"Haykakan Zhamanak" comments that the Armenian opposition "for the first time achieved a significant success" on Wednesday by finding a way of including the impeachment issue on the parliament agenda. The move took the parliament majority by surprise. "Nobody expected the National Assembly's new statutes, passed in February, to contain such a trap for Kocharian. So the pro-government deputies [on Wednesday] had no idea of how to save the situation," the paper writes. The parliament's leadership can block a debate on initiating impeachment proceedings against Kocharian only by breaching the law.
"Aravot" argues that although the opposition stands no chance of forcing the parliament to seek Kocharian's ouster, the very fact of an official debate on the issue would be a huge embarrassment for the president. Even so, it says, "there will be no impeachment in any case," with both the parliament majority and the Constitutional Court remaining utterly loyal to the head of state.
"Hayots Ashkhar," meanwhile, attacks the parliament's ad hoc commission overseeing the official inquiry into the 1999 parliament shootings for its conclusion that Armenian security bodies could have averted the bloodbath. The paper, which is rumored to be close to former national security minister Serzh Sarkisian, says the members of the commission should have instead asked the people and Kocharian for forgiveness for "spreading baseless suspicions" about the president's involvement in the killings. However, they continue to be guided by "blind vengeance."
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian is also unhappy with the commission's report. "Azg" quotes him as saying that its text was written by the opposition which succeeded in politicizing the issue.
The deputy speaker of the parliament, Gagik Aslanian, tells "Orran" that the political situation in Armenia is "relatively stable." "However, there is internal tension and uncertainty. The political landscape is not clear yet," Aslanian says. He says the closure of the independent A1+ channel and the ensued consolidation of the opposition was "the result of a wrong policy pursued by the authorities." Also, Aslanian says, "there is no explicit cooperation" among pro-government forces. On the contrary, "they are throwing mud at each other in order to be declared pro presidential today and tomorrow."
"Orran" claims for its part that Kocharian "has found himself in a deep isolation." It sees difference emerging between the president and his closest associate, Serzh Sarkisian, and the Republican Party leadership. "Today no serious political force is seeking a consolidation with Kocharian," the paper says.
(Vache Sarkisian)
"Aravot" argues that although the opposition stands no chance of forcing the parliament to seek Kocharian's ouster, the very fact of an official debate on the issue would be a huge embarrassment for the president. Even so, it says, "there will be no impeachment in any case," with both the parliament majority and the Constitutional Court remaining utterly loyal to the head of state.
"Hayots Ashkhar," meanwhile, attacks the parliament's ad hoc commission overseeing the official inquiry into the 1999 parliament shootings for its conclusion that Armenian security bodies could have averted the bloodbath. The paper, which is rumored to be close to former national security minister Serzh Sarkisian, says the members of the commission should have instead asked the people and Kocharian for forgiveness for "spreading baseless suspicions" about the president's involvement in the killings. However, they continue to be guided by "blind vengeance."
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian is also unhappy with the commission's report. "Azg" quotes him as saying that its text was written by the opposition which succeeded in politicizing the issue.
The deputy speaker of the parliament, Gagik Aslanian, tells "Orran" that the political situation in Armenia is "relatively stable." "However, there is internal tension and uncertainty. The political landscape is not clear yet," Aslanian says. He says the closure of the independent A1+ channel and the ensued consolidation of the opposition was "the result of a wrong policy pursued by the authorities." Also, Aslanian says, "there is no explicit cooperation" among pro-government forces. On the contrary, "they are throwing mud at each other in order to be declared pro presidential today and tomorrow."
"Orran" claims for its part that Kocharian "has found himself in a deep isolation." It sees difference emerging between the president and his closest associate, Serzh Sarkisian, and the Republican Party leadership. "Today no serious political force is seeking a consolidation with Kocharian," the paper says.
(Vache Sarkisian)