Several Armenian newspapers report on a brawl between members of the Republican and Prosperous Armenia parties in Yerevan’s Erebuni district which they say forced President Robert Kocharian to hold an emergency meeting with their leaders. According to “Hayk,” the violence broke out on Thursday after the district’s Republican prefect, Mher Sedrakian, complained about the abundance of Prosperous Armenia (BHK) offices in the area. Sedrakian, better known as Tokhmakhi Mher, allegedly confronted and shouted abuse at the leader of the BHK’s Erebuni chapter, Harutiun Karapoghosian (Snekhchi Harut), before the two men threw punches at each other.
“According to rumors, Sedrakian and his men beat up Karapoghosian so badly that the latter suffered serious injuries,” writes “Hayk.” “Mher Sedrakian’s supporters also tore up banners posted on several BHK offices in Erebuni. The paper says they were then summoned to the local police station for questioning. Kocharian is said to have urgently discussed the situation with Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian and national police chief Hayk Harutiunian later in the day. “According to reliable sources, Robert Kocharian sided with Prosperous Armenia in a pronounced manner. He demanded that Serzh Sarkisian restrain his diehard nationalist friends.”
“Aravot” reports on the typical design of campaign posters ordered by election candidates. The paper says many of them want their pictures to appear “on top of Mount Ararat or at least against the backdrop of it.” They also want designers to put traditional Armenian cross stones “so that voters think of them as devout believers.”
“The lion’s share of the monopoly on imports of petrol products to Armenia belongs to a prominent representative of the Karabakh clan and the owner of the Flash company, Barsegh Beglarian,” writes “Zhamanak Yerevan,” adding that he has been one of the main beneficiaries of what the paper considers an artificial strengthening of the Armenian dram in recent years. The paper says that during a recent party organized by the Flash management guests were treated to a huge cake the upper part of which was shaped like a petrol canister bedecked with U.S. dollar banknotes. It claims their only difference from real dollar notes was that “they were baked of sugar and dough.” “The tart symbolized Armenia, which is ruled by Flash Barsegh (canister) and his clan are making huge fortunes by importing and selling petrol and diesel fuel,” concludes “Zhamanak Yerevan.”
(Hovannes Shoghikian)
“According to rumors, Sedrakian and his men beat up Karapoghosian so badly that the latter suffered serious injuries,” writes “Hayk.” “Mher Sedrakian’s supporters also tore up banners posted on several BHK offices in Erebuni. The paper says they were then summoned to the local police station for questioning. Kocharian is said to have urgently discussed the situation with Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian and national police chief Hayk Harutiunian later in the day. “According to reliable sources, Robert Kocharian sided with Prosperous Armenia in a pronounced manner. He demanded that Serzh Sarkisian restrain his diehard nationalist friends.”
“Aravot” reports on the typical design of campaign posters ordered by election candidates. The paper says many of them want their pictures to appear “on top of Mount Ararat or at least against the backdrop of it.” They also want designers to put traditional Armenian cross stones “so that voters think of them as devout believers.”
“The lion’s share of the monopoly on imports of petrol products to Armenia belongs to a prominent representative of the Karabakh clan and the owner of the Flash company, Barsegh Beglarian,” writes “Zhamanak Yerevan,” adding that he has been one of the main beneficiaries of what the paper considers an artificial strengthening of the Armenian dram in recent years. The paper says that during a recent party organized by the Flash management guests were treated to a huge cake the upper part of which was shaped like a petrol canister bedecked with U.S. dollar banknotes. It claims their only difference from real dollar notes was that “they were baked of sugar and dough.” “The tart symbolized Armenia, which is ruled by Flash Barsegh (canister) and his clan are making huge fortunes by importing and selling petrol and diesel fuel,” concludes “Zhamanak Yerevan.”
(Hovannes Shoghikian)