“Aravot” reports that the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) will not comment on prosecutors’ decision to consider the beating to death of one of its activists by presidential bodyguards a “negligent murder.” The paper finds the official definition of the crime very strange, saying that “there is no such thing in the nature.” Dashnaktsutyun’s parliamentary leader, Armen Rustamian, says the nationalist party will assess the authorities’ handling of the case only after the completion of the criminal investigation. He says the Dashnaks “will not politicize” it, an indication that the case has not dampened their support of Robert Kocharian.
Dashnak daily “Yerkir,” not surprisingly, appears to be more preoccupied with the “Turkophile” opponents of Kocharian who it says are ready to “give Artsakh (Karabakh) to Azerbaijan and see Armenia embracing Turkey.” The spread of “pro-Turkish views” is part of the former ruling HHSh’s and its allies’ strategy of regaining power, according to the paper.
“Hayots Ashkhar,” another pro-Kocharian publication, picks up this point to renew its attacks on the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission. (HHSh leader Alexander Arzumanian is one of its members.) The paper shrugs off the commission’s latest decision to seek an independent study on the applicability of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention to the Armenian massacres. The Turks, it says, have prepared “a new trap” for the Armenians. “The [international] mediators will not try to establish the truth. They will instead make a decision that will allow the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission to continue its work.” International experts will come up with “an artificial compromise” that will serve as a cover for its “pro-Turkish activities,” “Hayots Ashkhar” concludes.
“Azg” writes that the Armenian opposition is bound to take credit for the failure of the energy sector privatization, without asking itself whether that is good or bad for the country. Yet the reality for the centrist paper is that the bidding failed because of external factors rather than the opposition clamor. Armenia is just not attractive to Western energy companies.
“Iravunk” says Ashot Manucharian is taking Artashes Geghamian’s place in the opposition troika. The two men are “incompatible” not just because they hate each other. Like most other opposition leaders, they are fighting to win Russia’s sympathy, which they think is crucial for the success of their assault on Kocharian.
(Vache Sarkisian)
Dashnak daily “Yerkir,” not surprisingly, appears to be more preoccupied with the “Turkophile” opponents of Kocharian who it says are ready to “give Artsakh (Karabakh) to Azerbaijan and see Armenia embracing Turkey.” The spread of “pro-Turkish views” is part of the former ruling HHSh’s and its allies’ strategy of regaining power, according to the paper.
“Hayots Ashkhar,” another pro-Kocharian publication, picks up this point to renew its attacks on the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission. (HHSh leader Alexander Arzumanian is one of its members.) The paper shrugs off the commission’s latest decision to seek an independent study on the applicability of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention to the Armenian massacres. The Turks, it says, have prepared “a new trap” for the Armenians. “The [international] mediators will not try to establish the truth. They will instead make a decision that will allow the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission to continue its work.” International experts will come up with “an artificial compromise” that will serve as a cover for its “pro-Turkish activities,” “Hayots Ashkhar” concludes.
“Azg” writes that the Armenian opposition is bound to take credit for the failure of the energy sector privatization, without asking itself whether that is good or bad for the country. Yet the reality for the centrist paper is that the bidding failed because of external factors rather than the opposition clamor. Armenia is just not attractive to Western energy companies.
“Iravunk” says Ashot Manucharian is taking Artashes Geghamian’s place in the opposition troika. The two men are “incompatible” not just because they hate each other. Like most other opposition leaders, they are fighting to win Russia’s sympathy, which they think is crucial for the success of their assault on Kocharian.
(Vache Sarkisian)