Arbak Khachatryan: “When an unlawful parliament is forced to elect Nikol Pashinyan, is that good, but when it elected Serzh Sargsyan, was that bad?” (Video)

For Moscow-based Armenian human rights advocate Arbak Khachatryan, it is very encouraging that Armenian young people have demonstrated their independence in recent days, especially since he has always believed that the young must rise up against rotten post-Soviet systems. But the Armenian revolution is also incomprehensible to him, from its beginning to the present moment. Speaking with Aravot.am, Arbak Khachatryan said: “I am glad that Nikol Pashinyan succeeded; he managed to get the people on their feet, because throughout this period the Artsakh issue, October 27, and March 1 were all used against the people and the state to steal billions and prolong their own power. People in Armenia, especially young people, came out against lawlessness.

Young people demonstrated their strength. But the process of electing a prime minister is entirely incomprehensible: that is, the parliament which the people consider illegal, elected with money, must today appoint a prime minister. So if the people force that parliament to elect Nikol Pashinyan, that is legal, but when it elected Serzh Sargsyan, was that illegal? This absurd approach is incomprehensible to me. If the people oppose it and had risen up, both the Constitution and the parliament should be regarded as illegal, because everyone considered them so from the outset.”

To the observation that this would leave the country without government, our interlocutor replied: “In that case, an interim government is formed, an agreement is reached, and processes develop accordingly. Otherwise, what is happening now is that the same kind of people—thieves, looters, and so on—are making a revolution, saying it is for justice. All of this is legal and political-science nonsense, absurdity. Not a single institution in Armenia works; how, and with what personnel, will they be restored?”

Arbak Khachatryan describes the situation as chaotic and believes that if events do not develop in the right direction, Armenia will face even greater dangers. In his view, Armenian public figures should have thoroughly absorbed the experience of past years. “There is a terribly great danger behind the proposition that Nikol Pashinyan will save the country. God willing. I too knew there had to be an overthrow; everyone knew and understood. Nikol Pashinyan managed it; he succeeded. Will he manage to dismantle the billion-dollar connections? In the past, people who reproached me for speaking against Putin in the Russian press now declare that they stand with the people… it is a little funny, even incomprehensible.”

To our observation that, during the Armenian revolution, Armenian political scientists and analysts living in Russia were more critical of what was happening in Armenia, our interlocutor responded that they should not be taken seriously: “They will say whatever suits whoever pays more. The Armenian people are unique: if they see someone’s photograph beside Putin or learn that Lavrov came to someone’s birthday, they quickly conclude that Moscow stands behind him. How many times have I addressed Vladimir Putin in my articles, saying: stop allowing those people to use your name. The group of Armenians who have been governing and looting all this time found it useful to use all of that so that people would obediently listen. These and the remaining questions must be resolved, but resolved properly, not with the support of an illegally elected body.”

Incidentally, Arbak Khachatryan, who was an opponent of the Republican Party of Armenia, is not criticizing that force now: “You do not hit someone who is down.”

Nelly GRIGORYAN