“Haykakan Zhamanak” claims that the Armenian authorities will comply with the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly resolution on Armenia not so much under pressure from Strasbourg as from the domestic opposition led by Levon Ter-Petrosian. “If the Serzh-led authorities fail to meet those demands within the defined period, namely by June, they will be in greater trouble,” Nikol Pashinian, the fugitive editor of the opposition paper. “Because our movement is unstoppable, our victory inevitable.”
Political commentator Eduard Antinian attacks Ter-Petrosian in an interview with “Hayots Ashkhar,” saying that with his decade-long silence the former president “catered for Robert Kocharian’s interests.” He claims that throughout Kocharian’s rule opposition newspapers supporting Ter-Petrosian were more critical of the opposition than the authorities. “Ter-Petrosian was doing everything to convince people that his time is not yet up,” says Antinian. “But the situation now is such that somebody must be held accountable for what happened [on March 1] and the [resulting] casualties.”
“Zhamanak Yerevan” says that Armenian courts have a unique opportunity to become independent by acquitting arrested opposition activists. The paper believes that failure to do so would “lead the judicial system to self-destruction and thereby endanger state security.” “As of today, the courts have definitely opted for the latter path,” it says.
“Hayk” says that 80 percent of the content of the new Armenian government’s program is identical with that of the previous cabinet headed by Serzh Sarkisian. “All major differences that existed between the election manifestos of presidential candidates never found compromise solutions,” comments the paper. “Artur Baghdasarian, for example, was promising tax cuts, a professional army, a doubling of salaries and pensions, affordable housing for everyone, a full return of frozen [Soviet-era] bank savings, the return of 300,000 migrants [who left Armenia,] and many other nice things.” The new government, in which Baghdasarian’s Orinats Yerkir party is represented by two ministers, has made no such promises, argues the opposition daily.
(Armen Dulian)
Political commentator Eduard Antinian attacks Ter-Petrosian in an interview with “Hayots Ashkhar,” saying that with his decade-long silence the former president “catered for Robert Kocharian’s interests.” He claims that throughout Kocharian’s rule opposition newspapers supporting Ter-Petrosian were more critical of the opposition than the authorities. “Ter-Petrosian was doing everything to convince people that his time is not yet up,” says Antinian. “But the situation now is such that somebody must be held accountable for what happened [on March 1] and the [resulting] casualties.”
“Zhamanak Yerevan” says that Armenian courts have a unique opportunity to become independent by acquitting arrested opposition activists. The paper believes that failure to do so would “lead the judicial system to self-destruction and thereby endanger state security.” “As of today, the courts have definitely opted for the latter path,” it says.
“Hayk” says that 80 percent of the content of the new Armenian government’s program is identical with that of the previous cabinet headed by Serzh Sarkisian. “All major differences that existed between the election manifestos of presidential candidates never found compromise solutions,” comments the paper. “Artur Baghdasarian, for example, was promising tax cuts, a professional army, a doubling of salaries and pensions, affordable housing for everyone, a full return of frozen [Soviet-era] bank savings, the return of 300,000 migrants [who left Armenia,] and many other nice things.” The new government, in which Baghdasarian’s Orinats Yerkir party is represented by two ministers, has made no such promises, argues the opposition daily.
(Armen Dulian)