“We should understand against what is this strike”, – ARF GB representative said yesterday.
The boycott ordered by TV Companies against press clubs also has its amusing side. For example “TV5″ wasn\’t present in Kiro Manoyan\’s press conference on October 17, the main theme of which was 106 resolutions. The explanation of H2 TV Company\’s representative is not also serious: ” I don\’t know any TV Company in the civil world, which elucidates press conferences… This doesn\’t mean that I am against the press conference in general. The president of the country, prosecutor general invites a press conference and not everybody and anytime he wants.”
Only the representatives of “Yerkir Media” TV Company were present in the press conferences held in “Tesaket” and “Hayely” press clubs. ARF GB Armenian representative Armen Rustamyan , the guest of “Hayely” club, gave very negative remark to the boycott: “Such position will not help us. Press clubs are formed to serve for civil initiatives, freedom of expression, and I have positive attitudes towards it.”
He asked: “If TV Companies don\’t elucidate the political life of the country, don\’t inform population, how will our people will be oriented and participate in the elections.” He reminded that Armenia was still in the monitoring process, representatives of European countries and international organizations are in our country, whose standards we have already publicly adopted. The logic should be explained by all means. If it is done for the sake of people, I will also join them. Otherwise we cut the democratic branch, which we seat on.” Mr. Rustamyan said in answer to the notification that people are deprived of receiving free discussions and seeing debates: “In that case I will become the most radical oppositionist, because this is the problem of highest importance. Political debates shouldn\’t be failed in the country, especially when its right time is pre-electoral period.”
We should note that six public organization, in particular the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, Press Club of Yerevan, Committee of defense of the freedom of expression have made a declaration where it is mentioned: “We understand that media isn\’t obliged to cover all press conferences but the joint indifference towards events of public importance only confirms the version of “invisible hand\’s interference”. The authors of the announcement have also noted that they have been informed that “the heads of private TV Companies are invited different bureaucratic bodies where they are asked to ignore public events of several oppositionists, not to invite and have interviews with them. In particular, TV Companies are “advised” not to elucidate the mass meeting which will be held on October 26″.
Armen Rustamyan promises to become the most radical oppositionist.