“Haykakan Zhamanak” reacts to reported cancellations by public and private institutions in Yerevan of an official presentation of a book written by former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and translated to Armenian. “Is Russia’s intervention the reason for that, given the high degree of Russian influence on various segments of Armenia’s population?” asks the paper. It goes on to suggest that Moscow was not behind the cancellation. “Saakashvili’s image is deeply unbearable for our government elite,” it claims. “Having become Georgia’s president only 12-13 years ago, Saakashvili managed to radically transform Georgia … And that was happening in front of our eyes. Tens or even hundreds of thousands of Armenians visiting Georgia could see that a whole country can be reformed in a very short period of time.”
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” brands President Serzh Sarkisian a political “juggler” who skillfully manipulates Armenia’s government institutions and political system to extend his rule. The paper claims that he is making sure that Armenia’s police and National Security Service are “removed from parliament control and directly subordinated to the prime minister.” It also argues that despite Armenia’s transformation into a parliamentary republic the parliament speaker will no longer sit on the national Security Council. “This is a real magic,” it says scornfully. The pro-opposition daily also blasts a government bill that will prevent journalists from watching cabinet meetings live.
“Meetings of the next government to be formed in April will be held behind the closed doors,” writes“Zhoghovurd.” The paper ridicules the official rationale for this measure which was given by Justice Minister Davit Harutiunian on Thursday. “In this country journalists are to blame for everything,” it says tartly.
(Tigran Avetisian)
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