Մատչելիության հղումներ

Press Review


The Armenian press on Wednesday continues its coverage of president Robert Kocharian's controversial decision to strip former defense minister Vagharshak Harutiunian of the rank of Lieutenant-General.

"Orran" carries the commentaries of several politicians, who criticize
Kocharian's decree. "We consider Robert Kocharian an illegitimate
president, with all his decisions and decrees", says Albert Bazeyan, the leader of the "Hanrapetutyun" opposition party. The president's decision is disgraceful, says a member of "Armat" organization, Karapet Rubinian. The representative of the governing board of Dashnaktsutyun Gegham Manukian says that his party neither welcomes nor condemns the demotion of General Vagharshak Harutiunian. And the leader of the party's parliamentary faction, Aghvan Vartanian says: "Sometimes we hear complaints that there are too many generals".
The Chairman of the Armenian liberal party, HRAK told 'Orran' that he supports Kocharian's decree. The Deputy-Speaker of parliament, Tigran Torosian also reiterates that "If I were the president, I would have demoted other generals too".

In an interview to "Aravot", former Prime Minister Aram Sarkisian believes that if Vagharshak Harutiunian succeeded to be the only army officer to be involved in politics, then he should have been promoted, because he kept the army away from politics.

Wednesday's editorial of "Hayots Ashkhar" focuses on the issue of the
occupation by Israeli forces of a patch of territory belonging to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The paper wonders why the Armenian Church in Echmiadzin and the Armenian foreign ministry didn't react to the occupation. "Armenia can not be an ignorant observer on this issue which has enormous value for the Armenian
people and for the Armenian Church", the "Hayots Ashkhar" writes. Armenia should use all international organizations to raise this issue with the same vigor as Israel does in defending the rights of Jews around world, the paper concludes.

"Azg" published an explanation issued by the Armenian Church in Jerusalem. "The Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem has no other choice other than appealing to the local and international media as well ask for justice". The paper says, that Israel continues to ignore the complaints of the Armenian church.

"Orran" newspaper reports on the last press conference of the former head of the Yerevan office of the World Bank, Owaise Saadat. "We are no longer dancing tango with the Armenian government. We now work hard for the Armenian people and dancing "Kochary" with everyone as equal partners. I will write in my autobiography that I worked in Armenia 4 years with 4 prime ministers, 4ministers of finance, 4 ministers of agriculture, 5 ministers of ecology, 3 ministers of education and 3 ministers of energy" the former head of the World Bank's Yerevan office told a press conference.

Hrach Melkumian
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