“Zhoghovurd” is confident that fresh parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia before the end of this year. The paper says that Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) is “falling apart,” with several members of its parliamentary faction openly saying that the elections should be held in December. It points out that the current parliament’s dissolution is now also supported by Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). “It must also be noted that political processes seem to be unfolding without shocks,” it says.
Lragir.am notes that former Prosecutor-General Gevorg Kostanian is one of those HHK parliamentarians who have effectively sided with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. Another HHK lawmaker, Alik Sargsian, has expressed readiness to leave the HHK’s parliamentary faction. The online publication notes that these developments followed the weekend arrest of Samvel Mayrapetian, a wealthy entrepreneur reputedly linked to former President Robert Kocharian. “The [former] system is crumbling and any attempted resistance only accelerates the depletion of its resources,” it says.
“Zhamanak” comments on a joint memorandum of understanding that was signed by Pashinian and BHK leader Gagik Tsarukian on Monday. “In terms of current political affairs, Gagik Tsarukian tried to save the chance to be second [most important political force,]” writes the paper. “The question, however, is whether by voicing support for Pashinian and agreeing to holding elections in December he managed to reverse the losses suffered by the BHK on October 2. It is possible that the BHK leader does not care about that and is now more concerned with his personal rating seeing as the BHK’s ‘political period’ probably ended a long time ago.”
(Lilit Harutiunian)