“Zhoghovurd” scoffs at President Serzh Sarkisian’s claims that his decision to join the Russian-led Customs Union will not harm Armenia’s economic and other ties with Georgia. “Doesn’t Serzh Sarkisian know that after joining the Customs Union Armenia will lose its sovereign right to formulate trade policies on its own?” writes the paper. It claims that Sarkisian often makes “incompetent” statements on economic issues, pointing to his 2013 promises to raise public sector salaries in July and sack the Armenia government if it fails to ensure 7 percent economic growth as well as his earlier assurances that the price of Russian natural gas delivered to Armenia has not risen.
“Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” quotes Ashot Aghababian, a businessman and parliament deputy from the ruling Republican Party (HHK), as saying that Armenian government and law-enforcement officials should not be prosecuted for the 2008 deadly violence in Yerevan because it happened “by accident.” The pro-opposition paper ridicules this claim. “Ashot Aghababian tried to sound smart but expressed thoughts by accident,” it says.
Samvel Nikoyan, another HHK lawmaker, tells “Hayots Ashkhar” that opposition calls for the launch of another parliamentary inquiry into the 2008 killings are not aimed at finding out the truth about those events. Nikoyan, who led a similar inquiry conducted in 2008-2009, says the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) is exploiting the issue for a fresh escalation of political tensions in the country. “HAK deputies do not deny that the creation of a new [parliamentary] commission would not make a difference but would be a good opportunity to make political statements,” he says.
(Tigran Avetisian)
“Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” quotes Ashot Aghababian, a businessman and parliament deputy from the ruling Republican Party (HHK), as saying that Armenian government and law-enforcement officials should not be prosecuted for the 2008 deadly violence in Yerevan because it happened “by accident.” The pro-opposition paper ridicules this claim. “Ashot Aghababian tried to sound smart but expressed thoughts by accident,” it says.
Samvel Nikoyan, another HHK lawmaker, tells “Hayots Ashkhar” that opposition calls for the launch of another parliamentary inquiry into the 2008 killings are not aimed at finding out the truth about those events. Nikoyan, who led a similar inquiry conducted in 2008-2009, says the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) is exploiting the issue for a fresh escalation of political tensions in the country. “HAK deputies do not deny that the creation of a new [parliamentary] commission would not make a difference but would be a good opportunity to make political statements,” he says.
(Tigran Avetisian)