“Zhoghovurd” notes the absence of street protests in Armenia against the arrest and prosecution of former President Robert Kocharian on charges stemming from the March 2008 violence in Yerevan. “This was totally expected given the criminal case that led to Kocharian’s arrest,” writes the paper. It also says that few political groups have made statements in support of Kocharian. Former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) is one of them. “By defending Robert Kocharian they also defend Serzh Sarkisian and themselves,” comments the paper. “After all, one of those responsible for [what happened on] March 1 was then Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, who was to become president.”
“Past” dismisses parallels drawn by Kocharian between his prosecution and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s mass purges launched in 1937. “One is not only surprised but also ashamed when prominent political figures make references to the bloodiest pages of the Soviet past to describe our existing reality,” says the paper.
“Judging from the reaction of Russian expert circles, they are well aware of weak spots of the Armenian authorities and are closely monitoring developments,” writes “Aravot.” “It’s no secret that the political crisis in Armenia is continuing and it will end only with pre-term parliamentary elections and the formation of a new government. It is also no secret that without radical economic reforms there can be no systemic fight against corruption. Against the backdrop of difficult and nervous relations with the Russians and the unresolved [Karabakh] conflict, the Armenian authorities have still not come up with formulas for new relationships with the U.S., the European Union and NATO.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
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