“Haykakan Zhamanak” says that the 10 percent rise in the price of Russian natural gas imported by Armenia will have an impact on the Armenia economy despite government assurances that internal gas prices will remain the same. The paper disagrees with those who blame the price hike on last spring’s “velvet revolution” that brought Nikol Pashinian to power. It argues that the most recent Russian-Armenian agreement on the gas price was always supposed to run until December 31, 2018.
“As regards Russian-Armenian relations, we need allies, not sponsors, and in this sense the abolition of sponsorship only helps to create truly allied relations [between the two countries,]” concludes the paper edited by Pashinian’s wife, Anna Hakobian.
“Aravot” wonders if former journalists elected to the new Armenian parliament on the ticket of Pashinian’s My Step alliance will abandon skepticism characteristic of their profession and only sing the current government’s praises. “If they continue not to take everything at face value, then kudos to them,” editorializes the paper. It says that in the past 28 years many decent individuals have lost their sense of humor and become arrogant after entering politics. “In purely visual terms, most of the deputies of the newly elected National Assembly look more likeable than their predecessors,” it says. “It is essential that their brains do not get covered by thick layers of fat. That would reflect negatively on their appearance as well.”
Eduard Sharmazanov, the spokesman for the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), tells Lragir.am that former President Serzh Sarkisian should continue to lead the HHK. Sharmazanov also says that the HHK will make other changes in its leadership at an upcoming congress in Yerevan. The online publication says that many HHK figures are opposed to Sarkisian’s possible replacement by former Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian, who topped the party’s list of candidates in the December 9 parliamentary elections.
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Facebook Forum