“Hayots Ashkhar” comments on the second anniversary of Serzh Sarkisian’s inauguration as president of Armenia. “Saying that Serzh Sarkisian assumed the post of president in a difficult political and moral atmosphere reigning in the country would mean saying little and not reflecting reality,” editorializes the paper. The situation in the country was extremely tense at the time. “But it has to be pointed out that the head of state has managed to fulfill his own requirement of overcoming the crisis situation with minimal losses,” the paper says.
“Zhamanak” has a totally different take on Sarkisian’s two-year record. “Two years is not enough time to forget any episode of the dramatic tragic events of 2008,” writes the paper. “Especially given that during his two-year presidency Serzh Sarkisian has done almost nothing to ease the public’s pain resulting from those events. The killers of the ten victims have not been identified, [all] political prisoners have not been released, and hooligan police attacks on opposition activists are continuing.” Nor has Serzh Sarkisian carried out any “systemic reforms” in Armenia, it says.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” speculates that the establishment of a Turkish-Armenian historical commission is more important to Ankara than the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Azerbaijani concerns related to it. “To put it simply, it may happen so that Turkey will display egoism and agree to ratify the protocols only in return for the formation of a joint commission,” claims the paper. “Will Serzh Sarkisian agree to that? He will have no choice but to agree because the protocols already envisage that. But in that case, Azerbaijan will again make a fuss. [Turkish Prime Minister] Erdogan’s envoy has traveled to Baku in order to prevent that noise.”
“Aravot” notes that former President Robert Kocharian was not so sensitive to opposition criticism in the past, usually leaving it to pro-government politicians and media to hit back at his rivals. “As soon as Levon Ter-Petrosian started speaking up, after just about every rally Kocharian felt obliged to come up with a due riposte,” says the paper. “This means that the second president did not care much about what [opposition leaders Artashes] Geghamian, [Stepan] Demirchian or Aram [Sarkisian] think of him. But he is deeply stung when being criticized by the first president.” The paper says Kocharian’s angry and even rude reactions disprove his claims that he is indifferent to Ter-Petrosian’s attacks.
Speaking to “Iravunk,” Artsvik Minasian of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) insists that the nationalist party is not encouraging Kocharian to resume political activities. “We are not clinging to the past now, we are looking to the future,” says Minasian.
(Aghasi Yenokian)
“Zhamanak” has a totally different take on Sarkisian’s two-year record. “Two years is not enough time to forget any episode of the dramatic tragic events of 2008,” writes the paper. “Especially given that during his two-year presidency Serzh Sarkisian has done almost nothing to ease the public’s pain resulting from those events. The killers of the ten victims have not been identified, [all] political prisoners have not been released, and hooligan police attacks on opposition activists are continuing.” Nor has Serzh Sarkisian carried out any “systemic reforms” in Armenia, it says.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” speculates that the establishment of a Turkish-Armenian historical commission is more important to Ankara than the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Azerbaijani concerns related to it. “To put it simply, it may happen so that Turkey will display egoism and agree to ratify the protocols only in return for the formation of a joint commission,” claims the paper. “Will Serzh Sarkisian agree to that? He will have no choice but to agree because the protocols already envisage that. But in that case, Azerbaijan will again make a fuss. [Turkish Prime Minister] Erdogan’s envoy has traveled to Baku in order to prevent that noise.”
“Aravot” notes that former President Robert Kocharian was not so sensitive to opposition criticism in the past, usually leaving it to pro-government politicians and media to hit back at his rivals. “As soon as Levon Ter-Petrosian started speaking up, after just about every rally Kocharian felt obliged to come up with a due riposte,” says the paper. “This means that the second president did not care much about what [opposition leaders Artashes] Geghamian, [Stepan] Demirchian or Aram [Sarkisian] think of him. But he is deeply stung when being criticized by the first president.” The paper says Kocharian’s angry and even rude reactions disprove his claims that he is indifferent to Ter-Petrosian’s attacks.
Speaking to “Iravunk,” Artsvik Minasian of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) insists that the nationalist party is not encouraging Kocharian to resume political activities. “We are not clinging to the past now, we are looking to the future,” says Minasian.
(Aghasi Yenokian)