Yesterday the “Anti-criminal” movement organized its next discussion in “Armenia-Marriott” Hotel. The topic of the discussion was the “Role of mass media in the fight against criminality.”
The discussion proceeded in participation of the chairman of the “New Times” party, Aram Karapetyan, chairman of the “National self-determination” Party, Paruyr Hayrikyan, representative of the “Republic” party, Smbat Ayvazyan, chairman of the “Fatherland and Dignity” part, Garnik Margaryan and others. During the discussion the representative of the National Unity Party, Gagik Tadevosyan read out paragraphs from announcements of National Unity and Justice factions representatives made in media in past. In the end he complained that in Armenia there is no culture of accepting critique. Another participant of the discussion, NA National Unity party deputy-chairman, Alexan Karapetyan announced that the media are not consistent in their activity. This kind of statement created certain dissatisfaction among the journalists present at the discussion and the latter turned into some kind of journalist-opposition debate. And when one of the journalists mentioned that the opposition is take their disabilities and insecurities our of media, Tadevosyan mentioned, “Let the opposition, which you want come here. Why don’t they come? You have what you have and we do our best. Don’t cut the branch you are sitting on.” Alexan Karapetyan mentioned, “if the opposition doesn’t speak nobody will ever read newspapers.” The situation changed when the latter said that their accusations don’t relate to all the journalists. Aram Karapetyan mentioned that the role of the media is often degraded, which is very profitable for the government. They also expressed opinion that the government has deliberately created a deficit of newspaper raw material in order not to be much publicized. Karapetyan also added that the President’s office has given an order not to show Karapetyan on TV not even his fingers and ring so that everybody knows that he’s out of the country.
At the end, a National Unity member and a resident of Sari Tagh expressed hi concern that the railroad of Sari Tagh is being eliminated. “The destruction anticipates construction a new road as a result of which many houses will be ruined,” mentioned the resident of Sari Tagh and added, “the opposition is claiming change of government through constitutional methods. But we’ll use weapons. Any one, who enters Sari Tagh will be killed, a lot of blood will be spread.”