(Saturday, October 8)
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” is skeptical about a post-election alliance which three Armenian opposition parties -- Bright Armenia, Armenian Revival and Prosperous Armenia (BHK) -- plan to form in Vanadzor. The paper cites unnamed local sources as saying that although the three parties control the majority of seats in the city council, it is the candidate of the ruling Republican Party (HHK), Mamikon Aslanian, who will be elected Vanadzor mayor. It notes in this regard that Armenian Revival’s mayoral candidate, Arkady Peleshian, was released after being arrested in connection with a violent assault last week.
“Zhoghovurd” questions the opposition credentials of members of Gyumri’s municipal council representing Armenian Revival and the BHK. The paper claims that the two parties maintain close ties with the government and will boycott the council in order to avoid exposing those ties and discrediting themselves ahead of the April 2017 parliamentary elections.
“In Gyumri and Vanadzor the correlation of forces was such that parties had to reach agreements,” writes “Aravot.” “Which is a better option: when a single party or three or four parties decide things?” The paper says that even if the BHK, Armenian Revival and Bright Armenia fail to install the next mayor Vanadzor local politics has gone beyond a “point of no return” and the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) will no longer be able to govern that community on its own.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” says that Yerevan’s Mayor Taron Markarian is using an annual festival in the Armenian capital to prepare for the next municipal election due in May 2017. “Taron Markarian is doing everything … to ensure his reelection,” writes the paper. “His position seems stronger now because his potential rivals have become weaker.” It says that Gagik Beglarian, until recently the minister of transport and communications, is one of them.
(Artur Papian)