ACNIS ReView Hayatsk Yerevanits – Judging by the recent domestic political developments in Armenia, driven by the person occupying the prime minister’s chair and his close circle, one arrives at a striking conclusion. Our problem is not that Armenia lost the 44-day war. Nor is it merely that Ilham Aliyev continues to dictate endless demands while Pashinyan silently complies. The deeper issue is that the statements and demands of Azerbaijan’s president appear to align entirely with Nikol Pashinyan’s own ideas and worldview. He seems firmly convinced that he has done nothing wrong, neither toward Armenia nor toward Artsakh.
That figure is frankly unfit to serve as head of state. Yet through scheming, deception, and political maneuvering, he consistently manages to stay afloat. He has no equals when it comes to fabricating narratives, presenting defeat as victory, failure as achievement, decline as progress, and so on. It is precisely because of these traits that he has remained in power for nearly eight years and shows no willingness to hand over authority to a worthy successor. This, despite the fact that during his tenure the country has endured three wars, widespread death and destruction, territorial losses, around 5,000 casualties, and more than 10,000 wounded, disabled, or missing, an entire constellation of Armenia’s brightest sons and daughters.
And yet, may God forgive him, he appears not to care. There is no empathy, no sense of guilt, not even the faintest pang of conscience. His sole focus in elections is self-preservation: securing a third term and clinging to power at any cost, regardless of consequences. It seems not to matter that this power has brought immense suffering to the Armenian people and may continue to do so. One clear indication is the apparent alignment between Nikol and Ilham Aliyev. A careful look at recent rhetoric, discussions, and official statements from both sides reveals a striking synchronization in tone and substance, raising serious concerns about the threat of renewed conflict.
It is evident that while one side seeks to maintain power in Armenia, the other aims to advance new Azerbaijani initiatives within it. In essence, a mutually beneficial arrangement of “quid pro quo” appears to be taking shape, one that could prove disastrous for an already weakened state. If our Armenian son (Lao) does not awake from his lethargy as in “Zartir Lao” (Awake, my son) song and deliver a decisive response on June 7, then fate itself may turn away from a nation that once again chooses Nikol Pashinyan. His recent statements and admissions, each more puzzling than the last, offer little cause for optimism.
Read also
From this perspective, it is worth noting a particularly troubling remark made by Pashinyan during the National Assembly-Government question and answer session on March 25, one that even his own allies chose not to address. Typically quick to defend or rationalize his often inconsistent statements, they remained silent this time. What did Pashinyan say? Judge for yourself: “We made a conscious sacrifice in 2020, and as a result, we gained a state and independence. Before that, we were not the authors of those sacrifices; we were led to the slaughter and sacrificed for others’ interests. For the first time, we made a sacrifice for our state, for our interests, for our future, for our identity.”
Pashinyan, who had previously blamed everyone but himself for the war, including former authorities, the opposition, Russia, the Armenians of Artsakh, and others, is now making the opposite claim, effectively admitting that the leadership knowingly led 5,000 young men to their deaths. No clarification of this statement has been provided. Could it truly be that an entire generation was consciously led to destruction, and the homeland surrendered? In response, members of the “Call of Sons” NGO, composed of parents of soldiers killed in the war, filed a report with the prosecutor’s office the following day, alleging a crime based on Pashinyan’s statement. One can only hope for a just outcome…
“Hayatsk Yerevanits” Journal