“Haykakan Zhamanak” reacts scathingly to Armenian National Congress (HAK) spokesman Arman Musinian’s claims that the political situation in Armenia will change dramatically this fall to the detriment of President Serzh Sarkisian. The paper argues that the HAK and the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) and their political allies have still not specified the concrete objective of the “heated political autumn” promised by them. “An answer to this question is extremely important because in deciding whether or not to join that heated autumn every citizen of Armenia needs to understand what objectives the [opposition] quartet will be pursuing this fall and what they are required to do.” People specifically need to know whether the opposition is seeking Sarkisian’s resignation, snap parliamentary elections or other, less significant concessions from the ruling regime, it says. “Unfortunately, Mr. Musinian did not answer these questions,” concludes the daily formerly supportive of the HAK.
“Zhamanak” quotes Gurgen Arsenian, a wealthy businessman and parliament deputy affiliated with the BHK, as saying that the BHK and its allies are relaying public discontent with the state of affairs in Armenia to the Sarkisian administration. The latter, he says, has to draw “political conclusions” and take corresponding actions. Arsenian says he hopes that the opposition is driven by a “desire to make the country more prosperous.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” complains that opposition groups in Armenia demanded immediate regime change and threatened to rally supporters even during the war with Azerbaijan. The paper says that political instability seems to have become a chronic disease in the country.
“Zhoghovurd” reports that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to meet in France next month. “It will be their third meeting since the August escalation of tensions,” notes the paper. “Even though talk of a meeting to be held in Paris began in May, immediately after [French President] Francois Hollande’s visit to the region, this somewhat overdue agreement shows that all three countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group are equally active in the negotiation process and none of them has managed to take a clear lead in organizing Aliyev-Sarkisian meetings.”
(Tigran Avetisian)