“168 Zham” makes a comparative analysis of the campaign platforms of the Armenian presidential candidates. “The manifestos are characterized by vagueness,” writes the paper. “For instance, Serzh Sarkisian’s pre-election program reads, ‘In Armenia we are trying to build, there will be no poor and privileged people.’ This alone creates suspicions because the poor exist even in the wealthiest countries of the world. Arman Melikian started his program by citing constitutional provisions, while Artashes Geghamian put lecture-type passages about the role of the state, tax policy, market competition and other mechanisms.”
“In the economic section [of his platform] Vahan Hovannisian notes, ‘The economic system must be based on the fundamental principles of a democratic and rule-of-law state,’” continues “168 Zham.” “A brilliant but not original thought. We don’t think that any of the [other] candidates claims the opposite.”
Sarkisian’s manifesto, by contrast, is praised by “Hayastani Hanrapetutyun.” “Being a practical and business-minded person, the Armenian presidential candidate presents feasible steps and goals,” the government paper writes, adding that their implementation would raise living standards in Armenia. It also commends Sarkisian for “not succumbing to populism.”
“In countries like Armenia, elections are often used by the opposition as an opportunity to destabilize the situation,” says “Hayots Ashkhar.” “It is not by accident that our neo-Bolsheviks say time and again that the results of the presidential elections will certainly be rigged. That is a well-elaborated technique that has been tested in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine.”
(Atom Markarian)
“In the economic section [of his platform] Vahan Hovannisian notes, ‘The economic system must be based on the fundamental principles of a democratic and rule-of-law state,’” continues “168 Zham.” “A brilliant but not original thought. We don’t think that any of the [other] candidates claims the opposite.”
Sarkisian’s manifesto, by contrast, is praised by “Hayastani Hanrapetutyun.” “Being a practical and business-minded person, the Armenian presidential candidate presents feasible steps and goals,” the government paper writes, adding that their implementation would raise living standards in Armenia. It also commends Sarkisian for “not succumbing to populism.”
“In countries like Armenia, elections are often used by the opposition as an opportunity to destabilize the situation,” says “Hayots Ashkhar.” “It is not by accident that our neo-Bolsheviks say time and again that the results of the presidential elections will certainly be rigged. That is a well-elaborated technique that has been tested in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine.”
(Atom Markarian)