From 21 to 31 August, 2020, the “Media Advocate” initiative followed online media reports on the RA Deputy Prime Minister, Commandant Tigran Avinyan’s personality and activities. 35 leading Armenian news agencies have been monitored. In the specified period, 114 articles were declared, 16 of which were negative and 98 were neutral.
No positive articles were published on Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan. The press, referring to Nikol Pashinyan’s vacation, wrote: “Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, who is the Commandant of the Republic of Armenia, can be happy for 5 days for the position of the Prime Minister. The most important thing is that he only enjoys it and does not make new decisions.”
The press writes that Iveta Tonoyan, Artsvik Minasyan, Ara Sahakyan, Arsen Babayan, Lilit Galstyan have filed a lawsuit against Commandant, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan. They want to challenge in court the 5th, 5.1 և 5.2 points of the decision No. 253-N of August 18, 2020 “On the rules of temporary restrictions applicable in the whole territory of the Republic of Armenia”.
Different opinions are disseminated in the press about the formation of the Commandant’s Office, according to which the position of a Commandant was a formal thing: “The introduction of the Commandant’s Institute was also not accidental, it was conditioned by a number of circumstances. Nikol Pashinyan faced a crisis situation for the first time during his tenure, when it was obvious even to him that it was impossible to solve the problem with words and manipulations.
For that very purpose, it was decided to bring Tigran Avinyan to the forefront. The Commandant was not given the necessary tools, for example, the budget of the Commandant’s Office was not defined, the staff was not introduced, they did not announce the appointment of Commandants in certain settlements. All this means that the Commandant was a formal tool, a formal position, but in reality the decisions are made by Nikol Pashinyan.”
The publication was prepared with the support of “Hayrenik” Development Foundation
