Former President Levon Ter-Petrossian gives an interview to Khristine Khanumian, journalist of “Chorrord Inqnishkhanutyun” newspaper
Politics just became interesting again in Armenia: Former President Levon Ter-Petrossian effectively called an end to the five-year struggle by his opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (HAK), which was created in the aftermath of disputed presidential elections in 2008.
Armenia – Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukian (C) attends a parliament session in Yerevan, 4Feb2013 | Photo from http://www.azatutyun.am
One of the top stories in the Armenian media today is the fact, that Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukian attended a session of parliament for the first time since last May’s legislative elections. Continue reading
Armenia — President Serzh Sargsyan, Yerevan, December 2012 | Photo from President’s official website http://www.president.am
The presidential elections are to be held in Armenia on February 18. President Serzh Sarkissian’s reelection seems to be simply a matter of technicality. Apathy reigns among voters and politicians alike.
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Armenia — Former Foreign Minister of Armenia and founder of the Civilitas Foundation Vartan Oskanian walks down the stairs of Parliament, Yerevan, 02Oct2012 | Photo via Civilnet.am
The Armenian Parliament stripped MP Vartan Oskanian of his parliamentary immunity clearing way for the investigators to move forward with a probe into money-laundering allegations, RFE/RL reports. Continue reading
One of Armenia’s wealthiest businessman and leader of “Bargavach Hayastan” (Prosperous Armenia) party Gagik Tsarukian has backed the initiative of his party’s youth wing to hold the First Eurasian Youth Conference in the Armenian resort town of Tsakhadzor on August 22-27. Continue reading
Posted in Armenia, Politics, Region
Tagged Armenia, Bargavach Hayastan, Eurasian Union, European Union, Gagik Tsarukyan, Independence, Prosperous Armenia, Putin, Russia, Tsarukyan, Vladimir Putin
Looks like Armenia is more or less content with the outcome of the parliamentary elections that took place on May 6.
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Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasian, Photo from the official website of Gyumri City Hall
Gyumry mayor Vardan Ghukasian announced on Monday, that his family is ready to contribute all the money necessary to acquire great Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanian’s house in Tbilisi and hand it over to Armenia’s Writers’ Union to be turned into a literary, cultural center and library, Aravot.am reports. Continue reading
Armenia’s ruling coalition parties will jointly endorse Armenia’s incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan’s reelection bid, despite continuous rumors, that Armenia’s richest oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan and his personal-use Prosperous Armenia (BHK) party might be seeking to break off from the coalition. Continue reading
Aereal photo of Yerevan’s City Hall | Photo from Municipality’s official website
“Normal work process”, involving beating the hell out of each other with over ‘fundamental disagreements’ continues, as Armenia’s two largest pro-government parties engage in fresh brawls in Yerevan ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
Last week a group of activists of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) attacked the election campaign office of President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) in the Yerevan’s Kanaker-Zeytun district. According to newspaper reports, the attack was made in retaliation for the beating earlier in the day of their comrades by Republican campaigners armed with clubs.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Gagik Mkrtchian, deputy head of the HHK branch in Kanaker-Zeytun downplayed the significance of the incident, calling it a “normal work process.”
Another incident came on Monday, in Yerevan’s Silikian district of Ajapniak community. Eyewitnesses told RFE/RL that doezen’s of supporters of both ruling parties, most of them young men, clashed with each other at BHK election campaign office, after Ajapnyak’s Mayor Ruben Hovsepian arrived there with his deputy Armen Baghdasarian. Notably, the Ajapnyak mayor is also the brother of Armenia’s influential Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian.
The police claimed, meanwhile, that the BHK and HHK activists were only engaged in a bitter political debate over ‘fundamental disagreements‘.
P.S. I know I shouldn’t say this, but you know what? I don’t care about the two ruling clans settling scores with each other. Let them brawl till they all grow blue or something. Sick and tired of gangsters trying to appear like politicians. Sick and tired of rich boys who collect a bunch of thickheads only capable of shaking their fists, and pretend that they have a political following. Of course those little armies are going to want to ‘prove their committement to high political ideas’. Of course they’ll clash. Of course we’ll see more brawls before the elections are over… …the elections to turn Yerevan into a gangster’s paradise.
Posted in Armenia
Tagged Armenia, BHK, HHK, Municipal elections, Prosperous Armenia, Republican party, Yerevan
Armenia’s richest man – Gagik Tsarukyan bets $1 milion, saying sociologist Aharon Adibekyan won’t be able to prove claims, that Tsarukyan’s “Prosperous Armenia” party has a very low rating.
It all started on the air of Shant TV’s “Herankar” talk-show program. The guest in studio, sociologist Aharon Adibekyan, who has many times been accused by various opposition forces and even coalition parties, for manipulating sociological surveys, in response to program host Nver Mnatsakanian’s question made a statement, that the political rating of “Prosperous Armenia” («Բարգավաճ Հայաստան») party is very low.
Next day on the air of the same program Gagik Tsarukyan, the founder and leader of “Prosperous Armenia”, discounted Adibekian’s claims, saying he’ll bet $1 million (later corrected to 1 million Armenian drams), that Adibekian won’t be able to back his claims with data.
E-channel quotes Adibekian saying he’s sorry that “a political figure of that calibre acts on restaurant mentality.”
“Prosperous Armenia” party has in its turn issued a statement, saying “Sociology is generally a serious science, if serious people practice it.” The party revels, that Aharon Adibekyan has been expecting a “tailored” offer from Gagik Tsarukyan, with data manipulated to the tastes of the “Prosperos Armenia” party. The party statement implies, that seeing he is not getting an offer, Adibekian has come out with statements about the low rating of the party.
“Adibekian has now received an offer [Tsarukian's bet], so instead of pointless talk he ought to either accept it, or apologise in a due manner for dishonoring a serious science like sociology”, the party’s statement concludes.
PS: In a possibly related development Nver Mnatsakanyan, Shant TV’s leading anchor and political journalist, who initiatited the discussion above, was beaten in Yerevan last night.
