In an interview with “Aravot,” Suren Sureniants, a prominent member of the opposition Hanrapetutyun party, disagrees with Levon Ter-Petrosian and other opposition leaders who contend that their movement has grown even stronger since the February 2008 presidential election. Sureniants argues that the Armenian authorities have ensured their desired outcome of the May 31 elections in Yerevan. At the same time he does not consider the Armenian National Congress’s performance in the elections an utter failure.
Gagik Melikian, a senior member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), tells “Hayots Ashkhar” that Ter-Petrosian “will do everything” to prevent the authorities from declaring an amnesty for his imprisoned supporters. “Because that is beyond his control, he is doing his best to add a political subtext to the amnesty,” says Melikian. “And tomorrow he will declared and call on those who are granted an amnesty not to accept the president’s and the National Assembly’s humanitarian gesture. The political calculation is clear. As long as there are persons jailed in connection with riots organized and provoked by him he will be able to continue to exploit the issue and invent new ways of staying on in the political arena.”
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says President Serzh Sarkisian and his allies continue to claim that all “political prisoners” are criminals and that not all of them must be set free. “Therefore, this operation effectively called an ‘amnesty’ is a continuation of fabricated criminal cases and political trials because it pursues the same goal: to prove that those people committed a crime,” says the pro-opposition daily.
“Hraparak” lists some of the countries whose leaders have congratulated Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his controversial reelection. Those include Afghanistan, Venezuela, North Korea and Iraq. “Fortunately, the world is not yet informed about the Armenian president and his congratulatory message [to Ahmadinejad,]” the paper comments tartly. “How did Ahmadinejad delight Serzh Sarkisian? By delivering three lengthy speeches in 24 hours and finding no word for initiating a public dialogue?” The paper finds Sarkisian’s congratulation immoral and shameful.
“Golos Armenii” criticizes the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation for cutting about one third of its promised assistance to Armenia over the Armenian government’s failure to meet its criteria for democratic governance. The pro-presidential paper dismisses this explanation, saying that the MCC’s decision was politically motivated. It also says that the poor condition of roads and other rural infrastructures hardly bodes well for Armenia’s democratization.
(Aghasi Yenokian)
Gagik Melikian, a senior member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), tells “Hayots Ashkhar” that Ter-Petrosian “will do everything” to prevent the authorities from declaring an amnesty for his imprisoned supporters. “Because that is beyond his control, he is doing his best to add a political subtext to the amnesty,” says Melikian. “And tomorrow he will declared and call on those who are granted an amnesty not to accept the president’s and the National Assembly’s humanitarian gesture. The political calculation is clear. As long as there are persons jailed in connection with riots organized and provoked by him he will be able to continue to exploit the issue and invent new ways of staying on in the political arena.”
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says President Serzh Sarkisian and his allies continue to claim that all “political prisoners” are criminals and that not all of them must be set free. “Therefore, this operation effectively called an ‘amnesty’ is a continuation of fabricated criminal cases and political trials because it pursues the same goal: to prove that those people committed a crime,” says the pro-opposition daily.
“Hraparak” lists some of the countries whose leaders have congratulated Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his controversial reelection. Those include Afghanistan, Venezuela, North Korea and Iraq. “Fortunately, the world is not yet informed about the Armenian president and his congratulatory message [to Ahmadinejad,]” the paper comments tartly. “How did Ahmadinejad delight Serzh Sarkisian? By delivering three lengthy speeches in 24 hours and finding no word for initiating a public dialogue?” The paper finds Sarkisian’s congratulation immoral and shameful.
“Golos Armenii” criticizes the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation for cutting about one third of its promised assistance to Armenia over the Armenian government’s failure to meet its criteria for democratic governance. The pro-presidential paper dismisses this explanation, saying that the MCC’s decision was politically motivated. It also says that the poor condition of roads and other rural infrastructures hardly bodes well for Armenia’s democratization.
(Aghasi Yenokian)