When I read the statement of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP), a member of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), in which they called on the Armenians in the Russian Federation to endorse Vladimir Putin, I thought at first that it was a joke of the ArmComedy Club; they are just developing the Putin-Club funny story. It would have been very funny and absolutely appropriate, if it had been a joke. But as I understand it, the SDHP does not take back its “pro-Putin” statement and other member-parties of the Congress started to absolutely seriously criticize their colleagues and therefore, appeals of the social democrats to our compatriots in Russia are absolutely serious.
If the “Shirkhanyan” wing of the Hunchaks made such an appeal, it would be understandable. I would think that such a “knight’s move” was suggested by Ashot Manucharyan, who – it is not ruled out – thinks Putin is the pioneer of the struggle against American imperialism. But these, ANC Hunchaks, as well as generally the Congress, seem to struggle for democracy and constitutional order. Does the Russian leader who has been actually ruling the country for 12 years and is going to rule for another 12 years corresponds to the ANC ideals? Since legitimacy is the ultimate goal of the Congress, is the United Russia Party that has won a relative majority in the Russian Duma through election fraud everywhere a legitimate government and what legitimacy will have Putin who has completely emptied the political stage during his rule, taken under absolute control Russian TV channels and deprived of freedom a businessman who showed signs of independence.
However, let’s put all that aside. Is it right for us, citizens of Armenia, to call on citizens of another country to vote for this or that figure in their country? We don’t like when Ara Abrahamyan and Andranik Mihranyan come here before every election and start to endorse the current establishment. Why would Russians need it? Wouldn’t it be better, if they focused on their own, internal affairs?
And I would suggest that the SDHP adopted a new anthem, Lubeh band’s Kombat song. By the way, what does, “Yo kombat, yo kombat, yo kombat” mean? Is it a curse?
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ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
