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BATTLE AND BABEL: PM SARGSYAN AND EX-PREZ KOCHARYAN IN SKIRMISH OF WORDS
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/51304/tigran_sargsyan_robert_kocharyan_central_bank_arme nia_gas_tariffs
POLITICS | 14.01.14 | 15:11
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Armenia's second president Robert
Kocharyan have been in an ongoing confrontation after the premier's
year-end interview in which he said that it was during Kocharyan's
administration that "the construction balloon was blown and blasted,
creating a negative aftereffect"; this was followed by Kocharyan
labeling Sargsyan as a "defective prime-minister, a luxury the country
cannot afford".
The same "defective" premier during Kocharyan's presidency chaired the
Central Bank, while today's authorities are the second president's
political successors and the heritage Armenia has received from
questionable voting outcomes.
Statements voiced from both parties are an attempt to present this
blame-game as a "healthy political dialogue", however containing
important messages in between the lines.
Parliament vice-speaker Eduard Sharmazanov has stated that Kocharyan's
analysis- interviews stand out with unacceptable, at times offensive,
expressions.
"The second president's interviews are premature, with no foresight of
solutions or ways aimed at the future, which reminds more of analysis
of past events. There is an impression that we are dealing with a
political figure living in the past," he said.
Oppositional MP Nikol Pashinyan wrote in his Facebook page: "Robert
Kocharyan has assumed a role of a regular oppositionist, making wind...
Why not declare an indefinite sitting strike in Northern Avenue
to demand his loyal friend, banker Tigran Sargsyan's resignation,
together with whom they sold out the RA gold reserves?"
According to numerous political analysts' observations, the premier's
press conference was a step to engage Kocharyan into a political
debate, a gauntlet thrown down to challenge him. The tendency of
continuous responses to one another implies the prime minister's
attempt to have Kocharyan speak on a more global level, offer his
assessment of President Serzh Sargsyan's September 3 statement on
joining the Customs Union.
In his second interview Kocharyan criticized the government for
having concealed from the public the raises in natural gas tariffs
and for having accumulated a $300 million-debt, saying it would have
been easier if the authorities had simply apologized. He views as
extremely vulnerable the gas agreement article providing for granting
Armrusgasprom an exclusive right to be the only gas supplier to Armenia
till 2043. He reminded of his decade-long experience of working with
Gasprom and that the company had never presented such a demand to him.
Political analyst Suren Surenyants told irates.am, that Kocharyan is
not the person entitled to talk about the gas deal, as it was during
his tenure that the foundation of "vassal relations" between Armenia
and Russia were laid.
Surenyants also believes with these interviews the second president
has, in fact, lost all his chances of return to major politics.
"By these interviews Kocharyan has dropped his 'class', so to say. He
had no courage to enter a debate with the country leader and started
one with the prime minister. Following this logic, for all we know, he
might soon start debating with separate ministers. Kocharyan is forced
to give interviews not to completely lose his influence," he says.
Many others believe that this is all an attempt to distract
public attention from social issues, as, after all, the system of
administration, the regime is the same - nothing has changed since
2002-2003.
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/51304/tigran_sargsyan_robert_kocharyan_central_bank_arme nia_gas_tariffs
POLITICS | 14.01.14 | 15:11
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Armenia's second president Robert
Kocharyan have been in an ongoing confrontation after the premier's
year-end interview in which he said that it was during Kocharyan's
administration that "the construction balloon was blown and blasted,
creating a negative aftereffect"; this was followed by Kocharyan
labeling Sargsyan as a "defective prime-minister, a luxury the country
cannot afford".
The same "defective" premier during Kocharyan's presidency chaired the
Central Bank, while today's authorities are the second president's
political successors and the heritage Armenia has received from
questionable voting outcomes.
Statements voiced from both parties are an attempt to present this
blame-game as a "healthy political dialogue", however containing
important messages in between the lines.
Parliament vice-speaker Eduard Sharmazanov has stated that Kocharyan's
analysis- interviews stand out with unacceptable, at times offensive,
expressions.
"The second president's interviews are premature, with no foresight of
solutions or ways aimed at the future, which reminds more of analysis
of past events. There is an impression that we are dealing with a
political figure living in the past," he said.
Oppositional MP Nikol Pashinyan wrote in his Facebook page: "Robert
Kocharyan has assumed a role of a regular oppositionist, making wind...
Why not declare an indefinite sitting strike in Northern Avenue
to demand his loyal friend, banker Tigran Sargsyan's resignation,
together with whom they sold out the RA gold reserves?"
According to numerous political analysts' observations, the premier's
press conference was a step to engage Kocharyan into a political
debate, a gauntlet thrown down to challenge him. The tendency of
continuous responses to one another implies the prime minister's
attempt to have Kocharyan speak on a more global level, offer his
assessment of President Serzh Sargsyan's September 3 statement on
joining the Customs Union.
In his second interview Kocharyan criticized the government for
having concealed from the public the raises in natural gas tariffs
and for having accumulated a $300 million-debt, saying it would have
been easier if the authorities had simply apologized. He views as
extremely vulnerable the gas agreement article providing for granting
Armrusgasprom an exclusive right to be the only gas supplier to Armenia
till 2043. He reminded of his decade-long experience of working with
Gasprom and that the company had never presented such a demand to him.
Political analyst Suren Surenyants told irates.am, that Kocharyan is
not the person entitled to talk about the gas deal, as it was during
his tenure that the foundation of "vassal relations" between Armenia
and Russia were laid.
Surenyants also believes with these interviews the second president
has, in fact, lost all his chances of return to major politics.
"By these interviews Kocharyan has dropped his 'class', so to say. He
had no courage to enter a debate with the country leader and started
one with the prime minister. Following this logic, for all we know, he
might soon start debating with separate ministers. Kocharyan is forced
to give interviews not to completely lose his influence," he says.
Many others believe that this is all an attempt to distract
public attention from social issues, as, after all, the system of
administration, the regime is the same - nothing has changed since
2002-2003.