Postponing Elections?
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/country24803.html
Published: 15:43:38 - 13/01/2012
During the first hearing of the case of the ex-chief of the traffic
police Margar Ohanyan who is accused of embezzlement of public funds
Ohanyan threatened to make revelations. The court did not accept the
petition to change the preventive measure. And today on the day of the
second hearing everyone is waiting for Ohanyan's revelations.
The press reports guess that the revelations will hardly be related to
the theft of petrol which could be forgiven, as Ohanyan's ex-boss Alik
Sargsyan said. Most probably political revelations will be made,
particularly related to the alleged secret deal of Kocharyan's
supporters revealed by Serzh Sargsyan.
The press also suggested that the case of the ex-chief of Criminal
Investigation of the Police Hovhannes Tamamyan is also related to this
deal. Interestingly, the investigation would not end, and yesterday
Tamamyan's attorney Vaghinak Gevorgyan told the Haykakan Zhamanak that
the investigation may last till the end of the year. It means that
Tamamyan will not appear in public by the end of the year.
The silent confrontation between Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan
slips into almost all the political and other affairs in Armenia. For
example, the resignations of Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan and Mayor Karen
Karapetyan are also associated with the Serxh Sargsyan's efforts to
protect himself from Kocharyan's `people'. Vova Gasparyan's
appointment to the position of the Chief of Police was found by many
to be a tool against Kocharyan's team, and Vova Gasparyan has already
said he threw the `fishing net'.
Against this background, the process in the parliament is interesting.
For the first time in many years, it is difficult for the analysts to
predict how many seats each force will have in the next parliament.
Doubts concern the forces loyal to Sargsyan and Kocharyan rather than
the opposition.
Today, Republican MP Gagik Melikyan said his party considers the
upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in one context. Some
experts have already noted that the forces loyal to Robert Kocharyan
will try to receive as many seats in the parliament as possible to
ensure the platform for Robert Kocharyan's nomination. And Serzh
Sargsyan evidently fears this.
Understanding this danger, Serzh Sargsyan's team will perhaps be
interested in the postponement of the parliamentary elections until
fall. If the parliamentary elections are postponed from May to
November, it will be harder for Serzh Sargsyan's rivals to prepare for
them.
This is only one of the schemes which can be applied in parallel to
the discussion and adoption of legislative amendments. Amendments
could be adopted at least because it is hard to find reasons why Serzh
Sargsyan would be interesting in keeping the single-member districts
which could be taken by his wealthy rivals.
From: Baghdasarian
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/country24803.html
Published: 15:43:38 - 13/01/2012
During the first hearing of the case of the ex-chief of the traffic
police Margar Ohanyan who is accused of embezzlement of public funds
Ohanyan threatened to make revelations. The court did not accept the
petition to change the preventive measure. And today on the day of the
second hearing everyone is waiting for Ohanyan's revelations.
The press reports guess that the revelations will hardly be related to
the theft of petrol which could be forgiven, as Ohanyan's ex-boss Alik
Sargsyan said. Most probably political revelations will be made,
particularly related to the alleged secret deal of Kocharyan's
supporters revealed by Serzh Sargsyan.
The press also suggested that the case of the ex-chief of Criminal
Investigation of the Police Hovhannes Tamamyan is also related to this
deal. Interestingly, the investigation would not end, and yesterday
Tamamyan's attorney Vaghinak Gevorgyan told the Haykakan Zhamanak that
the investigation may last till the end of the year. It means that
Tamamyan will not appear in public by the end of the year.
The silent confrontation between Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan
slips into almost all the political and other affairs in Armenia. For
example, the resignations of Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan and Mayor Karen
Karapetyan are also associated with the Serxh Sargsyan's efforts to
protect himself from Kocharyan's `people'. Vova Gasparyan's
appointment to the position of the Chief of Police was found by many
to be a tool against Kocharyan's team, and Vova Gasparyan has already
said he threw the `fishing net'.
Against this background, the process in the parliament is interesting.
For the first time in many years, it is difficult for the analysts to
predict how many seats each force will have in the next parliament.
Doubts concern the forces loyal to Sargsyan and Kocharyan rather than
the opposition.
Today, Republican MP Gagik Melikyan said his party considers the
upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in one context. Some
experts have already noted that the forces loyal to Robert Kocharyan
will try to receive as many seats in the parliament as possible to
ensure the platform for Robert Kocharyan's nomination. And Serzh
Sargsyan evidently fears this.
Understanding this danger, Serzh Sargsyan's team will perhaps be
interested in the postponement of the parliamentary elections until
fall. If the parliamentary elections are postponed from May to
November, it will be harder for Serzh Sargsyan's rivals to prepare for
them.
This is only one of the schemes which can be applied in parallel to
the discussion and adoption of legislative amendments. Amendments
could be adopted at least because it is hard to find reasons why Serzh
Sargsyan would be interesting in keeping the single-member districts
which could be taken by his wealthy rivals.
From: Baghdasarian