“Are you happy that Vardan Ghukasyan might become the mayor of Gyumri? Don’t you know who he is?”
This is the question that disguised Nikol supporters ask me—those who love to say, “We don’t support Nikol either, but…” That “but” is inevitably followed by accusations against the “former” authorities.
The fact that fewer people openly identify as devoted Nikol supporters is already a positive sign. Being a CP member, as they say, is “no longer fashionable.”
Now, let me address the question directly. No, I am not happy about Vardan Ghukasyan’s return to politics or the possibility of him leading Gyumri again. In fact, I have written about his and Martun Grigoryan’s rather peculiar inclinations before—back when they were still king and god in their respective domains, not just now when criticizing them is easy.
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But the reality is that the current tyrants and usurpers have long surpassed the former ones in their abuses. And the good news? At least a significant portion of the people in Gyumri and Parakar have come to understand this. I see progress in the fact that fewer citizens are buying into CP’s demagoguery and the myth of their innocence.
The elections in Gyumri made one thing clear: Pashinyan’s power is weakening. Even with the unprecedented use of administrative resources and the full weight of the repressive apparatus, CP failed to secure 50+1 percent of the vote.
It’s logical to assume that we will now see a surge in violence, repression, threats, and aggression, along with even more unlimitid propaganda. We must be ready for the “bastion of democracy” to be further adorned with barbed wire.
But let’s acknowledge an important fact: they are running out of tools.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
