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Press Review


Reflecting on the recent statement by the New York-based Freedom House human rights organization urging the Bush administration to withhold promised large economic assistance to Armenia, “Aravot” editorializes: “No matter how strange it will sound, but the authorities will lose nothing if Armenia is stripped of that possibility. First they will get rid of what they feel an unpleasant obligation to develop democracy and secondly will have a great occasion to lash out at the opposition.” The paper concludes that the only victim in this situation will be Armenia’s farmers that need financing badly.

Citing its sources, “Haykakan Zhamanak” writes that “a search for a candidate for the post of Armenia’s Prosecutor-General has begun in the government elite, because incumbent Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian is going to quit his currently held position before the 2007 parliamentary elections.” The paper expects Aghvan Hovsepian to top some political party’s or bloc’s list of parliamentary hopefuls, which, it says, will be the reason for his resignation.

“Iravunk” reports a brawl at one of the famous night clubs in downtown Yerevan, “Astral”, a favorite hangout for Armenia’s “golden youths”, including President Robert Kocharian’s younger son Levon.

Citing unnamed eyewitnesses, the paper writes: “A young man on a night out at “Astral” was a little drunk and dared beckon to call a person from among Levon’s surroundings. Of course, his act was not forgiven and the showdown began. The outcome was predictable, and it is easy to guest who got a dressing-down for nothing.”

Citing its “Russian sources” the same paper suggests that during his latest visit to Moscow Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian was offered by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to take up the post of Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The paper does not inform its readers about Kocharian’s answer, but says the Armenian president’s visit cannot be considered successful, since his proposal of [Defense Minister] Serzh Sarkisian as his successor was rejected.

“168 Zham” writes that recently returning from a European tour Orinats Yerkir party leader Artur Baghdasarian triumphantly announced about his becoming cochairman of the International Commission of Caspian and Caucasian Countries. And now, the paper continues, it turns out that this publicity stunt may complicate rather than help his political life, since, according to the paper, the real godfather of this commission is believed to be controversial Russian mogul Boris Berezovsky, who is now on Interpol’s wanted list.

(Atom Markarian)
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