168: The government in the street. Deadline: June 7

The entire pre-election atmosphere and the propaganda agenda of most of the opposition is built on the circulation of the thesis that the change of power on June 7 is almost an established fact. It is not just an empty slogan.

Talking about the defeat of CP and Nikol Pashinyan, everyone refers to the disgraceful low rating of the government in various sociological surveys, the total lack of public trust. In this sense, the opposition is not dishonest with the public. However, there is a caveat that makes all such predictions unreal.

Based on the ratings, the thesis of the inevitability of Pashinyan’s defeat can be viable only if we were talking about a truly democratic government, which in case of defeat is ready to accept the reality and leave. Բայց նման բան ակնկալել մի իշխանությունից, որը բոլոր հնարավոր պարտություններից երջանկանում է միայն Ադրբեջանից կրած պարտությունից ու ամեն անգամ հեռանում է վերջինիս պահանջած դիրքերից, քաղաքական ինֆանտիլիզմ է։

Technically, how the non-handover of power will take place: open election fraud, violence, or just publication of the desired results, is secondary. The West, which previously “expressed concern” about election frauds and granted a license for their “legitimacy”, today is almost at the level of a pre-election headquarters attached to the CP campaign.

What has been said does not mean that there is no possibility of a change of power and one should surrender in the face of elections before the main battle has started. There is a real chance of a change of power, with the difference that it is not on June 7 and at the polling station, but before that and on the street.

Otherwise, regardless of the results of the vote, Pashinyan will retain power, even if he bites the index finger of CEC Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan, who announced his defeat on live TV.

This reality is also evidenced by the government’s steps, which have nothing in common with the pre-election logic of the ruling power expecting electoral votes and public trust. For example, yesterday, Alen Simonyan signed another order, according to which the deputies and staff members of the National Assembly will receive the regular bonus.։

In the country, where the most discussed topic in recent years and especially in recent months is the perversion of bonuses of officials, taking such a step before the elections is an act equal to political suicide. But this shows that the government does not care about public opinion and the number of electoral votes, and through its most capable representative, pays those who will participate with their breasts and other body parts on June 7 in the dirty process of turning Pashinyan’s electoral defeat, which is becoming more evident every day, into a political victory, in order to ensure the continuation of personal and group greed.

The main task of the government is to take the opposition and society to the polling station by any means possible. The opposition should be able to bring the government to the streets by any means before the elections.

The well-known and traditionally used phrase in Armenian political speech “the government has thrown it on the street” is now very close to becoming a reality. But until this moment, Pashinyan is doing it to get it from the street to the precinct, and the opposition is thinking about going to the street after June 7 at best.

And it will be the “Mustard after dinner” item, which, taking into account Pashinyan’s recent gastronomic preferences, can be transformed at best into an allegory of “Mustard after dinner with mallow”, but never into a change of government. 

Harutyun Avetisyan

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