“168 Zham” finds amusing pollster Aharon Adibekian’s claims that Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) is the strongest candidate the Armenian opposition could nominate in the upcoming presidential election. “Does an oppositionist have the right to be one of the country’s richest men, stay at the world’s most expensive hotels?” writes the paper. “Does being in opposition mean sitting in your office and plotting plans for regime change? We ourselves need to make up our mind. Do we want a revolution or a velvet change of the ruling elite?”
“Hayots Ashkhar” sees a radical change in opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian’s behavior, which it says is evidenced by his current “forgiving stance” on the government. “For four and a half years, the leader of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) acted with an incriminating tone, especially on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. He accused the authorities of not solving the issue, said it is not possible to maintain the status quo and called for active involvement in the preparation and signing of a peace accord. Now it turns out that the objective described by him does not depend only on our authorities.” The paper points to Ter-Petrosian’s short speech during a public celebration of Armenia’s Independence Day.
“Zhoghovurd” claims that President Serzh Sarkisian’s statements and actions have often contradicted each other. One June 18, for instance, he spoke of a successful “transformation” of the Armenian economy after the 2008-2009 global recession. The paper says Sarkisian said something different at a cabinet meeting earlier this month.
Lragir.am says that Georgia has given Armenia a good excuse to avoid joining the customs union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The online publication cites the Armenian government’s arguments that Armenia cannot join the union because it has no common border with any of those three countries. “In that sense, it is very important for Armenia to see Georgia stick to the [Mikheil] Saakashvili course,” it says.
Davit Shahnazarian, a prominent opposition figure, tells “Zhamanak” that Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh as an independent state would be an “imprudent and wrong step.” He says that would only “create new serious complications” for the Armenian side. “When it comes to Karabakh, we should be guided by the Kosovo model,” says Shahnazarian.
(Astghik Bedevian)
“Hayots Ashkhar” sees a radical change in opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian’s behavior, which it says is evidenced by his current “forgiving stance” on the government. “For four and a half years, the leader of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) acted with an incriminating tone, especially on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. He accused the authorities of not solving the issue, said it is not possible to maintain the status quo and called for active involvement in the preparation and signing of a peace accord. Now it turns out that the objective described by him does not depend only on our authorities.” The paper points to Ter-Petrosian’s short speech during a public celebration of Armenia’s Independence Day.
“Zhoghovurd” claims that President Serzh Sarkisian’s statements and actions have often contradicted each other. One June 18, for instance, he spoke of a successful “transformation” of the Armenian economy after the 2008-2009 global recession. The paper says Sarkisian said something different at a cabinet meeting earlier this month.
Lragir.am says that Georgia has given Armenia a good excuse to avoid joining the customs union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The online publication cites the Armenian government’s arguments that Armenia cannot join the union because it has no common border with any of those three countries. “In that sense, it is very important for Armenia to see Georgia stick to the [Mikheil] Saakashvili course,” it says.
Davit Shahnazarian, a prominent opposition figure, tells “Zhamanak” that Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh as an independent state would be an “imprudent and wrong step.” He says that would only “create new serious complications” for the Armenian side. “When it comes to Karabakh, we should be guided by the Kosovo model,” says Shahnazarian.
(Astghik Bedevian)