“Zhoghovurd” writes that Central Electoral Commission Chairman Tigran Mukuchian sees no problem in Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian’s being the manager of the ruling Republican Party’s campaign in the constitutional referendum while combining his duties with those of the head of the government. In an interview with the paper Mukuchian explained that those holding political posts are entitled to participate in the campaigning for constitutional changes as the law makes an exception for them. “For example, a lawmaker’s position is a political position, right? When a lawmaker attends a parliament session or a question-and-answer he or she performs his functions. Now it turns out that they are making a campaign, right?” Mukuchian explained. But the daily comments: “The thing is that a lawmaker does not have the right to order an employee of a state-run organization to do anything.”
“Zhamanak” observes that no joint “Yes” and “No” campaigns will be formed in Armenia ahead of the December 6 referendum. “This is, in fact, an expected and logical situation that shows that the constitutional amendments process in Armenia is nothing more than just a ‘positional struggle’ ahead of the next parliamentary elections in which each political party and group tries to pursue its own interests. And that is why no joint campaigns are formed,” the paper writes.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” quotes Hakob Hakobian, chairman of the National Assembly’s standing committee for social affairs, as saying that “people should work hard to earn high salaries because there is no country in the world that would not have inflation.” The paper comments: “Yes, indeed, in almost every country of the world there is some level of inflation. But these countries, as a rule, are fighting against inflation. For example, if their annual inflation makes 5 percent, the government raises people’s salaries by 5 percent and people’s social situation does not get worse. But it turns out there is also another way, Hakob Hakobian’s method, which is: the higher the cost of life is, the more people must work.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” writes on Agriculture Minister Sergo Karapetian’s visit to the northeastern Gegharkunik province where at one of the villages he was assured that from one hectare they had obtained 600 centners of potato. “This is a world record. The highest potato yield is recorded in the Netherlands where only 450 centners are taken from one hectare. It turns out that our farmers without any western technologies, but with only spades and rakes get 1.5 times more crops than the Dutch,” the paper writes ironically.
(Tigran Avetisian)