From 1 to 10 February, 2020, the “Media Advocate” initiative followed online media reports on the President of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Sargsyan’s personality and activities.
35 leading Armenian news agencies have been monitored.
In the specified period, 917 articles were declared, 157 of which were negative, 8 were positive and 745 were neutral.
A great number of negative articles have been declared on the RA President Armen Sargsyan. The negative articles are mainly related to the signing of the Constitutional Referendum decision.
While Armen Sargsyan would sign the document confirming the referendum, the media had already predicted it. For example, one of the publications notes: “Judging by Pashinyan’s confidence, it is not excluded that he made a deal with President Armen Sargsyan in advance, as a result of which Armen Sargsyan agreed to sign the decision. Now he has 72 hours to make a final decision – to remain loyal to the deal, thereby to put himself in future prosecution or to remain president, who, of course, will be addressed by Pashinyan with the help of words typical of him, but will remain legally untouchable. We are not aware of the details of the deal, but the consequences of the deal are very clear.”
The first human rights defender Larisa Alaverdyan said that signing the decision on appointing the Constitutional Referendum on April 5 was President Sargsyan’s personal decision.
More than 130 lawyers, advocates and human rights activists have applied to President Armen Sargsyan demanding not to sign the decision and not to hold a referendum. Larisa Alaverdyan said that the meaning of their message was that, one way or another, this unconstitutional decision would by virtue of the law be put to a referendum. Their call was the following: there is no need to make one more state structure be engaged in the course of the purely politicized, personalized illegal way like this.
Another publication notes: “Armen Sargsyan, who holds the position of the president, cannot make self-determined decisions on his own, he only dances to Nikol Pashinyan’s tune, which is very unpleasant. Having a rich biography, today Sargsyan is a submissive and an instrument.”
In some analyses one may come across the ideas that by ratifying the referendum, Armen Sargsyan became a part of an anti-state show.
