Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

Lfik Samo Went On Mashtots Avenue
Haik Aramyan
Monday, 02 September 2013

http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/30789

Something symptomatic happened at the Covered Market of Yerevan. An action in defense of the Covered Market was expected, and Member of Parliament Alexanyan went on to take a preventive step. He mobilized a contingent from his companies and neighborhood and deployed them on Mashtots Avenue for a counteraction. It was really gorgeous. Women on the “payroll”, the mob of Malatia community, accidental people, “activists” transported by taxis who were explained their mission on the spot.
The participants of the civic movement took an interesting step. They did not arrive at the market, leaving Samvel Alexanyan alone with his contingent. And while the contingent is holding a demonstration, Samvel Alexanyan has appeared in an awkward situation.
He tried to tease the activists but was ridiculed instead. Now he has to ensure presence of people on Mashtots Avenue 24 hours a day. Civil activists will always be nearby. They may not appear at the Market for days but Samvel Alexanyan understands that they may appear there any time. After opening the supermarket he will have to keep there not only the police but also the mob until human dignity wakes up in the police and even the mob.
Yerevan is boiling, the people of Yerevan have at last got rid of the yoke of the authorities and political parties and set to defend the city from “capturers”. Samvel Alexanyan did not learn a lesson from case of his friend Ruben Hairapetyan, therefore he will always be a stranger and will be boycotted on Mashtots Avenue and in Yerevan generally. Like nobody goes to Ruben Hairapetyan’s restaurant in Avan, and those who go are reprehended.
At last Yerevan moved, and will put everyone in their places, their real places.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

Samvel Alexanyan Will Be Arrested
Haik Aramyan
Monday, 02 September 2013

It’s been two days the civil movement Liberate Monument from Oligarch holds protest in front of the Covered Market. The owner of the building of the market MP Samvel Alexanyan has deployed his “entourage” and women who had already proved their combat readiness during the previous elections. Yesterday the women even celebrated their victory.
In this context, the statement of the representatives of the City Hall and the Ministry of Culture (the two government agencies which are in charge of this matter) on what is happening to the Covered Market is a violation of the law, and they are unable to do anything. In fact, these officials have reported a crime by means of the press.
According to the law, the Armenian law enforcement agencies, the Police and the Office of the Prosecutor General, have to follow up on this report, especially that its authors are state authorities. A criminal case must be brought, and the prosecutor general must solicit the parliament to strip the member of parliament of immunity.
Are the chief of police Vova Gasparyan and prosecutor general Aghvan Hovsepyan going to follow up on this report?
A few days is left till the end of Aghvan Hovsepyan’s office, and others will have to solicit the parliament. Besides, he is the president emeritus of Nig-Aparan Union of Compatriots, while the president and key donor is Samvel Alexanyan.
As to Vova Gasparyan, everything is clear – there must be an order from above. The point is that Samvel Alexanyan is also one of the main “donors” of the government.
There is another circumstance: Samvel Alexanyan has stated “officially” that he owns nothing, and it is all his wife’s property and business. And perhaps the law enforcement agencies need time to find out whether Samvel Alexanyan or his wife has violated the law.

[londontsi]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

Lfik Samo Went On Mashtots Avenue
Haik Aramyan
Monday, 02 September 2013

http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/30789

Like nobody goes to Ruben Hairapetyan’s restaurant in Avan, and those who go are reprehended.

Is this actually true?
I hope it is.
.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

I suspect that the real goal of Aleksanyan was to remove the traders - small-scale capitalism by owner-suppliers is exactly what the criminal oligarchs like Aleksanyan do not want. They prefer to have a monopoly, and sell their own heavily processed and manaufactured products, often imported, rather than unprocessed local production. That's probably why Aleksanyan chose to destroy the covered market rather than go for the easier route and build a new, custom-built supermarket on another site.

What are they saying?

[Haykakan]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

What are they saying?

The merchants are saying they have been told there will be renovations and they must be gone by that date but no return date has been given to them. There is a hotline setup about the renovation but no one answers the phone.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

Scientific conferences useless unless we stop destroying monuments – protest in Yerevan (video)

25.09.13

While the Matenadaran (institute of ancient manuscripts) was hosting Wednesday afternoon a scientific conference devoted to cultural heritage issues, a group of Armenian activists staged a rally outside the building to attract attention to Yerevan’s Covered Market.

“Such scientific conferences are important but if theory is not going to be put into practice, if conferences are going to be held here, with monuments being destroyed at the other end of the street, this conference makes absolutely no sense,” said Gevorg Safaryan, a protester.


On behalf of the crowd, he called upon the conference participants to express their opinion on the city authorities’ decision to reconstruct the Covered Market (which is registered as a historical monument). “We call upon the participants to have their contribution to the monument’s preservation. As long as our monuments keep being destroyed by Armenians, we do not have the moral right to demand that our enemies preserve monument,” he said.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/09/25/matenadaran1/

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

DIVIDE AND RULE IS ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES' WEAPON - ACTIVIST
Armenian News - Tert.am 26.09.13

The authorities are guiding themselves by the divide and rule principle
by seeking to drive a wedge between the Armenian society and the
Diaspora, an activist has said, commenting on the ongoing protests
near the Yerevan Covered Market.

"The so-called supporters of Samvel Alexanyan [the businessman-MP
who is the market's owener] were very negatively disposed to the
Diaspora-Armenians," Karo Yeghnukyan, a member of the Pre-parliament
group, told a news conference on Thursday.

