Month: April 2021

YEREVAN. – Zhoghovurd daily of Armenia writes: Back on March 25, a meeting had taken place between the former presidents of Armenia and Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, and Bako Sahakyan.

We were informed that during the meeting the presidents discussed the political situation in Armenia, the options and format of going to the snap [parliamentary] elections [slated for June 20], as well as the ways to fight against the authorities.

Also, Armlur.am was informed that the presidents made a top-secret decision during the meeting, and promised each other that they would not tell about it even to their closest persons.

For several days now, we have been trying to find out what the decision is about.

Azerbaijan has significant human rights issues, including unlawful and arbitrary killings, torture, arbitrary interference with privacy, politically motivated reprisal against individuals outside the country, restriction on freedom of _expression_ and the press. This is noted in the US Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2020.

On Azerbaijan, the US report highlights significant human rights issues, such as political prisoners, corruption, pervasive problems with the independence of the judiciary, violence against journalists, the criminalization of libel and slander, harassment and incarceration of journalists on questionable charges, and blocking of websites, among other concerns.

"From May 15 [2020] through the morning of May 19, the news websites Turan.az and its affiliate Contact.az experienced a massive cyberattack and were blocked twice. The attack took place after the websites published articles criticizing the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic," reads the report. "The government [of Azerbaijan] did not prosecute or punish most officials who committed human rights abuses; impunity remained a problem."

YEREVAN. – You know how the official position is expressed and by whom. Alen Simonyan, the National Assembly (NA) vice speaker and member of the My Step ruling bloc of Armenia, on Wednesday told this to reporters in the NA, referring to the controversial statement by My Step MP Hovik Aghazaryan that, "Is there a bold person in Armenia who can tell the world that Kelbajar [in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)] was ours?"

Simonyan added that he considers the whole region, which is called "Armenian World," as his homeland.

To the question why during PM Nikol Pashinyan's recent visit to Armavir Province the residents were promised to asphalted roads—that is, something for which they used to criticize the previous authorities—, the NA vice speaker said: "Because those we were criticizing never did that asphalt; they were doing it only before the elections. The current authorities have done more asphalt in the last two years than the previous authorities—in five to ten years.

As for the visit, it was a regular visit, the prime minister has always been in contact with the citizens. Many were accusing the prime minister of traveling around Armenia with a police barricade, and when the prime minister goes, meets with the people, we find another alternative to manipulate. I am happy with one thing: I have visited two provinces with the prime minister, and those people understand everything very well and give their assessment; this is not the government that makes asphalt only before an election."

In response to the remark that the aforesaid creates an unlevel playing field between the political forces, Alen Simonyan noted that today the incumbent Armenian authorities were in the most unlevel playing field. "The [Armenian] government does not have the financial resources and their opportunities that the opposition has today. Today, the opposition is several times richer and more competitive in terms of its strength, its resources than the current government team," he said.

YEREVAN. – I am not interested in the [popularity] rating of the second, third and first presidents of Armenia; I am interested in the 42% who are disappointed with politics and do not want to support anyone. Alen Simonyan, the National Assembly (NA) vice speaker and member of the My Step ruling bloc of Armenia, on Wednesday told this to reporters in the NA, referring to the reports that after the recent Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war second President Robert Kocharyan's popularity rating has risen and he might replace Nikol Pashinyan as the Prime Minister.

"As for the rest, go to the nearest province, the nearest village, and give the name of the person you mentioned; but I advise [you] not to turn off the car engine while giving that name. The person you mentioned, when they had the levers of power, almost all the TV channels, could not win the elections even at that time," he said.

Simonyan informed that they have already started their pre-election work, including the modification of their electoral lists.

To the question whether there is already an idea about their future electoral list, whether there are any current MPs who will not be put on the electoral list of the ruling force, the NA vice speaker responded: "There are MPs who left [the ruling bloc]; it is natural that I consider it impossible to work with them. And I consider their work today illegitimate. For the rest, I can say that most of our partners will continue their work. Some may continue in the executive. But our [political] team, which remained strong, will continue to work. Everything within us is more than smooth."

Also, he did not rule out the possibility of new people on their electoral list, but did not give names.

Alen Simonyan added that in his opinion, it would be right if the ruling force run in the forthcoming snap parliamentary elections under the name of Civil Contract Party, and not in a bloc.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has presented demands related to Zangezur once again, referring to it as ‘an ancient land of Azerbaijan’.

According to him, currently, ‘active efforts are being made with respect to the corridor of Zangezur’. “Zangezur, the ancient land of Azerbaijan, will now link Azerbaijan to the Turkic world since the transport, communication and infrastructure projects passing through Zangezur will consolidate the entire Turkic world and will create additional opportunities for other countries, including Armenia,” Aliyev said during his speech at the non-official summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, Interfax-Azerbaijan reports.

Aliyev stated that Armenia doesn’t have railway communication with its ally Russia and declared that ‘the communication can be established through the territory of Azerbaijan’, adding that Armenia also doesn’t have railway communication with its neighboring Iran and that it can be ensured through Nakhchivan.

Aliyev also mentioned that a new transport corridor will be created through Nakhchivan that will link Turkey and Central Asia to Europe.

According to him, “there is no territorial unit called “Nagorno-Karabakh” now. “Azerbaijan solved this issue, achieved its historic victory and has launched restoration works in the destroyed territories,” he said.