“Haykakan Zhamanak” says there is “nothing strange” about the strong criticism of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) voiced by some leaders of the opposition Zharangutyun party. The pro-HAK paper says Zharangutyun has always been uneasy about its status as a “satellite” of the opposition alliance led by former President Levon Ter-Petrosian. It says the post-election criticism is aimed at demonstrating that the HAK is no longer Armenia’s dominant opposition force. “Zharangutyun clearly suffers from complexes with respect to the HAK. Its leader Raffi Hovannisian is trying to gain formal similarities with Armenia’s founding President Levon Ter-Petrosian.”
“Golos Armenii” says the failure by Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) to win the Yerevan municipal elections showed that nobody can unseat President Serzh Sarkisian and his Republican Party (HHK). “It’s not even worth trying,” says the pro-presidential paper. “Thus, Tsarukian’s entourage, that was trying to convince its leader to be a brand name of the election campaign, rendered an invaluable service to the president’s party.”
Hovannes Hovannisian, a senior member of the HAK, tells “Aravot” that the mayoral elections finally made nonsense of Sarkisian’s pledges to transform Armenia. “He is not prepared to do that,” he says. “Or his entourage won’t let him do that.” Echoing Ter-Petrosian’s statements, Hovannisian calls the May 31 polls “the most disgraceful in our history.” “More so than the last presidential elections,” he claims.
“Hayots Ashkhar” quotes a deputy chairman of the ruling HHK, Razmik Zohrabian, as saying that the anticipated general amnesty must not be linked with the criminal cases related to the March 2008 violence in Yerevan. Zohrabian seems to imply that not all of the opposition members arrested in connection with that violence will necessarily be covered by the amnesty. At least, he says, those individuals who “organized a coup d’etat” must not be freed.
“Zhamanak” claims to have obtained a copy of draft presidential bill on amnesty which does not provide for the release of the most prominent of the “political prisoners.” Arman Grigorian, the HAK’s unofficial representative to the Council of Europe, tells the paper that he has raised the issue with officials from the organization’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). “According to assurances given to me, such an amnesty would not be acceptable to the PACE,” he says. “The regime managed to mislead the PACE with such a ploy during its January session … I have the impression that the atmosphere is significantly different today and that the PACE will not display the same tolerance toward another attempt to fool it.”
(Aghasi Yenokian)
“Golos Armenii” says the failure by Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) to win the Yerevan municipal elections showed that nobody can unseat President Serzh Sarkisian and his Republican Party (HHK). “It’s not even worth trying,” says the pro-presidential paper. “Thus, Tsarukian’s entourage, that was trying to convince its leader to be a brand name of the election campaign, rendered an invaluable service to the president’s party.”
Hovannes Hovannisian, a senior member of the HAK, tells “Aravot” that the mayoral elections finally made nonsense of Sarkisian’s pledges to transform Armenia. “He is not prepared to do that,” he says. “Or his entourage won’t let him do that.” Echoing Ter-Petrosian’s statements, Hovannisian calls the May 31 polls “the most disgraceful in our history.” “More so than the last presidential elections,” he claims.
“Hayots Ashkhar” quotes a deputy chairman of the ruling HHK, Razmik Zohrabian, as saying that the anticipated general amnesty must not be linked with the criminal cases related to the March 2008 violence in Yerevan. Zohrabian seems to imply that not all of the opposition members arrested in connection with that violence will necessarily be covered by the amnesty. At least, he says, those individuals who “organized a coup d’etat” must not be freed.
“Zhamanak” claims to have obtained a copy of draft presidential bill on amnesty which does not provide for the release of the most prominent of the “political prisoners.” Arman Grigorian, the HAK’s unofficial representative to the Council of Europe, tells the paper that he has raised the issue with officials from the organization’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). “According to assurances given to me, such an amnesty would not be acceptable to the PACE,” he says. “The regime managed to mislead the PACE with such a ploy during its January session … I have the impression that the atmosphere is significantly different today and that the PACE will not display the same tolerance toward another attempt to fool it.”
(Aghasi Yenokian)