“Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” suggests that the deadly violence in Yerevan’s Harsnakar restaurant has had so much public resonance also because “with a stupid stubbornness the criminal system continues to deny its guilt and even find justifications for its teammate Ruben Hayrapetian.” “If Ruben Hayrapetian issued a statement, accepted his share of responsibility, apologized and gave up his parliament mandate immediately after that incident, popular fury would have hardly been so strong,” writes the paper. “But he not only failed to do that but did not even shut down Harsnakar for a few days. Furthermore, his party leader [Serzh Sarkisian] did not bother to address, even with half a sentence, the protest actions that shook the country.” It claims that Sarkisian has not offered condolences to doctor Vahe Avetian’s family because that, in his view, would have been construed as a sign of weakness.
“Regardless of whether Ruben Hayrapetian surrendered his mandate at his own initiative or the president of the republic told him to do that, it was definitely a good step in the right direction,” writes “Aravot.” “Clearly, with the loss of one mandate the oligarchy or, as the opposition would put it, the criminal-oligarchic system will not be eliminated. But from now on many of us can presume that that system is not eternal because one of the oligarchs has abandoned, even in the form of a statement, the ‘we’ll do what we want’ notion which is a key principle of his class.”
“Zhamanak” looks at the matter from a different angle. The paper points to the fact that a non-governmental organization headed by an army general, Hayk Kotanjian, on Tuesday added its voice to the calls for Hayrapetian’s resignation. “This tragic incident could become fateful in a revision by the army top brass of its positions on problems facing the state and society,” it says.
“We must do everything to ensure that political debate and a combination of different political approaches happen on the parliament floor [rather than on the street,]” Gagik Minasian, a senior lawmaker from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “This is the formula for building a civilized state. Of course, rallies and demonstrations are also means of struggle. Nevertheless, over time the [opposition] Armenian National Congress (HAK) … will find an optimal ratio of street and parliamentary struggles.”
(Aghasi Yenokian)
“Regardless of whether Ruben Hayrapetian surrendered his mandate at his own initiative or the president of the republic told him to do that, it was definitely a good step in the right direction,” writes “Aravot.” “Clearly, with the loss of one mandate the oligarchy or, as the opposition would put it, the criminal-oligarchic system will not be eliminated. But from now on many of us can presume that that system is not eternal because one of the oligarchs has abandoned, even in the form of a statement, the ‘we’ll do what we want’ notion which is a key principle of his class.”
“Zhamanak” looks at the matter from a different angle. The paper points to the fact that a non-governmental organization headed by an army general, Hayk Kotanjian, on Tuesday added its voice to the calls for Hayrapetian’s resignation. “This tragic incident could become fateful in a revision by the army top brass of its positions on problems facing the state and society,” it says.
“We must do everything to ensure that political debate and a combination of different political approaches happen on the parliament floor [rather than on the street,]” Gagik Minasian, a senior lawmaker from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), tells “Hayots Ashkhar.” “This is the formula for building a civilized state. Of course, rallies and demonstrations are also means of struggle. Nevertheless, over time the [opposition] Armenian National Congress (HAK) … will find an optimal ratio of street and parliamentary struggles.”
(Aghasi Yenokian)