Pashinian: No‘Fake’ Opposition no Authoritarian Rule in Armenia

ASTANA — Fake oppositions have eroded Armenia’s political landscape in the past two decades, acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said at a meeting in Astana with representatives of the Armenian community of Kazakhstan.

The meeting was attended by Armenians not only from Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, but also by Armenians located hundreds of kilometers away. Also a  delegation of Armenians from Uzbekistan was present.

According to him, the creation of an artificial opposition that happened after 1998 was the most destructive factor in the domestic political system. “We will not go this way. For many years in Armenia neither the authorities nor the opposition had the mandate of the people. That is why  the people did not believe anyone,” he said. He stressed that democracy in Armenia is irreversible. “There will be no dictatorships,” he added.

According to him, the most important change resulting from the velvet revolution is the people’s perception of their role. “As foreigners say, their strongest impression today is that Armenia seems to be one family. This is the most important change,” he noted.

“We are not going to create an artificial opposition, because it is up to the opposition to establish itself as a viable force. In the upcoming parliamentary elections the people will decide who will be the government and who will be the opposition,” he added.

Pashinian stressed that the people of Armenia staged a revolution against authoritarianism and  the oligarchic system and will not allow its return.

Political parties and alliances have until November 14 to submit their documents for registration in the elections.

Pashinian’s political team, which came to power on the wave of anti-government protests last spring, is tipped to win in the coming polls by a wide margin and form the next government.

The pro-Pashinian My Step alliance polled over 80 percent of the vote in September municipal elections in capital Yerevan, which is home to more than a third of Armenia’s population.