The political life of Armenia has a very interesting manifestation: the opposition groups are worse towards each other than towards the government, although everyone assures that their goal is to get rid of the current government. Similar things likely happen in other countries as well. When the opposition does not reach its goal “in one go,” they separate and eat away at each other. On that occasion, I remembered a “classic” example, when in 1996 a rather powerful and influential NDU split into four parts two years later. A year ago, joint protests by 16 or 17 parties yielded no results, and each party went about its business.
Rallies of the so-called “Liberation Movement” took place throughout the previous week. The concerns that were voiced during those protests are appropriate: stop handing over our sovereign territories and ensure the security of Armenia’s borders. Probably, the representatives of that movement thought that our citizens were so concerned about these issues that tens of thousands of people took to the streets. But the rallies were not very crowded, the government did not feel any tangible pressure, and at the end of the week, the “5165” group led by Karin Tonoyan left the “Liberation Movement.”
It is quite natural that the government’s propagandists mocked and discredited last week’s actions with the well-known “logical chain” of “pro-Kocharyan,” “pizza-eaters”, and “thieves.” But the other oppositionists, both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary, showed the same negative attitude. The elementary political sense of smell should remind the Armenia and I Have Honor alliances, the National Democratic Pole, the ANC, the same “liberators” and other oppositionists not to talk about their differences, to forget them temporarily. But, as it seems, the political forces in Armenia are governed by a special logic, which leads to the “atomization” of the opposition.
Let me give you some examples. Suppose any opposition group finds the idea of a “Wilsonian Armenia” ridiculous. But it is possible to restrain sarcasm for a while, isn’t it, and only after achieving the common goal can it be decided what Armenia will be like in the “Wilsonian,” “Kur-Araks” or Tigran the Great period. Opposition X thinks that Opposition Y is an American or Russian spy. Can this X put aside its suspicions and carry out joint projects with Y? It seems fantastic, but if those who believe in the right or wrong ideas do not give up their ambitions and unite, the next change of government will take place as it did in 2018: a new populist who has no ideology but wins the hearts of the people with fiery speeches will come to power. And again, nothing good will come from it.
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Aram Abrahamyan
