(Saturday, July 4)
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says the growing sense that it is impossible to change government in Armenia by means of elections is causing two types of reactions among disgruntled citizens. “It is driving some people into decisive actions such as an uprising, revolution, civil disobedience and the like, while others are being thrust into despair,” says the paper. It insists that the Armenian opposition can come to power as a result of elections. “It’s just that in order to achieve that you need to have 51 percent [of the vote] in normal countries and at least 80 percent in countries like Armenia,” it says. “Does the opposition have 80 percent [support?] Of course it doesn’t.”
“Zhamanak” says the opposition alliance led by former President Levon Ter-Petrosian is “unprecedented” in a number of ways. The paper argues that it unites more than a dozen political groups with different ideologies, plays a “decisive” role in the country’s political life and is quite well-organized.
“Golos Armenii” scoffs at Ter-Petrosian’s claim that amnesty granted to three dozen jailed oppositionist was a “great victory” for his Armenian National Congress (HAK). “A victory against whom? Ter-Petrosian’s victory over Serzh Sarkisian? Doesn’t that sound too romantic?” asks the paper. “That the HAK does not represent a danger to the authorities was demonstrated by the mayoral elections in Yerevan. Levon Ter-Petrosian couldn’t defeat even Gagik Beglarian.” The paper says the very fact of the amnesty testified to the weakening of the Ter-Petrosian-led opposition.
“A government never declares an amnesty out of desperation,” Razmik Zohrabian, a deputy chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “I was a political prisoner in Soviet times and I know that no state pardons political prisoners. Those imprisoned for illegal actions committed during the events of March 1 [2008] are ordinary criminals towards whom the authorities showed a good will.”
(Aghasi Yenokian)
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says the growing sense that it is impossible to change government in Armenia by means of elections is causing two types of reactions among disgruntled citizens. “It is driving some people into decisive actions such as an uprising, revolution, civil disobedience and the like, while others are being thrust into despair,” says the paper. It insists that the Armenian opposition can come to power as a result of elections. “It’s just that in order to achieve that you need to have 51 percent [of the vote] in normal countries and at least 80 percent in countries like Armenia,” it says. “Does the opposition have 80 percent [support?] Of course it doesn’t.”
“Zhamanak” says the opposition alliance led by former President Levon Ter-Petrosian is “unprecedented” in a number of ways. The paper argues that it unites more than a dozen political groups with different ideologies, plays a “decisive” role in the country’s political life and is quite well-organized.
“Golos Armenii” scoffs at Ter-Petrosian’s claim that amnesty granted to three dozen jailed oppositionist was a “great victory” for his Armenian National Congress (HAK). “A victory against whom? Ter-Petrosian’s victory over Serzh Sarkisian? Doesn’t that sound too romantic?” asks the paper. “That the HAK does not represent a danger to the authorities was demonstrated by the mayoral elections in Yerevan. Levon Ter-Petrosian couldn’t defeat even Gagik Beglarian.” The paper says the very fact of the amnesty testified to the weakening of the Ter-Petrosian-led opposition.
“A government never declares an amnesty out of desperation,” Razmik Zohrabian, a deputy chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “I was a political prisoner in Soviet times and I know that no state pardons political prisoners. Those imprisoned for illegal actions committed during the events of March 1 [2008] are ordinary criminals towards whom the authorities showed a good will.”
(Aghasi Yenokian)