“Haykakan Zhamanak” chides those opposition politicians who announced their intention to run for president immediately after the Armenian parliamentary elections. “Their ambitions would be somewhat understandable if [real presidential] elections were expected to take place in 2008,” the paper says in an editorial. “What is expected to happen in 2008 is a reproduction of Serzh Sarkisian. It is evident that no individual candidate has a chance to win those elections, just like no single party, including Kocharian’s Prosperous Armenia Party, had a chance to win on May 12.” Therefore, it claims, those who plan to contest the 2008 ballot will only facilitate Sarkisian’s election as president.
“Hayots Ashkhar” also discusses the abundance of opposition presidential candidates, dismissing them as politically unemployed people who are only making things easier for Sarkisian. “In this case, quantity does not engender quality. Quite the opposite,” writes the paper.
“168 Zham” comments on the continuing negotiations over the formation of Armenia’s new government. “Since at issue is only a temporary government, one is left to assume that the real theme of the negotiations is the 2008 presidential elections,” editorializes the paper. It says that the leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) are divided over whether their party should remain in government. “In this case, there can be no compromise solutions. It is impossible to simultaneously be part of the government and act like opposition.”
“Hayk” says that the elections left Gagik Tsarukian, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), in a “trap.” “Despite being the second largest [parliamentary] force, the BHK is a headless and faceless tool in the hands of Serzh Sarkisian and Robert Kocharian in case the BHK leader does not assume any role,” writes the paper. “After all, nobody, even Tsarukian, can bet that Kocharian needs the BHK together with Tsarukian rather than without him. Tsarukian will probably realize over time that having plunged himself into politics and wasted huge resources, he has no levers in reality because he modestly did not aspire to any post.”
(Atom Markarian)
“Hayots Ashkhar” also discusses the abundance of opposition presidential candidates, dismissing them as politically unemployed people who are only making things easier for Sarkisian. “In this case, quantity does not engender quality. Quite the opposite,” writes the paper.
“168 Zham” comments on the continuing negotiations over the formation of Armenia’s new government. “Since at issue is only a temporary government, one is left to assume that the real theme of the negotiations is the 2008 presidential elections,” editorializes the paper. It says that the leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) are divided over whether their party should remain in government. “In this case, there can be no compromise solutions. It is impossible to simultaneously be part of the government and act like opposition.”
“Hayk” says that the elections left Gagik Tsarukian, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), in a “trap.” “Despite being the second largest [parliamentary] force, the BHK is a headless and faceless tool in the hands of Serzh Sarkisian and Robert Kocharian in case the BHK leader does not assume any role,” writes the paper. “After all, nobody, even Tsarukian, can bet that Kocharian needs the BHK together with Tsarukian rather than without him. Tsarukian will probably realize over time that having plunged himself into politics and wasted huge resources, he has no levers in reality because he modestly did not aspire to any post.”
(Atom Markarian)