“Haykakan Zhamanak” sees the decision by the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) to use its regional offices for forming joint headquarters of the ‘trio’ as an attempt to ‘absorb’ the activists of its two more radical opposition allies, the Armenian National Congress (HAK) and Heritage. “Only time will show what the three non-governing forces are going to do, but they should take into account the fact that government provocateurs are spreading reports that the non-governing forces will not hold their next rally till the end of the year. We hope the leaders of the trio will disprove these lies by their actions.”
“Zhamanak” suggests that the fact that the BHK provides its entire resource for forming the popular anti-government movement shows that it effectively assumes the role of a locomotive. “And this, in fact, means that political struggle in Armenia is shifting into a bipartisan domain in which the BHK will oppose the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK),” the paper says.
“Aravot” praises the three parties opposed to the current government for their decision to start forming provincial offices, but its editor says it is rather important in the context of the next parliamentary elections, which are due in Armenia in 2017. “Why is it important to start doing things today? Because the HHK already has its offices in the form of schools, kindergartens, educational and healthcare establishments, regional administrations and all other public offices,” the paper’s editor observes.
“For the first time Armenia has a combination of an oligarchic president, an oligarchic prime minister and an oligarchic opposition,” Aram Karapetian, the leader of the Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) party, tells “Hraparak”, implying the fact that the BHK, the largest of the three non-governing parties, is led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukian. “So, it is not only Armenia’s economic but also political environment that has become fully oligarchic today,” the opposition figure concludes.
(Tigran Avetisian)