Government Decision on Armentel Sparks Protests

[09.11.2004]

Telephone stations workers intend to go on strike to express their attitude
toward Armenian government’s recent decision giving ArmenTel sole control over
IP telephony.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1858

Government Picks New Mobile Operator In One-Day ‘Tender’

[04.11.2004]

Raising fresh questions about its transparency and integrity, the government
unexpectedly announced Thursday the name of Armenia’s second mobile phone
operator as a result of what it described as a competitive “tender” that took
less than a day.

The purported bidding, which may well be the quickest in world history, appears
to have been a mere formality. It was called and administered during a weekly
cabinet meeting which lasted for less than two hours.

An ensuing government statement did not specify which telecom firms took part in
it or what their proposals were. It said only that the license to provide mobile
phone services was given to a company called K-Telecom.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1853

“Investigative Journalists” Still Have a Chance to Win the Suit against
Yerevan Municipality

[05.11.2004]

On October 29 the RA Court of Cassation secured the suit of “Investigative
Journalists” NGO versus the municipality of Yerevan. On September 23 the
organization challenged with the supreme jurisdiction body of the country the
ruling of the RA Court of Appeals of September 16, 2004, that had left the
decision of the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash
communities of Yerevan of June 21 unchanged. As it has been reported, the courts
of primary and secondary jurisdiction did not secure the demand of the plaintiff
to the Yerevan administration to provide it with documents necessary for
journalistic investigation: the resolutions of the municipality of 1997-2003 on
the constructions in the public green zone around the National Opera and Ballet
Theater.

The Court of Cassation ruled to send the case back to the consideration of the
Court of Appeals with a new composition. Thus, the “Investigative Journalists”
along with the public at large now have a chance to finally get an answer to the
question: what were the legal grounds behind the boost in construction of
entertaining institutions in one of most beautiful and once the greenest spots
of Yerevan?


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1854

U.S. Concerned About Cancellation Of RFE/RL TV Show In Armenia

[05.11.2004]

The United States has expressed concern at the abrupt cancellation of a
television program of RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that was due to be broadcast by
a Yerevan-based private channel on a weekly basis.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1855

Pace N1405 Resolution Criticized

[09.11.2004]

Partnership for Open Society initiative staged a round table on
Tuesday to discuss the PACE recent resolutions and reports on how Armenia is
fulfilling its CE commitments.

The PACE resolution N1405 adopted at the PACE fall session and Teri Davis report
were criticized by the round table participants.

They noted either the report or the resolution was ill-disposed toward Armenia
and could have adverse consequences for the republic, especially if taken as
basic documents by the CE.

The initiative members expressed their opinion saying the resolution didn’t
reflect the real situation.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1856