“Zhamanak” condemns the Armenian parliament for ratifying Armenia’s accession treaty with the Eurasian Economic Union, saying that it was imposed by Russia “through blackmail and threats.” The paper says that the country’s main political parties supporting membership in the EEU will now bear responsibility for the “wholesale surrender of the state.”
“By voting for the EEU we are going to add more problems to our existing ones,” editorializes “Hraparak.” The paper points to the absence of common borders between Armenia and any of the union’s member states. It also claims that even now Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be averse to cutting deals with Azerbaijan at the expense of Armenia’s national interests.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” defends the opposition parties that voted for the treaty’s ratification, arguing that the move does not bar them from continuing to fight for President Serzh Sarkisian’s resignation “given his failings in much more important areas.” “The reason why they are not [jointly] raising the issue of his resignation now is that it won’t be solved with mere demands,” it says. “There need to be mechanisms for getting those demands across. This is what the [opposition] trio is trying to do. Whether or not it will succeed is a different question. What is certain is that agreeing with Serzh Sarkisian on a number of issues will not hamper that effort.”
Stepan Markarian, a senior member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), tells “Zhoghovurd” that it is still not clear whether the BHK leader, Gagik Tsarukian, will take part in the trio’s next rally slated for December 10. “We have not yet decided what our next steps will be,” says Markarian.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” says that the EEU’s decision-making bodies are designed for a presidential system of governance in its member states. The paper speculates that Serzh Sarkisian will now be less likely to push for Armenia’s transformation into a parliamentary republic as part of a constitutional reform planned by him. The reform drive may soon be scrapped altogether, it claims.
(Heghine Buniatian)