Press Review

“Everything is turned upside down in Armenia these days,” Ohan Durian, a prominent Armenian conductor opposed to the government, tells “Zhamanak Yerevan.” “Nothing is in its right place. Nobody does their job. The falsifier, the [ballot] stuffer, the attacker and the murderer are governing the country, prospering and thickening their necks. Whereas those who have tried to prevent fraud, have their votes counted and fight for freedom and justice have been beaten up, killed, imprisoned or are on hunger strike. Our people will not tolerate such an inhuman situation. I consider all arrested [oppositionists] to be the pride of our people. I know many of them personally and am delighted with their biography. I want to kiss everybody, one by one.”

“As long as those fighting for freedom and democracy are in prison, my people will not calm down,” continues Durian. “As long as those responsible for [the deadly clashes of] March 1 walk freely, my people will not calm down.”

“Hayk” comments on the sacking of Alvina Zakarian, head of the Armenian police department issuing passports and visas. “She was the one who gave Robert Kocharian the false document on the basis of which Kocharian was registered as a presidential candidate and usurped the post of president of Armenia [in 1998,]” recalls the opposition paper. It also notes that Zakarian was accused of corruption by Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian recently. “If Madam Alvina is not subjected to criminal liability, one can no longer doubt that corruption is thriving not only in her agency.”

“Aravot” dismisses as “disinformation” pro-government media claims that Levon Ter-Petrosian is set to leave Armenia for good. “Only those do not know the first president of Armenia can believe in this gossip spread by the authorities,” says the paper. “And here is where the first president’s propaganda center did not behave correctly by stating that it does not comment on details of Ter-Petrosian’s personal life. First of all, if a person aspires to the highest position in the country, movements of his family members are no longer a private affair. Secondly, by creating a shroud of secrecy over that simple issue those who deal with the first president’s PR have done a great service to the regime’s propagandists.”

“Azg” claims that the Ter-Petrosian camp is intent on “provoking new clashes” in Yerevan. “Are the current authorities ready to prevent another destabilization of the country?” asks the paper. Judging from the “cocky” statements of senior members of the ruling Republican Party, it says, they are not. “Concerned with only retaining power, they enthusiastically talk about Leon Ter-Petrosian’s ‘tolerant’ tone, ‘constructive struggle’ or intention to leave the country.” The paper is worried that the Republicans are “not doing any propaganda or other work to expose the real picture” of the Ter-Petrosian-led opposition’s activities which it says are “threatening the statehood.”

(Armen Dulian)