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Press Review


Political scientist Aleksandr Iskandarian tells “Hayots Ashkhar” that the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the Armenian National Congress (HAK), the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and the Zharangutyun (Heritage) party lack “the potential” to bring down the government despite their growing cooperation. “And everybody realizes that,” says Iskandarian. “Not just me and you but also the authorities and the leaders of the [opposition] quartet.”

“Zhamanak” says that Hovik Abrahamian’s two sons-in-law have been appointed to senior state positions since he became prime minister in April. One of them was named chief tax inspector of Yerevan’s Shengavit district while the other head of the customs service of Yerevan’s Zvartnots international airport. The paper says that these appointments are all the more noteworthy given that they came amid Abrahamian’s pledges to end tax evasion by businesses. “This [tax] system is becoming very important for Hovik Abrahamian because it holds the key to his prime ministerial future,” it says, adding that the premier will risk dismissal if he fails to meet the Armenian government’s increased budgetary targets.

According to “Haykakan Zhamanak,” the State Revenue Committee (SRC) claims to have made further progress in fighting against the informal sector of the Armenian economy this month. The SRC has said that as a result of that fight state revenue increased by around 110 million drams ($270,000) from September 10-20. “This is equivalent to 0.1 percent of tax revenue projected for September,” scoffs the paper.

“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” reports that Mikhail Shvydkoy, a special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, defended Russian arms supplies to Azerbaijan at a meeting with Armenian lawmakers in Yerevan on Monday. “Would it be better if Azerbaijan bought weapons from the U.S.?” Shvydkoy is quoted as saying. The paper calls this argument “shocking.” “By the same token, Armenians could blow up a couple of buildings in central Moscow and say, ‘Would it be better if they were blown up by Chechens or the Taliban?’” it says. “The bottom line is not whether that is good or bad. The bottom line is that our ally sells weapons to our enemy.”

(Tigran Avetisian)

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