The activist noted that the protest against the market's reconstruction
sees the civil society undertaking the obligations of the political
forces in protecting the historical monument.

Yeghnukyan said that the civil campaign requires justice today, adding
that the laws in Armenia do not offer an effective protection to the
Covered Market.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

U.K. Ambassador At Covered Market
Hakob Badalyan
10 October 2013

http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/31074

News.am has published a snapshot of the UK ambassador Jonathan Aves who shopped at the Covered Market on October 9, put the bags in his car, watched the building and left.
Every person, including foreign diplomats, have the right to shop wherever they want. The Covered Market, however, is a sensitive issue. Does the ambassador know about it or not?
Of course, the Covered Market is the problem of the Armenian society which goes for fight against unlawfulness. However, an ambassador is concerned, which is important because the Armenian society continues to think of ambassadors of developed countries, including the United Kingdom, as partners in democratization and development of Armenia.
It is understood that the Constitution and legislation of Armenia limit considerably the participation of these partners in the process of democratization and civil society building in Armenia. It is also understood that these partners provide essential support within these limits.
However, it is highly important to be consistent and principled, including at the moral and psychological level.
What would the honorable ambassador do if a tycoon built a mall in the United Kingdom despite legislative limitations and infringing state order? And what would they do to this tycoon in the United Kingdom? What do they usually do with offenders there?
No doubt the British, and generally the Western civilization is strong thanks to the uncompromising attitude to law which is binding for everyone independent from one’s position and social status. Therefore, an offender cannot be encouraged either legally or morally.
Meanwhile, buying things from the Covered Market is equal to moral support to unlawfulness. Not only the citizens but also public administration bodies have stated that the Covered Market was built with violations of state order and legislation.
So, what’s the point of encouraging illegality? After all, the ambassadors, including those of the United Kingdom, have called the Armenian government to fight monopoly and oligopoly, ensure a competitive and lawful environment to encourage flow of foreign investments to Armenia. The Covered Market is a vivid example of trespassing by monopolies and oligopolies.
The civil activists of Armenia have called to boycott the Covered Market as shopping there means supporting unlawfulness. Ambassadors to Armenia who call for rule of law every now and then should also be mindful of the call of the civil society.
They are free to shop anywhere unless their freedom is not limited by some specific features of the seller that jeopardize public confidence in diplomats acting as partners in democratization, rule of law and civil society building.
This episode may be a small detail to support to Armenians in democratization but the devil is in the details, as the British say.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

Samvel Alexanyan's Nightmare
10 October 2013

http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/country/view/31069

Yesterday the Save the Monument from Oligarch Initiative went on protest in front of the Covered Market. Protests will be held every day. The owner of the market MP Samvel Alexanyan again deployed his supporters who shouted “grant-eaters, Turks” and other phrases in the address of the activists.
The participants of the action left the Covered Market, leaving Samvel Alexanyan’s shouting supporters alone but promised to return soon, therefore the “supporters” could not decide for a long time whether to leave or not.
Filmmaker Tigran Khzmalyan advised the activists to use Facebook to call for a boycott of the Yerevan City chain of supermarkets.
The initiative has adopted an effective mechanism that makes Samvel Alexanyan keep his stores under daily control. Besides the police, he needs teams of “supporters” who will keep the stores under 24-hour scrutiny. The more populous the actions become, the higher the number of teams will grow.
Samvel Alexanyan will then have to maintain an army. At some point he will have to launch his guard of security staff and the mob which will clash with the citizens. Then the number of police officers will multiply.
So, who will be more persistent?

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Yerevan's famous covered market demolished

Armenia Can Tap Bonds As Long As Lfik Samo Is There
Hakob Badalyan
07 October 2013

http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/31042

The first tapping of sovereign bonds was a success, and instead of criticizing the failure the opposition is criticizing the success of the government, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated in response to the opponents of sovereign bonds.
The Armenian government considers the first tap to be a success and refers to it as an indicator of confidence of international investors in Armenia.
While foreign investors trust Armenia, Armenia continues to watch the confidence progress of local investors. In particular, Samvel Alexanyan, a.k.a. Lfik Samo, “rents out” a church for his children’s baptism and opens supermarkets. On October 7 his next supermarket is opened in the place of the former Covered Market. Many people are aware of developments relating to the Covered Market. Even Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, having no to-the-point answer to the question of Member of Parliament Nikol Pashinyan, went on to announce that Pashinyan is a populist.
Pashinyan may be a populist but it does not make illegal construction of the Covered Market legal. And the question to Tigran Sargsyan was about this. It is hard to believe that a country where an oligarch is free to take any place and build there a supermarket or a mall without a permit will enjoy the confidence of foreign investors.
Yet this is a paradox. Foreign investors trust the country and buy bonds for several hundreds of dollars. These investors are sure that the Armenian government will violate the rights of its citizens and laws but will repay everything with interests.
Samvel Alexanyan and his Covered Market is just another safeguard. If Armenia finds itself in a difficult situation, Samvel Alexanyan will help regain European confidence and be rewarded with another plot of land and another permit for illegal construction. Everything is crisp and clear, and foreign investors appreciate such clarity and stability. They do not care for the rates of economic development, growth, quality and structure in Armenia. All they care for is whether the Armenian government is able to violate the rights and freedoms of its people and grab from the society whatever it can.
In this regard, Samvel Alexanyan is one of the indicators of confidence in the Armenian government abroad, and as long as his supermarkets move forward, foreign investors will be confident for their money.
Armenian sovereign bonds are Kardashian in name but in nature they are Alexanyan because that is the nature of the Armenian economy