“With only several days remaining before the [presidential] elections, it can be stated that the authorities have achieved their goal,” editorializes “Aravot.” “Relations among the opposition candidates are bad, while relations between each of them and Levon Ter-Petrosian are very bad. While everything is clear in the case of Artashes Geghamian, when it comes to Vazgen Manukian, Artur Baghdasarian or Vahan Hovannisian one can not say that Ter-Petrosian has nothing to do with tensions in the opposition camp.”
Even so, continues “Aravot,” it is wrong to blame those tensions on Ter-Petrosian “against the background of the cynical, mean and blunt propaganda which has been unleashed against him by our ‘responsible’ TV companies.” “Months or perhaps weeks later they will be saying, ‘We were forced to do that,’” concludes the paper.
“Ter-Petrosian’s campaign tactic is based on not persuading Armenian voters but provoking government reaction by escalating the situation,” contends “Hayots Ashkhar.” “The purpose of that is to become a hero and mislead international public opinion.” The pro-government paper says Ter-Petrosian’s main goal is not to win the election but “solve some political issues in the post-election period.”
“The movement led by Ter-Petrosian is really popular because only the people could consolidate and bring together so many diverse forces,” editorializes “Haykakan Zhamanak.” The paper finds noteworthy the fact that none of some two dozen opposition parties supporting Ter-Petrosian has ever been aligned with Robert Kocharian or Serzh Sarkisian. “In this sense, it is very logical that Artur Baghdasarian’s Orinats Yerkir Party is flirting with Serzh Sarkisian. After all, Orinats Yerkir is a political force that has always been by the Kocharian-Sarkisian duo’s side. It supported Robert Kocharian’s candidacy in 2003.”
“If Levon Ter-Petrosian had joined Artur Baghdasarian together with forces supporting him he would have become a hero,” Baghdasarian’s campaign manager, Heghine Bisharian, tells “Iskakan Iravunk.” “We would have won already in the first round. If Artur Baghdasarian had joined Levon Ter-Petrosian we would have lost many votes.”
“Taregir” wonders if the Central Election Commission (CEC) will announce “the real results” of the election on February 20. “Optimists believe that will be the case and Levon Ter-Petrosian will win in the first round,” writes the pro-Ter-Petrosian paper. “Pessimists say that regardless of the election results the CEC will either declare Serzh Sarkisian the ‘winner’ or call a second round [of voting] between Serzh Sarkisian and his client Artur Baghdasarian. This is a scenario which could become a reality only in case of large-scale falsifications.”
(Atom Markarian)
Even so, continues “Aravot,” it is wrong to blame those tensions on Ter-Petrosian “against the background of the cynical, mean and blunt propaganda which has been unleashed against him by our ‘responsible’ TV companies.” “Months or perhaps weeks later they will be saying, ‘We were forced to do that,’” concludes the paper.
“Ter-Petrosian’s campaign tactic is based on not persuading Armenian voters but provoking government reaction by escalating the situation,” contends “Hayots Ashkhar.” “The purpose of that is to become a hero and mislead international public opinion.” The pro-government paper says Ter-Petrosian’s main goal is not to win the election but “solve some political issues in the post-election period.”
“The movement led by Ter-Petrosian is really popular because only the people could consolidate and bring together so many diverse forces,” editorializes “Haykakan Zhamanak.” The paper finds noteworthy the fact that none of some two dozen opposition parties supporting Ter-Petrosian has ever been aligned with Robert Kocharian or Serzh Sarkisian. “In this sense, it is very logical that Artur Baghdasarian’s Orinats Yerkir Party is flirting with Serzh Sarkisian. After all, Orinats Yerkir is a political force that has always been by the Kocharian-Sarkisian duo’s side. It supported Robert Kocharian’s candidacy in 2003.”
“If Levon Ter-Petrosian had joined Artur Baghdasarian together with forces supporting him he would have become a hero,” Baghdasarian’s campaign manager, Heghine Bisharian, tells “Iskakan Iravunk.” “We would have won already in the first round. If Artur Baghdasarian had joined Levon Ter-Petrosian we would have lost many votes.”
“Taregir” wonders if the Central Election Commission (CEC) will announce “the real results” of the election on February 20. “Optimists believe that will be the case and Levon Ter-Petrosian will win in the first round,” writes the pro-Ter-Petrosian paper. “Pessimists say that regardless of the election results the CEC will either declare Serzh Sarkisian the ‘winner’ or call a second round [of voting] between Serzh Sarkisian and his client Artur Baghdasarian. This is a scenario which could become a reality only in case of large-scale falsifications.”
(Atom Markarian)