Epress.am News from Armenia
Local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) today published an article by its chief editor, imprisoned opposition journalist Nikol Pashinyan in which he examines the past three years of Serzh Sargsyan’s presidency in Armenia.
“There’s nothing easier than assessing the three years of Serzh Sargsyan’s term in office at Bagramyan 26 [the address of the presidential palace in Yerevan]. We only need to use one word: failure,” writes Pashinyan, who goes on to say if anyone considers his assessment to be an exaggeration, let him think of one area in which Sargsyan has not failed.
“Some might say that he was able to hold power for 3 years. No problem, Hitler was able to maintain it for 12 years and Gadhafi, 44 years. But what’s the result? Failure,” Pashinyan continues.
When Sargsyan took office in 2008, he said that the greatest demand of Armenian citizens is the demand for justice. “Armenian citizens today are continuously choking from this feeling of justice and the Armenian community’s response to the Tashir revelry is faltering proof of this reality,” he writes, referring to the 2011 Tashir Armenian Music Awards in which extravagant gifts of apartments and cars were awarded to Armenian pop stars.
“What results has Serzh Sargsyan registered in the area of economic development? Failure. Agriculture? Failure. Social welfare and reduction in poverty? Failure. Increase in emigration? Failure. Public trust in tomorrow? Failure. Freedom of speech and the press? Failure… Personnel policies? Failure. If anyone is not in agreement on this point, let him prove to me that justice minister Hrayr Tovmasyan differs in any way from his predecessor Gevorg Danielyan made redundant by Serzh Sargsyan. The same refers to former and current Yerevan mayors Gagik Beglaryan and Karen Karepetyan [respectively]. And I’m not even talking about [RA Prime Minister] Tigran Sargsyan and [agriculture minister] Sergo Karapetyan.
[…]“Shall we continue the list of Serzh Sargsyan’s failures? Football Diplomacy, the fight against crime and corruption, proportionate development of the regions. Place a finger on whatever you like. The result is the same: failure.
“Some consider it a great success that Serzh Sargsyan didn’t hand over Karabakh. I’m not speaking directly, but that’s how it is from what’s been said. On principal, they’re right, if we view the issue this way: Serzh Sargsyan has achieved great successes. He hasn’t simply not handed over Karabakh, but also Meghri, Kapan, Goris, Sisian, Vayk, Yeghegnadzor, Sevakavan, Yeraskh, Surenavan, Ararat, Artashat, Masis…
“I won’t continue listing these successes because, to tell the truth, I’m afraid to jinx it,” writes Pashinyan.
Recall, Pashinyan was among several prominent opposition figures who went into hiding in March 2008 following a government crackdown on supporters of former president Levon Ter-Petrossian demanding a re-run of a disputed presidential election. He surrendered to the authorities in July 2009 and was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of stirring up “mass disturbances” in Yerevan that left ten people dead.
The oppositionist will have to serve only half of the prison sentence because of a general amnesty declared by the authorities in June 2009. Both he and Ter-Petrossian’s Armenian National Congress consider the case politically motivated.