“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” scoffs at Justice Minister Davit Harutiunian’s announcement that Armenia’s next prime minister will have two offices because of wielding many more powers than the current premier. “They were saying that the parliamentary system of government will lead to a separation of powers,” writes the paper. “Now it turns out that one person will have so many powers that a single office will not be enough. But is the holder of that office enough to perform all those duties? Or does the [ruling] HHK plan to clone Serzh Sarkisian so that our long-suffering people get several such goodies? That would be useful in all respects. One [Serzh Sarkisian] would deal with foreign policy issues, another with the economy, while a third one would participate in weddings and engagement parties.”
“One can presume that Serzh Sarkisian will be issuing orders relating to the police, the military, the security service and the country’s overall governance from [the presidential palace on] 26 Bagramian Avenue,” writes “Zhoghovurd.” “This is where sensitive intra-governmental processes will be masterminded. By contrast, orders to the deputy prime ministers and ministers will be given from the main government building where cabinet meetings are held. This is really pathetic. It means that the efficiency of a state official’s work depends on the number of their offices.”
“Zhamanak” continues to analyze the deepening rift within the opposition Yelk alliance. The paper says that successive opposition alliances in Armenia have failed because of pursuing maximalist objectives, instead of accepting “small but institutional victories.” “As a rule, the opposition has not gained the whole thing and has only lost its main resource: public trust,” it says. “In all likelihood, lessons have not been learned because the lumpen public keeps subjecting the opposition to tests.”
“Past” quotes Grigor Harutiunian, a senior member of Stepan Demirchian’s People’s Party, as criticizing other opposition forces that are planning street protests against Serzh Sarkisian. Harutiunian argues that they refused to campaign against Sarkisian’s constitutional changes which made his continued rule possible in the first place. He notes that they also refused to challenge the official results of last year’s parliamentary elections.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Facebook Forum