From 1 to 10 August, 2020, the “Media Advocate” initiative followed online media reports on the mayor of Yerevan, Hayk Marutyan’s personality and activities.
35 leading Armenian news agencies have been monitored. In the specified period, 307 articles were declared, 101 of which were negative, 5 were positive and 201 were neutral.
Hayk Marutyan remains one of the most criticized politicians.
According to the press, Iva Marutyan, the wife of Mayor Hayk Marutyan, who is currently in a bad financial and economic situation, bought 3 units of real estate in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic last year.
Yekmalyan residents have been protesting for quite a long time. They appealed to the mayor with such words: “Hayk Marutyan, respect us, you are not even familiar with our problem.”
Member of “Alternative Projects Group” Marine Sukiasyan, referring to Hayk Marutyan’s activities, noted: “There is an idea of collective and individual responsibility. It happened during this government’s tenure and the tragedy continues. One day, Hayk Marutyan will have to be held accountable why he ran away and hid during the days of the epidemic, why Yerevan was one of the only cities in the world that was not disinfected, why Yerevan remained without city government.”
Hayk Marutyan continues to be criticized for delaying his pre-election promises. In particular, Hayk Marutyan announced the opening of a new metro station. The media raises the question: what happened to that project, will that promise come to life, or was it just a pre-election promise?
According to the press, Mayor Hayk Marutyan is the most inaccessible official, and his spokesperson, former journalist Hakob Karapetyan, has already turned into an “answerphone” who constantly utters a recorded phrase: “Send a written question, we will answer.” Even if the question is simple: which organization is carrying out improvement works in Saryan Park? The answer, according to the law, should have been written in black and white and in big letters in Saryan Park, in the part accessible to everyone.
Mikayel Nahapetyan, a member of the “Citizen’s Decision” Social-Democratic Party, wrote the following on his Facebook page: “The issue is not the trees cut down in Mashtots Park, in order to be discussed whether they were healthy or not. The issue is the attack on the symbol. Many of today’s rulers, including Hayk Marutyan as a citizen, have greatly been formed due to the struggle for the Park. And even Serzh Sargsyan realized that it was impossible to go against it. But it is no longer surprising that this ruling force has a great intention to complete Serzh Sargsyan’s unfinished initiatives. You will not see the consequences of this now. The sound of this will come out later and it will be very loud as the grounds of the processes that brought you to power cannot be trampled in this way.”
The publication was prepared with the support of “Hayrenik” Development Foundation
