Minister for Local Government Hovik Abrahamian tells “Aravot” that the governing Republican Party (HHK), of which he is a senior member, and tycoon Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia may form an alliance ahead of next year’s parliamentary election.
According to “168 Zham,” talks between the two political groups are already underway. The paper says they are discussing a post-election power-sharing deal that would make Prime Minister Andranik Markarian the speaker of the next Armenian parliament and Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian the president of the republic.
In an interview with “Haykakan Zhamanak,” National Democratic Union leader Vazgen Manukian makes a case for the formation of a “new opposition” in Armenia. Manukian says it will have to face up to the fact that regime change through free elections is impossible in modern-day Armenia.
“The opposition has no other option but to return to parliament,” opposition lawmaker Shavarsh Kocharian tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “Elections are on the horizon.”
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says the opposition has no “political differences” with the ruling regime and is only concerned with coming to power. “They were all in the same team in 1996 and continue to fight against the same enemy: the ‘criminal’ former regime,” writes the paper. “It’s just that since 1998 some of them have managed to position themselves close to the government manger, while the other have not and are now struggling to find their place in that tussle.”
Larisa Alaverdian, Armenia’s former human rights ombudsperson, tells “Iravunk” that her successor Armen Harutiunian will not be an independent figure. Alaverdian argues that Harutiunian has already made it clear that he does not like her aggressive advocacy of human rights.
“For a vast number of our citizens, affiliation with political parties of oligarchic origin is a real guarantee of obtaining social privileges and jobs,” comments “Taregir.” “As for grandiose programs and muddled sentences about the resolution of the Karabakh problem, they are mere pre-election bubbles.”
“If you go to negotiations with a sincere desire to make peace and do not achieve any progress, that is definitely a failure,” writes “Aravot.” “In this sense, both the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations failed at Rambouillet. But because both delegations were going there with an intent to cause the negotiations to break down -- and it happened so that the Azerbaijani side proved more intransigent than our leaders -- it can be said that Rambouillet was a great success for the Armenians and that the defense minister [Serzh Sarkisian] is right in that regard.”
“After all, the basis for Azerbaijan’s [hopes for a] military solution are its oil dollars,” political commentator Suren Zolian tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “But this very fact holds it hostage to the policies of great powers because for them what matters the most today is not Baku’s interests but stability.”
(Hrach Melkumian)
According to “168 Zham,” talks between the two political groups are already underway. The paper says they are discussing a post-election power-sharing deal that would make Prime Minister Andranik Markarian the speaker of the next Armenian parliament and Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian the president of the republic.
In an interview with “Haykakan Zhamanak,” National Democratic Union leader Vazgen Manukian makes a case for the formation of a “new opposition” in Armenia. Manukian says it will have to face up to the fact that regime change through free elections is impossible in modern-day Armenia.
“The opposition has no other option but to return to parliament,” opposition lawmaker Shavarsh Kocharian tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “Elections are on the horizon.”
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says the opposition has no “political differences” with the ruling regime and is only concerned with coming to power. “They were all in the same team in 1996 and continue to fight against the same enemy: the ‘criminal’ former regime,” writes the paper. “It’s just that since 1998 some of them have managed to position themselves close to the government manger, while the other have not and are now struggling to find their place in that tussle.”
Larisa Alaverdian, Armenia’s former human rights ombudsperson, tells “Iravunk” that her successor Armen Harutiunian will not be an independent figure. Alaverdian argues that Harutiunian has already made it clear that he does not like her aggressive advocacy of human rights.
“For a vast number of our citizens, affiliation with political parties of oligarchic origin is a real guarantee of obtaining social privileges and jobs,” comments “Taregir.” “As for grandiose programs and muddled sentences about the resolution of the Karabakh problem, they are mere pre-election bubbles.”
“If you go to negotiations with a sincere desire to make peace and do not achieve any progress, that is definitely a failure,” writes “Aravot.” “In this sense, both the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations failed at Rambouillet. But because both delegations were going there with an intent to cause the negotiations to break down -- and it happened so that the Azerbaijani side proved more intransigent than our leaders -- it can be said that Rambouillet was a great success for the Armenians and that the defense minister [Serzh Sarkisian] is right in that regard.”
“After all, the basis for Azerbaijan’s [hopes for a] military solution are its oil dollars,” political commentator Suren Zolian tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “But this very fact holds it hostage to the policies of great powers because for them what matters the most today is not Baku’s interests but stability.”
(Hrach Melkumian)