Press Review

“Ayb-Fe” comments that there is “everything except politics” in the discourse of most Armenian election candidates. “There is only advertising of one’s own name, some crumbs of a bribe and a string of televised promises,” the paper writes.

“Do not disperse your votes,” “Aravot” appeals to voters. “Even if a particular political force is able to fulfill its promises and has necessary potential for that, it, having no majority in the National Assembly and therefore bearing no responsibility for the formation and activities of the government, will be unable to implement the majority of its programs.” That is why most parties and blocs give lavish and unrealistic promises safe in the knowledge that they will not get a parliamentary majority.

“Hayots Ashkhar” says it is already clear that Armenians unhappy with President Robert Kocharian will not vote for parties that supported him in the presdiential elections. By the same token, voters sympathetic to Kocharian will not back his political opponents. Hence, the growing infighting inside the presidential and opposition camps. That is where the main electoral battles are being waged. The paper says the May 25 elections will be won by those parties that will make the strongest showing in the 56 single-mandate constituencies.

“Yerkir” says the situation in one of those constituencies in Yerevan is “explosive.” The local candidate of the governing Republican Party (HHK), Harutyun Gharagyozian, “saves no effort to disrupt the campaign of his main independent rival, Versand Avetisian,” and to terrorize him and his potential voters.” It is not the first time that Gharagyozian’s participation in elections is “accompanied by violence,” the paper says.

In an interview with “Hayots Ashkhar,” a top aide to opposition leader Artashes Geghamian rejects as “fabricated” accusations by the Artarutyun alliance of Stepan Demirchian. Aleksan Karapetian says Geghamian did not join Demirchian and his allies because they have “neither a good background, nor an untroubled past, an established leader or a clear leader.” Karapetian describes Demirchian as a “mediocricy.”

Demirchian, meanwhile, snipes at Geghamian, telling “Haykakan Zhamanak” that the latter did not endorse him for the March 5 presidential run-off in order to have an “alibi against electoral fraud.” Demirchian also contends that Artarutyun is by far the most popular of the election contenders.