“Haykakan Zhamanak” looks at the timing of the snap presidential election in Azerbaijan which will be held just two days after the end of President Serzh Sarkisian’s final term. The paper predicts that both Sarkisian and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev will extend their long rule. “In Armenia too power will be totally concentrated in Serzh Sarkisian’s hands,” writes the paper. “Thus outside observers can see no difference [between political processes in Armenia and Azerbaijan.]”
“Zhoghovurd” claims that Serzh Sarkisian did not like his presidential candidate Armen Sarkissian’s recent statement to the effect that the next president of the republic will not have a largely ceremonial role. “Through the [ruling] HHK spokesman Sarkisian is now making clear that although the next president will be considered head of state under the new constitution he will be the one who will be making decisions,” writes the paper. “Accordingly, no matter how enthusiastic Armen Sarkissian is about becoming head of state he will have to come to terms with the role of a ‘queen of England’ overseen by Serzh Sarkisian.”
“Zhamanak” reports that despite its latest calls for a reform of the electoral system the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) is distancing itself from the Tsarukian Bloc’s similar position on the issue. The paper speculates that Dashnaktsutyun is at pains to assure the HHK that it is not plotting an anti-government “conspiracy” and to exclude at the same time the Tsarukian Bloc from its dealings with Serzh Sarkisian’s party.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” reacts with sarcasm to Prime Minister Karen Karapetian’s decision to let private entities use disused state-owned equipment and facilities provided that they can create jobs. “The thing is that Serzh Sarkisian’s cabinet is undoubtedly a state property that is not used efficiently,” comments the paper. “If someone else had used it more efficiently tens of thousands of jobs would have been created in Armenia.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
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