“Hraparak” says that the wave of resignations of senior Armenian officials is aimed at preventing President Serzh Sarkisian’s own removal from power. “There is one very bad thing about all this which we, journalists hunting for scoops, are forgetting,” editorializes the paper. “The whole course of country, all events, all efforts are directed at only one thing: elections. The departing chairman of the National Assembly admitted that, deliberately or inadvertently, yesterday, saying, ‘We must now concentrate on the elections.’”
“Zhamanak” scoffs at President Serzh Sarkisian’s claims that the new national police chief, Vladimir Gasparian, will make Armenians “feel more protected” and continue police reforms. “First of all, that raises question of whether the people did not feel protected during Alik Sargsian’s tenure,” writes the paper. It also questions Gasparian’s ability to do a better job, saying that he failed to combat murders and other serious crimes in the armed forces when he served as chief of the military police from 1997-2010.
“Hayots Ashkhar” dismisses opposition claims that the resignations testify to serious disagreements within Armenia’s leadership. “In reality, as was the case in the past, it can even be said that what happened in recent days is an ordinary process which everyone will forget after one month,” says the pro-presidential paper.
“Yerkir” reports that a spokesman for Robert Kocharian, Victor Soghomonian, denied rumors that the former Armenian president travelled to Moscow and will try to meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Soghomonian is quoted as saying that Kocharian was in Moscow recently to attend a meeting of a Russian company board and is now back in Armenia. The ex-president did not even plan to meet Putin, he says.
“Aravot” says opponents of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) are gloating about the announcement by its leader Levon Ter-Petrosian that the HAK may well fail to force pre-term elections. The paper points out in this regard that the opposition bloc should at last “analyze the situation in a self-critical manner” and try to understand why it has failed to rally a “critical mass” of supporters on the streets.
(Aghasi Yenokian)
“Zhamanak” scoffs at President Serzh Sarkisian’s claims that the new national police chief, Vladimir Gasparian, will make Armenians “feel more protected” and continue police reforms. “First of all, that raises question of whether the people did not feel protected during Alik Sargsian’s tenure,” writes the paper. It also questions Gasparian’s ability to do a better job, saying that he failed to combat murders and other serious crimes in the armed forces when he served as chief of the military police from 1997-2010.
“Hayots Ashkhar” dismisses opposition claims that the resignations testify to serious disagreements within Armenia’s leadership. “In reality, as was the case in the past, it can even be said that what happened in recent days is an ordinary process which everyone will forget after one month,” says the pro-presidential paper.
“Yerkir” reports that a spokesman for Robert Kocharian, Victor Soghomonian, denied rumors that the former Armenian president travelled to Moscow and will try to meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Soghomonian is quoted as saying that Kocharian was in Moscow recently to attend a meeting of a Russian company board and is now back in Armenia. The ex-president did not even plan to meet Putin, he says.
“Aravot” says opponents of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) are gloating about the announcement by its leader Levon Ter-Petrosian that the HAK may well fail to force pre-term elections. The paper points out in this regard that the opposition bloc should at last “analyze the situation in a self-critical manner” and try to understand why it has failed to rally a “critical mass” of supporters on the streets.
(Aghasi Yenokian)