“Segregation” in Armenian parliament — opposition is trying to restore old order

The opposition in the Armenian parliament is vying for leadership in parliamentary committees. This process has not yet been completed, and the revanchists still have hopes.

The opposition needs more than just seats; it needs opportunities. It has no intention of working from the positions it has secured in the interests of the country’s development. She plans, having gained at least such power, to start undermining the stabilized situation and to turn state policy 180 degrees. This can be achieved by actively obstructing every important decision. In fact, this is an attempt at sabotage against state policy, against peace with neighbors, and therefore against the future of Armenia.

A few days ago, revanchist media made a fuss because at one of the domestic football matches, the police attempted to confiscate a separatist banner displayed by fans. Judging by the footage that has been published, the provocateurs have defeated the law enforcement officers, and the Tetris?shaped cloth remains hanging on the fence. The revanchists have defended their symbol, believing they have defended Armenia. But in reality, with each such “victory,” it is precisely Armenia that loses.The fight against provocative symbolism is more successful in the parliament and government institutions. Separatist “flags” are being removed from the National Assembly meeting hall. Revanchists are trying to bring them back into the spotlight, but, unlike the police at the stadium, the ruling party has no intention of giving in and is consistently eradicating the foul traces of separatism.

In the parliament, a kind of “segregation” is actually taking place — the opposition is trying to divide the committees into “their own” and “outsiders” and gain control over the areas through which they can influence state policy.

The revanchists are not going to give up their positions that easily either. The day before, candidates for the post of chairman of the standing committee on European integration were discussed in the Armenian parliament. The Karapetyan faction nominated Aregh Hovsepyan for this position. Araik Harutyunyan, a deputy from the Civil Contract party, asked her how she felt about the Prague Agreement. The very agreement under which Armenia, for the first time at the level of an international document, officially recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.Hovsepyan flushed with anger but never gave a clear “no” answer. She was lost in memories of her tender childhood years and youth in Karabakh, the graves of her ancestors, and other things she would never forget. All of this was meant to make it clear that she, Ovsepyan, would never have signed the Prague Agreement under any circumstances. The revanchist is not a “refugee”; she has lived in Armenia for a long time, used to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and, despite her hatred for the current government, she never left, delaying her departure in the hope of seeing the Karabakh clan return. In 2021, she hoped for a failure in the elections for Pashinyan. But he didn’t fail.During a spat with the revanchist, Harutyunyan used the legitimate name for Karabakh, while Hovsepyan interrupted him, demanding that the Azerbaijani region be called “Artsakh.” To which she received a firm response: “Karabakh.”Why does the opposition need a commission on European integration? The political force, which vehemently opposes Nikol Pashinyan’s European course, is persistently seeking to take charge of this structure. The head of the Karapetyan faction, Narek Karapetyan, told journalists that “Strong Armenia” intends to step up the work of the commission on European integration in order to prove that the opposition is not just for one country. Karapetyan junior promises that the revanchists will actively work in the interests of Armenia’s European integration. But these statements failed to convince anyone. Everyone understands that the pro?Russian opposition, which has done everything possible and impossible to prevent the country from breaking free from the influence of the northern power, wants to gain power in such a commission in order to hinder the process of rapprochement with Europe. This is an axiom. Otherwise, Karapetyan’s party will lose the interest of external actors. The commission on European integration has a specific focus. It should not be concerned with increasing trade turnover with the EU, as Karapetyan believes, but with resolving, through legislative means, issues related to Armenia’s movement towards the European Union.

Narek Karapetyan is a great dreamer. He not only fools journalists but also deliberately puts forward an ardent separatist and revanchist for this position. She will try to do everything she can to ensure that the commission does not produce any results. European integration will permanently close the topic of claims to Azerbaijani territories for Armenians, so it must not be allowed. If you slow down work and drag things out, you can wait for the “reds” to come, and then the idea will die out on its own.

The revanchists have specific goals and specific tasks. As I recall, they initially loudly declared that they would refuse the mandates, and then suddenly changed their minds. Because they weren’t allowed to. At some other level, they were told that they weren’t on their own and couldn’t make any decisions on their own. Their obtaining of the mandates was secured through large bribes and other underhanded means — and for what? So that they could flee the “battlefield”? No, as they say, if you call yourself a mushroom, you’d better get into the basket.

Narek Karapetyan really wanted to run away as soon as he realized that he and his uncle Samvel had been deceived by their partners. Well, it wasn’t exactly a deception — they simply didn’t do what they had promised after receiving a large sum of money. Rumors are circulating on social media that certain circles in Russia received a tidy sum from Narek Karapetyan, promising to put him in the prime minister’s chair. As someone new to politics and not knowing anything about it, Karapetyan Jr. joyfully rushed off to the elections, expecting miracles. But the “good fairy” didn’t do anything, and she wouldn’t have been able to, no matter how much she waved her “magic wand”. The “fairy,” unlike the “uncle’s bun,” knows her way around politics. Now the “uncle’s bun” is demanding his money back, or, as a consolation prize, at least some proof that the partner didn’t do it on purpose... Just imagine — the revenge seeker wants to get a certificate signed with the phrase “I swear on my mother’s grave” stating that he wasn’t cheated deliberately, it just didn’t work out.

You never know what people are saying on social media. Maybe it’s just rumors. We can’t say for sure. But it seems very likely to be true...