tv Inside Story Al Jazeera February 26, 2021 8:30pm-9:01pm +03
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within these populations and the un vaccinated could also provide a window of opportunity for the virus to spread to mutate and at worst to become vaccine resistant joda how al-jazeera oldham and former u.s. olympic stream asterix coach john goddard sam has died by suicide just hours after being charged with crimes against young that gymnasts the charges included sexual assaults and human trafficking sleds the u.s. women's team to a gold in the 2012 olympics here close links with disgraced team doctor larry nasser who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing athletes 3 years ago. this is al jazeera and these other headlines when morris and bassett are 2 the un has called on world leaders to everything they can to protect his people from the
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country's army process against the coupon for great 1st continue to spread nationwide. the military can no longer hold the rule of law and who take the people and the country near ma military has become the threat for myanmar as the polity and civilised society now is not the time for the international community to tolerate the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by myanmar military the international community must ensure that who has no place in the modern world as bound by the un secretary general well than 300 schoolgirls have been kidnapped in some far a state in northwest nigeria it's the 2nd abduction in just over a week the gunmen arrived at nights shooting randomly at the school complex took the girls into the bush. united states military launched air strikes in syria
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thompson facilities used by iranian backed militias the pentagon says the operation was in response to attacks against american personnel in iraq. u.k. prime minister boris johnson has praised the supreme court ruling that a woman who ran away as a teenager to join eisel should not be allowed to return to britain to fight for citizenship shamima begum left london with 2 school friends at the age of 15 and married and i still find her. the united states has joined russia in calling for restraint in armenia prime minister faces pressure to resign opponents of the core passion yana protests in the capital yerevan to monday he stepped back and rejected calls to quit and his find his military chief he's in the army of attempting a coup that's yet to date stay with us inside story is next.
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me as prime minister warns of a coup old grow for his resignation will now called fashion leon be able to survive what is a challenge by the army mean for the country this is inside story. hello and welcome to the show i'm sam is a than armenia's prime minister has faced months of protests and several attempts in parliament to dismiss him but despite the growing discontent over his handling of the war with azerbaijan in
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a gonna cut about nichol passion yan has been defiant or now the army is demanding he leaves office he's fired the army chief and accuse the military of an attempted coup question and says the army should not be involved in the political process and has rallied supporters behind him his opponents have held the rival rally and set up a camp outside the parliament to pressure him to quit the job i mean his traditional ally russia says it's alarmed by the events it's been joined by the u.s. in calling for restraint in the country robin for us to walk on reports from yet over. nicko pressing on on thursday was able to bring out large numbers of his supporters to the center of the capital yerevan with a live facebook message calling on them to show that he is still in charge and that he has the popular support of the armenian people because he's all 30 is now in question we've had the generals so many of them signing
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a letter calling for him government to resign we have the armenian church supporting his resignation the question now is whether the president of all media whose power is a limited whether he is also going to weigh in and whether he can critically undermine nichol passion younes or he now has to decide whether to accept the letter calling for the dismissal of the head of the armed forces which nicko question the ones having said that their call for him to resign amounted to an attempted military coup he has 3 days or he had 3 dates from thursday to decide whether or not to go ahead with mr passé request if he doesn't this raises serious questions about the suppression yards future and that future can go one of 2 ways he can either clean on to power or he can try to agree to snap elections which
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also would be tricky for him because in order to do that he has to resign and then the parliament would have to support new elections what the opposition a calling for is not. immediate elections they want an empty room government that would take charge with elections much further down the line but still everything at the moment hangs in the balance so the prime minister of armenia nicol passion. chalons now takes a look at nicole passion yan's rise to power it is apparent declining popularity. thank you for talking plates last year is the conflict with azerbaijan. smith sat down with armenian prime minister nicole question where the violence is the end of the interview he asked him this question do you worry for your own popularity that if you mishandle this conflict if it doesn't go your way then you yourself are
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going to suffer in your position of prime minister did it. or you see it up with what they reached the position of the prime minister. not to defend my popularity but. to serve the national interests of my people and to defend the dreams of people in my country so along this path absolutely not interested in my person that's just as well armenia lost the war and popularity diminish though it was just 2 years ago the scenes of pressure. crowds adulation as he became prime minister from a different political age then he was the man of the moment a former journalist and opposition politician who the end of march 28th seen launched a protest organization called might step. in his camera t. shirts and cap came across as an every man antidote to the perceived cynicism
