Armenian newspapers continue to discuss the recent internal political developments involving the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK).
“Zhamanak” describes the calls of the BHK leader for “nationwide mobilization” as another manifestation of populism in Armenia. “When Gagik Tsarukian made the decision to hold nonstop rallies with a demand for snap elections didn’t he think about human lives? Or he did not think that he would get a strong response from [President] Serzh Sarkisian… It is good that this time this populism has not led to bloodshed, but it is bad that we welcome the situation based merely on the circumstance that there will be no deaths, not even noticing that this is the way in which states die.”
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says that the question the public wants to know an answer to most is whether the fight against the “gangster state” will continue or whether the agenda has changed: “The basis for these doubts was the step back by Tsarukian after his meeting with Sarkisian. We think that these sentiments will be overcome shortly and political life will return to its normal course with the same political agenda – to get rid of the regime as soon as possible and to restore constitutional order in the country.”
“Hraparak” says there was some enthusiasm in society about a process that would hold out new prospects for the country, but everything ended in “a narrow interparty deal of dubious nature struck behind closed doors.” “What did Sarkisian and Tsarukian agreed about at the prime minister’s house? What concessions did each of them agree to make? At whom expense and in what measure? It is unclear what developments we are going to have. The curtain has been drawn again and we are again in the vortex of dirty games going against the interests of the public.”
“168 Zham” notes that the public in Armenia has long been an “object” of the political process rather than its subject. “Once again it could simply become cannon fodder. As for who cares about the public most – the government that kindly gives a warning before using force or the ‘non-government’ that refuses to take the direction that leads to ‘nowhere good’ – is for the public to judge. The HHK-BHK war may be over or this conflict is simply “frozen”. As for which of the parties has won, it is a moot question, since the public has lost because of having a state and a political system of that quality.”
(Tigran Avetisian)