“The opposition will spend next January dealing with organizational issues and forming ‘committees’ of its movement all over the republic,” reports “Haykakan Zhamanak,” adding that its campaign of rallies will resume on January 20. The paper says leaders of the new “movement” are undaunted by Stepan Demirchian’s decision to end his involvement in the campaign. Some of them think he thereby put an end to his “failed political career.”
“Ayb-Fe” complains that many Armenians “expect regime change from the opposition” while refusing to attend its rallies. The papers says this is allowing opposition leaders to deflect any criticism of their failure to topple the regime to the society as a whole. In fact, it says, only small groups of citizens representing a particular neighborhood or a profession have been willing to fight for their rights. “And yet everyone complains about injustice reigning in the country. You can’t establish justice or build democracy like that.”
Galust Sahakian, a leader of the governing Republican Party, tells “Hayots Ashkhar” that the opposition will always fail to gather a huge number of people, even if it is helped by the government. “The people no longer believe that rallies can bring solutions to their problems,” he says. “There is no demand in that. The people want to live well, to be confident about the future of their children.” They are therefore against any revolution in Armenia, claims Sahakian.
“The fact that 85 percent of the society have boycotted the referendum, which is a way of expressing civil disobedience, and are at the same time passive in terms of attending opposition rallies, puts qualifiedly new requirements to the opposition,” a senior member of the Hanrapetutyun party, Suren Sureniants, tells “Aravot.” “In any case, rest assured that the democratic revolution that got underway in 2003 will certainly end in victory as Armenia has neither political, nor economic resources to have an ‘Armenbashi.’”
“Iravunk” reports that Armenia’s human rights ombudsperson, Larisa Alaverdian, is forced to “protect her rights” after losing her baggage during a trip to Europe on board an Austrian Airlines plane ten days ago. “The baggage has still not been found. Nor has the airline responded to the passenger,” says the paper. Asked whether she plans to sue the company, Alaverdian says: “I have delivered my protest and demands to Austrian Airlines and that company’s representation in Armenia. I have not yet received a reply.”
(Armen Dulian)
“Ayb-Fe” complains that many Armenians “expect regime change from the opposition” while refusing to attend its rallies. The papers says this is allowing opposition leaders to deflect any criticism of their failure to topple the regime to the society as a whole. In fact, it says, only small groups of citizens representing a particular neighborhood or a profession have been willing to fight for their rights. “And yet everyone complains about injustice reigning in the country. You can’t establish justice or build democracy like that.”
Galust Sahakian, a leader of the governing Republican Party, tells “Hayots Ashkhar” that the opposition will always fail to gather a huge number of people, even if it is helped by the government. “The people no longer believe that rallies can bring solutions to their problems,” he says. “There is no demand in that. The people want to live well, to be confident about the future of their children.” They are therefore against any revolution in Armenia, claims Sahakian.
“The fact that 85 percent of the society have boycotted the referendum, which is a way of expressing civil disobedience, and are at the same time passive in terms of attending opposition rallies, puts qualifiedly new requirements to the opposition,” a senior member of the Hanrapetutyun party, Suren Sureniants, tells “Aravot.” “In any case, rest assured that the democratic revolution that got underway in 2003 will certainly end in victory as Armenia has neither political, nor economic resources to have an ‘Armenbashi.’”
“Iravunk” reports that Armenia’s human rights ombudsperson, Larisa Alaverdian, is forced to “protect her rights” after losing her baggage during a trip to Europe on board an Austrian Airlines plane ten days ago. “The baggage has still not been found. Nor has the airline responded to the passenger,” says the paper. Asked whether she plans to sue the company, Alaverdian says: “I have delivered my protest and demands to Austrian Airlines and that company’s representation in Armenia. I have not yet received a reply.”
(Armen Dulian)