a distant second with 7 per- of the country’s population lives, as a “I hope that my fellow citizens today years of age. cent, followed by the Luys alliance, referendum on his political future. He will very actively participate in the vote The 70-year-old was cultivating cannabis in his which got 5 percent, the CEC said. said he needed a “strong mandate” to and won’t stay at home because there is backyard with special irrigation, air conditioning and Both groups have ministerial posts in push for the holding of snap parlia- no doubt that you are the ones who will thermal systems. Pashinyan’s cabinet. mentary elections in Armenia in the decide [the election outcome],” he said in Officers confiscated 127 individual cannabis The nine other contenders in the coming months. a live video address aired on Facebook on plants with a total weight of 26 kilograms from the vote, including the parliamentary Citing the election outcome, a close the morning of election day. farm. The man also had a sawed-off shotgun in his Armenian Revolutionary Federation Pashinyan associate, First Deputy Pashinyan made the same appeal possession. (ARF), fared much worse. Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoian, said late in the afternoon amid signs that The 70-year-old’s brother operated a similar farm, Under Armenian law, alliances need that the premier has received such a Yerevan voters were not turning out in where officers found 52 plants weighing 8 kilograms. to win at least 8 percent of the vote to mandate. Mirzoian declined to specu- large numbers.