Epress.am News from Armenia
Sudden developments in Armenia over the past few days which resulted in Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglaryan’s official resignation yesterday are the main topic in today’s papers.
Haykakan Oratert (“Armenian Daily”) writes that the Armenian authorities are obligated to solve the Beglaryan issue through legal means. “In particular, law enforcement agencies are obliged to file a lawsuit against Gagik Beglaryan under charges of RA Criminal Code, let’s say, Articles 309 (“exceeding official authorities”) or 113 (“infliction of willful medium-gravity damage to health”). The victim [Aram Kandayan] and the one who it him [Beglaryan] are state officials, thus the RA Special Investigative Service [SIS] is obliged to examine the case. SIS informed our correspondent yesterday that there is no [court] case currently underway regarding the incident in question.”
Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) reports on a number of details regarding the incident between Beglaryan and Kandayan. The daily writes that yesterday, Beglaryan, through his “channels,” informed RA President Serzh Sargsyan that the did not hit Kandayan; however, when Sargsyan called Kandayan to his office and noticed the bruises on his face, he became more angry. Beglaryan informed those close to him that he will neither apologize nor resign. (The daily notes that the presidential office had requested Beglaryan apologize publicly which would be publicized in the press.)
“Gagik Beglaryan’s resignation can perhaps be considered a thunderstorm in [an otherwise] peaceful sky,” writes local daily Jamanak (“Times”).
In an article titled “This doesn’t mean anything yet,” the daily writes, Beglaryan’s resignation, on one hand, can be a precedent, but on the other hand, confirms the public’s perception in the context of past incidents testifying to the “everything allowed” policy attributed to both the same Beglaryan and other high-ranking government officials.
“This is the key issue today, whether in the government there has simply been a fight for and victory of [political] forces or whether there has been a victory of approaches and work style, and perhaps a small victory in the law. The government has not yet proven anything to the public, but has perhaps more inflamed the issues, which they are forced to respond to and as quickly and efficiently as possible,” writes Jamanak.
Another daily, Hraparak [“Square” as in a gathering place], notes that the Armenian president condemned Beglaryan’s actions, calling them unacceptable and intolerable, and demanded his resignation; however, when the same Republican Party of Armenia members were being violent at the polling stations, Sargsyan did not condemn it.
“More so, Serzh Sargsyan till the end did not even consider unacceptable the decision to shoot at civilians on March 1; it’s not unacceptable when during demonstrations special detachment forces can assault youth, and older women or men,” reads the daily’s article titled “Who can be hit, who can’t.”
Chorrord Inqnishkhanutyun (“Fourth Self-Authority”) reports that numerous high-ranking officials at Yerevan City hall are now preparing to resign.
In an article titled “The Luzhkov Effect,” local daily 168 Jam (“168 Hour”) is convinced that Beglaryan’s resignation is unprecedented and a positive new move in Armenia’s political life.
“With Beglaryan’s resignation, the government, by way of Serzh Sargsyan, showed that it has political will to resist the ‘everything allowed’ in the country. In reality, it’s not that Sargsyan defended his staff member, while sacrificing a city staff member, as some attempted to show yesterday, but rather he showed that everything has its limits,” reports the daily.