“Haykakan Zhamanak” reports that former President Robert Kocharian has met with his supporters at a Yerevan hotel belonging to his family and “expressed interesting thoughts” there. “In particular, he said that ten years ago he thought that the main events of his life are now a thing of the past and that a very quiet and predictable life awaits him,” writes the pro-government paper. It says Kocharian had thus prepared to enjoy his political retirement after “running the country for ten years.” It also scoffs at the ex-president’s remark that the criminal proceedings launched him are a powerful incentive for his renewed political activities.
“Zhamanak” says Kocharian’s speech was short on specifics and contained no “revelations regarding the future.” “The second president has nothing to say or to do and is only imitating that he enjoys public support,” writes the paper very critical of him. “On the other hand, in line with a scenario written by him or a foreign power he is trying to provoke the society into civil clashes.” It also says that Kocharian lacks a “serious team and program” and that “his party is billions of dollars stolen from us.”
“This also means that Kocharian continues to be regarded as an alternative to the current authorities,” writes “Aravot.” “A bad, wrong and undesirable one but still an alternative, which is not a positive phenomenon in itself.” The paper says one of the achievements of last year’s velvet revolution is that “political life stopped revolving around the first three presidents” of Armenia. It is therefore worried about their renewed involvement in Armenian politics.
“Zhoghovurd” dismisses critics’ claims that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s visit to Kazakhstan (where he attended a summit of the Eurasian Economic Union) was a failure. In that regard, the paper downplays the fact that Pashinian did not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit. “Such a meeting was not planned at all,” it says.
(Anush Mkrtchian)
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