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corruption of armenia's ruling elites for a 2 term president says sarkozy and was trying to continue his really becoming prime minister the crowds were determined to stop him the so-called velvet revolution. from power after 2 elections in may 28th. governing armenia isn't easy besides its entrenched domestic problems was also taking on armenia's regional relationships in october 2020 the stalled peace talks with azerbaijan over nagorno-karabakh collapsed armed and assisted by turkey azerbaijan went on a devastating offensive to stave off a complete rout pression eon accepted a humiliating russian brokered ceasefire giving up swathes of formerly armenian controlled territory it cost him huge political capital and opened a rift between his government and the military. this is the end of the velvet
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revolution machine made very clear in his speech that he said this is the end of belgrade what that means and what comes after is anyone's guess there is a lot of unstability in the country after the war that ended in november of 2028 the opposition has been calling for his resignation not long ago he was the figurehead of a more democratic and equitable armenia now nic an impression iraq's political future in the parlance. thank. you let's bring our guests into the chair we have joining us from the other van has asked danielle yan member of parliament representing the governing my step alliance and our son hati an independent analyst on conflict resolution former advisor to prime minister nicole passion yeah and to have on policy and president of the international center for human development and an ad hoc advisor to the president
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of armenia thank you for all of you for joining us let me start with hammers asked can the prime minister survive this challenge. i do this you're referring to the journals are more oil. and some are also callers are questions. in my opinion the nature of red states. is not only about the prime minister it's also ringback the state it's. the democracy grading. ringback on government. and the. legal sources who are challenging. the status ready. legitimacy the elected government. are democratic by ending the biography or i'm referring of at their voice or of the going to what
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the prime minister himself is warning about that there's a plan for a coup he said can he survive. well i think. the numbers you were referring was my morning we rose statement coming from number all hiring military officials who call couric there's no branding i want to bring we are. not going anywhere in particular seeing our new. as a very clear ban on all. military. 'd men. running by the mission. there is war. being. and i call. ringback now really now though. all right
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let me bring to van into the discussion we understand you're an ad hoc advisor to the president the president has been meeting with military leaders what do you think his message is going to be will he be reflecting that sort of message which has asked. explain for us that perspective that their announcement or their call for the resignation mean this is a threat not only to the prime minister but to the civilian institutions of democracy. let me go ahead was the point of view that i don't think that civilian institutions of democracy on the roads was such a statement because sudan institution so democracy in the parliament the really governing more the conferees are in the parliament and when the parliament is no getting into the discussion and no developing and political consensus developing
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negotiation rooms there's no other place to speak people are speaking a negli it's possible to the ocean point that so i think the vote is going to go in process now which is run by the presidential administration is negotiation with all the players today has been meeting was going along really all about do you want to expressing that message. but they'd step on to army armies keep the silence for the last 4 months something catch up they keep some of their heat and leave that for the politicians who resigns and who stay. surry point is the following voted by 77 to army and would they done they just warned that guy i'm not any more possible by d.c. way of governing to keep the security of the country who should the raise the issue
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that's why they raised the new shoe and now is the issue of the politicians try to deal with this find a solution find the possibility to come to the peace of a resolution of the stick to the asian and go and do it in a very proper way that because even the democratic institutions of the country were properly work after november 9th i do believe that we will never have such as they want from the army all right let's bring in alice and then how realistic is the warning of a coup is the country really facing a clue. thank you thank you for inviting this great panel and thank you all just europe for bringing us armenians together in this english language program it's a very good question i don't think. very large parts of the public are very much convinced that news of this was actually a coup i personally believe that. the statement i mean again the
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communication continues to be one of the largest problems and i think that there is a political crisis as much as a lot of my friends in the ruling party may not recognize it or may think otherwise which is perfectly fine but a debate and an understanding is needed clearly i don't know how realistic is this coup is specially considering taking into account realities that we are living in in the post-war forced car about war situation in the country i think we would not have gotten to this point if at an earlier stage after the trilateral agreement signed or announcements signed on november 9th royal moves were taken by the prime minister and the ruling party and i think this crisis or another way of handling this issue could be already there if there were quicker moves resignations could
