Political scientist Armen Aghayan expressed an idea during a conversation with us a few days ago that the ARF seemed not to exist anymore, it was almost on the sidelines. “Everyone declares himself a political scientist and one is compelled to explain. I will not comment on every ignorant thing,” Artsvik Minasyan, an ARF MP, said disagreeing with the political scientist and added, “In the international practice, the opposition must not necessarily be in prison and curse. The opposition is the force that besides criticizing, presents alternative approaches to the country’s development. From this perspective, the ARF has managed to ensure a normal standard, along with an image of a civilized opposition force.”
Mr. Minasyan doesn’t share the opinion that the opposition had weakened recently either, “Perhaps, it is because there is much indifference in the society. The same society has given this status to the opposition, particularly the part of the society that participates in elections under the pressure of money and administrative leverage. It has given a big opportunity to
the government and a small opportunity to the opposition. Certainly, the Republican Party wishes to see a weak opposition, because in their policies, they are not guided by the principle of farsightedness and setting the national interests above everything else. This particularly refers to the part of the Republicans for whom criticism is equal to a deadly insult.”
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Arpine SIMONYAN
