“Zhamanak” says that when Serzh Sarkisian took over as Armenia’s president in April 2008 he thought that he could deflect public attention from domestic political problems through “foreign policy ploys.” “Where is Armenia’s ‘pro-active’ foreign policy now?” asks the pro-opposition paper. “What are its manifestations? How is Armenia distinguishing itself? With which initiatives? With which new thoughts and ideas? … The answer is clear: none.”
Levon Zurabian, a leader of the Armenian National Congress (HAK), tells “Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” that the authorities are not yet responding to the opposition bloc’s dialogue offer because “they are still trying to understand just how weak their positions are and to determine the extent of concessions accordingly.” Zurabian claims that the authorities are in trouble because of an “extremely severe crisis” in Armenia. “Serzh Sarkisian has no solution to it,” he says.
“Yerkir” dismisses as a “myth” suggestions that by dragging out the start of the dialogue Sarkisian has deceived HAK and its leader Levon Ter-Petrosian. “In fact, with his May 31 speech Levon Ter-Petrosian heralded a new deal with the authorities,” claims the paper. It says under that deal, Ter-Petrosian will indirectly support government policies “on all fronts,” while the authorities will help the HAK maintain a “hegemony over the opposition camp.” That is the main purpose of the dialogue between these two forces, it says.
Speaking to “Hayots Ashkhar,” Mkrtich Minasian, a parliament deputy from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), complains that the HAK is exploiting the government’s readiness to negotiate with all political factions in order to win political dividends. Still, Minasian is optimistic that the dialogue with the HAK “will probably have a continuation.” “Now the HAK is proposing that the dialogue continue between special delegations, something for which I’m sure there is no need,” he says. “There are no issues on which we should negotiate only with one political force.”
“Aravot” reports that A1+, a TV station controversially pulled off the air in 2002, has won an award from Norway’s Nobel Institute. “That is certainly great news,” writes the paper. But it says there should not have been a need for such awards to Armenian media outlets in the first place.
(Aghasi Yenokian)
Levon Zurabian, a leader of the Armenian National Congress (HAK), tells “Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” that the authorities are not yet responding to the opposition bloc’s dialogue offer because “they are still trying to understand just how weak their positions are and to determine the extent of concessions accordingly.” Zurabian claims that the authorities are in trouble because of an “extremely severe crisis” in Armenia. “Serzh Sarkisian has no solution to it,” he says.
“Yerkir” dismisses as a “myth” suggestions that by dragging out the start of the dialogue Sarkisian has deceived HAK and its leader Levon Ter-Petrosian. “In fact, with his May 31 speech Levon Ter-Petrosian heralded a new deal with the authorities,” claims the paper. It says under that deal, Ter-Petrosian will indirectly support government policies “on all fronts,” while the authorities will help the HAK maintain a “hegemony over the opposition camp.” That is the main purpose of the dialogue between these two forces, it says.
Speaking to “Hayots Ashkhar,” Mkrtich Minasian, a parliament deputy from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), complains that the HAK is exploiting the government’s readiness to negotiate with all political factions in order to win political dividends. Still, Minasian is optimistic that the dialogue with the HAK “will probably have a continuation.” “Now the HAK is proposing that the dialogue continue between special delegations, something for which I’m sure there is no need,” he says. “There are no issues on which we should negotiate only with one political force.”
“Aravot” reports that A1+, a TV station controversially pulled off the air in 2002, has won an award from Norway’s Nobel Institute. “That is certainly great news,” writes the paper. But it says there should not have been a need for such awards to Armenian media outlets in the first place.
(Aghasi Yenokian)