In an interview with “Aravot,” Harutiun Pambukian, who manages the ruling Republican Party’s mayoral election campaign, downplays the fact that the Armenian opposition has traditionally done well in national elections in Yerevan. Pambukian argues that local elections held in the capital have always been won by pro-government parties and individual candidates. “After all, these are also going to be local elections,” he says.
Political expert Manvel Sargsian tells “Zhamanak” that opposition victory in the May 31 elections would have far-reaching repercussions for Armenia’s leadership. Sargsian finds unconvincing speculation that Levon Ter-Petrosian will not agree to become Yerevan mayor if his Armenian National Congress (HAK) wins a majority of seats in Yerevan’s Council of Elders. In any case, he says, an HAK-controlled council would bring about “diarchy or changes within the ruling elite.” “In that case, a lot would depend on the authorities’ behavior,” he says.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” comments on highly confusing court testimony given this week by one of the witnesses in the trial of opposition leader Aleksandr Arzumanian. “People were wrong to laugh at the testimony of that hapless witness,” says the opposition daily. “They should have wept. Because that episode exposed the disgraceful state of our judicial system.” It says the witness, who claimed to have seen Ter-Petrosian in the Yerevan area barricaded by opposition supporters in March 2008, was as “unserious” as the country’s rulers.
“Kapital” reports that one of the Armenian construction firms has already received credit guarantees promised by the government to real estate developers last week. The paper notes that the government’s anti-crisis task force needed only two days to consider and approve the Glendale Hills company’s application for a guarantee worth 2 billion drams ($5.4 million.)
“Yerkir” says that Armenia has no “comprehensive program of how to act and avoid serious economic consequences” if its border with Turkey is opened by Ankara. “One must also bear mind that as long as Turkey has not recognized the genocide it will not be in Armenia’s interests to have any relationship with it,” says the Dashnaktsutyun weekly. “That relationship will always carry big risks.”
(Aghasi Yenokian)
Political expert Manvel Sargsian tells “Zhamanak” that opposition victory in the May 31 elections would have far-reaching repercussions for Armenia’s leadership. Sargsian finds unconvincing speculation that Levon Ter-Petrosian will not agree to become Yerevan mayor if his Armenian National Congress (HAK) wins a majority of seats in Yerevan’s Council of Elders. In any case, he says, an HAK-controlled council would bring about “diarchy or changes within the ruling elite.” “In that case, a lot would depend on the authorities’ behavior,” he says.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” comments on highly confusing court testimony given this week by one of the witnesses in the trial of opposition leader Aleksandr Arzumanian. “People were wrong to laugh at the testimony of that hapless witness,” says the opposition daily. “They should have wept. Because that episode exposed the disgraceful state of our judicial system.” It says the witness, who claimed to have seen Ter-Petrosian in the Yerevan area barricaded by opposition supporters in March 2008, was as “unserious” as the country’s rulers.
“Kapital” reports that one of the Armenian construction firms has already received credit guarantees promised by the government to real estate developers last week. The paper notes that the government’s anti-crisis task force needed only two days to consider and approve the Glendale Hills company’s application for a guarantee worth 2 billion drams ($5.4 million.)
“Yerkir” says that Armenia has no “comprehensive program of how to act and avoid serious economic consequences” if its border with Turkey is opened by Ankara. “One must also bear mind that as long as Turkey has not recognized the genocide it will not be in Armenia’s interests to have any relationship with it,” says the Dashnaktsutyun weekly. “That relationship will always carry big risks.”
(Aghasi Yenokian)