From 1 to 10 December, 2019, the “Media Advocate” initiative followed online media reports on the RA Minister of Defense, Davit Tonoyan’s personality and activities.
35 leading Armenian news agencies have been monitored.
In the specified period, 113 articles were declared, 8 of which were negative, 3 were positive and 102 were neutral.
Negative articles on Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan prevail.
Former Deputy Minister of Defense Gagik Melkonyan, gave an interview to one of the news outlets. Melkonyan referred to the issue of the NA Committee investigating the circumstances of the April war. Gagik Melkonyan said that the committee should start working.
According to the news outlet, Minister David Tonoyan, who was Deputy Minister of Defense in 2016, recently stated that all the circumstances were investigated, the conclusions were drawn. Gagik Melkonyan has contradicted that idea: “Komitas Muradyan, who was the head of the communications department, was lying in the hospital; he was fired. If it is an investigation… Or, Karapetyan Arshak was fired, then again back to the office. Now how do we understand who has been punished? I can’t say if the right people were punished or not, but the person is lying in the hospital, he was fired…”
The press reports that a member of the “My Step” alliance Andranik Kocharyan wants to assume Davit Tonoyan’s ministerial pօsition.
Speaking to a news outlet, Angela Elibegova, expert in Azerbaijani Studies, referred to the Artsakh negotiations. Elibegova noted that Davit Tonoyan should be ready for the escalation of hostilities at any moment.