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have helped keeping the same party in line but changing some of the top leadership could be a solution which didn't happen before now how realistic is this coup i'm not sure about it what are the generals. in the country i don't think so however one thing is very clear it is that armenia has never faced a situation like this we have no history of coups in the last 30 years and this is a very this is a for very 1st time that we are hearing evidence of anything that relates to the coup has not been published yet i assume and i hope that the administration will actually clearly it's. plane to the public what who and when who was trying to do what was there any group within the military within the security administration that was trying to take over power by force ok was there a threat at any generals could come together and decide to make arrests or anything these are issues and questions that are out there and i haven't heard much response
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and i expect and i hope that my friend and colleague armors us may address this speaking of him as asked what do you make that of the suggestions and the sentiment we sometimes hear from armenians that hey the country doesn't have a history of coups as are some pointed out this might be more of a smokescreen by the prime minister to stay in power and ignore the calls for his resignation. few feds truth be established before going into the us because the assessment of their 'd us nor military involvement in all the ts in army in history in that they remove the comment because marceau how it's an as a as a rigorous proof remember how for example army was part was this this look into the chip to the 'd army and this will demonstrate ringback
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the most dangerous this 1st. 'd human those were ringback lost in 2004 so. no they give your examples differently around. well just in light of the saying around are there is a go go ahead go ahead for a quick 2nd arson and then we'll give him his aspen opportunity and i think i didn't mean to interrupt just wanted to make it clear i did not say we did not have any military involvement in politics what i said is we didn't we don't have a cooties 3 ok all right continue the thought well. either says the u.s. journalists or the government. issues those through it is important that we that. because again i don't think the set of this is not about the laying particular names it is about state institutions true main reading
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they urge to response ok. allow me to jump and i this is christian if the prime minister wants to preserve state institutions in these really worried why not at the very least if he doesn't want to resign why not have called the snap election it was clear that there was a question mark over his popularity after the war wonder snap they couldn't have it all in. thank you for this very important question because it should be clarified that baby in december it was announced by the prime minister there. as. a representative they were leader of the ruling r e he opens up because of the issues on the possibilities of organise and stop next . and during the preceding 2 months there were discussions speak number of our. parliamentary parties and extra parliamentary parties but what is important to recognize that the parties that are called for his
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resignation that are united and organize continue street protests and democracy rhetorical speak those are the parties that rejected this of the unity moreover they don't only spoke against the snap elections but also their demand is immediate risk of prime minister and the point of their own candidate has not supported in the parliament ok. let me take that it's clear that even if we recognize this is a political crisis the way forward in this loop of crisis should be democratic ok and that is it in us not blitzers is something that was also mentioned during a guest today read by prime minister that we are a lot of us officials we just need to sit down in a civilized 37 dialogue. is that it is open to any party
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understand timeline or a stable reliable wasn't done let's get in that is there let's get some balance of all right he has asked me let's give him an a chance to come in on that go ahead have an. they like this is the classical way of showing how democracy works and you know i mean it when instead of respecting each other time having a proper that we would occupy the whole 'd time of dogs and 1st of all presenting no the whole thing formation in the parliamentary democracy. there are many times that i'm prime minister's resigning and you are not going to the election and 2nd if you wish to go to election as i remember one of the leaders of ruling party says that we have a trunk team and want back in 2008 in november you shows the best shorty's make and these go today election then just simply do eat not wait or not
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blame dogs there's just inclement because you have promises to your waters and not to the just simply opposition parties i haven't let me present as well if i may jump in there as well for you and ask you how would you respond though to the suggestion that the reason that the opposition wants him to once the prime minister to resign and want to come together and figure out the next leader without elections is because they know they don't have the political turn it is to the prime minister and no they don't have enough popularity the prime minister's popularity so the narrative goes may have sunk but the alternative is no they are even less popular. you know it's the popularity or the carrabba's issue and the cup it's a relation of the pot fail to gwar. in our soccer republic
