"Aravot" says President Kocharian on Tuesday accused opposition deputies of being mentally ill - which can be understood because no one in his right mind would think of calling for the impeachment of "the symbol of statehood." The president also threatened to arrest them in case of another parliament turmoil. The paper denounces the threats.
"Orran" says "the head of state doesn't care how many people [deputies] will support his resignation." But what if the entire nation wants him to quit?
"Haykakan Zhamanak" says that on Tuesday Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian admitted the existence of serious differences among the Armenian leadership. Sarkisian spoke to reporters during his visit to the parliament which was discussing new laws on police and customs. The paper claims that frictions between Kocharian and Sarkisian are becoming obvious. Kocharian is thought to have many more supporters in the parliament than his defense minister. "However, the latter can also rely on the opposition which is anti-Kocharian by its essence."
"Hayots Ashkhar" comes up with a theory that the October 1999 assassinations and the latest impeachment battles were masterminded by the same influential forces. The paper concentrates on the personality of Oleg Yunoshev, the Russian lawyer representing the family of the late Vazgen Sarkisian; a victim of those assassinations. It claims that Yunoshev might have links with Russian special services.
"Haykakan Zhamanak" carries a statement by the opposition Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh) condemning the upcoming equities-for-debt deal between Armenia and Russia. It accuses Kocharian's regime of "destroying the foundations of our independence." The HHSh believes that Russia would use its control of some Armenian industries as a "powerful means of political pressure with the aim of using Armenia for its interests."
"Hayots Ashkhar" says that the political situation in Armenia and Azerbaijan bodes ill for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict even if Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin jointly press the conflicting parties to reach a peace agreement. It is now virtually impossible to make the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples agree to mutual compromise. The "superpowers," the paper writes, are aware that they are unable to resolve the conflict before 2004. "Their real objective is to create more favorable conditions for forming appropriate post-election governments and an appropriate atmosphere in both Armenia and Azerbaijan."
(Vache Sarkisian)
"Orran" says "the head of state doesn't care how many people [deputies] will support his resignation." But what if the entire nation wants him to quit?
"Haykakan Zhamanak" says that on Tuesday Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian admitted the existence of serious differences among the Armenian leadership. Sarkisian spoke to reporters during his visit to the parliament which was discussing new laws on police and customs. The paper claims that frictions between Kocharian and Sarkisian are becoming obvious. Kocharian is thought to have many more supporters in the parliament than his defense minister. "However, the latter can also rely on the opposition which is anti-Kocharian by its essence."
"Hayots Ashkhar" comes up with a theory that the October 1999 assassinations and the latest impeachment battles were masterminded by the same influential forces. The paper concentrates on the personality of Oleg Yunoshev, the Russian lawyer representing the family of the late Vazgen Sarkisian; a victim of those assassinations. It claims that Yunoshev might have links with Russian special services.
"Haykakan Zhamanak" carries a statement by the opposition Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh) condemning the upcoming equities-for-debt deal between Armenia and Russia. It accuses Kocharian's regime of "destroying the foundations of our independence." The HHSh believes that Russia would use its control of some Armenian industries as a "powerful means of political pressure with the aim of using Armenia for its interests."
"Hayots Ashkhar" says that the political situation in Armenia and Azerbaijan bodes ill for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict even if Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin jointly press the conflicting parties to reach a peace agreement. It is now virtually impossible to make the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples agree to mutual compromise. The "superpowers," the paper writes, are aware that they are unable to resolve the conflict before 2004. "Their real objective is to create more favorable conditions for forming appropriate post-election governments and an appropriate atmosphere in both Armenia and Azerbaijan."
(Vache Sarkisian)