“Haykakan Zhamanak” predicts that President Serzh Sarkisian will continue to hold meetings with government and law-enforcement officials and berate them for incompetence and abuses until the presidential election in February. The paper says that Sarkisian has held such meetings throughout his presidency, usually before elections or during “tense periods” in the political life.
“Zhamanak” claims that despite strong appeals from prominent members of his Armenian National Congress (HAK) opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian does not want to run for president again and is only thinking about “how to not nominate his candidacy.” “Levon Ter-Petrosian understands very well that given the logic, rules and values of political traditions he no longer stands a chance of not only winning the presidential elections but even putting up a serious resistance to the regime’s candidate,” says the paper. “Especially now that the number two force in the current political configuration is not the HAK but the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) Ter-Petrosian’s nomination would be meaningless and dangerous for him, for his image and authority.”
“Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” attacks senior representatives of the ruling Republican Party (HHK) over their statements that President Serzh Sarkisian is assured of reelection because there is no alternative to him. “And nobody asks, ‘If that victory is guaranteed, why are you going out of your way to secure the BHK’s backing?’” writes the paper. It suggests that the HHK are worried that Sarkisian could fail to win outright in the first round of voting if he is challenged by a BHK candidate.
“Hayots Ashkhar” reports on Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian’s decision to hold an extraordinary meeting of his anti-corruption council and ask representatives of non-governmental organizations and opposition parties to attend it. The paper wonders if that meeting would have been called if President Sarkisian had not expressed concern about the scale of corruption in the country. It also challenges the premier to explain why the council’s activities have produced no tangible results to date. “Did they in the council not know their job or did not want to do it?” it asks.
“Orakarg” dismisses Turkey’s latest demands for the closure of Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear plant. “Turkey must know well the plant closed [in 1989] was reopened because Turkey and Azerbaijan imposed a blockade on Armenia and are continuing the same hostile policy,” comments the paper. “Armenia has no option but to ensure its energy security through the extension of the Metsamor plant’s operations.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
“Zhamanak” claims that despite strong appeals from prominent members of his Armenian National Congress (HAK) opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian does not want to run for president again and is only thinking about “how to not nominate his candidacy.” “Levon Ter-Petrosian understands very well that given the logic, rules and values of political traditions he no longer stands a chance of not only winning the presidential elections but even putting up a serious resistance to the regime’s candidate,” says the paper. “Especially now that the number two force in the current political configuration is not the HAK but the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) Ter-Petrosian’s nomination would be meaningless and dangerous for him, for his image and authority.”
“Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” attacks senior representatives of the ruling Republican Party (HHK) over their statements that President Serzh Sarkisian is assured of reelection because there is no alternative to him. “And nobody asks, ‘If that victory is guaranteed, why are you going out of your way to secure the BHK’s backing?’” writes the paper. It suggests that the HHK are worried that Sarkisian could fail to win outright in the first round of voting if he is challenged by a BHK candidate.
“Hayots Ashkhar” reports on Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian’s decision to hold an extraordinary meeting of his anti-corruption council and ask representatives of non-governmental organizations and opposition parties to attend it. The paper wonders if that meeting would have been called if President Sarkisian had not expressed concern about the scale of corruption in the country. It also challenges the premier to explain why the council’s activities have produced no tangible results to date. “Did they in the council not know their job or did not want to do it?” it asks.
“Orakarg” dismisses Turkey’s latest demands for the closure of Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear plant. “Turkey must know well the plant closed [in 1989] was reopened because Turkey and Azerbaijan imposed a blockade on Armenia and are continuing the same hostile policy,” comments the paper. “Armenia has no option but to ensure its energy security through the extension of the Metsamor plant’s operations.”
(Tigran Avetisian)