The upcoming elections are a positive phenomenon in that they will accurately reflect society’s attitude, and no political force will be able to say that the real picture has been misrepresented. In the future, such an opportunity might not arise.
The events were shaping up in Armenia in such a way that only the first elections after the revolution were fair. During the time period after the revolution (1990-1995), the Pan-Armenian National Movement had gotten a taste of authority, got drunk off of it, and was determined to never give it up.
That is where we are different from Georgia. In our neighboring country, Saakashvili carried out the Rose Revolution in 2003, but in 2012, his party lost to Georgian Dream in the elections. Saakashvili accepted the loss and left the government. Now, if Georgian Dream loses the presidential elections a second time, then it will be possible to confidently say that the Rose Revolution succeeded. The past will not be repeated and Georgia will have finally come out of the post-Soviet phase. That is, in my opinion, Mikhail Saakashvili’s greatest contribution, regardless of his flaws and regardless of what Georgians think of him.
The post-Soviet phase in Armenia has still not passed, although there is a chance that the April-May revolution created that possibility. We will be able to record the real “new events” when My Step loses in any future election, and then the force that defeated My Step loses in another election. The government needs to change twice due to elections, not due to a revolution.
Let’s hope that that’s in the future. But in December, again, we will find out what Armenian citizens are thinking.
If a large percent of the votes go to My Step, it will mean that the Armenian people are grateful to Pashinyan for being able to free them from the former government, which most of society deeply hates right now.
If Prosperous Armenia receives some percent of the votes, it will mean that the people haven’t forgotten about Gagik Tsarukyan’s charity works over the past few years. The people who will vote for the RPA are ones who still have hope that we can return to the old system.
If the Sasna Tsrer party receives votes, it will mean that we have citizens who welcome violence, burning, and destruction. And the list goes on.
Any position the citizens hold is worth respecting. What’s important is that we will have the right picture of society.
Aram Abrahamyan
