“Hayots Ashkhar” believes that Armenia’s presidential election is not about choosing between Armenia’s current and former leaderships. “The question is how the majority of the public imagines the country’s further development and which model it prefers,” writes the paper. “A civilized variant whereby authority is formed by means of elections and arising problems are sorted out during elections or the model of street regime change used in countries like Haiti?” It says an anti-government revolution would set a dangerous precedent for the country.
“The reality is that neither the authority nor the opposition needs free media,” “Aravot” writes in an editorial. “What they need is a propaganda hammer with which they can hit their opponents in the head and a palm branch whose pleasant swings would cool the hearts of our politicians. Since the authorities have 17 TV companies and several newspapers at their disposal, their hammer is extremely big and heavy, while their palm branches have grown into a whole forest that glorifies day and night our government’s economic achievements as well as outstanding internal and external policies.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” reports that opposition leader Artashes Geghamian held a secret meeting with Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian on November 8. “That the leaders of two political forces meet is a normal process,” says the paper. “But it is odd that the meeting was held secretly.” “Are you so convinced that such a meeting took place that you are now asking what was discussed?” Geghamian is quoted as telling the paper.
“168 Zham” expects serious personnel changes in the powerful Sixth Directorate of the Armenian police, which is tasked with combating organized crime and drug trafficking. The paper says the reasons for the planned reshuffle are not yet clear. It also notes that the police unit is involved in the ongoing tax crackdown on companies owned by pro-opposition businessman Khachatur Sukiasian.
“Zhamanak Yerevan” reports that the Yerevan house of Albert Ghazarian, Armenia’s deputy chief military prosecutor, was burglarized last week. The paper says Ghazarian told the police that the burglars stole $80,000 worth of cash. It says that if a similar sum of money was stolen from an opposition leader the authorities could well accuse him of money laundering or some other crime. “But when it comes to a prosecutor, then everything is all right. They investigate scores of criminal cases at the prosecutor’s office, and so it was natural [from the government’s standpoint] for the guy to have at least $80,000.”
(Atom Markarian)
“The reality is that neither the authority nor the opposition needs free media,” “Aravot” writes in an editorial. “What they need is a propaganda hammer with which they can hit their opponents in the head and a palm branch whose pleasant swings would cool the hearts of our politicians. Since the authorities have 17 TV companies and several newspapers at their disposal, their hammer is extremely big and heavy, while their palm branches have grown into a whole forest that glorifies day and night our government’s economic achievements as well as outstanding internal and external policies.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” reports that opposition leader Artashes Geghamian held a secret meeting with Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian on November 8. “That the leaders of two political forces meet is a normal process,” says the paper. “But it is odd that the meeting was held secretly.” “Are you so convinced that such a meeting took place that you are now asking what was discussed?” Geghamian is quoted as telling the paper.
“168 Zham” expects serious personnel changes in the powerful Sixth Directorate of the Armenian police, which is tasked with combating organized crime and drug trafficking. The paper says the reasons for the planned reshuffle are not yet clear. It also notes that the police unit is involved in the ongoing tax crackdown on companies owned by pro-opposition businessman Khachatur Sukiasian.
“Zhamanak Yerevan” reports that the Yerevan house of Albert Ghazarian, Armenia’s deputy chief military prosecutor, was burglarized last week. The paper says Ghazarian told the police that the burglars stole $80,000 worth of cash. It says that if a similar sum of money was stolen from an opposition leader the authorities could well accuse him of money laundering or some other crime. “But when it comes to a prosecutor, then everything is all right. They investigate scores of criminal cases at the prosecutor’s office, and so it was natural [from the government’s standpoint] for the guy to have at least $80,000.”
(Atom Markarian)