“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” reports that two brothers shot at each other in Yerevan in broad daylight on Thursday. The paper identifies them as Yura and Manvel and says they are known as “mini-oligarchs” operating under the “business tutelage” of Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian. “The two brothers are originally from [Hovsepian’s native district of] Aparan and run the Shant [dairy] factory. Also associated with them is an eponymous restaurant and the Yerevan TV company,” it says.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says well-built men connected to the brothers did not let its correspondent collect more information at the scene of the shootout. “Local residents and youths told us that they heard gunshots and verbal abuse but did not approach [the scene,] figuring that that is a family dispute and that they should stay away from it.”
“Hayk” reports that Bako Sahakian listened to jazz music in Stepanakert in his first public appearance since winning the Nagorno-Karabakh presidential election last month. The paper says he had mainly listened to folk and popular music before his election triumph. “By a strange coincidence, like Robert Kocharian, the newly elected president of Nagorno-Karabakh is now a big fan of jazz … Let us hope that their similarities will be confined to this. Especially given the fact that this jazz concert [in Stepanakert] took place without extraordinary incidents. In particular, during the concert Bako Sahakian’s bodyguards did not carelessly rough up anyone in the toilet.”
“Both in the past and now, the nationalist opposition in Azerbaijan has exerted strong pressure on the country’s leadership, demanding that no concessions be made on the Karabakh issue,” writes “Hayots Ashkhar.” “It will further toughen its stance in the future. Our opposition, on the other hand, is rubbing its hands and waiting for the outside world to exert pressure on the Armenian authorities and force them to make concessions on Karabakh so that they face a dilemma of abandoning either principles or power. A question arises. Who benefits from that? Our country, statehood or people? Obviously, nobody except several opposition leaders seeking power.”
“Iskakan Iravunk” reports that several Armenian provincial governors will be sacked in early autumn. The paper says among them is Surik Khachatrian, the controversial governor of the mountainous Syunik region. It says Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian is well aware of Khachatrian’s services to his party and the government in general, especially during elections, but has to “take into account the deep and desperate discontent of the region’s population which has accumulated over the past 15 years.” Sarkisian and other Armenian leaders also have “serious doubts about Khachatrian’s loyalty,” according to “Iskakan Iravunk.”
(Armen Dulian)
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says well-built men connected to the brothers did not let its correspondent collect more information at the scene of the shootout. “Local residents and youths told us that they heard gunshots and verbal abuse but did not approach [the scene,] figuring that that is a family dispute and that they should stay away from it.”
“Hayk” reports that Bako Sahakian listened to jazz music in Stepanakert in his first public appearance since winning the Nagorno-Karabakh presidential election last month. The paper says he had mainly listened to folk and popular music before his election triumph. “By a strange coincidence, like Robert Kocharian, the newly elected president of Nagorno-Karabakh is now a big fan of jazz … Let us hope that their similarities will be confined to this. Especially given the fact that this jazz concert [in Stepanakert] took place without extraordinary incidents. In particular, during the concert Bako Sahakian’s bodyguards did not carelessly rough up anyone in the toilet.”
“Both in the past and now, the nationalist opposition in Azerbaijan has exerted strong pressure on the country’s leadership, demanding that no concessions be made on the Karabakh issue,” writes “Hayots Ashkhar.” “It will further toughen its stance in the future. Our opposition, on the other hand, is rubbing its hands and waiting for the outside world to exert pressure on the Armenian authorities and force them to make concessions on Karabakh so that they face a dilemma of abandoning either principles or power. A question arises. Who benefits from that? Our country, statehood or people? Obviously, nobody except several opposition leaders seeking power.”
“Iskakan Iravunk” reports that several Armenian provincial governors will be sacked in early autumn. The paper says among them is Surik Khachatrian, the controversial governor of the mountainous Syunik region. It says Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian is well aware of Khachatrian’s services to his party and the government in general, especially during elections, but has to “take into account the deep and desperate discontent of the region’s population which has accumulated over the past 15 years.” Sarkisian and other Armenian leaders also have “serious doubts about Khachatrian’s loyalty,” according to “Iskakan Iravunk.”
(Armen Dulian)