“Aravot” has no doubts that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s political team will have a comfortable majority in Armenia’s next parliament which is expected to be elected in December. The paper predicts that Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) will finish third, not second, in the snap elections after making “pledges of allegiance” to Pashinian. It says the likely election runner-up is the Luys alliance made up of two parties that have until now been allied to Pashinian. It suggests that no other political group will be represented in the National Assembly.
This reality, according to “Aravot,” makes the question of who will hold Pashinian’s government in check even more pressing. “True, the prime minister and his ministers will not be taking bribes, getting involved in corruption schemes or proving ‘tutelage’ to businesses. That will mark huge progress in the development of our country, a prerequisite for positive public sentiment. But this does not mean that there will be no reason to criticize the government.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” also expects Pashinian to enjoy an “absolute majority” in the new parliament. “At this point, it is simply impossible to prevent the government from being monopolar,” writes the paper edited by Pashinian’s wife. “That can be prevented only if there emerges another force that will seem more credible to the public … and be even more honest and transparent. But, let’s face it, there is no such influential force at the moment.”
“Zhoghovurd” reports that President Armen Sarkissian on Wednesday met with parliamentary representatives of the Republican Party (HHK), Tsarukian’s BHK and Dashnaktsutyun following his consultations with Pashinian and parliament speaker Ara Babloyan. The paper says the meeting came after it became clear that most members of the current parliament are not opposed to its dissolution and the holding of fresh elections in December. “In this situation, Armen Sarkissian’s moves were unexpected, to say the least,” it says. The paper speculates that the president may not be sure that the three parliamentary forces will honor their pledges not to thwart the polls.
(Lilit Harutiunian)