By KRIKOR KHODANIAN
The situation is not going well for Armenia’s opposition. For months—if not years—their spokespeople have been proclaiming Armenia’s impending collapse, yet these predictions stubbornly refuse to come true. These days, they are once again dissatisfied—not with the government this time, but with the citizens of Armenia, who are seizing joyful summer moments and briefly forgetting their daily struggles. Dancing in circles in Yerevan’s public squares, celebrating Vardavar from one end of the country to the other, attending wine festivals in the thousands, and vacationing by Lake Sevan in the tens of thousands—these are all unacceptable behaviors to the opposition.
To these dark-minded critics, the people should not be enjoying themselves, because the country is supposedly on the brink of collapse and destruction. War is inevitable, the government is preparing to hand over the “Zangezur Corridor” to Azerbaijan or sell it to the United States, 300,000 Azerbaijanis are allegedly coming to Armenia, the state is about to surrender the electric grid to the Turks—and the list of “disasters” supposedly awaiting Armenia and the Armenian people, according to opposition media, goes on and on.
Over the past seven years, representatives of the former oligarchic system have been unable to reconcile with the loss of power and still think they can turn back the wheel of history and return to their former days—believing that the only thing necessary is to “properly guide” the people. But the Armenian people have their own priorities. Every day, they demonstrate the will and resilience to hold on to their traditions and enjoy the freedoms won through the Velvet Revolution. These freedoms are enjoyed by everyone, including the opposition, which paradoxically uses the rights granted by democracy to attack that very democracy.
Armenia’s people face many challenges, especially economic ones. Some cope better than others. Yet, to some extent, equal opportunities have been created for everyone to move forward and pursue a better life. The government is showing determination to confront both internal and external challenges, despite certain forces’ attempts to destabilize the foundations of the state through calls for violence and attempted coups.
No, Armenia is not a paradise. But neither is it the hellscape that some portray and try to convince the public it is. The opposition operates under the principle of “the worse things get for the country, the better for us.” It’s time for them to come out of their shell, approach issues more realistically, and why not—come and join the people’s collective round dance. Otherwise, they will remain in their sadness for a long time to come.
“MASSIS”
Note: Translated with the assistance of chatGBT
