“Aravot” commends leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) for saying that their party is ready to support a single opposition presidential candidate who would pledge to turn Armenia into a parliamentary republic. “One of the most important impediments to development in Armenia is personalized approaches to all public issues,” the paper explains in an editorial. “Legends about a savior, hero, boss or king have deep roots in the consciousness of our people. When we think of a possible presidential candidate the first thought that crosses our mind is the question of what that person would do to make us better off. Very few realize that that mortal, whose benevolence we anticipate, could become a hated evildoer tomorrow for one or another reason. Therefore, the right thing to do is not to wait for a good king but to create mechanisms that would make any person -- good or bad, talented or talentless -- behave within the bounds of law.”
“Hraparak” comments on opposition demands for the formation of an ad hoc parliament commission that would investigate the June 17 violent incident at Yerevan’s Harsnakar restaurant. The paper says that if the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) was really consistent in its stated efforts to tackle impunity in the country it would have also demanded an emergency parliament session on the March 2008 unrest in Yerevan. It says the HAK is not doing that because its new allies, Dashnaktsutyun and the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), were in government in 2008. Any attempt to have the deadly unrest investigated in earnest could undermine the HAK’s growing cooperation with those forces. “So as you can see, amnesia, or a loss of memory, is a very severe disease but in some cases it can also be useful,” “Hraparak” concludes with sarcasm.
Vartan Bostanjian, a former BHK deputy, tells “Irates de facto” that he is not sure Gagik Tsarukian’s party can be in opposition because many of its members are too wealthy to challenge the government.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” quotes Energy Minister Armen Movsisian as insisting on Thursday that the price of Russian natural gas for Armenia has not risen despite many indications to the contrary. “There could not have been a secret [price] rise,” he told journalists.
(Aghasi Yenokian)
“Hraparak” comments on opposition demands for the formation of an ad hoc parliament commission that would investigate the June 17 violent incident at Yerevan’s Harsnakar restaurant. The paper says that if the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) was really consistent in its stated efforts to tackle impunity in the country it would have also demanded an emergency parliament session on the March 2008 unrest in Yerevan. It says the HAK is not doing that because its new allies, Dashnaktsutyun and the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), were in government in 2008. Any attempt to have the deadly unrest investigated in earnest could undermine the HAK’s growing cooperation with those forces. “So as you can see, amnesia, or a loss of memory, is a very severe disease but in some cases it can also be useful,” “Hraparak” concludes with sarcasm.
Vartan Bostanjian, a former BHK deputy, tells “Irates de facto” that he is not sure Gagik Tsarukian’s party can be in opposition because many of its members are too wealthy to challenge the government.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” quotes Energy Minister Armen Movsisian as insisting on Thursday that the price of Russian natural gas for Armenia has not risen despite many indications to the contrary. “There could not have been a secret [price] rise,” he told journalists.
(Aghasi Yenokian)