“Zhoghovurd” says it is only natural that pro-government parliamentarians “protect the interests of the executive branch.” “State officials now need support more than ever before because often times artificial tensions are created towards state officials,” writes the paper. “On the other hand, we have a situation where police officers can beat up a plainclothes man. What is bewildering is that when a representative of the [opposition] Bright Armenia party, Gevorg Gorgisian, reported the incident he was countered by [fellow lawmaker] Nikolay Baghdasarian of the [ruling] My Step bloc. The latter insisted that such things are not possible in the New Armenia. However, the police did not deny the incident and an internal inquiry is now underway.”
“Aravot” continues to slam a minibus driver in Yerevan who was fired after ignoring a commuter’s demand to stop smoking. The driver now wants to meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and present his side of the story. The paper says that the government should not bow to pressures from any citizens flouting laws. It says Pashinian’s government already made a serious mistake when it forgave thousands of car owners that had refused to pay fines imposed on them for violations of traffic rules. Citizens must have no doubts that any delinquent behavior will have serious consequences for them, concludes the paper.
“Zhamanak” wonders whether former President Serzh Sarkisian’s visits to Nagorno-Karabakh are meant to help ward off “external dangers” facing the Armenians or “exert or generate pressure on the new Armenian authorities from there.” The paper also speculates that “some Russian circles” are trying to gain a foothold in Karabakh after being driven out of Armenia. “It is the same circles that have been targeting the Armenian velvet revolution for quite a while, gently blaming Serzh Sarkisian in the process for bringing things to such a conclusion,” it says. “They are openly saying that the revolution would not have happened had he not opted for a third term in office.”
(Lilit Harutiunian)