“Zhoghovurd” says that many in Armenia still do not believe that there can be serious rivalry between former “Siamese twins” like Serzh Sarkisian and Robert Kocharian. The paper points out that Kocharian spoke, in a January 2013 interview, of his reluctance to provoke such rivalry when he explained his decision not to stand in the last Armenian presidential election. It says the next few months will show whether Kocharian has indeed fallen out with his successor as president.
“Unfortunately, it has to be concluded that Armenia’s former presidents do not use their political weight for useful social purposes,” writes “Hraparak.” “The driving force behind their statements and actions is apparently their ego, rather than the country’s problems. What orients them is their personal interests, rather than their homeland’s interests … They get angry when they hear criticism of themselves, rather than Armenia. They worry about their uncertain status, rather than the future of the homeland.”
“168 Zham” says that whatever the outcome of the power struggle in Yerevan Armenia will remain firmly within the Russian orbit. “Armenia’s [ordinary] citizens have no involvement in this struggle,” writes the paper. This is so, it claims, because Armenian opposition forces think that the only way to come to power is to serve Russia, rather than their own people.
“Hayots Ashkhar” comments on continuing non-combat violence within Armenia’s armed forces, saying that any soldier or officer ill-treating their comrades deserves “strictest punishment.” “Thanks to reforms carried out in recent years, a lot has changed in the army,” writes the paper. “Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian’s relentless fight against vicious practices that infected the system -- crimes, thuggish behavior, intolerance, corruption -- has clearly produced positive results. But the fact that we still lose soldiers not because of enemy fire but the brutality of Armenian officers, inhuman treatment by fellow conscripts and the indifference of medical personnel means that a lot still remains to be done.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
“Unfortunately, it has to be concluded that Armenia’s former presidents do not use their political weight for useful social purposes,” writes “Hraparak.” “The driving force behind their statements and actions is apparently their ego, rather than the country’s problems. What orients them is their personal interests, rather than their homeland’s interests … They get angry when they hear criticism of themselves, rather than Armenia. They worry about their uncertain status, rather than the future of the homeland.”
“168 Zham” says that whatever the outcome of the power struggle in Yerevan Armenia will remain firmly within the Russian orbit. “Armenia’s [ordinary] citizens have no involvement in this struggle,” writes the paper. This is so, it claims, because Armenian opposition forces think that the only way to come to power is to serve Russia, rather than their own people.
“Hayots Ashkhar” comments on continuing non-combat violence within Armenia’s armed forces, saying that any soldier or officer ill-treating their comrades deserves “strictest punishment.” “Thanks to reforms carried out in recent years, a lot has changed in the army,” writes the paper. “Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian’s relentless fight against vicious practices that infected the system -- crimes, thuggish behavior, intolerance, corruption -- has clearly produced positive results. But the fact that we still lose soldiers not because of enemy fire but the brutality of Armenian officers, inhuman treatment by fellow conscripts and the indifference of medical personnel means that a lot still remains to be done.”
(Tigran Avetisian)