Recently, before Martun Grigoryan announced that he would give his votes to Vardan Ghukasyan to become the mayor of Gyumri, government representatives and propagandists were delivering impassioned speeches about the topic of “tasib.” First, they criticized Martun: how could he agree to support a person with whom he has serious personal issues? At the same time, they appealed to the honor of the people of Gyumri: would they tolerate Vardan Ghukasyan as their mayor? Additionally, “geopolitical arguments” were raised: Vardan supports maintaining the Russian military base. I wonder, is Sarik against that?
This counter-propaganda hasn’t yielded results so far. A significant portion of the population (not just in Gyumri) understands very well what is truly dishonorable: having a politician with criminal tendencies as mayor, or having a mayor from the political force responsible for Armenia’s defeat—the CP, which, among other things, spreads hatred toward the people of Artsakh.
Unfortunately, there is no ideal option, but in my view, striking a blow to the CP government is more important than electing an unsympathetic, even sexist, mayor.
Naturally, this story will not end with Martuni’s statement. Not losing in Gyumri is, in the truest sense of the word, a “matter of pride” for the CP. Propaganda alone is not enough, and there is no support from the people of Gyumri, but they do have an “old, tested” weapon: the repressive apparatus under the control of the political authorities—the police, the NSS, the prosecutor’s office, and the courts…
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There are countless ways to invalidate the results of elections in the “bastion of democracy.”
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
