Armenia: opposition trembling at thought of elections, liers at power

The social and political situation in Armenia remains tense. The demands put forward by the opposition and the objects of rabid criticism remain unchanged. The rally, which took place on Feb. 20, showed that all the same people are flickering in the opposition ranks.

So, what is the opposition demanding? What does it want?! The essence of the claims against the current authorities boils down to accusations of betrayal and the return of the occupied lands to Azerbaijan. Therefore, according to the opposition, the traitor Pashinyan must resign. Former representatives of the Armenian establishment, ex-presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, former Prime Minister Vazgen Manukyan, ex-head of the National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan, former defense ministers and former heads of the government apparatus, sat in the opposition, as in a dugout.

The opposition’s claims are absurd and laughable. As is known, during the Second World War, the French expelled the Nazis from their lands. Imagine only that the Germans, discouraged by such a turn of history, would suddenly come out with accusations of Hitler’s betrayal and demands to return the lands at all costs. Silly, isn’t it?! The Armenian opposition doesn’t hesitate to look stupid, chanting absurdities at rallies!

Azerbaijan has ensured its territorial integrity, and it is time to get used to this idea and not to build sandcastles. By the way, criminal cases have been instituted against all the aforementioned oppositionists in Armenia. So maybe they, merely seizing the moment, are trying to avoid arrest?! One of the most notorious in this handful of criminals is the recently released Robert Kocharyan, whom they are trying to present to the Armenian society as ‘an irreplaceable leader.’ Kocharyan’s hands are stained with the blood of innocent Azerbaijanis and citizens of his country. He is accused of corruption and abuse of power. This is an international criminal. He was one of the organizers of the Khojaly genocide. The same can be said about his accomplice Serzh Sargsyan, whose name appears in the criminal case on ‘diesel fuel trade,’ suppressing protest actions in March and other crimes. Manukyan participated in the Khojaly genocide, and Vanetsyan is accused of espionage. What a nice gang!

Meanwhile, the Armenian government calls on the opposition to dialogue. The holding of early elections isn’t excluded. The opposition intends to seek the resignation of the government and then seize power. Pashinyan doesn’t intend to give up his positions so easily, claiming that he came to power through election, which means that he will leave when voters lose confidence in him. The opposition clearly doesn’t intend to put up with this state of affairs.

Probably, the insistence of the opposition is dictated to a greater extent by selfish interests. So, Kocharyan, Sargsyan, and others like them are trying to bargain for freedom in exchange for their silence. However, the criminal cases against them haven’t been terminated. Oppositionists who have failed to agree with the government claim that Kocharyan and Sargsyan’s arrests play into Azerbaijan’s hands. In a word, allegedly, Armenia’s current authorities are pouring water on the mill of Baku. Of course, Azerbaijan demands that Kocharyan and Sargsyan appear before the International Tribunal for crimes committed against Azerbaijanis. But one shouldn’t forget that these executioners are guilty of the death of their citizens.

Pashinyan’s position is far from satisfactory. According to a poll conducted by the Gallup International Association in Armenia, 43.6 percent of respondents want the current Armenian prime minister to resign. In a survey conducted on Nov. 13, this figure was 35.2 percent. In a poll conducted from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2 - 45.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Pashinyan continues to feed the Armenian public with false promises. He assures that by June, he will normalize the situation in the country, and then extraordinary elections will be held.

The holding of elections in Armenia after the 44-day war is quite logical. This is also necessary for the sponsors of the Armenian authorities. The patrons of the Kocharyan supporters, on the one hand, are putting pressure on Pashinyan, trying to bring their henchmen to power, and on the other hand, seeking to develop regional cooperation with the current government. Russia, of course, is irritated by Nikol Pashinyan’s pro-Western nature. Therefore, the situation in Armenia is unlikely to stabilize before the elections...