Մատչելիության հղումներ

Press Review


“Hayastani Hanrapetutyun” complains that the Armenian opposition constantly refers to “European standards” but refuses to be guided by them.

“That’s it. Armenia can be shut down,” editorializes “Hayots Ashkhar.” The problem, the paper says, is that there are too many people in Armenia obsessed with “evil and enmity.” “The [opposition] crowd is also sick and embittered.” “Hayots Ashkhar” says “objective and impartial observers” would see that Stepan Demirchian poses “serious danger to the future of our statehood.” “Stepan Demirchian’s entourage increasingly resembles a collection of various failed and discredited politicians and parties.”

“Haykakan Zhamanak” says the state propaganda machine has “restored its famous 1998 trick” and is now trying to persuade Armenians that Demirchian, like his late father, is backed by the “former regime” of Levon Ter-Petrosian. The paper presents a long list of currently serving government officials who used to be members of Ter-Petrosian’s inner circle. Among them are Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian, Agriculture Minister David Zadoyan, Local Government Minister Hovik Abrahamian, Environment Minister Vartan Ayvazian and Transport Minister Andranik Manukian.

“Orran” says most ordinary people are now so united as if they are fighting against “an alien, enemy regime.” They have ended “the legend about the incumbent president’s invincibility.” “He has been defeated, but is still in power, and nobody can fail to reckon with this fact. He is dangerous for everybody -- both for his own people who let him down by failing to ensure his first-round victory and, even more so, for the opposition which is openly demanding his resignation.” As for Artashes Geghamian, “the opposition no longer needs him.”

“Aravot” dismisses as ridiculous speculation that opposition activists were also involved in irregularities. The paper says that one can not even compare the resources wielded by the authorities and the opposition. “All chairmen of the electoral commissions were appointed by Kocharian. So was the majority of commission members. Besides, the army, police and other power structures were also working for Kocharian’s reelection. Not to mention domestic oligarchs and thousands of state bureaucrats.” To falsify the election in favor of an opposition candidate in such conditions would be a “miracle.” According to the same logic, the Central Election Commission also secretly worked for the opposition by lowering Kocharian’s percentage points initially received from polling stations.

(Vache Sarkisian)
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