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brought to the situation that we don't have the really popularity of the whole ruling party but the issue is not on this side something should sit on as many as the current stance that if the ruling party will manage it but by its. proper resignation a process this will have a totally different process but now we need to also have the sense that it's now very emotional time and hate speech is not just simply appear south of november at 9 but it has been permanently for the last. 2 years in armenia and this develops situation when i don't think that going to extend over the new re-election even now is the right position i can see that we are facing many many crises in our media in the future starting from a cannot make and they got from the psych now logical wants and we need to overcome the crisis off that being ready to make it proper lection all right that we again i
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think that this issue would be decided by the political parties consensus negotiate and joint together unified decision or ottoman should become the place or the discussion all right let me let me bring in just got a few minutes left office and we've discussed whether this is political opportunism on the part of the prime minister on the part of his opponents. ought to shift the discussion when asked how much political opportunism is going on regionally and internationally when it comes to the alliance with with russia in particular do you think that russia sees an opportunity here for a weakened prime minister who when he 1st came to power he came to power on the back of the velvet revolution that was unseating people who were seen as closer to the russian alliance. the i know we have we're short of time and i'll try to i'll
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get to the question right away just want to make a comment i fully agree with hamas us on the democratic path of solving the issue and solving it in a civilized manner again just to really to rate calling for a coup is a very serious attention drawer and i think what i was trying to say is we expect more detail being from ation about who was trying to do this and when and at what time and that's what i meant however involvement of the military we've seen in the country of course and especially in 2008 when the ruling regime that is actually in the opposition now in use the military to a stop us yourself and myself in the streets fully agree more or has us i will remind that to 2013 just hours before the resignation of the young there peacekeepers came out and were protesting in the your military uniform which we were trying to prevent because we didn't want that tradition to become part of our into us and we're running very low on time very quick larger g.o.p.
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job geopolitics and the regional development it is becoming a pecs book example that in the former soviet space any country or nation that aspires democracy is being punished and that punished punishment is very popular and in that respect yes we have suffered that which is a very unfortunate and a set and an extremely deeply traumatizing reality that we're dealing with we have right now we understand but because we got a minute left i want to quickly get the reaction of the other 2 guests if i can in 20 seconds has asked do you agree with that analysis which arsonist just articulated that very quickly in 20 seconds or so those rules i was not there were 2 that are $103.00 of the former soviet republic aspires for democracy is punished in other words that there is a bit of geopolitics going on to weaken a president who unseated allies of of a. bigger neighbor this is this is a this is
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a completely and there are many that. do all the leads it's very little. military. there in 1000000 there's usually. been there's a good or right now i think we're just stuck we've got 20 seconds left i'm sorry but i want to give try to be fair as possible 20 seconds for to have an. first though we don't have military coups here is spoken with different issue but what he's referring to the sure the original political yes it's has been turkey and now little bugger who started initiated the war and the beginning between no bones of armenians and turks in the region is coming from one in genocide that's why we need or i will hear that they have been and we are now on a little bit off topic now we don't have one representing that side by the others or from her own as. perhaps it will let's leave that for another discussion another
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time with other people to join a battle really i'm afraid and we we are out of time guests i apologize for we are out of time going to have to thank our guests come as i stand there liane are some hottie and haven't pasi and thank you to 4 g. you can see the show again any time by visiting our website al-jazeera dot com for further discussion head over to our facebook page that's facebook dot com ford slash a.j. inside story you can also join the conversation on twitter our handle is an a.j. inside story from me sam is a them and the whole team here for now provide. i .
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the stage is set and it's time for a different approach one that is going to challenge the way you think and asking the questions now is the new host of the next season of the show that's got no space for sound bites only cavity so let's leave simplicity into the headlines join me as i take on the lies dismantle the misconceptions and debate the contradictions . and marc lamont hill and it's time to get up for us right here on al-jazeera. in syria thousands have disappeared without a trace. forcibly taken from their families right near the most terrible thing to syria used to be that this has been the invisible weapon of the syrian dictatorship you don't have a mother sometimes a thought you can do better to die than continue to be surely to uncork. the
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disappeared of syria on al-jazeera. play an important role ringback. this is al-jazeera. i know that i am a hell of a hit and this is the news hour my from doha coming up in the next 60 minutes a stunning show of defiance by myanmar's ambassador to the u.n. calling on the general assembly to act against the military and protect civilians the military it's not a step that will in this modern world.
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